The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-25
REAL CHRISTMAS CHEER
QUAINT CELEBRATIONS IN VI PENN1f
SYLYANIA BICKHOOD&.

ONAA1
SHLVANIA BICKHoODS.
Trees in odd Pinces-The Beil-SnickIes andH
Their Visits-wRndercrs Taken In frout
the HiEhways-A Dinner IN n Mountain
Tavern - One woman's Undertakings.
I'm the backwoods OF Pennsylvania thers
are many odd Christmas customs" eaid =
travelling man. II once saw a Christmas tres
In a blacksmith shop. II was trimmed with y
lot OF ginger cakes cut inSshapes to represent
nsh, horses and dogs. The smith had also cut
out q lot Of pink paper birds and flowers. and
with three pounds OF red and yellow clear
candy his tree was we'll filled. Every farmer
bow who brought n horse or mule to be shod
received n gift from the tree. The wayside
inns all have Christmas trees behind their
dinEy bars where there is room. Their trees
contain extra candies that are not sold behind,
the bar usually. During Christmas week tho.
landlords have raining matches and euchre
parties for anything from n half dozen cupSA
and saucers to a pair Of chickens or a turkeys
"Bell-snickles still make merry on tho high~i
ways for the country children In these disHa
tricts. Grown folks in tattered gowns and
clothes, wearing Rrotesque masks. go FROM
house to house with.bags Of ~nuts.on theiTbackay
and slender poles in their hands. The chil~e
dren are tempted to pick up the nuts thrown.
on the floor before them when they are raped
gently over the fingers. Naughty children
are punished. but ns n general thing the visioa
OF the bell. snickles Is pleasant enough ard af%i
fords much fun where there Ia so very littld7
going on to amuse the people. Candy and
small ginger cakes also form n part OF thg5
stock In trade OF these mountain imitators OF
Santa Claus. Some bell-snickles trudgdk
through the snow from ten to fifteen miles td4
make.their rounds on Christmas Eve. blowinGs
their horns upon arriving at each house. NOD
matter what time OF. night they come they area
admitted and the children are aroused. The1
bell-snickles are refreshed and they then de@1
part, sometimes not making themselveAN
known. That is part OF the fun. as II keepaa
their hosts guessing for months as to the iden&
tity OF the visitors.
The oldest Christmas tree / ever saw waal
in the winter camp Of n gypsy party in a cedaN
copse. Near their campfire was growing a
small cedar bush and this was gayly decorated[
with colored ribbons. papers and candie5I
There were five children In the closed wagon4a
and they bad a merry Christmas around theq
tree.
Along the base OF the Blue Mountains id
Pennsylvania there is a custom on ChristmaaI
which is somewhat Biblical. Farmers sonsN
are sent out in wagons on the highway TOT
gather In all the %stragRlers, that is. trampsa
they can find. tPeddlers or homeless men,
come In this category. They are taken to Thea
farmhouse. fed and sent on their way rejoies3
ing. The first day Christmas Is a religiouaI
holiday among many mountaineers. Thel
second day Christmas is for worldly merri1J
ment. The horses. COWS. sheep. pigs. in fact1
all live stock. chickens and dogs and cats. geti
extra feed. and no poor family is neglected4i
Apples and cider is the common set-out. Fotd
luncheon the bell get cold puddingA
cold ham,. bread and butter and hot coffee,I
Applejaek is furnished. but with care. Th6h
charcoal burners on the mountains on Christ%i
mas Eve have a walk around impelled withe
considerable old rye. especially IL 1t SHOWS.
The grandest Christmas spectacle I evetA
saw was ten miles OF wide-spreading pind5
trees just after a wet snow. The brancheSd
were like 10000 nodding plumes of white. ~
was q Christmas scene OF weird purity I SHALL
never forget. and 1 would like to drive through
it again. A knight Templar parade was no6
in 1t. At one log schoolhouse about five miles
below the Mollie Mcguire country Of Pennsyl-1
vania I found the entire interior hung with
pine branches. The teacher said he did notl
believe in, cutting, down trees. He simply cut
the trees and the children hung them on nails.
hooks and the blackboards. The branches wereL
1 WaInnts. appIes soi BEARS. p AND I know fnoeSi not etn Whas
a erave U yned time bnried z b pS .wif sex TSs OF man a m mos hal
less: He had a, son who was not promising.
Christmas promised to- be bleak His neigh-s
e eRrf t1Hs 'f Eve son q dozen lateitn vent s0h ho@s Wi aRd t Hs
son and prepared a surprise. On Christmas
morning. when the family came down, there
was a beautiful Christmas tree for the mother-
less children. and many substantial gifts f2rN
The old sexton. 1t was ON one Of my back;
country trips on a Christmas day that / met q
horses, In a sleigh. She had visited thirty-1
three tarmhouses In as. many miles and was al
good Santa Claus for thirty five poor city ORD
phans for whom she mad found good homes.l
Each Christmas che visits them, taking them
gifts. She calls them her children. as she has
none OF her own.
Zone Christmas / spent at a mountain tayernJI
near the Pennsylvania coal regions. Tha3
mountain was covered with snow. The din-1
ner was eerved piping hot In front Of a blazing,i
hearth fire. We had haasenpfeffer to begin
with. which is picked rabbit Toasted in brown
German sauce: then came paltridCes broiled
on, hickory Goals, with hot wafles; then a fati
Of q mile away; in fact. 1t was a game dinner
with herbs and vegetables, pipes and tobacco
homemade wine and q variety of food. all FROM
the mountain. The night was dark and SILENTLY
but We had a good time within. Two or
the best hunters Of the forest were with us.j
PLAYED euchre and smoked until 3 o'clock nextd
morning. I slept under a big Dutch featherR
bed In a cold room under the ~rafters. andl
there was snow on the bed when ! awoke Mt ~
o'clock. We had fried muah and fried spar09
ribs. with hot corn cakes and coffee. for break-1
fast. and ] was in no hurry TO get away. withd
the snow five feet deep on the level. Oh. yes.j
mas festivities. and / will never regret nor for@A
get the many odd things to be seen TO this dayd
in the ~backwoods miles away from the busy
cities"
HI CHILDREy'S GLOVEs.