Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-02
THE SOVEREIGN sHAD.
A Tribute to the Planked Variety at
Marshall Hall.

The following tribute to "the sovera,or
shad' of the Potomac was paid by Mr.
James T. Dubois Of this city. at a dinner
given at Marshall Hall:
some time ago I heard Corporal Tanner
tell lot of shad eaters that the origin of
the shad occurred several hundred years
ago, according to an old Indian legend
when the Great Spirit became annoyed at
something the little porcupine did, and
seizihg II by the scruff of the neck turned
1t outside in and threw IT into the Potomac
where luckily for mankind 1t has been
swimming and spawning and multiplying
ever since The truth is when we contem-
plate this luscious and likely fish, it seems
as though in the long ago some beautiful
epicurean goddess Of the western world
must nave breathed a prayer in the words
of the poet.
Bring shad to fill our rivers.
Bring us shad to feed our brains;
Shad with roe pads in their bosoms
And rat tissues around their names.
For r., fna IT. prayer was heard and answered,
That two gems Of this broad river
I say that prayer was answered. The
shad came. They filled our rivers. They
sported In the estuaries Of the southland.
They fed upon the Succulent seaweeds of
Aibemarie and Pamlico sounds With fash;
ing fins and waving tails they shot the rap
ids of the Roanoke and stemmed the tide
of the Great Pee Dee. In their pilRrfnaee
they wandered up the Chickahominy. and
sailed through the placid waters Of the
York. and passing onward and northward.
they could not be held in check by the tur-
bid waves of the Chesapeake. but fattening
on the submarine products of the fnterme-
date bays they finally reached the gentle
waters of the Potomac plump and pinquid,
the perfect model type of shad. The per-
feet model type Of shad in which we find
the silvery glow Of the fighting bass, tile
-
the succulent flavor OF the Spanish mack
erel, the graceful form of the land-Iocked
salmon. the sprightiy ways of the swift
barracuda, and the gentle modesty Of the
Spanish lady fish, and today the whole cpl
curean world is exalted by the tempting
lusciousness Of this queen of all the queenly
fish that grace our southern seas. And
every springtime when the shad bush bios
SONS open and the shad frog sings his ten
der lullabys the shad-pond raises high his
ebenezer and cries: Behold the long looked
for cunning fish has arrived and it's planked
at Marshall Hail..
So to thee wen drink. to thee wen sing;
Our voices silent never.
r1 The en pot ON s shsd forever lore" COMING may
For the shad was born in d southern Cline
Which is sweet with the breath Of the fragrant
And most Of these men were born on the northern
| side.
They met today and-the shad is inside.
And when you depart tonight and leave
these shad bones behind you. excepting
those you have accidentally swallowed,
may you all feel as the old members of the
Board of Trade did. who has made the shad
excursions regularly for thirty years 1t Is
said that he attended prayer meeting some
time ago, and during the service the minis
ter said: rs there anyone present who
knows of perfect thing in this sad world
of ours? There was an oppressive silence.
No answer came So the minister tried
again. saying Brethren and sisters Is there
any one present who knows of a perfect
thing in. this sad world of ours?' At first
there was dead silence. but presently away
back in the rear of the hall, the old men,
Der of the Board Of Trade arose and said:
Eyes. Mr. Minister, / know of a perfect
thing" and the good minister rubbing his
hands with apparent glee said: Brothers
and sisters. here we have dear brother
who says he knows OF a perfect thing. Per-
haps he will tell us what 1t is. = and the old
board of trader replied: Yes. Mr.. Minister,
ri tell you what 1t is and don't want any
of you to forget 1t. It's planked shad at
Marshall Hail.