Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-12-22
pHlLADELpHlA Alppop4Aal
The Menu Prepared for Their First Din
ner, shortly TO Occur.

1nC mCnA GIGH0Igu loE nGlE IlIol Olm~
ner, shortly to Occur.
A society has been formed to promote
the eating Of horsehesh. The headquarters
of this unique association are In Philadel-
phia, and its secretary is Charles Wilson
Montgomery. As yet the members are few
in number, but they make up for this de-
hciency by their enthusiastic fondness for
cooked horse. Secretary Montgomery is a
comparatively young man, but his bronzed
complexion and numerous scars tell Of an
adventurous life by flood and field. Speak.
ing of the horsefesh society, he said:
Our organization is made up Of men
\ who at some period of their lives were led
lby necessity or curiosity to taste what is
jvulgarly called mag beef" A liking for
horsehesh is as natural to man as liking
for mutton or beef. Consequently when
any one eats horsefesh and finds it tooth.
some he wants to repeat the experiment.
Gradually yearning for this kind of food
springs up within him, and he longs to be
able once more to indulge his taste for
equine steak. But horsefesh is not deli
cacy that one finds in many American
restaurants. 1t may figure largely in tho
culinary department of course, but it never
dPpCuAo Oh OlO Dlll VI AdICs
About two months ago happened to
meet a party of gentlemen who, like my
self, had knocked about the world great
deal. Our conversation resulted in the
discovery that we had one particular taste
IN common-namely, roast horse. After
considerable discussion we agreed to III
terest other friends similarly minded and
to form a regular club. Thus began the
Society for the Eating of Horsefesh. Since
then we have secured twenty-three mem
bers, all of whom are fairly prominent per-
sons in Philadelphia, Pittsburg Cincin-
natl, Chicago and elsewhere. We have
agreed to have horsefiesh dinner in one or
other of these cities every three months,
and the first dinner is to take place in
Philadelphia.
Great difficulty was experienced by us
in inducing any restaurant keeper to serve
us with the dinner we want. These men
fear that their business would be ruined If
1T were to leak out that they cooked horse
flesh. Finally, however, a down town
caterer, who as a soldier in the war ate
horse himself, agreed to crafty us on con-
dition that we keep his name secret.
The members of the society have each
story to tell of how they first came to
eat and like this unconventional article of
food. Clyde NJ. Allen, of Cincinnati, one
of our founders, added horse to his list of
dishes while wandering in the northwest
several years ago. Henry H. Fulton, Of
Chicago, a we'll known theatrical man,
was forced to eat it during the famous
siege of Paris. AS he himself said, ut was
a choice between horse and rats, and horse
was chosen" A popular police officer of
this city first masticated horse while serv-
ing with detachment of the United States
cavalry against the Apaches. Captain F.
]. Kelly, of Pittsburg, was on the trek" in
South Africa at the outbreak of the dia-
mond excitement, when starvation forced
him and the men who were with him to
kill and eat two of their horses. Ny own
friendship for this much maligned food
dates from the breaking of the engines be-
longing to the steamer st. Kilda in the In
dian ocean ten years ago.
The ship was carrying a number Of
walers, or Australian horses, from Sydney
to Bombay when she met with the acci-
dent l was one of the crew, and when
our provisions gave out without the small
est speck Of land heaving in sight we just
tackled those horses. l tell you they beat
salt junk and weevilly biscuits all to fits,
and when we were eventually taken in tow
by friendly vessel we were fatter by sew
eral inches in spite of our long drift
Philadelphia Times.