The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-28
AT STATE HOUSE.
Col. Bent Murdoch Defends the
Catfish.
Says People Prefer 1t to the
Priced Bass.
CHANDLER is NAMED.
Appointed State Architect by
Governor Stubs.
Hutchinson Failed to Offer
Bonds to State.

Col Bent Murdoch, the newly an
pointed fish and game warden. has
rushed to the defense of the catfish
the channel and blue cats-and cite1
cases where camping parties have eat
en- the catfish first and only touched
the bass when the catfish were all gone.
The colonel, speaking of the catfish.
says:
On Sunday the town broke out and
came to the camp for dinner-for a
Sunday black bass, craw-dad and frog
legs dinner. Thirty, self-invited, hun
cry people howled for dinner; and it
was found that there were not enough
black bass in the trap to feed the gang,
SO half a dozen fine channel cats were
quickly prepared and started to frying
In the bacon grease and butter Skill
let's and frying pans were all used to
fry the fish. as the crowd wanted
nothing but hot coffee and hot fish.
And here IS the diagram: The catfish
went f1rst-went quick and hard: with d
scream for more; while the one and
two pound black bass, hot from the
skillet, were not eaten until the catfish
had disappeared. And We have often
noticed, in other camps. that the aver
age Kansas fisherman likes catfish.
Put a dozen channel catfish and a
dozen black bass on the marble counter
of butcher shop and the catfish will
we become fish and game warden. and
should there be any money to pay for
it, we will hatch channel, blue or vel
low catfish in great numbers. The gov
eminent says they are easy to hatch
and grow rapidly. Walnut river chan
mel catfish are spotted. They take live
bait and are fighters. So we may start
with the Walnut river kind
Long live Uncle Bent. He is ten
times right in his estimate of the
epicurean glories of the despised and
humble catfish. Fools pirate the bass
the croppie, the trout and the Jack sal
mon as members of the royal family OF
the fish tribe, but it is not so. A three
pound channel catfish or a blue cat
| fish, properly cooked is a feast for the
| gods and excels in sweetness and flavor
! any fish of the ocean. the mountain
| brook or the lakes of the far north
| Not even lobster, terrapin or rec
| snapper, served by a French chef in &
| gold embroidered room of some fam
| Gus hosiery to the music of the or
| chestra hidden by the palms can exec
! the flavor of fresh caught blue cat
! fish cooked by a wise old coon in {
| skillet Of bacon grease and butter
Yum! Yum. No bones to fight with OF
stick in your throat; no scales. and
you eat 'em skin and all crisp as tn,
crust on meat pie.
Uncle Bent should make a notable
record as fish and game ward
en-. He is a poet and a philosopher
He was born to be great and he cam
help it.
/ Charles H. Chandler of Topeka ha.
been appointed state architect in place
of John Stanton, who has held tbs
place for the last ten years. Pressure
was brought to bear on Gov. Stubs b,
various heads of departments to re
tain Stanton in office, but the COVER
nor seemed to think that ten year,
was long enough for one man to holt
the office.
Dr. o. H. Simpson of Dodge Cit.
was reappointed a member of the stat,
dental board
The officers of the school board o
the city of Hutchinson may be prose
cuted for criminal negligence in tn
sale of some bonds of the city o