The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-18
TERRAPIN IS GERRAPIN.
The Little Diam ond- backed Turtles
Fetch $50 Dozen Now.
FROM the Boston Herald

1OtCA Wv o DO2S4 ANOWs
FROM the Boston Herald.
Eighty dollars dozen for terrapin Think
of it! The feast of kings aud of plebes be-
comes the feast of kings alone. And yet it
is so. Those who would revel in dish of
diamond back the coming season must pos
sess almost Croesus-like wealth.
And why's 1t is simply because the supply
Is almost exhausted. This may seem
strange, almost impossible. to person who
has not closely watched the decline In the
sup ply and corresponding increase in the
demand and price Of terrapIn in the last
few years. But to those who have done so
the gravest anxiety is felt for the terrapin's
future. The species, like the oyster, in mans
unreasOning greed, is coming dangerously
near extinction.
The falling off in the receipts of terrapin
was first noticeable about ten years ago.
Before that the market was oYerstock ed
The surplus was used as fertilzlng mater ial
by farmers, and they say il served its pur-
pose we'll. In slavery days terrapin was
placed in the same category that hash oc-
cuuies in the modern boarding house Con-
slderRte masters. i'll selling their negroes,
often stipulated in the contracts that the
articles of barter should not be fed on ter
rApln more than twice week. The meat
was considered unnutritious and iudgesti-
BILE. The poorest in the land could taste Of
it. Indeed, epicures had not thea dis
covered what delioacy 1t was, and when
they did howl went up from the upper
ten for "terrapin, terrapiu; we must have
terrapinm
And the upper ten got it. Not for the in.
significant price for which it was dealt out
to the nobodys, but at figures which, while
stiff, were small in comparison with those
at which the delicacy Is now being sold
This was not because there was any fear
thea Of exhausting the supply, but because
those engaged in the terrRpin business
knew they were dealing with people whose
leg could be pulled, aud they pulled it. New
York alone, OF all the social centsrs, did
not cry for terrapln. She hates to follow
where others lead go she juss kept quiet
But she couldn't do SO long. AT a secret
dinner given to q select few Of
Gotham swelldom small quantity Of the
Chesapeake bay variety, which had been
surrepntiously imported for the occasion,
was eaten. 1t was cooked by Maryland
chef, too. The Gothamites surrendered
without struggle. But it would never
have done to let sister cities know that New
York had fallen in love with something
which she had not discovered, SO terrapln
was eaten pa,roniziugly. So IA, however, it
was .worshiped unqualitiedly on Staten
Island.
Philadelphia had fallen ia line shortly
after Baltimore, and the western states were
not long finding out what delicious dish
they were missing. Paris aud London
clubs also caught or and imported
Maryland terrapin aud Maryland chefs
to tempt the palates of their blase
members. The hotel keeper OF the
French capital has such call for it from
American visitors that they, too. found it
paid to have the dish served in home style.
Now all the world bows down before the
royal diamond-back.
When the demand for terrapin became
general prices went up, but remained
within the easy reach of persons of mod
crate means. Soon, however, the run on
this market began TO be felt, and at last
it had to be admitted that terrapin could
not be furnished at reasonable rates. Still
the call came for it, and, as there were
people ready to pay big money, the deal
ers made extraordinary efforts TO obtain
large supplies from the sources that were
rapidly being depleted.
The menu card OF President Harrison's
ball contained terrapin. IL was found that
terrapn could not he had unless extraordi-
nary efforts were made to obtain it. 1t had
been eaten extensively during Lent and
was scarcer than ever. Dealers in Balti-
more and Philadelphia were ordered to Sc
cure diamond-backs at any cost. They got
possession Of about all out OF the water,
and then didn't forget to charge for them
either
1t was all along about this time that the
fishermen began the methods by which the
species is fast being exterminated. Young
terrapin or old, without regard TO sex, we're
taken. The male terrapin never gets TO be
large aud is naturally an important agent
in the propagation of this kind. But the fish
ermen didn't mind that They would catch
all the terrapin they could and place large
and small in pen on tie shore. where the
tide would wash up occasionally. The law
says no terrapin shall be caught before Nov.
|. Until that time the creatures would be
kept In pens When November arrived
they would be shipped to the cities thin and
feverish from their unnatural surroundings.
This method is pursued more largely than
ever now.
Fish dealers do not care to discuss the
outlook for the coming season They say
that they do not know whether or not there
will be a greater scarcity of terrapin, but
admit that 80 far the prospect Is not reas-
suring One said that II the decrease IN the
supply is as marked as In former years, the
1rst-olass article, such as it is, will be SELL
ing at $50 dozen.