The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-05-02
in
New York

New York. - whenever Mr. Ben
Riley, begins TO talk about frogs
legs ,am inclined TO think
back over the fr0ggie who would
a'wooln' ride, the Frog Footman
In Alice, Mark Twain's jumping.
frog yarn, and the frog story IN
THE virginlan." What l mean IL
that there are a lot OF fables about
frogs. and sometimes suspect that
Mr. Riley In bent on =, buting "a
the anthology.
For example, do not question
that Mr. Riley's Arrowhead Inn
serves more frogs legs than all
the rest of the hotels and restau-
rants In New York. But do think
he ought to allow the customers
to see the counting device, a frog
turnstile operating something like
waterwhecl, which Ii supposed
to have tabulated tho passing OF
some 4,437,752 Rama vIrescens
through his kitchen In the past 81
years The legs are admirably
prepared, OF course; but how do
! know they are from a select
breed OF Lake Ontario frog, the
legs OF which will jump out of the
frying pan onto the platter the In
slant they are properly cooked?
Jumping Judas
Mr. Riley knows a lot about
frogs, all right. He and Louis Nc
Henry Howe, the presidents secrc-
tary, were boys together up around
Lake George. For while they
had a trained bullfr0g named
Judas which would visit neighbour
Ing marshes and lure all tho other
frogs to the Riley-Howe hunting
grounds Judas quit them when a
rival partnership offered him a
40-hour, five-day week. Or maybe
1t was basso part In vaudeville
nct. forget.
Next the boys got great idea
about frog culture. They began
catching little frogs and tying
their hind legs together so they
would have to learn TO jump with
their front legs After a few
months the hind legs would be un.
bound. and from then on each frog
would develop four large. edible
legs. The scheme defeated itself
though, because the frogs grow
tremendously large and swift. and
even terrorized Lake George
housewives by invading back
yards and gobbling red fannels of
the clothes line.
Technique OF Capturing
One of the best ways to catch
frogs Is to get lawnmower on a
marshy meadow and cut large
circle, gradually decreasing II i'm a
spiral until the quarry were hud-
died by hundreds In a small patch
In the center. One day young Mr.
Howe Is said to have gone off to
the city to get patent lawnmower
which also would clip the legs off
the frogs. He never came back
-. Young Mr. Riley stayed a while
longer. but one day discovered he
was getting web-footed. so. he lit
out for Saratoga and bought Ar
r0whead Inn from an Indian guide.
Saratoga was In Its hcy-day then.
full OF GouIds and Astors.
There Ii plenty OF substantiation
Riley career. He came TO New
York. and for the past IS years
has conducted Arrowhead Inn up
In the Bronx, near the River.
Frogs legs were Introduced there.
and Diamond Jim Brady was one
OF the gourmets who always did
away with three or four portions.
Big politicians and celebrated
sp0rtsmen made the 44-acre estate
a sort OF club. Riley organized
driving races from the Inn down
TO the original Madison Square
Garden, and old william X. Van
derbilt captured the cup with
three successive victories. When
automobiles came In. there were
races up the winding road to the
Inn. and Barney oldheid was a
competitor.
Louis McIienry Howe dropped
around TO renew the old friend
ship. And Franklin ID. Roosevelt
used 10 dine there two or three
times week on the way to and
from his Hyde Park estate.
Frog Law
About frogs? Well, Riley was
Instrumental In having a state law
passed limiting the season TO May
! 10 september 30. II Is q con-
servation measure designed TO foil
hunters who used 10 dig trenches
around alternating pools and catch
frogs by the th0usanda.
Riley buys most of his frogs
from the Lake Ontario region; has
them shipped In tank cars or
something. II he ever gets around
to II. though, he Intends 10 train
another Judas 10 lead the frogs
down along the waterways to New
York. and right up to the Ian and
through the turnstiie.
written In Ukrnnian German In
stead % Russian.
Tho report gave many more ak
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