Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-25

DEWARE the Panurus lnterruptus! He
ID isn't lobster He's a crawfish. There
is only one lobster, recognized as such under
a new ruling of the Department of Agricul-
ture contained in one Of the Service and
regulatory announcements He is of the
Homarus family which has its exclusive
habitat on the Atlantic coast.
The p. l. impostor haunts the shores of the
Pacific and haunts his nappers in the gilded
cafes of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle
and Portland. He is a runt specimen, but
. toothsome. You may sometimes pick him up
two for a quarter, or pair for two-bits, If
you so down to the beach at Santa Barbara
or San Luis Oblspo or some place like that.
We Fasteners have been eating untold tons
of him out of cans in recent years and knew
it not. Now paternal Government warns
us not to be deceived when we read on can
Pacific Lobster" "Spiny Lobster Rock
Lobster or cape Lobster" The Govern
ment also warns the Gamers that they must
not label any member of the Panulirus Inter-
ruptus family as plain lobster a qualifying
adjective must he attached to put this mere
crawfsh of the Golden West in its place.
The Impostors Look Genuine
In justice to the Gamer we must point out
that the lobsterologists of the Department
of Agriculture do not object to the Pacific
coast crawfish on the ground of flavor. There
is no taint in his flesh, nor the slightest
bemsh upon his pink integument. la
Newburg you could not possibly tell him
apart from the highest pedigreed lobster that
slides through the rocky depths of the Gulf
of Maine. If you should see him brought out
of the water you would probably jump at the
conclusion that he really was a young lob
ster When you came to tear into him, as
they say in some chop houses, you would be
disappointed only in the size of his claws.
1t seems a good deal like splitting hairs
when we are brought down to these fine dis
tnctions We accept our canned Cornbeef
hash as having been produced upon the
framework of a beef crtter. 1t wouldn't
mean much to us to know whether the beef
came from a Hereford or an Angus steer,
from shorthorn or Longhorn, We might
object to it if we had reason to suspect that it
was horse-meat or mule meat, though there
are some scientists who tell us that there Is
no sound reason for refusing the flesh of the
horse or the mule. However, there is no use
going into this, as II would bring us back to
the aborigine who Is eCstatically fond of rat
tlesnake stew Canned lobster, on the other
hand is a fascinating subject for many rea-
sons
Middle West Is Stirred Up
During that recent period of extreme agi-
tation over the purity of our food and drugs
there were many weird tales in the air con-
cerning the manner and kinds of substitutes
for canned lobster. We are told that
large. extremely large, Mississippi and Mis-
souri, River catfish were contracted for by
lobster Gamers. There were many who be-
lieVed this to be true and who simply on
would pass along circumstantial
g.-I.g.
100 pounds and more, were cut up into neat
lobster chunks, painted a delicate pink and
with a synthetic lobster favoring.
Here was a gross fraud that stirred the Mid
die West to its very vitals. Nowhere in our
Union is canned lobster more beloved than
In the Middle West, and nowhere in eur
Union is the channel cat that slithers along
in the silty depths of the Mother of Rivers
less beloved than in the Middle West. II you
ever happen to glimpse a channel cat wear
ing it's full set of whiskers and complete
coating of slime you will know why.
But honest to gracious! II was all a myth.
Scouts went scouting up and down the Mis-
sissippi Valley. but could find no trace of the
outrageous fraud, The transmutation of |
latfsh into lobster was not an accomplished |
,rime nor had II ever been contemplated. |
rhe Middle West sat down again to its |
,anned lobster without any qualms, and to- |
lay the dwellers in that prosperous and lit
,rary region tear into it" with more zest |
han ever.
Sad Reflections on Chewing Gum
Passing on from "crawhsh lobster" which
hereafter must ON pain Of penalty be deslg-
lated as such. we find our food and drug
xperts down In Washington warm upon the
rail Of meFetFieieusly labeled chewing gum.
ihift your eandied eud and slVe pause to
our Jaws moment while You read this'
The attention Of the bureau (of ehem-
istry) has been called 10 the fact that
brands Of chewing sum found upon
the market bearing labels which indicate q
the presence OF fruit or favor deriYqi from
fruit, when. as a matter OF fact, no fruit
or fruit havor OF any kind Is used in their
preparation Such products regarded