St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-10-07
A PASSPORT IN MISSOURI
when . stranger Says "CoFn Poner
the Host Replies slight and
Come In"

Il read something in the Snn the Oth-
er day. taken from a Richmond paper,
about the decline and fall of corn bread
IN the SOUTH said man from Mis-
souri, to 4 Sun reporter The Mis-
sourian continued his remark in an ag-
grieved manner:
Il haven't been down south for a good
many years, but If it has gone back on
corn bread You may expect to hear OF
nisgers going back on watermelon. Out
in old Missouri corn bread, old-fash-
Toned, sure-enough pone. is still served
in the best families. In some of the
irst-class hotels of that state they put
corn pone under the head of dessert. !
reckon you know that there is also the
corn dodger. and then there is the hoe
cake. and then there is the ashcake-
all made out of cornmeal. But the corn
pone is the piece de resistance. When
stranger goes into . Missouri house
and says he likes corn bread, specially
corn pone. the cookies of the heart OF
the Missourian warm toward that
stranger at once. 1t comes mighty nigh
being a passport to the best society in
my state.
IL know of one man who was made
to feel very much at home by his IA
miliarity with corn bread and its hab-
its in a Missouri home at a time when
he was very much under suspicion. lie
had been sent to investigate a mater
by his superior. He arrived at the
house at late hour. The folks had
r @Inv hui 0I i
looing from the road. When the man
of the house appeared and called of
the dogs he asked the stranger what he
wanted. The stranger was not just as
satisfactory in his reply as was de-
sired. and the man of the house told
him he mad better go further up the
road for entertainments for himself and
beast. The stranger had his reasons
for wanting to stay at the house where
he had just made his call. He said it
was pretty hard when Missourian
couldn't find shelter in any Missouri
home where he made application. The
man of the house asked him:
".Are you MissoErian"
'.When the stranger replied he had
that honor, the man of the house kind
o. hesitated, and then asked: Have you
got any credeEtials:e'
"'Have you got any corn bread 2
asked the stranger.
".What kind?' was the query.
"'Pone,' was the reply.
Light and come in was the hos
pitable invitation.
"Whcn the stranger was in the house
the Missourian apologized for keeping
his guest without the gate SO long by
explaining that there were good many
pedd!ers about the country. and he was
particular as TO whom he admitted.
- don't want you to feel any uncer-
tainty about me- said the stranger,
and to convince you that am a Mis-
sourian and entitled to your hospital
ity, 1 can tell You right where that
corn bread is kept. I'll bet can find
it in the dark. It's in the skillet in the
lowerpart of the kitchen cupboard and
the milk that goes With is out in the
springhouse in the back yard
.The Missouri host extended his hand
to the stranger, and, shaking the lat
ter's hand earnestly, he said: You
could come mighty nigh getting into
our lodge without the grip or the
sign Sst -
THAT was an actual experience, and
when you are in Missouri and want to
be taken care of in the proper way. just
YOU call at any Missourian's home and
| cav corn pone' IN y. Sun,