The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-12-30
MUSKRAT AS A DELICACY.

Epicurean friends of j. Frank Morri-
son, the "big chief" in democratic pol
itics OF the West End, are giving ex-
preston to fond popes that he will cele-
brate the recent victory Of his party by
giving muskrat supper to which they
will be invited. Mr. Morrison's musk
rat seances have made him famous and
the meat of the little animal is a most
popular delicacy in Baltimore though
for many years it's flavor on the eastern
| shore has been duly and truly apprecia-
| ted
The only thing against the inoffensive
| muskrat is its name, and those who
take umbrage at the association the
name suggests can relieve their tender
sensibilities by substituting marsh rab-
| bit, name by which the little fellow Is
now generally known among the white
| folks of the eastern shore. While in
former years the tender and savory
meat was consigned to consumption by
| the negro slaves, just as terrapin and
| canvasback ducks, because Of their
abundance and consequent cheapness, it
| has in more recent years found its way
to the tables of the wealthy and aristo-
cratic classes In the towns. OF course.
there is much In the preparation of the
meat to render 1t a delicacy. MIR. Nor
rison has made this preparation a life
study, and Is now past grand master in
this branch of the culinary art. He has
studied with the love and precision of a
chemist the condiments and the quanti-
ty of the same to be added and when
and how to be added when the marsh
rabbit (f you please is undergoing the
cooking treatment preparatory to tick
ling the epicurean palate.
There is one thing about Mr. Morri-
sons marsh rabbit suppers which
should recommend them to high livers
with full appetites and lean purses, for
the meat does not cost much. In the
tidewater sections of the peninsula it Is
frequently drug on the market, be-
cause of its abundance. The animal Is
hunted for it's pelt as we'll as its meat
The pelt Is the main source of profit
The animals are shot, though they do
not furnish much sport, as they live in
marshes, over which tramping Is not
very pleasant The trap Is the method
generally in vogue to capture them.
AS soon as muskrat is caught 1t
plunges into the water, the weight of
the trap holding 1t down until the ami
NAL is drowned. When q muskrat is
trapped on land 1t eats its leg off above
the trap and escapes on three legs,
In SHINING a muskrat an nclsion is
made near the root of the tail, and the
skin is then pulled down over the head,
the way man takes off his shirt. The
skin is then turned fur side out and
hauled on over shingle, to stretch and
dry. Until two years ago the skins
were very cheap, bringing no more than
ten or twelve cents each. When skunk
fur went out of fashion and the skunk
farmers failed muskrat skins doubled
in value. so that good skins now bring
twenty-five and thirty cents each
When a man can take thirty or forty
muskrats a day and keep it up through
the winter the business affords large
margin of profit.
The dealers who buy the pelts ship
them to Boston and New York where
they are tanned and dyed and put to
many uses. Nearly all of the cheaper
furs of commerce are made from musk
rat skins. They are also used for lin
ings Of cloaks and overcoata, and are
made into caps capes, boaS and muffS,
many of which are worn by the wives
and daughters Of the hunters who cap
tured the pelts. A cape made of twelve
skins which the trapper sold for three
dollars will cost him twelve or fifteen
dollars when he goes to purchase it at
the fur stores-Baltimore American.