The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-11-25
AND COIsNDODGEIsS.

HOECAKE AND CORNDODGEItS
Arc They to Disappear because OF
modern Cooks and Stoves?
Richmond Dispatch:
While our government Is industri-
| ously at work trying to introduce In
dian corn into the domestic economy
of European families, it seems to take
no note OF the lamentable fact that in
this country corn Is less used for bread
than formerly.
MQst mlddle-aged persons remember
| we'll when corn bread was served upon
nearly all tables in the South and West
at least twice day. Sometimes it ap-
peared In tho form OF " hoecake," or
dodgers" at other times US egg or
batter Bread" and again in "pones."
| 1t was par excellence tho" bread of
the negro, and every man who served
| in the Confederate army was also u
well graduate in the use Of it. Now the
darkies eschew it where wheat bread
is to be obtained, and upon the tables
| Of thousands Of Southern and Western
whites 1T never appears at all, while
| others continue to use it only for din
| ner.
Now, why is this? Surely cornmeal
| Is rs good as it ever WAS. Those who
sincerely, but probably mistakenly, be-
lteVe that - underground meal is
better than the product of mills turned
| by steam can always find u supply OF
that in most cities, and it is. common
enough, In the country. There is no
trouble about the meal, but we doubt
whether the art Of cooki"g I. has been
preserved. The high. toned colored
damscls who arc turned out by our
public schools arc not the adopts that
our old Aunt Dinahs and Aunt Pesgys
were. No solf-respecjing pan of dough
would be con jured into shape by such
unskilled bands. And then we may
doubt whether corn bread can be
cooked in Il stove as well as an open
| fireplace.
| The Indians laid their dough cakes
| between layers Of forest leaves, or
| upon the hard ground and cooked
them in the hot ashes. Hence lash.
| cake" q very luscious product, indeed,
when one has whGtted his appetite for
it by long days hunting.
The hoecake is so called because it
was originally baked upon a hoc--that
| ever ready and useful instrument OF
agriculture, which Is to be found upon
every plantation, But later on cooki ing
utersils were manufactured, which
took the place OF the humble hoe. So,
too. shingles were used whcrcon to
place the dough while it went through
the process OF becoming wcll-done
| ashcake. In Mr.. Lanes Choir In
visible which contains many interest
| ing incidents OF border life in Kentucky,
we observe that there the favor
ite ehingle for this purpose was
cut from the ash tree. In eastern
Virginia and North Carolina cypress
! shingle was generally used, but any
MT Il Il 4,
to be had.
Cracking Bread" too, was much
In vogue in the olden days, especially
shor ly after hog killing time. For the
composition OF this bread it was ncces-
sary not only to have cornmeal, but
also choice bits OF crispy, fried hoy
meat. IL could be baked either as an
ashcake in the ashes or as u pone in an
oven.
In Europe, the insuperable objection
to the use OF cornmeal for human food
10 that in most countries tho family
baking ls done only once u week. Now,
! 1T ls we'll known that corn bread is not
%. palataSlo when cold as when hot.
Hence our transatlantic friends and
klnsmcn have never esteemed corn
meal highly for family food. They
buy 1t nowadays in great Quantities,
but use it for the most part as cattle
| feed.
The Confederate soldier was some
times served with rations Of flour, but
oftener with ratiOrs OF cornmeal And
he usually had an Appetite which made
him relish corn bread, hot or cold. In
| his marches-advan or retreats
he was often without cooking utensils.
| and found it advantageous to cock ash
cakes. The average Johnny Reb asked
no greater luXurics than u good, big
ashcake and cantcen Of buttermilk.
The ashcake hc could generally get.
but buttermilk was q rarity. For IL
the country was secured by soldiers
| atoot or mounted, and these fellows
| came to be known If not honOrcd, as
but ermilk rangors.'
Cornmoal was cooked in all possible
ways by our soldiers; and there were
numerous men In that patriot band
who considered themselves great.
"chefsi' but they had always the ad-
vantage OF feeding half-f mished men
young men too. Under such circum-
stances 1T 10 the quantity rather tnan
the quality OF the food that is most
looked after However, our army cooks
won great praise In their day and gen.
Grafton, and all Of them knew how to
make good corn bread; also "naD
jacks,' which were often compounded
Of meal and hour and were baked in g.
greasy frying pan, and had to be fro
quently turned" which skilled Con-