The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-11-10
A SOUTHERN BARBECUE.
Northern Travelling Mans Diverting
Experience In louisiana.

ct was down south last fall" said
the drummer, Ticking the ashes
from his cigar and fitting his chair
to comfortable angle. "Got caught
for a week by quarantine in little
backwoods town in Louisiana, in
the piny woods, as they call it
there, and the things I saw during
that week would fill a book. Among
other things I saw barbecue. Ever
been to a regular, old fashioned
southern barbecue? Well, l have,
upon it's native heath and in it's most
primitive state, I guess. Really,
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.
I appreciated the courtesy, can tell
you, and never missed a detail of it
from start to finish.
1.-THE barbecue was given at what
they called the picnic grounds, a
little grass grown, underbrush clear
ed space at the rise of hill. Prepa-
rations for the affair began the day
before. Among other things a
CREASED pole was erected, and 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 a ditch
| about IS or 20 feet long, 3 feet deep
and 4 feet wide.
lin the bottom of this the men col
lected some pine splinters, kindled
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 we'll into the
night, you see, and before day they
cut a 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
lings over the glowing Goals those
great, brawny, bearded men, with
the light from the pine torches glar-
ing on their faces, looked like a race
of cannibals preparing for an orgy.
"All night they staid there, the
good fellows, with forks and splits to
turn the meat, and with great long
handled mops which they dipped in
melted lard and vinegar to basic it.
And maybe you think it WASH t good,
that barbecued meat. Just wait un-
til you taste some. There's nothing
like it.
"But the people! Before day they
began to come, covered wagons and
OK carts full of them-men, women
and children. And the baskets they
brought full of biscuits and corn
pones and sweet potatoes and GUS
tard pies and cakes! I don't think I
ever saw so much to eat all at once
in my life. And the watermelons
Wagon loads of them were put in the
branch to cool. And tubs of sweet
cider big enough to float in!
"After dinner the fun began.
There were foot races, sack races,
jumping contests, creased pole
climbing and creased pig chasing.
"Now, among my acquaintance
was a small boy named Tige, or, at
least, SO called; a redhaired, freckled
lad, son of the man I boarded with.
Tige and I were good friends, but a
lazier lad I never saw, so somehow
I was surprised when he appeared
as one of the contestants for prizes.
However, he did not enter either of
the races nor the jumping contest.
But when it came to the CREASED
pole, 10, the freckled Tige led all the
rest! The way that chap stuck to
that slippery sapling was caution,
and when he reached the top none
cheered louder than l. The same
way with the creased shoat. Tige
was simply onto the pig and staid
there.
by right Of being guest and
therefore to be hOnOred it fell to
my lot to award the prizes. Tige
was to receive a six bladed pocket
knife and a pair of spurs-hardware
in my line, you know" the drum
mer interrupted himself quite I'M
consciously, land when the little
scamp came up to get them caught
wink in his other eye that seemed
sort of suggestive.
"'Tell me how you did it, Tige,' I
said when I had given him mis- prizes
with appropriate remarks.
IT amt no fool, if I do have fits, ,
he said. still winking.