The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-11-04
TERRAPIN TALK.
A Food Dainty Worth Almost Its
Weight in Gold.
Most Expensive Kind Caught In
Chesapeake Bay.

nm expert angler In tho waters OF
Chesapeake Bay, for the diamond
backod tcrrnpin is an nristocratic den
izen of those waters and worth almost
his weight in gold to the epicure OF
the fashionable cafe. This value set
upon tho terrapin prevents the edible
reptile from becoming food for the
masses, his scarcity enhancing his
worth and making him more tooth
some tid-bit for the onnuied digestion
Of the professional dinerout
The diamond back terrapin is only
another name for small species OF
turtle, and time was when the colored
people of Maryland ate them after
roastng them in their shells, and
never dreamed Of their value as food
for n royal monu. Now terrapin-
farm is mine OF wealth to it's pos
SCISSOR. A true story is told Of n
poor negro fisherman who cbanced
upon nest Of diamond backs near
Tnngier Island in 1893. In four hours
he took out twelve hundred dollars
worth aud stopped only when too ex-
hausted to work.
Terrnpins Gin pound" present an in
tercsting but by no means an appotiz-
ing appearance. Tho pound is n
place where tho fishermen keep the
turtles until they are shipped to some
city to the markets. There is n pre-
judce in the minds of the dealers
against pound terrapin as losing some
of their delicacy when kept from salt
water, but only an epicure could dis
tinguish difference. The farms
where they are cultivated are flooded
with sea water, 80 that tho little OBJ
ject preserves it's delicatessen quail
ties unimpaired.
There are certain rules understood
by those who purchase terrapin. They
are careful to observe that the extreme
tip or muzzle of the head is uot in
jured, that the bottom of the feet are
not worn of, that the head is prettily
shaped-small, thin and pointed, and
the eyes brilliant. The feet should be
small and slender. Those who have
seen these same diamond-backs crawl
ing over cnch other in the windows OF
fish stores did not perhaps appreciate
their great worth.
Cooking terrapin properly is such
an art that only q chef or Mary
lander should be permitted to give in
structions. 1t is rather hard on the
epicure to be told that unless the
small bones Of the terrapin are left in
he will not know whether he is eating
the genuine article or not. But it is
absolutely true that the only people
who can cook it as it demands are the
Maryland cooks who learned from the
colored people, and their secret of
success is to handle it as little as pos
sible, and to serve it from the dish in
which it was cooked, thus preserving
its native juices and aromas.
On the terrapin farms of the Chesa-
peake peculiar sport is INDUCED in
by the men, called "terrnpin racing"
The turtles are let loose in a large
room, where at one end hot fire is
blazing, protected by a guard. They
oil begin n scramble for tho light and
warmth, the men betting on particular
ones. They have no continuity of
purpose, and are likely to branch off
in dozen devious routes, but the
terrdpin that first puts its nose against
the fire guard wins the race.
Terrapin are rated according to
their value with family pedigree tag,
which simply gives the name OF the
state whence they come. First on the
list for its terrapin is Chesapeake Bay.
Next comes Long Island. Then Vir-
ginin, Charleston and Savannah,
Florida, Mobile and the gulf follow.
Mississippi and North Carolina and
other points south furnish excellent
terrapin.
Eighty dollars dozen is not con-
sidered high for choice terrapin at
certain seasons and on special occa-
sions. A modest housekeeper saw one
crawling over some Holsters in a fish
market, and out of curiosity inquired
the price.
"What time is it?" asked the mar
ket man, looking at his watch. "You
may have it for So, but if it was 6
o'clock tonight and l only had that
one l should have to charge you more.
II avnaot unpna in apv tpnmapt p--na