West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-11-29
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prolific In turkeys and pumpkins. Their,
are also many others who hold TIM,
they cannot enjoy n dinner on that da,
without good, sharp frost 60 put m
edge ON their appetltes. Cold weather
Thanksgivlng, turkeys. pumpkins, ci
der apple sass" and other concom
itants OF the fcstal banquet constl
tutc a combination that cannot bc sen
nrnted IN the minds OF those people.
but now that we have taken I'm sew,
.ral tropical dependencies where frost
Is unknown aud where hitherto the
thanksgiving feature hns been con.
sricuous by It's absence the opinion OK.
pressed above Will have TO be modified
FOR down In Porto Rico. at least. there
is n decided Impression that. whether
the inhabitants OF that island were OF
We're not blanketcd In under the con.
,tltutlon when we took over their terri
tory, they ftll heir 10 nil the American
institutions Ike WnshIngton's birth
lay. the glorious Fourth and especially
Thanksgiving.
The burning question with them
about this time Ia how TO observe the
lay properly nfter the Yankee fashion.
n In Americana" Though not gcner-
llly known, the Island Possesses IN lts
native fnuna the requisite resources
'or the fostal vlnnds. and II the writer
were there he would not ask for n
better blll OF fare than he could pro-
vido II lc were allowed free range of
'orest and shore. To begin with, III
though there is very little game I'm
Porto Rico tsuch has been the sharp
competition for mere living among
he wrotohed inhabltnnts). there In
mough TO satisfy the ordinary sports.
nan who knows where to look for n.
There nrc no wild turkeys, To he sure.
,ut there are some that have run Wild
rom the farm and are what are known
a. "pavos del monte" or domestic
fowls that huvc flown tho coop and
'uincd InJnn." They nrc not 80 large
As our natlyc turkeys and are rather
disposed 10 bc skinny. but their flavor
Is good. and. if thoy have been feeding
on the seeds or certain palms and
ihrubs, constitute n food ut for any ono
o ent.
Then there are the Wild guinea fowl
occasionally found In the Jungles along
The rivers, where they have left the
farms and taken TO the bush. There
Is nothing on earth more delicious OF
tho fowl kind than nice tender pullet
that has raised Itself on what IL could
pick up In the woods nnd pastures
without having been made tough and
rink from being ovcrhuntcd.
30 there are two kinds OF meat indIg-
enous to the Island which lf we were
there we could have for our Thanks.
giving dlnnor. Ir You whnt another,
why there Is ,:Ie armndlllo, which IN
not 80 very bad II cooked In it's shell
and served up In It's own sauce. II
takes native cook. though. to proper
ly prepare the armadillo and remove
from the ilegh that distinctly earthly
smell II hns acquired through life
time OF digging In the ground
Then again. if ono In not too fastId.
ious, he eau Ind delicious tidblt In
the quaillkc flesh OF the lguana. This
Is sort OF land lizard, which attains
TO tho length Of Eve or ak feet and
looks 80 much like good old fashioned
dragon, such as the Chinese are wont
to depict In their arts. that one might
have qualnis about eating II. The
meat Is tender. like young chickens,
and, except for It's musky odor. like
that OF the alligator, II might be taken
for chicken If properly served. III used.
however, have IL stewed and as much
as possible disguised by the addition
Of vegetables. otherwise 1t might be
taken for what Sir Walter Raleigh
called II oncc--"a veric uglie serpent"
Now and then among the sea grapes
on shore or In the hill copses may be
found species OF pigeon and wood
dove, the former quite abundant In
adjacent Islands and the latter resem.
bling partridge. Either or both these
would be very nice broiled on toast
and served as side dishes, provided
they can be obtained. The old recipe
Of FIRST catch your hare" OF course
Will have TO be observed. But as thero
are no hares on even rabbits wild I'm
Porto Rico the application may be
made to the doves and pigeons.
But assuming that one OF them be
found. there Will be four kinds Of meat.
including the lguana. or three without
II. Betaking ourselves TO the rivers we
Shall find most delicious crnyflsh there
by turning over the stones and rocks.
which are called "camarones." BY
whatever name they are called they
VIII 90 well either in n salad or served
up by their own sweet selvcA with
dash OF lime juice. a pinch " pepper
and just brenth OF redhot "chlll."
There are fish I'm the rivers also, nnd
IGff.r In, lao,
grouper etc But the natives rely
more upon the "bacaIao." or Cape
Cod turkey" brought 10 their shores
In Yankee scbooners, than upon tho
catches Of their friends at Ponce and
Aguadlla.
But the above will comprise the vi.
ands for n native Thanksgiving dinner,
TO which may be added such veReta-
blos and fruits as the island can raise,
which means more than one can ent at
n sitting. These are, for vegetables,
sweet potatoes, eddoes. yams and plan
tains; for fruits. pincappies, guavas.
bananas. oranges, sapadllas, custard
apples. otc.-the whole llst OF tropical
productions. By proper care and fore
thought all these may adorn the table
on Thanksgiving day In Porto Rico,
and such as arc eaten may be washed
down with cool cocoa water. native
rum or coffee made on the island from
the home raised products.
without speaking dlsparagIngly Of
the products OF either cline. or exalting
the ono above the other. Il may be stat
cd as n fact that our fellow citizens I'm
Porto Rico can have on their tables, n
they choose, more variety OF fruit and
vegetable than we can on that day pro-
vided they exercise a little gumpticn