The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-24
arasshoppers For Dinner.

We have seen notices of the dinner pre-
pared at st. Louis for Prof. Riley and a
few chosen friends, of grasshoppers, but
regarded it as joke. The professor has
gone to Europe. When in New York he
called on the editor of the american Ag-
raculturist, who reports his interview with
the great Missouri Entomologist as fol-
lows;f = =, O.
A few days after that portion of the
paper was made up, we had the pleasure
of visit from Prof, X. who was on his
way to Europe for short vacation, and
he informed us that the locast had actually
appeared at dinner-'not where he eats,
but where he is eaten" Our friend is a
very thorough man. and is not one to
point out the way, but to lead it, and hav-
ing advised people to eat hoppers, he at
once set the example. A few bushels of
hoppers were procured, and placed in
charge of one of the best caterers in st.
Louis to be served. A number Of scien-
tifc gentlemen were invited, and dinner
was set forth at which the lively locust
formed the sole animal food. Martyrs
| to science, some may think, but so far
from this being the case, it was feast
that the yeriest epicure might envy. Prof,
Rs. vivid description of it fairly made our
mouths water, and half inclined US to wish
that certain natural laws did not prevent
visit of these much eating and more eat
able articulata to the less favored shores
of the Atlantic. While our friend canno.
say that he bankers arter" the raw hop
per lust cook it, and frogs, terrapins,
shrimps and even the luscious oyster must
give precedence to CaLOpteauS which all
must admit is much better table name
for the delicacy than hopper or even
locust, Those men of science began
with Caioptenus soup, SO fine thai
against all of the rules of etiquette they
asked for ''more." then came hopper
fritters, vastly better than oyster fritters
and so on with roast, boiled, fried, anC
stewed of the same, each better than the
last, until the climax of the feast was
reached in locusts served with honey
This last dish convinced those present
that even in Scripture times they knew
something about luxurious living. 1t ha;
often been said that the man who ate the
first oyster was one of remarkable courage
though his name is lost to history, but II
future times, when locusts shall be sold il
our markets by the dozen. and laws ar
passed for the better preservation of thi
valuable game" posterity will remembe
Riley and his associates as the first Ameri
cans who entertained the locust at dinner
All levity aside, why not eat th'
insects? These locusts feed OF
the fat of the land and VIII!
should we not in turn eat them? 1t j
against our prejudices, but when we cool
lly consider the matter, the locust is reall
no more repulsive than shrimp or eve
an oyster, and that they are really accepta
| bic to the palate these gentlemen enthusi
astically declare. To our notion, Prot
Riley and his guests did really goo
thing. In portions of Kansas, Nebraska
Missouri. and elsewhere, people were &C
tually suffering with hunger, with all tn
while untold quantities of food around then
, not only food which will sustain life, bu
of remarkably palatable kind, and what
ever jocular remarks may be made abou
this hopper dinner, we think that the ger
tlemen who partook Of it did an eminent
ly good work, and one which in futur
years may prevent much suffering.