The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-03-26

The social and intellectual progress of the
human race cannot make great Roadway with
out an abundance and variety of food. We
suppose that it is one of the memorable laws
Of our being that we can never reach state of
high and refined civilization unless our ply
sical natures are properly cared tor In those
countries where the people are limited to
few kinds OF food, we find but little social or
intellectual progress. The New York Tribune
well says that the rice diet of the people of
eastern Asia and the limited elements contain
ed in the acrid food of the people of the trop-
les, will not permit any of those nations to
rise above barbarism." The history of those
nations confirms the statement. Living up.
on such food, the people do not possess strong
intellscts, nor that ambition, courage and per-
severance which characterize other nations,
1t is true that their physical health may be
good, and they may live to good old age.
They also may be ingenious in many of the
mechanic arts, and yet they do not rise to a
high civilization. There is a certain degree of
| stupidity about them that is not witnessed in
| people who have varied and abundant supplies
| of food.
1
| by visit to one of our fish markets on Com
mercial street last Tuesday morning. The
day previous had been pleasant one, and the
fishermen had improved it to good advantage
We were not little surprised at the display
of fish. There were several boats along side Of
the wharf deeply laden with cod, paddock and
some eusk, and men were pitching them upon
the dock. They were all caught the day pre-
vious, and fine catch it was. These tenants
of the ocean were bright and shining We
saw several Goldfish that weighed some thirty
pounds each. They were noble fellows Thii
fare was taken some twenty miles from the
.'Cape." There are other fish markets on THU
street, and we presume there were other dis
plays as fine as this. We understand our fish
ermen have good luck this season, and we re
joice at it; for we reckon them among our bes
producing classes 1t is hard work in the colo
season; but these hardy sons of the ocean dom
mind trifes.
At a time like this when beef is so dear, W.
can't prize our fish market too highly, nor es
TEEN those too much who brave the storms o
the ocean to supply it. But few cities in th
world have better fish market than Portland
A good many of our residents find profitable
employment in this business, and the poor arr
fed with cheap and wholesome food
The time is coming-and we trust it is no
far in the future-when fresh fish from oul
waters will be carried through the "Notch" il
the cars, and even to Vermont, SO that thu
people along the line and at the public houses
in the vicinity OF the Mountains can hav'
good fresh cod, halibut and haddoek for thsi
dinners. True, they sometimes have trout
and we too can have trout when the pure wa
ter of Sebago is poured into our city, ant
trout of our own raising. DR.. Stark has in
vented an apparatus which can be placed il
an office, library, or parlor, where trout car
be bred even from the egg. This apparatus il
not unlike the aquarium now in common us'
in many places and requires very little more
attention. Give us then, as soon as possibls
the Ogdensburg Railroad and the crystal wa
tiers Of ssbago, and then we willtry to mak'
other improvements which shall elevate ant
benefit the people. sX.a AGRrooLA.