Evening star., 1943-01-22
McLemore-
Kitchen Sink Coils
To lsuok Wultons
BY HENRY McLEMORE.

ANO H0AAR AL SAAS FtA'N ~ S~fAAA
well, the past 10 minutes, certainly
has so intrigued us as the one in
Yolving the Sunshine Farms of the
Bronx and the City Of New York.
The Sunshine Farms, milk
bottling plant, has sued the city for
damages resulting from the pene-
tration of l2-inch eel into the pipe
supplying water for bottle washing.
The eel, and this all goes back to
November, 1899. so stopped up the
pipe as to halt pasteurization OF
$3.50 quarts of milk and cost the
farms $69s50.
The appellate division Of the Su-
preme Court now has taken up the
matter, and, for the life Of us. we
can't make up our mind as to how
we hope the court will rule. There
is so much to be said on both sides.
In defense of the City Of New
York, there can be no denying that
a city that furnishes eels with its
running water is making a deter
mined effort TO break the monotony
of life in big city. Life could never
be exactly humdrum, even in a
crowded, cramped metropolis Of
1000 900 or 100000, If the citizen1
never knew what sort Of living crea-
lures would come popping from
their faucets when they went to
wash the dishes, brush their teeth,
or give the baby a bath.
War Food Blessing.
Too, with foodstuff scarce because
of the war, TO have eels on tap
must be considered a blessing. To
many people eels look too much like
snakes to be added to the family
menu, but there are thousands Of
| folk, including many celebrated
gourmets, who consider the eel a
delightful delicate dish. We do not
belong to the latter group. having
once tried dish Of jellied eel at
EPSON Downs Just before the run
ming Of the English Derby. We
missed the Derby. AS a matter of
truth we missed the next two
| Derbies.
The Appellate Court will likely
take into consideration the possi-
bility that the City of New York,
having tried eels in its running
water. will eventually turn to bigger
and better things. There may we'll
come time when the reservoirs
will be stocked with trout and
salmon and bass, and even the
lighting tarpon and the magnificent
sailfish. Come this day, and the
Isaak Waltons among the citizens
will need to go no further than
the kitchen sink for their fishing.
Householders will proudly display
the land-locked salmon they hooked
and landed while taking a morning
shower, and prizes will be offered
by some enterprising merchant for
the biggest small-mouth bass landed
by a man while shaving. 1t would
be quite a thrill for the city
dweller, wouldn't it, to hook and
play a sailf1sh in the wash basin
while taking tub bath across the
bathroom.
The city would gain considerable
revenue from the fishing permits,
II man happened to rent a house
or an apartment In a section where
the pipes were we'll stocked. or
hadn't been over-fished, he would
have to take out a permit costing
from one to any number of dollars.
Rocked on His Heels.
On the other hand, there Is no
denying that the Sunshine Farms
has an argument. 1t is a wonder to
us that their suit for damages didn't
include stable amount for shock
The workers must have been rocked
back on their heels when the eel
finally did come plopping out. The
same would be true Of any house,
holder, If the city took to supplying
f1sh with water. The first speckled
trout that jumped into the kitchen
sink would undoubtedly send the
housewife into spasm and set her
back mentally good 10 years.
Set her husband back, too. Can
you imagine how you would feel II
your wife came screaming into the
lVlng room and between screams
sobbed out tale of how she had
Just been attacked by marlin or a
oroadbill or a tuna? And, can YOU
imagine how you would feel when.
stricken by your wife's obvious loss
OF mind, you walked into the kitch-
en- and saw some such fish Topping
IN the sink? The chances are that
the TWO OF you would join hands
and run, not walk, to the nearest
institution for people who see fish
in the kitchen.
Yes, the Appellate Court has a
tough case on its hands. Trying To
get the eel to testify is just one Of
the many trying details to be
worked out. But We'll bet you one
thing-they'll never break down the
eel under cross-examination.
II it's true that only game fish
swims upstream, what sort of cou-
rage and gameness must belong to
an eel who'll swim up a water pipe
to get to the Bronx?
distributed BY McNaught Syndicate, Incl