The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1900-09-02
MR.. LONG AS A PIEMAKER
Annual Meeting of a Unique Associa-
ton in Maine

Lewiston, Me-, Dispatch in N. 7. Tribune
AS soon as Secretary John D. Long ar
rived at the old home farm in Buckfield
last Friday afternoon he was waited on
by Zenas Langley, president of the Hart
ford (Maine) Custard-Pie Association
Secretary Long had been in town only
three hours, but he already had on his
crash suit and was putting arms on one
of the rustic chairs in the manufacture
of which he busies himself in his Vaca-
lions at the old home. This chair was left
unfinished last fall.
sJohnny.' said Uncle Zenas, picking
up a splnt and beginning to white,
when can we make plans for the annual
meeting of the Custard-Pie Association!
We want to suit our time to yours; but
we was sort of reckoning on next Weeh-
say Saturday"
IT think that will suit me frst-rate,"
said Mr. Long. II never feel like debating
on those matters when I get up here In
buckfield 1 am one of the passengers
here. Make your plans and let me
know"
THANK you, Johnny" replied Uncle
Zenas You always were good boy, ana
you are improvin' right along.
Therefore it was settled that the annual
reunion and pie-baking contest OF .; .ne
Hartford (Maine) Custard-Pie Association
should take place at the old picnic grounds
IN the town of Hartford last Saturday.
This is the fourteenth annual meeting OF
the association. It has been success
from the start TIE camp-meeting grounds
n Hartford have from time way back
been celebrated as picnic grounds. When
John b. Long was little shaver he used
TO take his basket OF good things ana go
over there from Buckfield for a days out
Ing with the little folks from his school.
In later years-more decorously, but none
the less with all the delight inspired by
Vacation days back at the old home-he
has never missed picnic on the old spot.
Up in Oxford where the hens take q
personal pride in every egg deposited in the
hest. and where the cows give milk so
thick that II clings to the side OF the pail,
oustard pies are things to dream about.
They are the favorite dessert at the Hart
ford picnic grounds. They are not thrown
about SO carelessly that they serve as cush-
Ion for the unwary; they are guarded as
carefully as the ammunition below decks
ia johnny Longs big ships; they are
cut with the care of gunner trimming
cartridge.
Years ago the folks that came to the
Hartford camp ground got to Dragging
about their custard pies. There was quiet
rivalry among the housewives. The families
that picnic there do not sit by themselves;
The Oxford County people are not Of that
4elfish nature. All the food Is 'unloaded
from the hampers and the pals and the
buckets set forth upon one long table,
The cookery that is thus ranged In COM
petition is just the best that each woman
can produce; there is never any doubt
about that.
1t was natural to fall to discussing GUS
tard pies over that board to discuss them
orally as well as gustatorily And out of
the Boosting over "marm's cooking" came
forth the Hartford Custard Pie Association.
And as 1.-The men folks" did most of the
boasung, II was decreed that the men folks
sbould do the cooking of the pies And
the contests that have ensued have been
notable and sloppy; that is, they were
sloppy at first. The women protested that
of all the ridiculous performances those
early pie-baking contests were the worst
but now It is only some tyro who falls
down on the way to the oven with a brim-
ming custard pie in his f1oury hands. The
man who does such a thing in these days
has his nose ANONYMOUSLY rubbed in the
puddle.
By dint of long practice, and in order to
back up their boasts the men of Buck
Geld and of Hartford have trained them
selves so that they can concoct custard
pies that excel anything that can be met
with anywhere in the great New England
pie belt. They used to say that Johnny"
Long couldn't cook very good pie. He
used to put up pie that was symmetrical
enough, but 1t didn't stand up when the
tasters were applied. The committee of
bndfolded women who used to do the tast-
a. that put together by An old bachelor who
owns a little 40-acre farm on the HUFF
road, In the north of Hartford. The old
bachelor had done his own cooking for 30
years, and so, Of course, he started with a
great lead over Mr. Long.
But Mr.. Long is man of great persist
ence. Fully five years ago he was nigh
the chief cook in the custard-pie con-
tests. Everything courts in the custard-
pie game. The man who is too wasteful
sets big black mark from the women
who are doing the Judging Wasteful folk
have no place in Oxford County. man
mustn't slop his pie In getting It to the
eveni he mustn't burn too much wood; he
must understand the great art OF making
the crust stay on the bottom without
anchorinG 1t with pebbles; there mustn't
be too much peeking nor too frequent
Changing Of the oven door; in short, there
are many things to the cooking of a Gus
tsrd pie that even the Governor of q State
Doesn't catch on to the first time But the
people of Hartford are ready to confess
that the Secretary Of the Navy has got
the thing down pretty fine, and they judge
By the twinkle of the eye of johnny"
Long that he has few new wrinkles that
he proposes to work in this season.