The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-07-06
SELLING UNWHOLESOME PROVISIONS
An Epieure:

The LIST SectlOn OF the 1850 chap
ter of the Revised Statutes is as fol-
lows:
elf any person shall sell any dis
eased, corrupted or unwholesome
provisions, whether for meat or
drink, knowing the same to be such,
without making it known to the buy
er, he shall be punished by impris-
onment in the State prison, not more
than five years, or by fine, not eX-
ceeding one thousand dollars, and
imprisonment in the county Jail, not
more than one year."
Under this provision a firm in
this city were indicted and tried, at
the present term Of the District
Court, for selling a kind of fish call
ed skate, for halibuts' heads and fins.
The government proved that one
of the firm sold a quantity of fish in
a barrel as halibuts' heads and fins,
but that large portion of them
proved to be skates fins and tails.
One witness for the government
testified that he purchased some of
the fish Of the complainant-that he
did not know what to make of the
skates-thought, however, that he
should like to try them, as he had
never eaten any, and had some of
them cooked. But they had such a
disagreeable odor he couldn't stay
in the house where they were cook
ing-and they were so tough that
neither he nor any Of his family
could eat them.
The counsel for the defense offer
ed to prove that skates are not an
unwholesome food-and that many
people eat hem as well as surgeons
and frogs. He then read a letter
from Capt. w. p. Parrot-by con-
sent-representing that he had eat
en- skates at sea and had experienced
no bad effects therefrom. The coun-
sci afterwards read from DR.. Je-
rome V. C. Smiths work on the
Fishes Of Massachusetts to show,
firstly, that surgeons are prime eat
ing, secondly, that skates ale almost
as delicious-and that many bush
els are disposed ofin - 1--WE for
get where) to be used as food.
The County Attorney thought the
skates in question were so large that
one could not be got into bushel.
Naughter.)
The counsel for the defense then
introduced that veteran fisherman
and notable epicure, TIMOTHY Colby,
to show that this delicate fish is eat
en- bypeople in Maine. The examin-
alton of this witness proceeded some
thing as follows:
" Mr.. Colby, did you ever eat
a skate
Yes, sir"
Is it good eating"
Tolerable. 1t needs a good
deal boiling, though" Laughter.)
You never grew lean in conse-
quence Of eating it, did you :"
The witness appeared to think
this question was intended as a re-
Election upon his corpulence-so he
contented himself with casting a
sideling glance down his " corpora
ton" and quickly saying he "guess-
ed not"
old it do you any inury?"
"No."
Did you ever eat frog ?"
eyes,"
Did you ever eat any sturgeon,
Mr.. Colby"
eyes"
"Did you ever eat any sculpin P"
eyes, sir. 1t was very good,
too" And I have eaten dog-hsh,
and catfish, and almost all sorts of
fish. And mock-hsh, | thought |
should eat some Of them sometime"
ia laugh.)
Gross e.ramiaatin by Co. attorney.
" Mr.. Colby, what part of the skate
have you eaten -
"The fin. I conldn't eat any
other part, for it is hollow"
"Did you ever eat it raw F.?
Yes, | have eaten it raw and
cooked, fresh and salt, dry and
green, and have had good health for
forty years past, all the time"
"Did you ever eat a muskrat ?"
eyes"
"You have curiosity to eat ami
mails that are not usually eaten, do
you not ~
Curiosity no, it is common to