The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-28
A HORNED REACTIONARY.
The Sorscious. Predacious and Upgra-
cious BulIhead.

cious BulIhead.
To THE EDITOR or THE suN-s~: Toe
little attention has been paid TO the fine
art of bullhead fishing. Probably min,
out OF ten men Judge a bulihead solely ~
its navor. They know nothing OF II,
habits. Its haunts. Its defensive weapons
Its bitter aversion to being skinned alive
they know there is such q creature be-
cause they have often heard wise
| human apply the name to one OF his
simple brothers who disagrees with him.
or. perhaps. they have seen at a fish
monger's stall n collection OF red. shape
less things thrown together on ice in a
long box labelled Fresh Bullheads" hut
that's about all.
And 1t seems a pity that this should
be so; for the bullhead Is an interesting
creature at all times. II excites pleasing
expectations as 1t pokes around the wrig-
Cling bait you have lowered into Its
muddy home; II amuses you to yank IT
thence before the shadows have fully
heightened. or. more often. later on In the
Silly night; IL edines you as II lies in
calm repose, crisp and brown, upon your
plate.
The common American bullhead IL
known to the scientist as Amiurus
melas. The zoologist has done his best
to elevate and ennoble H. He has be-
slowed upon II name that sounds like
the title OF Hungarian rhapsody. But
all In vain. He who IL familiar with the
creature In simple. unlettered way will
not be deceived. Perhaps Il depends upon
the point of view. Scientific classification
Is all right so far as 1t goes. but It is
wholly inadequate to fix the status OF the
bullhead as breakfast food.
To the plain fisherman there Is nothing
about the bullhead that appeals to the
aesthetic sense, that is, nothing but its
flavor. It's aims are low and selfish It Is
voracous and pitiless. feeding upon crea-
lures much smaller and weaker than IT.
self. Only when II Is skinned alive and
fried In butter and mixture OF corn
meal and -four are its good qualities re-
Nealed to us who are so much above II
In the scale Of life. 1t wholly lacks ths
fine spirit Of seif-sacrifce. Instead OF
yielding Itself up willingly, gladly. as a
nicely Drowned Offering to propitiate man
Kind, IL clings to Its sordid life with n
tenacity that Is often annoying to those
who like to feel that what they eat Is
thoroughly dead when they swallow Il.
Speaking from the standpoint OF pure
altruism, It may be said that as a martyr
to the common good the bullhead Is a
rank failure.
But bullhead fishing. although not the
sport OF kings. has undeniable merits. 1t
Is sport that will always fnd devotees
among the common people. While the
crowned heads OF the Old World hunt
tne 1htted boar In the greenwood shoot
ing him from armchsirs with small ar
tllery as he Is being led slowly past the
hunting lodge. the plebeian children OF the
New World will continue to seek the ia
miliar places on the shores Of old rivers
and fish for the elusive bullhead as the
sun goes down. And after that. on into
the night.
There Is food for thought here How
simple are the warnings OF the plain
people, And how artificial the diversions
OF the aristocracy.
And so. at this time OF the year. when
the bullhead Is at his best many OF us
will steal forth in the cleaning with long
cane poles. plentiful supply of hooks
and varied assortment of worms. II is
very peaceful. The voices of the day are
softening. Nature becomes more and
more tranquil. The river CLEANS, strange
and uncertain, in the shadows. Later on.
the bonfire you build crsckles merrily and
you sit In slothful ease In its warm glow,
listening to whip-poor-will in a thicket
and watching the stars come out.
Jaw. come on" you boulevardiers!
Take a night OF. SIMON CRErI.
ALBANY, May 81.