The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-06-23
Conserving the HON Pout.

New Hampshire has established closed
season Tor horn pouts in spite Of the
scorn OF Representative Wiggin OF Bed
ford. who could never have played truant
IN his one gallus period and caught those
gfotesque but toothsome monsters in Ba.
hoosic pond or the placid waters of Joe
English There ought to be some way OF
accounting for New Hampshire mans
opposition to conserving the fish that af.
iords welcome meal when mother is
out Of meat. and she generally is. We
suspect that Representative Wiggin nurses
! a hatred for the staple horn pout because
i was his function when small boy to
dress a supply Of the fish without having
had the. JOY Of catching them. No chore
on the farm Is so repugnant to a growing
lad as skinning horn pout with a jack.
knite,, Sitting their tough hide across
1 the shoulders without entirely severing
Int, seizing the unshapely head and tear
! ing off the skin down to the tail A nov
| ice set at the task would prefer day in
the treadmill. Perhaps Mr.. Wiggin once
suffered the fortunes or learning how to
dress horn pout. At any rate the fish is
obnoxious TO him, and to the house he
said when Bill No. 401 was before it for
consideration
1T is time, gentlemen that this pro-
lection business was stopped. We have
protected trout, we have protected pick
erel, we have protected other fish, now
YOU would protect horn pout. Gentle
men, | insist that this protection be
stopped before it is extended to angle
worms and mud turtles"
Now, heretical as it may seem, we under
take to say that the flesh of horn pout
is sweeter and more flavorous than brook
trout taken from the cleanest stream
flashing over a gravel bed ut is agreed
by most men," says the divine Izaak,
that the eel is the most dainty dish, the
Romans have esteemed her the Helena
of their feasts, and some the queen of |
palate pleasure" But the Romans never
tasted the horn pout The Compleat An
gler gives various recipes for cooking the |
fish he describes but no sweet herbs are +
needed to impart relish to the bullhead,
one of the many other names of our de-
lectable fish. A little parboiing is well, I
for the pout's home is on muddy bottoms,
and it is then ready for the melted butter
in the pan. Representative Towle of
Northwood came to the relief of Bill No.
i01, when Mr.. Wiggin satirized conserva-
ton Of the homely fish. Many day and
al night by, the red lanterns. CLEAN the
worthy Towle has droplined for pout in
Harvey's or Pleasant or Long or Luces
lond. To him-and so he told the listen
ng house-the flesh of the green turtle
" breast of the woodcock was insipid
compared with the lingering relish of the
ish despised by Wiggin of Bedford. Mr..
)sgood of Pittsfeld, whose. pout taking
las been done in Wild Goose pond also
lorifed the ogrish looking fish with the
eathern mouth, and the house. true to 4
outhful memories and the interests of \
he rural home, passed the bill, CON
ounding Wiggin and also Ryder of the
canal, who referred to the mo-
lentous measure as a joke
A good deal of nonsense is talked about
and charlatans sometimes get
lto office by hitching their wagons to it,
ut the wise will stand as the firm earth \
Or preserving indispensable foods like 4
orn pout, fish that takes the bait lib
rally in any kind of weather and does
usiness with the angler during the en-
re "a hours
They have girded at New Hampshire
n not conserving her forests. but let it
e said to her credit that she has saved
he horn pout to the farm table and to
York Sun.