The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-07
QUICK END OF 5000 CLANS.
THE LAKE HoPATCoNG CLUB ON ITS
ANNUAL PICNIC

Having rounded up during the three or four
days previous oil the edlbles within q radius OF
many miles, the Lake Hopatcong Club held its
second annual clnmbake yesterday on the club
house lawn overlooking the waters Of the lake.
According to the clubs approved findings the
proper method OF disposlng OF a clnmbako
is to eat all the clans and then sur
round them with various kinds OF food
and drink to keep them from getting
lonely. Two hundred persons of both sexes
and all sizes went through this process
yesterday. and up to midnight no deaths had
been reported. which goes far to indicate the
antiseptic qualities OF the Hopatcong mir. Then.
too, the lack of mortality must be Inscribed In
part to the fact that the renowned Archie
Stalker, who can transform the humble clam
into more forms of delight and lusciousness
than any other man living. presided over tho
cookery.
According to programme the feast should
have begun at . o'clock, but the clans didn't
bake quite so quickly as was expected and tho
feast was delayed for nearly an hour When
the hands OF the big clock in the hall OF the
clubhouse pointed to the hour OF 2 a line Of
wan members filed out to the lawn. passed tho
big tent where tho tables were set. and
formed in a hollow square. each unit
OF which was also hollow, around the
clam pit, wherein, covered with kelp. the
juicy bivalves were baking and giving
forth madly npretizinR odors. Every man in
the line had been fasting all day in anticipation
of the grand culinary event, TO which each was
bound to do full justice II he died in the at
tempt. As the meaty whifrs OF mir assailed their
nostrils the faithful members concentrated
their gaze on the pit, and with streaming eyes
and flaccid Jaws besought Archie Stalker to
hurry up tho process.
For" said Judge William Bratby Of Man.
chester. who is entered at scratch on the clubs
appetite tournament list. "if this keeps up
much longer l shall fall down and eat grass"
You'd have to turn over on your side to do
It," said Joe Marsh. who is the Judges rival in
the eating line. referring to the rotundity OF
the Judges waistcoat.
That's good, solid flesh, anyway" retorted
the other. There's no bass drum about
that"
Gentlemen. the clans will be ready In
three-quarters OF an hour" announced the
Great Stalker. As experts in this line you
are all aware that the longer a clam bakes tho
finer it is, so for every minute OF deprivation
now you have in prospect an equal period Of
supreme delight"
Temporarily encouraged by this reminder.
the line proceeded to scan the Holsters which
were being prepared near by and were already
assuming the roseate hue which Is the swan
song in color Of that crustacean. Having in
hailed all the savory smells in tho out-of-door
Kitchen, the picnickers went into the barroom
and had what one Of their number termed. al
most in tears. an appetizer" At a little before
3 an orchestra went out to the tent and
the cornet played q dinner call. Less
than half q dozen notes had pealed out when u
furious mob poured out, OF the doors and win
lows OF the big clubhouse. bounded down
s across f fD% ( BEDS 2se and I'!"!I kesp f of tho e mnaiSS
! ,f.no a~l kNn1- kba tnpt hy npInplf At
kinds, beer and champagne, Once eaten the
clam had no return to his native element. Beer
possibly owing to an ~apnoupcement early in
whq arose with q panied Expression and said
gsg HssIS T SIs%s d m %'PS so% kk aS wan about Si'T It.
The eating had been going on perhaps twenty
minutes, when the long; happy sigh that marks
the tables, and sporadic conversation broke
out BY way Of pr9yidinG entertalnment Gen;
".oid John" Eastman, commonly known, as
the Major, and Oliver Kelly, the leading
as F6e MAJORS % M saSst. On T the S S%nestion nheG oi
whether Kelly had ever really held Office or
not, Eastman alleging that, all tales of Kelly's
G Gerse9' %hiis Were tSe S Shas SI enc m hSia's Steadily d Ns al.
legged that not only had he been chosen 70 Al
elected again before the Major reached the age
| OF lUD years, which Hb HlUJeu- Wdh nOb very luT
on. From local politics they slid onto the Mon
roe doctrine. and everybody at the table was
getting deeply involved when the orehestra
bilsaGGSe got to its feet and sang with as much
yigor as II It hadn't thousands Of slain clans on
Its conscience. not to mention other portions OF
No SOONER had the MUSIC stopped than Mayor
began to tell 9 ish story The eompany had
MAYOR SfSn wf f. ae i6 nv teT R,8 fisherman "a and Si reta aiE e d
piscatorlal history-some less success sfula anglers
say HSa It j is r ilS.I9n; md He hS bhpria So 6v fairy t5 a stoFtsG
ing huge platters Of CLANS to the tables
: great silence. broken only by the tosotstens p
the walters ut n continuous double-quick
Speech was superfuous when the entire ca.
pacity Of the mouth was so taxed In another
taIi netIy anid fas t ime n!s5 tea tRe tent nes eam msS ff H5s:
an. HndesiGnated source. and was:
There The Tr %9n IT. be any any SIp s tGaHse d n ooms III,
loved showed the popularity Of the scheme O
To be sure there was music. but that did no
interfere with the gTstatory exercises, bu,
4 S Si,s IH.st" s sIsst$ & 81 n ~ q u %R% at va x,
s @sTPe ahor rep %2n'' but ut p L H was stated On t }@'
5000 clans were cooked. an average 0
twenty-five for each ,feasterr; which Is
ture. As for drinks. they were Of two
table and accosted Judge, Joseph Coult N
Newark. who Is also a great fisherman and ID In
cllned to look down upon Mayor rockingham
Waltonian pretensions because Of that gentle
mans comparative youth.
TELLING another Of his, confounded fish lies
Is he 2" cried the old Judge. Let me hear II
Here waiter. take my chair over to that table.
Seating himself opposite to the speaker
Judge Coult fixed him with a stony glare ant
proceeded to intersperse his tale with com
mcnts and queries. The course Of the relation
ran about as follows, the Interruptions beinl
by the Judge:
We'll. just as he struck",-
STRUCK what? What kind OF a fish are yo'
talking about 2"
You'd know II you'd been here in time
Judge. just rs he struck / whipped my ro'
Whipped your rod backl This with dee
disdainl That 3 the best way / know TO smasI
q rod. You ought TO have given him line.".
} ''ls. this your fish or miner He came clea
out 81 the water ere could see the leader ~" ;,
"A hook" said the Mayor earnestly. "Wha
/ did you think hadl A kite? 7"