3. Cannibalism in the Cars (1868)

Summary: The author sits next to this man in the train who then relates to him how he became stranded with several other gentlemen in a railroad car in the middle of a dreadful winter climate. The men found themselves in the need to resort to cannibalism and had elections, with officials and the sort, to decide who would get eaten and when.

Commentary: I was attracted to the cannibalism in the title, but when I actually read the story, I found the political jargon the narrator used a little bit confusing, so I could not really find myself focusing on the actual story. I did enjoy the fact that their elections were exactly like political elections with the complications and standstills and all. My favorite part of the story was the first ballot; it was a tie because half the men valued one candidate's youth, the other half one candidate's size. I found the narrative humorous until I got to the very end, in which the author points out the unnerving pleasantness this man relates this tale with, and I was in fact a little creeped out.