The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-09
ON THE FRONTIER.
Major Sylvester's Christmas Dinner
in Southern Utah.

washington starr
1.-THE manner of celebrating Christmas
has changed in many details within the
past score of years" said Major Richard
Sylvester. This is especially true of the
cities. The old time methods of making
the children happy and joyful have in a
great measure given way to the modern,
up-to-date manner of doing things, which
in no way, perhaps, detracts from the en-
joyment of all concerned
1T was twenty years ago, while l was
in the Indian service in southern Utah,
with half dozen companions, being the
only whites within hundreds of miles
myself young man experiencing the first
impression of solitude during frigid
winter 1000 miles from home-that | en-
joyed a frontier Christmas dinner. Those
who were my associates were husbands
and fathers whom the mountains of snow
separated from wives and children
was q youth away from mother and
sweetheart. and having always possessed
a keen regard for Christmas time, 1t fell
to my lot to arrange the dinner. and the
first man who found fault with it had
to wash the dishes-mostly tin and iron
This tO-be-avoided pleasure was not in
dulged in by any of the party, which
means that the feast was beyond their
criticism.
Andy Cav. one of the finest, sleekest
Cinnamon who ever swung a skillet. was
cur cook. ] resurrected Andy in a mining
camp near Salt Lake and induced him to
prepare our meals at 500 month He as
sUmed the name of Andy while working
for the miners. and, having a brief cue.
light complexion and good English adj
dress. SWore he was an lrishman- Our
residence was a two-rOom log house. In
one Of the rooms wooden carpenters
horses with long planks stretched be-
tween them furnished the springs upon
which our addresses were placed for
which was of necessity kept continuously
brightly lighted with burning logs oc-
cupied the end of Of the room. In the
middle a square pine table stood, which
was used for writing as well as dining
purposes. The adjoining room was where
Andy cooked washed and slept.
1T goes without saying that l made a
close inspection of canned and other goods
in our stock for that eventful meal, and
while each and all of us mOurned our
separation from home and turkey, we had
consomme from native long horns. roast
beef and veniSon. canned tomatoes and
corn. canned butter hot rolls cooked in
a Dutch oven in the hot Goals of the
fireplace. pie made from canned peaches
and coffee favored with condensed milk
After all those present had expressed
thanks and satisfaction over the repast
and had left with their pipes to permit
the cook to clear away the dismantIed
table, three 5lanketed Utes presented
themselves, and Utes, like other Indians,
are always hungry / instructed Andy TO
give them meat, biscuits and coffee as a
Christmas meal. RE seated them at the
table, unfortunately, and while his back
was turned each one of them with a
knife or teaspoon took possession of and
devOured our cans of butter and con-
denSed milk which stood on the table as
a part of the Christmas meal as well as
everything else in sight, to Andy 5
Arrangement. chagrin and isappointment.
The cook had overestimated the good
manners and etiquites of his Christmas
visitors.
That wild and broken country of twen-
ty wears ago is now traversed by rail-
roads, and is covered with cities and
\ In ION
many of the aborigines who had no idea
of Christmas in those days today provide
or have given them the bird of the
season"