Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1907-06-27
The Old "Castle" Overlooking the
SchuyIkilI River.

acting governor OF the province. All
of the founders were members of the
Society of Friends.
1t was possible IT'S years ago to fish
with satisfaction in the Schuylkill
river within the present city limits and
to hunt in the forests on the banks of
that stream. AS the fishing season
opened on the first of May each year,
that day marked the beginning of the
festivities of the "Colonists," as the
members were called. The members
alluded in jest to their organization as
the Colony" asserting that they
formed an independent colony in
North America.
AS nearly as possible the dinners to-
day are given in the same simple man
ner as they were years ago. There are
no servants present at these feasts.
One member, whose turn to act it is,
is the caterer for the occasion. For
assistants he has apprentices-mem-
bers waiting to be received into full
membership as citizens" In former
days it was the duty of the caterer to
catch the perch and rock and hunt
such game as would be needed for the
dinner.
But times have changed, and such
fish as are eaten nowadays are pur-
chased; otherwise the dinners would
be failures considered gastronomically.
But fish, and, later in the season,
game, are not the only dishes set be-
fore the citizens" and their guests. In
earlier times there are records of
barbecued pig and sirloin steaks. The
latter are still to be found on the
menu at club dinners.
Each citizen" must take his turn
in rotation to act as purYeyor, or
caterer, unless he has done so regular
ly for 80 years! Failure to act his part
when his turn arrives subjects the de-
linQuent to pay a fine of five dollars.
1t is seldom that this fine has to be
imposed, for the club spirit which ami
mates all the members is strong.
On the day Of the dinner the caterer
and the apprentices assigned to him
appear at the Castle" don white
aprons and straw hats and make ready |
the feast.
The fish are placed in rows in long |
handled "fishtossers," or pans. No fork |
must touch them as they brown. They |
are basted with a special print of but |
ter, which has been served from a |
Bucks county dairy for the last so |
years. It's quality never varies, but its
price has Formerly it was GO cents |
a pound; now it costs one dollar. |
When the fish are Drowned on one side |
a dextrous jerk is given the pan, and |
the fish, stuck together and not to
the pan, are tossed so that the other |
side may be cooked, The steaks are
broiled with the same care, all the |
cooking being done by the puryeyor,
for the apprentices are not permitted |
to assist in this dignifed work. Their
work is to carry the cooked morsels
to the banqueting board.
Some of the apprentices have been
a little awkward for seldom are they
Young men; but young or old, it is
only by serving an apprenticeship mat
they can become citizens There is no
regular period of apprenticeship. Mem
bership is limited to 30, and there is
a long waiting list. When vacancy
occurs an apprentice is elected to cit
izenship
In the history Of the organization
only one citizen ever escaped a long
period of apprenticeship. When La
fayette visited the United States in
1925 the state in Schuylkill elected
him to honorary membership, and as
a special mark of favor and in recog'
milton of his valuable services to this
country, he was not asked to pass an
apprenticeship l