The Portland daily press., 1871-03-13
FLoUNDERs.-Tennyson says:
Gin the spring young mau's fancy
Lightly turns to thou yhts OF love 70

I'm the spring yourg mau's fancy
Lightly turns to thoughts OF love"
Which may be the case in Alfs section, but
with US 1t turns to thoughts of mud and nsh-
Ing. Next week the school will begin and
then the boys will ask this conundrum:
"Whicn had rather do or 90 fishipgs" and
tn large percentage Of cases he will an
swer in the affirmative, aud as he founder,
round in the mud it will naturally suggest to
him those other Founders, ,.round in the mud,
and it is to them that we now intend to
throw the line.
Like corned beef and pickles, the Founder
will be always found in salt water. When.
ever you see him In fresh water, he In either
put there to boil or else he Is some other kind
Of fish. Our big dish of brine contains
founders for all who care to seek them. He
isl not all of one size; there Is more of
some of him than OF others. There IS most
OF him by broad measure, as edgewise he is
no thicker than fapack. A medium one Is
about the shape of Western bag, though
not quite so large. One that Is eight inches
long will not be more than two thirds Of foot
in length. They dwell near the bottom and
plow round like government dredger. The
TIN time they eat best is when they are hungry.
The sense OF that sentence was spoiled to
preserve the grammar, as we meant that the
best time to eat them, is in cool weather, and
we nominate spring as a good season. Like
our politicians, they eat good deal Of mud,
and in warm weather taste fat-clam fat. In
New York the people eat them any time, but
the natives there are liable to do anything.
Founders are blackish on the back and
white on the belly, which is probably caused
by their backs being tanned in the sun. They
SWIM hatwise like fried potatoe, and tber
mouth is up and down like the handle Of q
jug. When they eat they have to turn Rp
sideways, which is little unhandy, but Ne
| more so than to have such large Ieet as 20 be
obliged to get out of bed every time you turn
over. They have small mouth, and little
food is a good deal to them. Like the rest Of
US, they like clans, and are even willing to
swallow fish hook in order 10 obtain taste.
There are lots of things founders are good
for besides eating. A great many mothers
take the skin and patch the seats Of their lit.
| tie boys trousers, and it wears well. Tho
back being dark and the belly light, 1t will
match most any cloth. Take them dried and
they make very neat tap on boot, and one
well applied by parent, will often cause .
| blu TO suffuse-not the face of q naughty
bop-but farther down his anatomy. Put on
the roof and sides of house, instsrad OF
Shingles, they make very neat appearance
and will turn water worse thun slate. Sew
| On thumb to one of a proper size and II
makes durable mitten.
| As an appeaser OF hunger they are very
| good. 1t is always good idea to catch them
before attempting to cook them. Alter Hatch.
ing mess, and If they bite well, it will not
take more than day or two to get ALI you
need, struggle home with them, and
proceed 10 skin them. Take of the skin
just the opposite of pullingof your shirt,
that is pull from the head. as the nap runs
that way. Decapitate them, cut of the mar.
rative. all loose bones you see sticking out ,and
roll them 1.-THE fish not the bones) In meal and
try to a nice brown in pork tat. Eat dozen
or fifteen, and take our word Tor 1t, you will
find them good, and will have the edge OF
your appetite turned considerably.
As our paper comes out in new form this
week, we don't wish to monopolize too much
space and as our readers nave foundered
round long enough over this article, we viii
let them swim off into deeper water Bel
fast Journal.