The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-25
THE sMlTHFlELD HAM.

THE SMITHFIELD HAM.
Eight days ago, moved and insti-
gated by the threatened Dissertation
of the dearest object of Our insdes. we
INDUCED In certain observations of a
more or less pertinent sort, touching
the subject of hams, a newspaper
story, as to the bona fides of which we
have not inquired. represented Con-
gresham Maynard, of the grand old
Commonwealth of Virginia, standing
guard against the advance Of n fore
handed trader as
"Horatius kept the bridge
In the brave days of old
q was reported that Richmond
man, name and description not given
and present whereabouts unknown.
field Ham" as a. trademark. We meant
to commend Maynard for his patriotic
purpose. but protested, in a way, that
he could not rest his case, as reported,
on the plea that the secret of curing
the Smithfield Ham was communicated
to the early settlers of Virginia by the
Indians. We made bold to advance
this doubt on the theory that there
were no hogs in Virginia when the
earliest of our early settlers got here.
We asked for information, we demand
ed particulars. we insisted upon spe-
cifications. How was it possible for
the Indians to teach the early settlers
how to cure hams when 1t was the
early settlers themselves who brought
the hogs here? No man, or woman
either. in Richmond has any right to
the name ''Smithfeld Ham" as a trade.
mark All the hams that are sold In
Richmond are not Smithfeld Hams.
Ham that is served in high class
l restaurants in New York as "Smithfield
| Ham is really no more like Smith
4 field Ham than chalk is like cheese or
/ butterine is like butter. or the South
/ Carolina Jockey Club Madeira" on the
Il wine card OF famous hostelry is like
II the genuine South Carolina Jockey Club
Madeira of the age when gentlemen
ran their horses on the Washington
n Race Course for the sport there was in
1t, and not for the benefit OF the book
makers
In working out pure intent"
however, we have been misjudged, and
we fear that in protesting against the
Idle story that the Indians told our
early settlers anything about curing
hams, they did not already know when
they reached theae more or less hos
pitable shores, we have objected May
nard to undeserved suspicion. on the
main proposition that no Richmond
man should be permitted to patent the
name "Smithfeld Ham" as trademark,
Maynard is right; on the claim, II he
have made any such claim, which we
doubt. that the early settlers got the
secret by curing the Smithfield Ham
from the Indians, he is wrong. We
+ should explain, possibly, that our sug-
gestion that the first hogs brought 20
America cafne with the Pilgrim Fa-
theirs In the Mayfower was meant in n
derivative and not a specific sense, We
must also be permitted to say that the
Due West Ham, which was never made
for sale. but only for consumption on
rare occasions, and in wholly made
quate portions was as nearly like the
Smithtield Ham as the Smithtield Ham
IS like itself. We wish to recall any
4, reference we have made to the Neck
sllenburg Ham, which was introduced
in our statement upon this subject
d merely as ballast. SO to say, and that
1t belongs to the realm Of mythical
/ things along with other historical in
veracities of that region.
We cannot thank ourselves too much
however. for "a Smithtield Ham Ro.
NANCE" as it has brought to us the
delightful letter of Mr.. r. S. Thomas
Of Smithf1eld, Virginia, printed to-day
A gentleman and scholar, maker OF
hams judge of good liquor. and
withal of infinite jest and merriment
he has illuminated the subj ect of the
Smithfeld Ham as never bofer 1t is
Indeed, par excellence the Ham a
the World. It's superiority to any. and
! all others is due to the breed of the
& hogs, the food they eat. the forests
i they roam the life they lead, the age
at which they are killed. the conditions
under which they are fattened and the
art and science with which the hams
Il are cured 1t would not be recog-
nized in Chicago, and the packers OF
q Kansas City could not understand It
N 1t has contributed more to the happi-
vs. ness of the human race than any con-
@ diment chef ever concocted; ii has add
Il ed artistic finish TO more dinners OF
state than any other invention of man
1t has fed the hungry, comforted the
distressed, alleviated the suffering and
v helped the wayfarer on his Journey
reioicing--the First of its Kind, tht
~ Glory Of the Smoke House and tn,
Kitchen. the unapproached and Tn
# Approachable smithheld Ham,
We do not believe that tho early