Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-08-02
DUMMY ALIENS TURTLE.


The soup ~ Furnished For Albany's
Old Tim. Epicures.
A local paper half century ago pub
hshed the following sketch: which has
lost nome of its Amusing flavor in the
intervening years:
1.-THE early history Of the fret at
tempt at tickling the palates of Albany
epicures with that delectable chaos Of
havors known ms turtle soup was made.
we believe hy the celebrated Andrew
Jackson : len. better known as Dummy
Allen. M1o for many years acted as
Edwin Forests costumer and ueed to
personate Caleb Quotem on the stage in
q style peculiar to himself. At the time
we speak of he kept a restaurant in the
vicinity of the old Green Street theater
and was a prime favorite among the
bloods of the day, who made his place
customary resort.
ALBANY was then, as now, q very
nice village but still there were some
things in Dummy Aliens cookery book
not dreamed Of in our philosophy. He
therefore resolved to afford our ancient
epicures taste of bliss in guise hith-
erto unknown to them-to wit, turtle
soup Accordingly public announce
ment was duly made Of the felicity in
store for the lovers Of good eating, and,
in order that appetites might be fully
whetted, for few days before the &C.
ceptable time siZable, aldermanic look
ing green turtle was allowed to prom
enade at the end of long string upon
the sidewalk in front of Aliens estab-
lishment. In due time the repast came
off and proved complete triumph of
kitchen art. The new and delicious gift
to appetite became the town talk and
showered upon the immortal Dummy
vast reputation and much gold.
'Once more and while the mouths of
epicures were still watering with MEM
cries Of recent bliss the potent an
nouncement was reiterated; once more
decent looking turtle, very like the
other, divulged his ample neck on An
drew Jackson's premises, to the great
admiration of beholders; once more fas-
tidious palates enjoyed select morsels
of paradise from Aliens marvellous
boilers. and once more did vast renown
and much lucre fall to the share of the
inspired costumer of the inner man. |
The governors first business in the
morning before proceeding to state af-
fairs was to inquire whether Allen served
up turtle soup that day. Tidings of the
miraculous food would agitate the sen.
az 6icfnrh he J.:x a. IL
bies wild.
Turtle coup became all the rage, |
and week after week it was eagerly de- |
voured. At length some sharp and per-
haps envicus observers thought they |
remarked a striking similarity in all of |
Dummy Aliens turtles. One very sus-
picious individual, struck with their
strong coincidence of aspect, quietly
took the trouble of putting his sign
manual on the back of one announced
for that days slaughter. The i'll fated
criminal duly disappeared and was COM
mented upon that day in the form of
soup as unusually excellent.
"But, amazementl When next week I
customary announcement of turtle soup
was made. how speedy was the ladder
of immortality knocked fiat from under
the inspiring Allen when that same
turtle-the identical, supposed to be
victim Of the week before
bearing the deeply cut private mark of
our suspicious friend-turned up and
resumed its sidewalk promenade, ap-
parently in capital condition for de-
funct animal.
"The secret was out. The game was
up. Dummy Allen was done for. With
a regular cheap supply of calves heads
and one specimen turtle. Caleb Quotem
had been doing the Albany epicures for
a whole season at little or no expense,
and with the sole aid of their imagina-
tive powers he had RECALLED them with
of delicacies and at the same
time put golden lining to his pocket.
Albany Argus