The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-04-10
SEEING AMERICA FIRST.
By Fred {. Ndly

sOne morning anu Uhu ulihFeh uOpo
lessly IN the clutches Of the sand dab
habit myself have fallen victim
10 the insidious sand dab. / struggled
against IL, fought the good fight,
but II was losing battle against too
great odds and today the sand dab
has ne just where II wants me.
The sand dab II may be- well " eI-
plain In kind of fish, n cunnin little
fish about half foot long at least
II seems to average about that size
when II appears on the platter ready
! for the ultimate consumer 1t has the
general outline and conformation OF a
watermelon seed and is an exception
ally body variety OF fish This latter
feature Of the dab might at first
thought serve to keep the dab and the
tourist apart aud protect them from
one another But II does not A
homely wOman's face may do picket
duty for her virtue, but a sand da6's
multiplicity Of bones are Ofgscant avail
In keeping It from the frying pan
The first night was In California
/ sat at hotel table pOndering over
the menu, uncertain what 10 say TO
the waiter, and half inclined to make
I the usual selection common 10 such
moments OF ludecisiOn that Is, ham
and eggs A pleasant young person
named Tom Stout, with whom was
dining, suggested sand dabs. He
seemed 50 insistsnt that, between
curiosity and desire uot 10 hurt his
feelings, foolishly consented
From that moment | have been II
changed man | am not longer my
own master My win power Is gone
Each noon at lunch and again each
night at dinner | 20 into cafe fully
resolved to steel myself against the
dubious attractions Of the dab und
order bsefsteuk or II plate Of hash.
But before realize what AIN doing
! tell the waiter 10 make mine dabs.
When the dab comes, or rather
when the three dabs come for they
are served invariably IN threes, feel
certain that the next time II will be-
easier to resist They have flavor
that makes one feel like repeating
tbs true. but they also have more llt
tie clandestine bones than n porcu
pine has quilts Eating n sand dat
Is a good deal Ike working for ones
board.
Why does one order dabs when he
knows all these little bones comes with
III Why does "a confirmed drunkard
order strong liquor that he knows will
cause him to 20 home and beat his
wife aud children? Simply because
the habit Is upon him
shall not be- my real self again
until | 20 where the sand dab is not
My unfortunate experience with
sand dabs recalls a distressing episode
with still another article Of California
food If artichokes may properly be
called such two or three years ago
handsome matrun in Washington wa,
giving n little dinner In order tC
round the affair out and gave IN,
final touch Of tone to the occasion she
invited me A feature Of the enter
tainment was Il course consisting of ar
tchokes, which she had ordered Al
considerable expense direct from Cali
f0rula Now that evening marked thu
first formal presentation, az you nigh
say, Of myself and artlchokea to On'
another had viewed them n rev
tiuss from distance but we hRC
ns5a been thrown together In the In
innate way that made that Dime
memorable.
Artichokes are not eaten quite lik,
anything else And there is no rea
son why they should be- What | meal
Is that there k no eason why arti
rhokeH should he eaten at all. Th
average person will find It about a
satisfying Just TO read about something
to eat as TO consume an artichoke
person who is going to take artichoke
seriously should start In when eI
tremely young and fAmiliariEe him
self with the eating process, ThOs
who take mp artichokes late In M
never acquire that ease Of manne
which Is 10 essential TO the full en-
Ioyment Of expensive food
| had been tipped off 10 the fac
that artichOkes are eaten by hreAkin
off leaf at time with ones owl
God given fingers. No artificial eat
I ing implements are necessary or re
uuired by social usage But there 1
trick TO the thing about which
had not been fully advised Not all q
an artiChOke IL suitable for eating
, one ulbbles or lust the soft part a
the root ~ each petalllke leaf am
losses the rest " the fragment int
the discard I put one or two OF IN
fihrous leaves into my mouth an
rhewrd while awaiting Developments
After n few minutes of this | decide,
to swallow what I had In my mOut
without further chewing Tor, frankly
| was not making great hesdway AN
the total volume W goods In m
mouth seemed to he increasing IN
fibre OF the leaf would not dissolve
aud I felt ike msn who Ia tryin
"a eat up iutc bag or strip Il
binder twine.
J heard some one remarklng that IN
: srtichuke was at its best when on
got down into its heart So hrok
or several more leaves and went n
them with cslm resignation, eager {
, have the worst over with. for | Nj
not one who will dlsappoint a hostes
by not appearing TO relish costly Vi,
tuals ] chewsd aud chewed an
rheved WAS 50 intent on my tas
4 that did not note the technique d
0 those about mr. and therefore COul
not profit 10y observation
Al the close NJ the meal the hostes
asked me what I thought of the art
chokes. and | told her they lmpresse
me as being extremely servlceahle an
A attractive. as Indeed they we're A
nrtlchokc looks ornamental aud min
~ ! h.H ....,.,N ,VprahIn