The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-06-25
A Blow at the Meat Trust.


F.; Possibly this pressing question Of
eating meat or eating vegetables may
be happily compromised, after all, by
eating third product which partakes
Of the character Of both the other
two.
1t appears, says the Richmond Dis
patch, from reports coming in from
Baltimore, that che visitation Of
seventeen year locusts may prove q
blessing 10 disguise; as several enter
prising citizens OF that plsce have
decided 20 try the insects on the
table. In these days, it adds, when
the prices Of provisions have jumped
beyond the reach of the average man,
We may consider ourselves lucky in
deed in discovering nuisance which
is capable Of being devoured, but it
must not be supposed that The Balti-
moreans arc turning to locusts be-
cause they have to, but because they
want to. They say it is not duty but
pleasure that moves them; that people
in Scriptural times ate locusts, and
that the insects make delicious food.
Doubtless some Of them have tried
the fare in private. 1t is known that
they eat reptiles s-terrapins, frogs and
eels-with great relish, and regard
musk rats as great delicacy. It
would not be at all strange, therefore,
if they have really experimental with
insects. At any rate Mr.. g. F. Bro
chet, to return to the Dispatch's re-
port, has invited number of friends
to dinner at which 5000 locusts
will be served in various forms
"boiled, flied, stewed, in soup and pies
and otherwise" and, Judging from
the number of insects required for the
occasion the host evidently expects
them to be popular. "Those who are
skittish about the delicacy are remind
ed that certain Biblical characters ate
locusts with honey and we're sati6ed,"
and the Dispatch remarks tha, even
to this day the French serve the in-
seota with kidneys and sweet breads.
Our Indians, it will be remembered.
also ate them, although they reject
shrimps as "scorpion-bugs." which,
indeed, shrimps do closely resemble.
AMI the professors of the United States
Geological Survey are on record as
commencing the hoppers as an arti-
Gle of national diet. They have tried
them on exploring expeditions in the
West, and found them nutritious and
with an agreeable "nutty flavor"
There is really no reason why the
new food should not prove popular.
The prejudice against it is uureason.
able when it is considered that so
many people eat oysters aud crabs,
and snails and clans, and frogs and
turtles, and shrimps, and pork, and
very young veal, without effort or sub.
sequent unpleasant reflections. The
hoppers are cleanfeeders as compar-
ed with some of these creatures which
are eaten by the ton every day. They
live on vegetable growths of one kind
and another and are entirely out Of
the scavenger class of fcreatur.s. The
Baltimoreans are the epicures of the
nation and if they can enjoy and hold
down the new dainty 80 freely pro-
vided by nature, the rest Of the nation
might we'll profit by their example
especially in this year when the Meat
Trust is on the rampage
The Dispatch suggests, indeed, that
we may 60 farther and fare worse, va
riously, by putting cockroaohes and
potato bugs on the list with the To-
Gusts. We are not favoratly impress
ea with this proposition, however.
II is fact that we are fast getting
rid Of the remnant OF our birds aud
tsrrapins and fish and must begin to
look about in earnest for some new
kinds Of game" to take their places;
but it is not well to move TOO preci
pita,ely in suoh matters. and as we
must draw the line some where, we
can draw it for the present just be-
yond the grasshoppers and just this
side Of cockroaches. es.-Nevs aud Cou
rier.
Experience thatis given away is