The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-01-08


/ Everybody, says The Baltimore Sun. has
heard Of Chesapeake Aanyas.baek ducks
and diamond-back telrapins, and rreu,
many people know something of how tlsev
taste when served up for DIE table, but
not . great many are acqusnited with The
manner in which they are handled by the
dealers 10 those and other famed CASTRO
nomic Injuries. There Is an establish
ment in Baltimore which has been iitted
up especially for this trade, where canvas
backs and all kinds Of game are kept by
the thousands in apartments whore the
temperature remains at is degrees above
zero, and where terrapins in muItitudes
live and grow fat on nothing. There arc
five large closets on the premises, built ia
the walls, similar 10 bank vaults, and these
BY scientific processes ara arranged to keep
the interior at very low temperature, by
the use Of ice, but in different manner
from the freezing process Of a Refrigerator.
In one of these the canyas-backs and
other Wild game are kept perfectly fresh
in another there are all varieties Of 6sh
including shad from Savannah, white-tsh
from the lakes, rock and perch from the
Chesapeake tributaries, and blue-fsh. had
dock, and Goldfish from the North. IA
another closet the smaller and more com.
mon fish are kept, and all Of the closets
are iiiled with some of the special products
dealt IN. For month past shipments Of
canvas-baeks by the barrel have been
made to London, Liverpool, and to Paris
BY steamships from New York and Bald
more The fowls are taken from the cold
closets, and when on board the steamers
are put in ice and reach their destinations
in excellent condition. Oysters in barrels
are also sent to Europe, the oysters being
packed with sea weed and corn meal
But the most novel feature Of the house
Is the "terrapin department. This room
is kept warm, and the terrapins luxuriate
in air-tight chests, each from five 10 ten
bushels capacity. These arc packed fun
OF terrapins, which number many hum
dreds in the aggregate. The most Of them
are Of the Chesapeake ''diamond.backp
variety, and all arc at least seven inches
across the under shell, that being the
measurement which the tenapin must
reach before, in the opinion Of the epicure
it is fitted for the table. There are also
kept in some Of the chests hundreds Of
slider or fred fender" terrapins, a fresh
water variety, chiefly from the james
river.
The habits of the terrapin have been
made study by this dealer. He keeps
them in his air-tight chests without food
and says they not only exist: deprived Of
air, but grow fat, and If kept in the chest
for six months will each weigh four or six
ounces more than when first put in, If
the terrapins are allowed to have liberty
or free air, even in the most limited space.
they become very poor, as they seem 10
draw sustenance from themselves, but do
not take food. All the terrapins in the
chests are enjoying vigorous existence, as
proved by their movements when the lids
were raised. The terrapins are principally
sold to hotel keepers, and to be served up
at extra junketings, and bring about s24
dozen. During the terrapin season Of
1874 one house in Baltimore sold a thou
sand dozen.