Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) food.

1891		Contemp. Review LX n.p.: Begging is called ‘battering for chewing;’ railway brakemen, ‘brakies; poorhouses, ‘pogies;’ prisons, ‘pens;’ liquor drinking, ‘rushing the growler;’ insanity, ‘bug-house,’ &c. &c. This slang is a very popular.
1907		J. London Road 183: We went down the river ‘on our own,’ hustling our ‘chewin’s,’ [...] and, alas that I must say it, sometimes taking possession of the stores the farmer-folk had collected for the Army.
1909		‘O. Henry’ Roads of Destiny 132: Here comes that capstanfooted lubber with the chewin’.
1927		‘Jargon of the Und.’ in DN V 442: Chewins, Food.
1930		G. Milburn ‘Sweet Charity’ in Hobo’s Hornbook 228: Dat means a couple of hours or more / Before we get our chewin’.

2. (US) chewing tobacco.

1892

Brooklyn Dly Eagle (NY) 4 Dec. 3/7: ‘Aw, go an’ fill yer mout’ wit loose chewin’ an’ spit yerself off de eart!’.