The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-30
A FAST sALIER
CRAWFISH AS GEME AND FOOD,
How They are Captured and cooked
in the FrcshWatcr Southwest.


in the Frcshwatcr Southwest.
"Crawfceshw is the cry most frequently
heard on ST. Louis streets these sultry
July nights At moderate computation
10 is repeated 10000 times daily from $
j. NJ. 10 4 A. NJ. between Nandeventer
avenue and the levee To has superseded
the Red hctr' slogan n the wionerwurst
man. IN IS symptomatic evidence OF "a
new industry. an industry by which
hundreds Of men, women and boys are
making a living. II means that man
or boy is traversinE the streets carrying
a basket laden with freshwater Holsters
boiled 10 "a beautiful carmne and ready
TO be eaten.
"Cr8wfecsh" Is the vendors pronunCia-
ti0n Of what modern dictionaries spell
"craWhsh' Piiny designated 'crcvice
our English cousins know ass "oTevlf.'
and Southern folk. educated before me
word was corrupted. write 'crayheh
although they pronounce IL "craw which
is proper unless you have the knack OF
saying "kra after tAe French fashion.
The distinction in The sound is the same
as In "aw' and an
1t YOU have never eaten crawhsh you
have pleasure in store. But don't make
your first venture when YOU are serious
in your desire for food. To hungry
man eating crawfsh is like taking soup
with a fork; it is an aggravatIon rather
than solace. Wait ull YOU merely wish
TO eat to pamper your palate. then try
crawhsh. II YOU do. and are lucky enough
10 get them PROPERLY prepared. and your
time is only good TO pass and YOU have
proper appreciation of ST. Louis beer
the odds are 100 90 ! that you win bee
come a slave 10 the crawfsh habit
fe qriNor "a fsu- uovenua Cd know the
crawhsh alive as We'll as dead. There IS
a dim bat widely disseminated theory that
the craw never moves forward Even the
Rev. Sam Jones fosters this belief by tell
ing a story of the ola crawfsh saying TO
the young crawish eco ahead young
man. and the young crawdsh retorting,
Suppose YOU set the example"
But 10 is an error 90 suppose that the
crawfsh always reyerses the lever 10 go
ahead. He can advance head first very
slowly and painfully ON land. and with
more facility under water. and Doe habit
ually swims that way but when he IS
In "a hurry he goes backward
The craw belongs TO the crustacean
family. is nearly related 20 the lobster
and has the same disposition and tastes
modified TO suit bis fresh water habita-
ton. lie is 90 scaveneger. just as the
lobster is. and in his small way is quite
as fierce fighter. lie the gender Us
immateriaD breeds rapidly. Otherwise
the race would soon become extinct. as
fish and turtles devour great numbers.
and man contributes largely 90 i.s deci-
nation.
The craw found I'm this latitude IS a'-
most one tenth the weight of 20 lobster
In the South they attain greater size
Specimens twelve inches long have been
caught in Florida and Louisiana. The
Northern craw IS rarely more than four
inches long. A notable circumstance IS
that the large crawfsh, particularly
those living in clear water. are almost as
red while alive as they are after being
boiled. This Is not the case with other
members of the crustaceau family When
very Young the craW is white. like a.
shrimp Then he is great bait for bass
and pickerel After he gets old and
dark nsh will not strike at him. but the
meat of his tail Will attract perch and
crappie when even live minnOws are uu-
availing.
Catching crawhsh is even better sport
for lazy man than shooting frogs. All
the apparatus needed is a few yards Of
Irvine. a chunk OF liver raw meat of any
kind VIII do. but liver is preferable and
a few light sticks a yard long. Tie 2 l--
feet OF string 90 the end OF a stick fastcn
"a piece of liver TO the other end OF The
string; let the liver sink into the water
two feet. iab the butt end Of your three
foot rod into the bank then hx another
tackle and 90 likewise.
one fisherman can attend 70 half q
dozen lines. No hooks are needed. The
crawlsh SEXES the bait firmly with one
claw and proceeds 90 tear OF chunks OF
liver with the other and feed himself The
J.. D. ..
bite Free your rod from the bank and
raise the crawfsh gently and steadily up
ward. lie will cling 10 the liver TIN ne
is dropped into your basket, provided YOU
handle your line so as not 20 jOstle him.
OF course ~ you want 90 be hog and
take all chance OF escape from the
craw. YOU can use landing net. but the
true sportsman scorns such an adyan-
tage. II you are a pot-hunter you can
catch craws By the wholesale with almost
no trouble. Bait basket with refuse
and sink il in the water where craWIsh
congregate. Let IL remain few hours
then lift il out IL will be half fun OF
craws lighting for the food. But that
method of catching the simple but succu-
lent member of the genus Cambarus can
not be too severely condemned.
After YOU get your crawiish YOU proba-
blv won't know what 10 do with them. IL
Won are versed in the lore of the kitchen
YOU first put kettle OF water on the
fire to boil. Put in handful oil salt ana
plenty OF pepper. Cayenne Is good but
real artists prefer Mexican pods. While
the kettle is coming TO fierce boil wash
vour craws in cold. clear water
Now comes that part of the operation
which is wrongfuily-almos crlniinali5
neglected by cooks who prepare craws
for public sale Grasp your craw nrmly
about the body and claws with your left
hand so that he cannot pinch. You will
lind that he has I'VE legs, one OF which
grows out OF his body IN the solar piexus
reoton Twist this of Then break the
lin OF the tail and pull IL Off. II will
viii hiring with It a black string. This Is
me craw's intestine. and should always
ne removed before the fish is cooked. As
coon as this Is done toss the craw into
the boiling water. which has already been
seasoned 10 suit the taste. In FIVE min
utes he is done and ready to be served