The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1909-01-20
OLD time TgREEYEAE
A Once Popular Feast In the
Pennsylvania Mountains.
GONE WITA THE WOODsMEN.

The People, Traditions and Asseela-
4ionS That Made II Pospibio Are Ne
I,e Mere, and IL JoinS In obilVion the
Apple, Gut and Quilting Bee. :
r. Git isn't because there 10 no more
material In the Blue mountain region
OF Pennsylvania to provide q turkey
eat that we have had the last OF those
famous festivities" said former
dweIler of the district described, "for
there are stIll wild turkeys a.plenty.
"The turkey eat has gone out with
the passing of the people whose homes,
traditions and manner OF life made II
possible and with the occupation that
was once theirsy si3f
y elm the days when the turkey eat
was the great winter festiyity IN the
mount til tricts between the Schuyl
XIII and tue Juniata watersheds the
sparse population was chiefly Of rude
and rugged woodmen and their fami.
lies, many of them descendants OF
pure Pennsylvania Dutch stock. Scores
otsfhem depended almost entirely on
their skill with gun and trap for, their
food supply. tsSS y sA
1.-THE cabins Of these mountaineera
were built OF logs, the chinkg between
which were filled In with clay. A
huge stone chimney rose at one end
of the cabin outside, covering that en-
tire end, while ON the inside It opened
on a broad fireplace across that end
of the room.
EThe cabin was banked all around
with earth, against which hemlock and
pine boughs were heaped. Sometimes
rows OF cord wood were piled up al
most to the caves, the better to keep
out the cold. which is always intenF.
during winter on those wind swep'
hills.
"SThere was rarely cabin with more
than one room. The walls were dark
and smoky, and from rafter or beam
hung plentifully strips OF jerked Veni.
son and chunks OF smoked bear meat.
along with hams and bacon from thu
family pigs fattened in the woods and
almost as wild as the bear and the
deer. But the choicest and best be-
loved thing of the cabins larder was
the fat and well frozen wild turkey!
"While the woodsman's cabin was al
ways prepared for turkey eat, l.
mover knew when It was coming. A
turkey eat began with the making ur
OF a party in nelghboring village OF
Bettlement.. Taking along a fiddler
they. would,appear at this. that or the
other woodsman's cabin Of winter
evening. and the woodsman and hi'
family did the rest il
"IhBtantly the birch wood pail of ci
der came forth. While the cabin''
guests drank cider the host prepared
and spitted the turkey over the hick'
ory- Goals in the fireplace to roast fof
the feast. When It was ready for the
table 1t was placed before the guests
on big tin platter. Each one carved
for himself, the plates being squares
of birch bark.
"The turkey eat was not complete
though, without liberal supply Of
'paan haas and head cheese, and with
1t went the sweetest of rye bread and
butter. Paan haas Is strictly Penn.
sylvania Dutch creation.
at is made from the rich Juices left
after boiling the ingredients for head
cheese, these being thickened to stin
paste with buckwheat hour. This paste
Is lpressed In forms until cold and is
served in slices. 1t 10 a dull blue in
color, very rich and very good.
"After the feast the turkey eat was
rounded out by a,night OF jollity super.
induced by the fiddle and maintained
by 1t in its music for the old fashioned
cotillon figures and reels, which were
danced until the gray Of morning.
"But most, of those old time woods
men have passed away, and on those
who are still dw ellers In the mountains
the game laws have forced situation
that leaves them with their ancient oe-
cupation gone, and the. hunt being no
longer source of ,maintenanceit its ira.
ditions have departed with 1t. The
newer generation of these people iS of
other tastes and associations, 30 while
the wild turkey Is yet in proximity in
that Blue mountain region to supply
the material for the festive turkey eat
the traditions and associations that
made It possible are no more, and It iE
gone. like the apple cut, the quilting
bee. the pig killing frolic and others Of
the old time rural pastlmes that are
now but memory.'!-New York Sun.