The daily Alaskan., 1909-03-19
0LD TIME
 TURKEY EAT

It isn't because there is no more material in the Blue mountain region of Pennsylvania to provide a turkey eat that we have had the last of those famous festivities" said a former dwellcr of the district described, "for there are stlll wild turkeys a-plcnty.
 "Thc turkey eat has gone out with the passing of the people whose homes, traditions and manner of life made it possible and with the occupation that was once theirs.
 "In the days when the turkey eat was the great winter fcsJlvity in the mountain GiStrlcts between the Schuyl- kill and the Juniata watersheds the sparse population was chiefly of rude and rugged woodmcn and their fami- lies, many of them descendants of pure Pennsylvania Dutch stock Scores of them depended almost entirely on their skill with gun and trap for their food supply.
 "Thc cabins of these mountalnecrs were built of logs, the chiuks between which were filled in with clay. 4 huge stone chimney rose at one end of the cabin outside, covering that cn- tire end. while on the inside it opened on broad fireplace across that end of the room.
 "Thc cabin was banked an around with earth against which hcmlock and pine boughs were hcapod. Sometimes rows of cord wood were piled up o.- most to the caves. the better Co keep out the cold. which is always Intense during winter on those wind swept hills.
 "Thcre was rarely a cabin with more than one room. The walls were dark and smoky. and from raftcr or beam hung plcuuful'y strips of icrkcd veni- son and chunks of smoked bear meat along with hams and bacon from the family pigs rattencd 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 anI well frozen wild turkey.
 "WhUe the woodsman's cabin was al- ways prepared for a turkey eat it never knew when it was coming. A turkey eat began with the making up of party in ucighboriug village or settlement Taku" along fiddler. they would appear at this. that or the other woodsmans cabin of winter evening. and the woodsman and his family did tho rest.
 instantly the birch wood pail of cl- der came forth While the cabins guests drank cider the host prepared and snlttod rhe turkey over the hick- orv coaIs in Che fireplace to roast for the feast. When lt was ready for the table it was placed before tho guests on big fin platter Each one carved for himself, the plates being squares of birch bark.
 "The turkey eat was not complete. trough. without a liberal supply of paan haas and head cheese. and with lt went the sweetest of rye bread and butter. P0an haas is a strictly Penn svIvauia Dutch creation.
 "It is made from the rich juices left after boiling the ingredients {. head cheese. these being thlckcne,, a stiG paste with buckwhcat flour. This paste ls pressed in forms until cold and is served in slices. It is dull blue in color. very rich and very good.
 "Aftcr tho feast thc 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 cotilou figures and reels, which were danced until the gray of morning.
 "Rut most of those old time woods men have passed away, and on those who are still dwcllcrs in the mountains the game laws have forced a situation that leaves them with then ancient oc- cupatlon gone. and the hun; being no longer a source of maintenance its tra. ditlons have departed with it The newer generation of these people is of other tastes and associations, so 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 1t possible are no more. and it is gone. like the apple cut, the quilting bee. the pig Killing rrolic and others Of the old time rural pastimes that are now but a memory. New York Sun.