The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-12-29
BORN OF A GRUMBLE.
A ToothsOme Morsel OF the Early
-e, Days In Ohio.

vinegar Pie, and How IL Was Made,
and How IL Came TO he Made, and
How the Man Who First hit Into
IL Described L. 10 His Friends.
"when one understands how pie Is the
glad epiphany of the souls yearning for
beauty OF living, as il were, the bud tip
Of a plant cropping its way upward be-
tween the dull, hard clods to sunlight
and the air. he understands also how
some kinds Of pie have a story to tell-a
pathetic story for those who can appre-
ciate," says Harvey Sutherland in Aims
lees.
"In the early days of Ohio there was
a vinegar pie. A paste was made Of
-four and water. Enough vinegar was
added to give 1t o pleasant tartness. and
sugar, was stirred In to suit the taste.
Then this was used as a filing for the
top and bottom crust. Smile il you can
at this poor effort, but bcthink you who
1t was that made 1t and where and why.
We may set the scene in a log cabin in
the wild woods of the Western Reserve
and people 1t with settlers from Connect
lieut., an ambitious husband and his young
wife who have left behind them the old
folks at home, knowing that they will
never look upon their faces more. They
have come the long, long journey in their
covered wagon TO the far west of Ohio
to seek home in the wilderness. The
Indians are but barely gone. The timber
wolves still howl nights while the young
mother bushes her babe to rest. In the
twilight bears shuttle at the doorsill OF
the rude cabin. 1t was a sufficient shell
ter from the weather, but no rag carpet
covered the puneheon floor to soothe the
eye with Its coloring. no pictures hung
upon the mud chinked wall OF logs.
There was no lack of food to eat. The
virgin soil, never before turned by a
plowshare, brought forth riotously. Stand
ing at his door, the husband might kill
wild turkeys with his rife. There was
game in plenty, deer and squirrels, pos
sums, wild duck, wood pigeons and, once
in n long while, a feast Of that most
highly priced OF all meats, pork. Wild
berries grew all about, and here and
there upsprang tree planted by Johnny
Appleseed, ragged, wild enthusiast that
he was, almost a legendary hero In his
beneficent resolve to scatter far and wide
over the new country the best fruit ever
God gave to man. There was plenty TO
eat, but when at last the store OF fruit
for winter was exhausted the soul sick
81 woosh twas so't we could hev pie
luck them we use to git back hum signs
the husband.
Gland sakes, Uriah Kinney, l amt
got one mortal thing ! could make a pie
aont Of retorts the wife.
"'No, s'pose not. l amt a-faultin
We. l was unly sayin l woosh twas so't
we could hev a pie luck them we used to
git back hum. 'Twould kind o seem
more luck Twin
"Then the wife falls to biting the end
of her forefnger. She plans; she medi-
tntes. o woman of a thousand wonder
full inventions, Something has got to
give when thy brain throws its weight
against problem! Result in this in
stance, vinegar pie!
"'Gosh, Polly this is lickin good? ex-
claims the husband, wipng his mouth
with one hand while he holds out the 9th
or for third piece of pie. (Croekery was
scarce in those days) Then be spreads
the news.
"By darn says he to the next man he
meets, my Polly Ann med pie f me
day b'fore yistiddy was the all firedest
best pie ever ct
"'Shor doubts the man that hears
him. Can't git nup pie this time o. yer.
Fruits all gin aout.'
"'By darn, she med It anyhow And
he smacks his lips. 'Smartest woman |
ever see Med II aout O. vinegar, she
did. Tell yeou, fetched. the spot, it did
81 want to know says the other man
admiringly. And he did. The recipe
was passed around, and vinegar pie
spread like wildfre TO the southwark, TO
the people that call pail bucket and
basin pan and where they have letter
r. broad enough and fiat enough to roll
out pie crust on in case of an emergency.
Years have passed and with them the
memory of that dear soul that first dis
covered vinegar pie; yes. even vinegar it
self has passed away, too, save in the
recollections of the older people, so COM
plete is the triumph of the self sealing
fruit can. have used the name Of Kin
ney, but that was because I thought ii
sounded kind of Yankee, but l should
like to know her real name and where
she sleeps that might stand beside that
| weed grown hollow that was once a
mound above her, that / might read the
messy epitaph ON her leaning tombstone:
"a Faithful Friend, Mother Dear,
A Loving Wife lies buried here.
81 should like to lay a posy on that
pinks and phlox and Sweet William, flow
| ers that she knew and liked. / am sure
she would know of it and appreciate it,
| though she would protest it wasn't worth
while making a fuss about. Yet l know
that somehow she would feel that the
hard times she had when they were all
down with the fever n ager,' she and
| Jerushy and Uriah chilling one day and
| Adoniram and the twins chilling the next
day. and the cows got lost in the woods,
and nothing tasted good, they were all so
| poorly, and the house looked like distrae-
ton because. seem like. she hadn't the
ambition to keep il picked up-that some
how all that hard time was being made
up to her now. / just know she is in the
! good place, not so much because she dis
covered the vinegar pie, though that is
much, but because l don't see how the
| Good Man could ever have the heart TO
turn away any woman that brought up
IL