Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-12-14

pOndent OF the LOUISVILLE COurier-J Ournal,
writing from Memphis, says: heard of n
young lady the other day up in middle
Tennessee who, as the river men say, has
taken another schute. The story told about
her did my soul good, and for the comfort
whose tardy Sensation is affected by
means OF fried chicken, soggy buscuits,
greasy hash, and sole leather fritters, Iii
relate it. For years past as u matter of
form--something handed down from remote
antiquity-the officers of the county fair
held in the ncighborhood where this Young
lady lived had been in the habit of offering
a premium to the lady (unmarried) cooking
the best dinner. 1t was dead letter. No
| body had contested for the premium within
the memory of the oldest inhabitart. This
year, however, the young lady of whom l
am speaking determined to compete for the
prize. Her name-I wish | could immor-
talize twas Kate Janaway. The fair
men set up a stove for her, stretched can
vass to shield her from the sun, and about
ii O'Clock of the lakt day she went to work
The matter had been talked of by every
one in the neighborhood, and curiosity was
on up-toe. n crowd collected around the
place where the stove was set up early In
the morning, and kept increasing, but when
Miss Kate hersef,a buxum, handsome girl
of nineteen, daughter of the ex-Mayor of
the town, appeared on the ground, and =,
putting on white apron and rolling up
her sleeves, commenced operations, ali 9TH
er attractions were nothing. Every one
was eager TO sec so novel sight. There
was tree near by which soon became
black with spectators who had climbed up
to get better view. The branches were, !,
finally, so burdened that one by one they
broke. .precipitating those upon them to the
ground, until only one man was left in the
tree. lie sat in Il lofty fork, with eyes riv-
eted on the scene below. No amount of
persuasion by those beneath, envous cf his
better view, could induce him to come
| down-even bribe of $40 failed. He said
he was bound to see or die. Meanwhile
the dinner preparations went on apace.
The savory smell Of the cooking food SEEM
ed to lntoxicate the crowd, which pressed
nearer and nearer. 1t took all the police
force on the grounds to keep order.
! The tine arrived for the trottug match,
announced rs the sport of the day, but the
amphi-thcatre was empty. The Judges
| with tho exception of one grabbed old Wild
over the timers all were missing, and so
nothing could be done. AT halfpast two
the dinner was announced ready, and the
( judges, happy men, seated themselves at
the tabe-the crowd regarding them with
| ill-disguised envy. y roast of beef, deli
calely done, was put steamiEg hot upon The
| table, then followed corn pudding, whose
delicate aroma fell upon the oliactorics of
the excited crowd like breezes of Araby
the blest - q proiusion of vegetables, cook
ed to perfection, followed next. The Judges
ate and ate, praisug the flavor of the food,
and the skill of the cook atevery mouthful.
But when, at last, a dish of piping hot ap.
pie dumplings made its appearance, the for
bearance Of the crowd was at an end.
They broke through the ropes into the ring
with one accord, and the duHplings disap-
peared in a trice.
One old fellow, proprietor Of store and
owner of a big sawmill, proposed to the
| young lady on the spot, but he was quick
iy coliared and led Oh the grounds by two
younger aspirants, who made common
cause against the aged suitor, sawmill and
all. That young lady was the centre of at
traction in her town after the cooking feat.
She received twenty-five offers of marriage
the first week, and her fame spread through.
all the country around. An old bachelor
| fellow down in Grundy county, with farm
! so big that it takes him. all day to ride
around it, and cattle on n hundred hills,
heard of her, and made pilgrimage all the
way to that town to learn the truth. lie
got the girl, too, although some of the
young men of the place sued out writ oi
habeas corpus to prevent her being carried
out of the county. They were too late.
| This is, am aware, rather bad ending
for SO good n story, but devotion to the
truth compels me to give nothing but the
simple, unvaruished reality.
She ought to have married that fellow
who sat up there in the crotch of the tree
so long and at such fearful discomfort. lie
wanted her, and he was o poor, bilious,
dyspeptic whom her splendid cooking
wopld have soon restored to usefulness and
society, but he was poor. All!