Origin of "hot dog"

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

   I'm sorry that Douglas Wilson brought this up.  It has been covered in many issues of COMMENTS ON ETYMOLOGY, plus I have additional unpublished papers.
   Gerald Cohen and I have cited newspapers, magazines, books, almanacs, yearbooks, songs, plays, and even an Edison film, all which pre-date TAD's 1906 cartoons.
   I've looked in America.  I've looked in Great Britain, and have looked through most every issue of PUNCH, JUDY, and FUN.  I've also looked in Germany and France.
   I sent it all (free of charge) to the American Meat Institute's National Hot Dog and Sausage Council six years ago.  The ADS's Allan Metcalf wrote them a letter last year.  It never stops.  I do not like to get involved in law suits, but perhaps people would understand that.
   It has been one week since I walked some stuff over to the New York Daily News.  There has been no response.

--Barry Popik