The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-20
EpICURES OUT ANGLING.
DELIGHTs or POMPANo, sHEEPs-
UEtD. AND RED-SNAPPER.

DeIIciOus Fish Bred IN the Gut o
Mexico and Never Tasted at Thei
uc,t I'm the North-Pleasures of Go
ipu Fishing In n Lnnd of Leisure
coppus CHRISTI, Tex, Aug. s.-This 1
tbs theory OF Mic Constantine. champio
.brinp cook Of the world: The tropic SUI
aiming upon the ocean waters which lilo jus
above the equator breeds In them strange an'
odorous growths far down where the eye o
man has never seen. and these growths
tinsing the waves about them with sweet
substances and perfumes, pass into tho DO
dos OF the FISH. Therefore are sea fish Of
semi tropical and tropical waters better &c
the tooth than any flsh that swims in the
North Atlantic. 1t is not asserted, even by
Constantines admirers, that there is great
deal in his theory. but there Is no challenge
OF the fact. The superiority OF Southern
nsh that is OF sea dwelling fish, is unques-
toned by any man who knows them and
knows their cousins that live to the north
ward In the matter Of the excellence OF
FISH that dwell in salt water Nature exactly
reverses herself. There are no fresh water
fsh in the South so good as those to be
caught in the colder streams OF the North.
perch OF the Louisiana lakes and bayous
There is, and can be, nothing finer than a
white perch its admirers declare. So in the
rule regarding sea fish there is one exception
The shad OF the Delaware or Potomac IA az
dainty meat as anything that swims I'm
The Gulf Of Mexico. Barring the shad. the
twimmers Of the Gulf as table delicacies are
bupreme.
Pretty nearly all the fish common to these
waters are edible except the shark and the
tarpon- There are weaklsh aud trout and
parrish and founders in numbers but no oi
tiSen Of Corpus Christi would ever think of set
ting any one OF them before a stranger
whom he wished to impress. OF the table,
fish OF this latitude there are three which
combine In themselves all the excellences
possible to scaled food. They are peculiarly
the product Of the Gulf OF Mexico and the
seas south OF 1t, and are regarded with n
sort OF local pride, They are the red fish, or
red-snapper the sheepshead. and the DOM
PIANO. The red-snapper sometimes goes to
thirty pounds in weight, and to be enjoyed
should be baked. The sheepshead and nom
PIANO are much smaller, and come properlv
under the head OF pan-fish. They are good
either fried or broied, but preferably are to
be oroiled Both are shipped to the North in
season. but when they get there thew ara
about as much like the luscious charmera
which left the water as a Delaware sbad
freshly caught is like a Delaware shad when II
gets to New Orleans To be at their best
they must be eaten within the hour of their
capture Southern fish ship even more had
~ than those used to Northern waters. Thu
flesh Of these natives, no mattsr INV ,.r.
iiuily they are iced. gets soggy and loses d.
Hcacy and flavor In little while IA was
ohVe remarked or the egg, there Is nothing 40
GOOD as perfectly fresh pompano and mo-
l.ns 80 bad as perfectly good pompano.
VIC constantine, who runs hotel here and
H. eseehuant OF Greek sailors who piled
tne waters OF the Ionlan isles for a Thousand
years or more. RENT rked the other dav.
WA. NAN SION ees not good to me desc day.
!" at ne MEDIA ees pompn no, yass We mex
ieetie panty. no? An juk dem rom de wahm
,rons ,'r, yassY Evbody in town he come
NTas, no an catch-a dose feesh, yass?"
II Is one OF the beauties of living in tb,s
par. OF the world that nobody ia ever in
- ABOUT anything. and there seems to
S Gs time enough for everything. When a
us party Is organized 1t sets sail with
an May Idea Of direction and no idea NJ
vi OF when 1t 10 to return. It ia under.
ss uou mat the members have little to do |
"ueI .hey are at home, and that they will
a 'e oaSk when they get tired. not before.
n nc ior constantine and his hotel. at this
tory manner. In the fall and winter when
~ =, the coast air is humming with the winss
VI ducks geese. and snpe, he Is busy
enough. His undercooks are Competent !
20 20 TAKE care Of tho young lawyers and |
sUs'Srs OF the town who board with him.
IN
u ne chooses. His one steady guest. Robert |
Lee Briggs. the market hunter. who ike
.ne poor Is always with him. has as uttle |
~ 10 IN summer as he. Corpus Christi IL |
al removed from the whlrling world of |
SSanles, telegraphs telephones. and strifea
put It has Its compersations at ali sea, |
sons. Chief of them are permission to |
every man to do as he pleases SO long as |
ne does not interfere with the rights
s h,,,., en'oyments OF another. and the |
iiyins vt III every man to mako a
~ II. IN the party which went out
70 NJ up Constantine's stomach with nom
PIANO were Charley Motto, a lawyer who has
nIa tnree cases in i've years, "Doo" Payne.
Az I Ta,,, mad two patients in one year;
, seys; Robert Lee Briggs. carrying q pint /
oottie or rattlesnake oil for rheumatism
causnt last winter In the big Mustang duck
ia sn; ana 'Lige Hawkins. now skipper of
c'o' MAT Dlenead Yankee who came
mere oefore the war; served In the Confede-
Iate navy. and Is probably the most unre-
CONSTRUCTED rebel in the world. This party
.ooh Win 1t the clothes 1t stood in, a three
canon Jug Of whiskey. two packs of dogs
0 0in cards. cane fishing poles, light i've
pay grass lines. small perch hooks. a half
aoEen bass hooks. a lot Of corn meal, a
sack OF Irish potatoes, a trunkful of bakers
pread, and box Of candles. There were
snhNes, forks. spoons. cups, plates. and
blankets on the bluff bowed old schooner
W 'si ground her SCARED nose against the
more. ave- awning
Inc process Of departure consisted in first
hauling up quarter acre of dingy sail. un-
yins a rope that passed about a post, and
oelns blown stern foremost out into the
pay. constantine yelled out to one of his
,ooks; DO not-a keel dat turkle till Ah'm
PACK Dom-bye. no." He was referring to a
arge ea-tuTtle lying on its back in the
MOTEL yard. AS It had been SO placed for a
6eek ana tho chances were that its owner
Tould not return for another week the tur-
US was In for tedious time. 1t is q be-
lel OK Constantine's. however, that the sea-
tg should be kept supine for fifteen days
ne says that 1t loses some fat, and that
" nl