Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-10
THE LUsCiOas TERRAPIN.
Promising Opening OF ,he Seasou-The
Growth OF Luxurious Appetites.
baltimore special to Philadelphia r

! baltimore special to Philadelphia Press
The damond-back terrapin season Ia,
been opcn couple OF weeks now, and
enough time has elapsed to show what kind
OF a season it is to be. All the big dealer
In Baltimore tell the Press correspondent
that terrapin are unusually plentiful and
| that the scare promulgated from New York
is entirely unreasonable and unsupport-
ed. Baltimore is the greatest terrapin
market IN the world, Just as the Chesa-
peake bay is the greatest feeding.grOund
| for these reptiles. It is estimated that out
| Of this bay and its tributaries over $780,
| coo worth OF terrapin are taken annually.
| At the average price OF $50 q dozen this
means 600. 900 terrapin, and IL requires the
steady work OF over 800 men to catch
| them. Like the canyas-back duck, the ter
rapin feeds chiefly on water.celery or water
cresS, and this grass is particularly abun.
| dant in tie Chesapeake, more so, In fact,
than in any other body OF water in the
world. This explains why the canvas
back duck, after leaving his British home.
farther north than even New York alder
mon go, flies straight TO the Chesapeake. II
explains. too, why the terrapin r0Ost in its
c0yes and refuse to leave until taken away
TO grace the festivities OF the banquet hall.
And yet terrapin is a comparatively re-
cent dish. Within the present century one
OF the great planters Of Anne Arundel
county leaves It on record that he bought
the best terrapIn il the Annapolis mlrEet
for 12t cents each, andthat his slaves once
rebelled because he gave them terrapin in
stead Of pork. Forty years ago old John
NJ. Clayton, the biggest statesman Della
ware ever raised, and who was among the
first to discover the almost divine succu-
lence that reposes IN q good dish Of terra
pin. bought them by the quantities.
PAYING 81 for an oXcart bad.
witch he would have dumped in
the cellar like a ton Of coal. Here
The terrapin lay all the winter or until the
demands Of the table had exhausted the
stock. A PECULIARLY Of the terrapin is that
starvation does not hurt it. The biggest
dealer In Baltimore nailed one in a box Sc
cureIy and gave il neither food nor drink Tor
three months. When he took il out il
weighed 9n ounce more than II did when
he put IL in. This sounds like Delaware
river fish-stOry, but il IS solid truth never
thelcss. Ii is SAID that Washington and
Laiay cite and CORVALLIS and carleton
.oitcnCd the aspcrities OF Yorktown by
dishes Of terrapin, but they evidently Kept
the dclicacy 10 themselves, for il never at.
tanned any great popularity until the LIST
bali century.
The demand for terraDin extends 10 every
city in his country and to Europe. No
large dinner is complete without II. Its
growing popularity in England Is due en-.
trely 10 American influence. Those who
have never seen "a iBritisher before whom u
set for the ii, It time a dish Of terrapin bave
missed study in facIal expression that Is
rs Interesting Is il IS amusing. lnyalially
he gazcS at it a. If il were 3 plate Of boiled
l,bing.worms. Then, after much per
,uasioD. be tastes it, and forever
more be is friend OF he ter
rapln. Baltimore, Philadelphia, and
Washington are the cities where the
dish can be found in it, most perfect excel
loncc. The recipes are numcrous-fren
the famous one OF sam. Ward, which cap
tivated ihe Prince OF Wales, 10 all the
modern improyCments-but the terfapin.
like beauty, Is adorned the most when
adorned the least. and should Away be
served hot. 1he true way - enjoy terrapin
is not to bury it amid the ruins Of multi
iarious bill Of fare. but TO give 1t the whole
field and plenty OF favor, and sprinkle the
dry road that leads to the interior depart
mcnt with occasional sips OF good, dry
champagne. When a healthy man does
that lac can shut his eyes, and say with
clear conscience that life i worth living.