The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-03-05
ANCIENT TURTLE
Us d For Soup at the Recent Lincoln
BaDqu {.
His Turtleship's Advent, Life and Death
in Toledo---The Benqueters Didn't Say
Word, Because They Weren't On.


Another story has just come to light
concerning the famous Lincoln banquet
held in Toledo recently, and though not
calculated to quiet the stomach or bring
back fond gastronomic memories of that
eventful night, IL is strictly and undenia-
bly, true. After it had been determined
that wine was mocker anG should not
grace the banquet table, extra precau-
tions were taken to make the menu other
wise JOY forever, or at least n corker.
Some epicurean Republican with one and
on his stomach suggested that green tur-
tie soup would be just the thing, not com
mon every day canned soup, but the gem
uine article, with an able-bodied turtle in
1t. The suggestion caught on at once,
and the caterer sent to New York house
for regular green back. In order TO en-
joy the rest of this story it will be neces-
sary to keep the dates mentioned well in
mind.
On Saturday, January 81, the turtle ar.
rived, and was daisy in point of size. II
was observed at the time of his arrival that
he was rather weary, but this was blamed
to the fatigue of travel and not because he
had not been out of his native element for
some time. The caterer not being regu-
larly in business obtained permission
from good Republican saloonist on Ad-
ans street, near Memorial Hall, to board
| and lodge His Turtleship until February
IL. On Monday, February 2, the turtle
was taken to this place, and an attempt
was made to revive his dropping energies
| by putting him in tub of water. He was
| too big, however, and was dumped into q
| little covered hack yard. Grave doubts
were entertained that his deplorable lack
of water facilities might interfere with
| the turtles natural disposition 10 live, and,
unfortunately, subsequent events proved
l these doubts to be well founded, for on
| the night of Tuesday, February 3, the tur-
| tie died. II might not be out of place to
| observe in this connection that this was
| nine days before the banquet was held.
On Wednesday the caterer was
notified, and nothing daunted cut
| off Mr.. Turtles head and dumped
| the remains comfortably in
| the back yard, to await the coming Of the
| soup. There is little else to be said of this
| magnificent turtle, for ii is well to speak
softly of the dead, and if ever a turtle was
| emphatically dead, this one was. Suffice
1t to say, the huge, headless bulk lay there
| in the back yard from Wednesday, Febru.
ary 4, to Thursday, February II, when il
| was boiled into soup and served to the Re.
/ publicans of Ohio, Whether Mckinley
| Porter and the other big guns present en-.
| joyed that old turtle soup is for them to
say In the light of fuller particulars, but al
| the time it passed current. Had this sim
| pie tale of woe been narrated at the ban
| quet that night it undoubtedly would have
| created some CONSERVATION, but every
1 body's Republican stomach has been well
l settled by this time and there can be nc
| harm in telling the truth. This is proba
1 bly, one of the worst doses of soup ever
served to the Republicans of Ohio.