The Washington critic., 1885-10-26
TOPICS OF THE DAY.
A Bit Of Gossip from Chicago
About the Persian Mission.
ROBERT TOOMBS AS A WIr,
A Leading Newspaper Man and tho For
tune lie has Made.
THE OTFICE-SBBKING GRIND.
Disappointed Politicians who Haunt
the state Department.
THE TERRAPIN SEASON.

The terrapin season is just opening
again on the Chesapeake Bay, near
here, writes Austin in the Cincinnati
7imes-Star. There are taken out Of
the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries
every year million and ahalf dollars
worth of diamond back terrapins As
the price averages $3.50 piece, this
represents 100000 terrapins. Five
hundred men or more are engaged dur
ing the season in catching them. They
arc found on both sides of the bay,
from its mouth to the head, and are par
ticularly abundant in the rivers and in.
lets. The tcrrapin like the canvas
back duck, feeds chiefly on water eel
cry and as this article grows in greater
luXuriancc in the Chesapeake than in
almost any other body of water in the
world, it is favorite place for terra
pin fishing. SO important is this
branch of industry becoming that Il
number of terrapin farms" have been
established up and down the bay. The
demand for terrapin as an article of
food seems to steadily increase. Within
the present century they were sold
in the Annapolis markets for 49, cents
apiece Now they are worth Mt retail
S4 or So One dealer in Baltimore puts
his sales nt over II hundred thousand
dollars, and says they might be half
million dollars if he could get the ter
rapins.
~
"Why do you want to go to Tehe-
ran ?" inquired Chicago Mail reporter
of Mr.. +. II. Winston few days ago,
just before his departure for Washing
ton. "The name is pronounced Tahn,"
said Mr.. Winston, seriously, as though
pronunciation was the only question at
point. "And how did you find that
out? You seem to have been studying
up for u purpose. " II have always
been interested in Persia, have read Il
great deal about 1t, and know a good
deal about i" "Do you think, if ap-
pointed Minister Resident of the United
States at the Shah's court, you can
make that long trip on camclbacll
which scared Bayliss Hanna out of ac.
cepting the mission? ?" "Well, don {
know" said Mr.. Winston. 81 ride on
horseback good deal, and think
could ride a camel if compelled to. But
the trip isn't so long as it has been rep.
resented. Teheran is only sixty or
sevcnty-flve miles from the Caspian
sea, and one can ride that distance on
almost anything" did you see the re-
port Of the present Minister'S royal re
ception when he arrived there? '"Yes,
and the bill for the whole thing was sent
him early next morning. Yes, that $
the custom of the country, it seems. "
and do you know that all the women
in Persia wear heavy wells all the time,
and their faces are never SEEM" 81
believe that's So But don't understand
that am anxious to go out as Minister
TO Persia. Some friends of mine have
been doing all the talking about it. |
have had no part in it. Haven't ap-
piled for the place or any other, and
nobody has applied for il for me, II
i ie C.fercd inc it will be time enough
for me to talk about accepting. / am
rather fond Of travel and think ! shall
go abroad again before long any way aud
shall possibly make trip around the
world next year.