The Somerset reporter., 1897-07-01
4TH IN OLD VIRGINIA.
FEAsTlNG AND DANCING ENLlVENED
THE OCCASION.

Brunswick Stew Held the Place of Honor Al
the Dinner-How This Famous Dish Wa
Made-Patriotie Toasts aud Speeches A
Day of Joilihcution.
In q reminiscent sketch of the man.
ner in which the people Of old Virginia
were accustomed to celebrate the Fourth
of July III bygone times before the war.
Mr.. Robert d. Ward tolls in the New
York Independent Of the glorics of the
old fashioned banquet which was an in.
dispensable feature of the celebration
He says that everywhere in Virginia
these celebrations We're observed from
the earliest days Of the republic.
Almost always at THESE meetings OF
the people the Declaration Of Independ
enee was read aloud by some person Sc.
lected for the purpose, and frequently
some distinguished local orator would
deliver an Grafton upon the blessings Of
liberty, the glorious dseds of George
Washington and Thomas jefferson and
the prosperity and happiness which the
people would obtain under the Hgis OF
the American constitution and the pro
lection of the star spanglcd banner
And there was another incident Of
these celebrations which everybody
greatly enjoyed. No matter whether il
was large political gathering,
church festival, private club or mil.
itary reunion, no matter what it was,
there was always good dinner on the
Fourth of July Now let me tell you
what | mean. Let me describe the din
ner, and you will see that it was a
good, old fashioned, real, substantial.
old Virginia dinner, cooked by cid Nir.
GINA negro cooks, who in my opinion
were the best cooks that ever lived, SC
far as the preparation of all substantial
food Is concerned.
On grassy lawn at the place wher
the party was to assemble. under thu
shade of the forest trees, table wa
prepared i'll size sufficient to seat tn.
expected company. 1t was covered witt
clean linen tablecloth aud fitted III
with substantial tableware Polite col
ored walters arranged the various vi
ands properly upon the table When
dinner was announced, in an orderly
manner the guests sat down to their ap.
propriate seats All, what a feast was
before theml 1t makes my lips smack
together No at the memory Of it,
At the head of the table there woulG
be placed a bowl of Brunswick stew,
large enough to supply all the guests.
Nowadays bons viyants extol terrapiu
stew us great delicaey 1t can't com.
pare in richness of flavor, i'll delicious.
ness of taste, with the Brunswick stew a.
it was coneocted i'll Virgins in the days
of auld lang syne. 1t was made hy
mixing together squirrels, chickens,
green corn, butter beans tomatoes and
other vegetables, seasoned with butter
sherry wine, French brandy worcester
sauce, tomato sauce, the yolks of eggs,
salt and black and cayenne pepper. The
old cooks seemed to know, rs if by intui.
ton, the exact proportion of each ingre.
dent 10 be put i'll It, 1t was put in an
iron pot, which was hung over IA hick-
ory wood fire, and boiled for five or six
hours. All the bones of the squirrels
and chickens were taken out of the
mixture, and when it was done and
ready for the table ii presented "a rich,
yellow appearance, was thick comb.
nation of the inherent essences of all 1T
ingredients, delicious to the taste, pal
atable Ill the highest degree and dish
fit for the gods.
Then along down the table would be
various dishes of old Virginia ham.
mutton, lamb, yenison, beef, shote,
veal, duck, goose, fish and all the vege.
tables which the country afforded, and
along on the table, about three feet
apart, there would be decanters OF
French brandy and whisky, bottles Oh
Wine and pitchers of cider, with pots OF
strong coffee, oolored with an infusion
of rich, pure cream and sweetened win
genuine old fashioned cut loaf sugar
Let my readers imagine such party
of gentlemen as | have mentioned seat
ed at such dinner on a Fourth of
July
The Fourth of July was gala day.
The people We're happy. Dull care and
sorrow sat not upon their countenances.
Fun, frolic and mirth sparkled in the
eyes of all the youths and young maid
ems who had come from the adjacent
country to add Il charm to the occasion
They talked socially with each other
their minds We're impressed with the
feeling of liberty, their lips uttered
words of patriotism, and the love of oil
Virginia and the Union had deep
foundation in their hearts. They danced
to the music of The Star Spangled Ban
ner" and Yankee Doodle They
chatted and flrted and courted, and
there is now in Virginia many gen
tleman who can revert in memory to
one of these assemblies as the time and
place where his eyes first beheld the
lovely form of some fascinating young
lady who afterward became the sharer
of his happiness, the solace OF his sor-
rows, the beloved wife of his bosom.