New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-06-27
Wray Mr.. wIlmerding, Randolph Gebhard. W.
blanchard Eldridge TOrrey aud Captain L. E Bayley
THE neutrality-suspicious. CLUB.
EATING SEA COW AND MYTHICAL BEASTS

EATING SEA COW AND MYTHICAL BEASTS.
DINNER AT THE MANHATTAN BEACH HoTEL-A
MARVELLOUS MENU-sHoRT SPEECHES.
The Ichthyophagous Club held it's fourth annual
meeting last night at the Manhattan Beach ho'ei
for the purpose as officially set forth, OF DISCUSS
ing the qualities of many rare and excellent nsneS'
as we'll as of some less priced but not less toothsohe
molIusks reptiles and denizens of the For inc
prosecution of this laudable object sxty-two
members and friends of the club had assembled IN
one of the largo dining Of the hotel oy !
o'clock. There were two dinner tables decorated
with original designs in tho form OF sundry strange
"ancient and fsh-like monsters" concocted OF now
ers and fruits and pscatoral trophies. There "ero
also something over score of walters IN readiness
and they were all needed for it was terrible menu
which had been provided, and one which demanded
good deal Of assistance in the negotiating. one Vi
the guests remarked that it almost seemed pi'y
that the dinner was not held month OF 50 ago
so that the menu might have been III t'ih'
for the International Fisheries Exhibition
now omen in London. The American Department
had called forth universal eulOgy as 1t Is, nc sau
but the addition of that menu would nave coin-
PEELED the awe of all spectators and must nave
drawn a special mention from Professor Huxley
himself.
1t SAYS a great deal for the exhaustive nature OF
American scientific research in the out Oh
the way hooks and corners, In .no
carrets and cellars of the deep, that
such list as that of last night should have been
producible but it says much more for the enter
prise and intrepidity of American cooks. Many
cooks for instance would have been rather con-
founded if asked how to serve up sea-cow; Dut
not so the chef of the Manhattan Beach Hotel.
He took it In hand as If 1t had peen
the most ordinary proyender. and handling her iko
any orli a arv land-cow. sent her forth as STEAKS
4 Ia maifre fh6tel" The other strange leviathans
were met in the fearless way. Sturgeon
which not so long ago was sacred TO the DaIqHe5is
of kings was placed before ordinary mortar "a
WafeI0fe Normande. This audacity rose almost
to impertinence in some Instances, as wnen noon,
fish came up boiled and garnlshed Win . snpi ~
sauce; and there was something OF Dissertation III
the conception of larding wot-nsh, tnIusIIs
cauliflowers upon him, and then dlshing nm a "a
Parisienne. Bot as an evidence oil INC soy %
science TO cope with the most untractable MONSTERS
of the triumph OF mind over brute lVlDo'
| the spectacle was little short OF tremendous;
In one case indeed the hsrdihood of the COOK had
o'eTleaped itself Alligator steaks Ia Dureiic were
| announced. and no small OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES,
tears. of course-was heard when 1t was announofd
| that no alligator was forthcoming. But, aiter all
| there was much consolation in the sea-coW;
The nominal hour for the beginning 9t tne hefoIc
meal was half-past g. but 1t was long AFTER pel9 3
the purie of turtle POrenidt and the iresh-WAler
| n,nssel sonn made their appearance. These were,
| however soon followed By the hors dGurrc in the
shape of razor clans Jarcs. ana t nrd
| sturgeon Nine o'clock found tho company sun
| wrestling with the sea-cow and the hlots OF pom
| nano and before the sOTbet was reached ~ was
nearly half past BY that time the crisis was Decon
inc rather grave. IL was all very well to CLASSIFY
these unknown things just Ike any Ordinary iu.,Sy
foods 10 label them entrees, recrfs ana so ioItu
lint IN was quite another thing when II came 10 ea'
| ing them. A sea-cow cannot be eaten without some
emotion, Will drumhs consent 10 DC pot,cI A.
| han "A
| prevented the company from racing over sucu
| courses as these and when John foord saw tnat
| the company waited 10 pull itSei together before
| living fresh obstacles instead of taking IT In us
| stride he rose and explained that the last tram
left the Beach at hali-psst 10; IL Wonid 20
better he said with the consent OF The party lnas
| the speeches should be served concurIently WIN
the fish that a sentiment and broiied sea-roDlD;
| toast and horseshoe crab should DC SAhd"lchsn
Acting upon this sugse;io9 he proceeded d to
propose tho health OF the cup, ,ht No ~
sea-cow, no said. there seemed nttle
left for il TO overcome save ichthyosaurl; Psares
and the sea-serpent; he therefore caiiea upon ~
| Robert b. Roosevelt, in whose brain the scheme %
| the club first originated, 70 answer 10 the toasl;
| Time however was getting more ana more lnIlsu
and Mr.. Roosevelt confined himself 10 lew "oIds
| of thanks and graduation, The walters were only
| carrying around the r6as when General WoodfOrd
got up TO explain that this was the first meeting on
fbe Climb he bad attended, and that be now Tor the
first time realized how much he had LOST ana hop
| little lie meant 10 lose IN future. linen II; :.
Handy of The philadelphia Fress rose anu 1ltci
struggling for time with the title OF the cIuo
| which was nearly rs pau \
| dsh-bone IN the throat, he succeeded
| in presenting 10 Mr. Foord. the president OF the
| evening a somewhat unique trophy IN the shaPe oi
| a baton formed out of some mysterious portion Oh a
| valrus Then when the company ought TO nave
been eating sea-robIns 1t found itself listening 70
| William A. Hammond, who. however ohy
| two songs were sung by Mr.. Werrenrath'
with Mr. Thaen accompanying him on tn, piano;
| Tca IN WORDS
| CarToll: and. as cigars were handed around, this
new miracle-the feeding of sixty persons on
| half as many kinds of fsh-was declared success
| fully achieved 49,,
| Among those present were Eugene G.. Blackford
Arthur D. Williams, CASTOR l.. FeuaTdent FfederlcE
| Natber. Charles T.. Leland, ID. +. Elnstein 3srnel
Pbiliins Colonel NJ A. Taylor c. H. Miller, Francis
Endlcott, c. f. Lewis and General Stewart L."ood
ford.