Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-12-20
4 Bird Dinner.

element IN Inc St2te, the nOieSt pg1tlclans,
the best speakers, the cleverest anecdote
tellers in this or any other state were all
there, and they spent the time after the
manner of the old days The spot selected
for the dinner looked like picture from II
novel. II was about a mile back Of Emil
nence, in shady little hollow, with great
oak and walnut trees looking away ike
seniiaels over the undulating field and
meadow, dotted with herds of fine cattle
and borses. Beneath one of the sentinel
oaks dozen smiling, chattering blacks
had built an immense fire, and healthy
were the odors that came from a certain
black csuldron of ''buIgoo" that boiled
and bubbled over this FIRE. a fine spring
of water spslkled away through the grass
and its little stream wound its way around
among the trees. From about the fire
there came up the sound of laughter and
wild negro melody, and as each buggy
drove Up the occupants were greeted with
bashful bowling and scraplng by the youn-
ger daTkies and respectful bows by the
Older once,
The DAY could lot have been finer, the
sun never shone warmer, The air never felt
bslmler; it was May day in November,
with nothing to remind one of winter save
the changing leaves and here end there
withered patch of blue grass. The crowd
was q large and remarkably characters
tic one. 1t is doubtful If Just such
crowd as gathered about under these old
trees could have been collected in any
oihe- State in the Union. -Four tifths of
those present were six feet and over, and
their free and easy manners would para
lyze a more fastidioGs people than kentuc-
klans. But the most characteristic thing
on the ground is that long, broad table
with glasses spread along it here or there
in the most reckless confusion, and these
tall, overshadowng bottles filled with 90
wear old BOurbon-fit drink for a king.
Presently you will see these tall, strong
fellows ciinking these glasses and dralnIn5
without visible effect bun per that would
send 10 grass the sturdIest old Saxon that
ever kicked his heels under Alired's round
table.
Do you see that big, muscular fellow
there leaning against this table with the
crowd abound him, slspping him on the
back and famlisrly calling him "Jml"
Wei, that s no less parsonage than James
d. Beck; but he IS Off for a frohc and a
good tine in the healthy sir, and you Will
presently see when any fun Is started that
he enjoys 1t just as hugely as any one on
the ground. And YOU may notice that
dssbiDg looking gentleman with his broad
brimmed hat turned up on one side like q
Spanish bull fighter, and his mustschlOs
twITled out to a most prOdigioGs length.
In s. ite Of his fierce air he is the hero OF
the hour and no toast is drank that ''JOe"
must not come III for his share. This gen.
ial joe makes speeches sometimes that are
maryels of elCguence AID inspiration, and
then he Is mentioned in the papers as the
Hon. J. {. :. Blackburn. Just how he is
laughing till his face is red and bursting
with good humor. And that flOrid, pOrtly
kentuckian, with the sIuDble gray NOUS
tache and his hat cooked knowingly over
hIs left eve, which has 2 comical Iook,
mingled with such shrewdnCss as tells the
poorest reader of character that lie is a
bora Wit. When JO. Blackburn has
slightly recovered himself YOU will hear
hIm alluje to this gentleman of the ford |
lace end stubbly moustache as ''Prock'
but If you are a close observer you VIII /
not need 10 be told that the famous author |
OF tie Duluth speech aui the Pennsylva- |
MIA avenue speech stands before you. You |
had better take a good lOox at Proctor |
Knott this time, for he Is generally 50 be- |
sIeged with crowds that you csn't come |
within ten yards OF him. That palefaced !
man looking about him with the eve OF a I
philosopher is the clearest headed man IN |
keItucky-that's Fayette Hewitt, the Au-
dltOr. Dick Jones is over there to one /
SIDE, as geutlema1ly, as urbane. as dignl-
fed as only he can be, That portly man |
with the nose that shows he viii fight if |
necessary Is Col. j. Stoddard Johnston.
and that neat little figure by his side, trlm |
ane erect, is The Register Of the Land |
Office, Ralph Sheldon. Wat. Harlan. the |
Attorney General, is standing OF there
with Jim Morris, types of two different
kinds Of intellect. You must not be sur
Drlsed 10 be Introduced TO these gentlemen I
hv their Christian names. You won't find /
9 man in tilis county who would call SEN
atOr Beck anything but Jim or Captain /
Blackburn anything but Joe" He don't |
care q straw that Beck is Senator with q /
national reputation. he Is the proud pos
scssOr Of q blue Grass farm which he may |
be able TO show you If on go 10 the top Of |
the bill, and to which he viii certainly in |
Vie you if you go Gown 10 the table below |
there and drink with him. He likes slim"
Beck and he likes Joe" indeed, the |
sturdy men like everybody who don't run |
counter to their preiudices.
But doubtless ycu have heard enough of |
al this and want to go down and mlngle |
with the crowd, while the perfume of |
fred birds and oysters and coffee, and the |
chant Of the negroes coming up from the |
hollow there beyond.
The savOry smell that was waited from |
the hollow where the cauldron boiled and |
1ubbled at the foot of the old oak tree |
grew stronger and stronger as the sun ap- |
preached nearer the meridian. Presently |
there was a Oustle little below where the |
cooking was going on, long table was
fixed up, covered with a dazzling white |
cloth, and IN very short space of time |
was gT0sning under the weight Of good |
things that were put on it. Biris OF all |
sizes and cooked in al styles; oyster raw |
and oysters fried and oysters stewed; ten
der lamb and delicate beet; great rounds |
OF bTead-everythlng was on that big style |
which Is so essentially kentuckian. Col |
BGrbour's eyes fairly shOne as he saw so
many birds and thought how in days gone
by he had trod hill and dale, gun on shoul- /
Ger, hunting them. There was keen |
appetite IN the breezy sir, an inviting look
in the heaps OF suugly cooked brown birds
in the game, in the bread, IN the cleanll
ness. and above all, IN the jolly hearted /
crowd. But all things must have an end,
and here did al last come a time when
those around the board could cot no more.
From this time on TIL three O'Clock the
fun went on mer1ly, and jollier, happier |
meruer crowd could not be found in the |
longest walk in the longest day in the
year.
ILen the crowd slowly dispersed, some
going on east bound trains and some Gn |
west bound trains. They all united, how
ever, in saying tEat a pleasanter or hsppler
day they had never spent.
Threw in One.