The Ravalli Republican., 1898-03-30
a SQUTHE-H -.RBECUE.
A Northern Travelling. Mans Diverting

Experience IA Louisiana.
II was down south last fall said
the drummer, Ticking the ashes
from his cigar and fitting his chair
to a comfortable angle. "Got caught
for 4 week by quarantine in q little
backwoods town in Louisiana, in
the piny woods, as thoy call it
there, and the things I saw during
that week would fill book. Among
other things saw q barbecue Ever
been to a regular, old fashioned
southern barbecue? Well, ] have,
upon its native heath and in it's most
primitive state, guess. Really, I
think the people sort of got up the
barbecue for my benefit as {; kind of
public entertainment in my behalf,
killing the fatted calf, as it were, for
the prodigal who could not go home.
appreciated the courtesy, can tell
you, and never missed detail Of it
from start to finish.
''The barbecue was given at what
they called tho picnic grounds, a
little grass grown, underbrush clear
cd space at the rise Of a hill. Prepa.
rations for the affair began the da5
before. Among other things a
CREASED pole was erected, and a cou-
pie Of old negroes were sent down
the hollow by the spring to dig the
trench for the barbecuing. The
process seemed a very simple one.
All there was to it was just ditch
about Is OF 20 foot long, 8 feet deep
and 4 feet wide.
In the bottom of this the men col
lected some pine splinters, kindled d
fire and then fed it with oak and
hickory and ash wood till they had
the ditch half full Of glowing Goals.
''This took them well into the
night, you see, and before day they
cuts lot Of slender oak saplings into
lengths and laid them at intervals
of eight or ten inches across the
ditch over the fire. Along about
this time the men came with the
meat. A whole beef they had and
three muttons, and when they
spread them out on the green sap
]ings over the glowing Goals those
great, brawny, bearded men, with
the light from the pine torches glar-
ing on their faces, looked like race
of cnnnibals preparing for an orgy.
"All night they staid there, the
good fellows, with forks ana spits to
turn the meat, and with great long
handled mo1,s which they dipped in
mcIts<1 lard and vinegar to basto it.
And 1nityhc you tl!ill it Wusn t good,
that barbeGued meat. just wait un-
til you t;tste some. There's nothing
like it.
"Bnt he people! Before day they
began 10 como, covered wagons and
OK carts tWIl vi them-men, women
and cllil;rtn And the baskets they
brought iuII of biscuits and corn
poneS and sweet potatoes and Gus
tard pies and cakes! I don t think ]
ever saw SO much to eat all at OF e
Ill Alif l14C. 1aAJAl llIC w tlC1o1
Wagon loads OF them wero putin he
branch to cool. And tubs of sweet
cider big enough to float i'$!
"After dinner the fun began.
There were foot races, sack races,
jumping contests, creased pole
climbing and creased pig chasing.
'4Now, among my acquaintance
was q small boy named Tige, or, al
least, SO called; a redhaired, freckleG
Fad, son OF the man l boarded with
Tige and l We're good friends, but !;
fazier lad never saw, SO somehow
Twas surprised when he appeared
as one of the contestants for prizes
However, he did not enter either o1
the races nor the jumping contest.
"But when it came to the CREASED
pole, 10, tho freeklod Tige led all the
rest! Tho way that chap stuck t
that slippery sapling was r tautioll
and when he reached! the top none
cheered louder t,nan |. The same
way with me creased shoat. Zig,
W., simply onto the pig and stait
there.
''By right of being d guest ant
therefore to be honored it fell t,
my lot to award the prizes. Tig
was to receive Il six bladed pocket
knife and I, pair of spurs-hardwar
In my line, you know" =" the drum
imer interrupted himself quite un
consciously, "and when the lttl
scamp came up to get them | caugh
. wink in his other eye that SCENE
sort of suggestive. "..u
"'Tell me how you did it, Tige,
said when had given him his prize
with appropriate remarks.
"I amt no fool, if do have fits
he said, still winking.
"'...But we are friends I urged.
can is havin keeping he asked
eyes, having is keeping, sure
said I.
Coming quite close to me, b
Winked frantically and said in
hoarse whisper:
"sPine rosin!'
"Then, holding out his palms an
turning up his heels, he cut and raj