The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-02-25
OLD TIME TURKEY EAT
4 Once Popular Feast In the
Pennsylvania Mountains.
GONE WITH THE WOODSMEN.
The People, Traditions and Assoeia.
tions That Made It Possible Are No
More, and It Joins In Oblivion the
Apple Cut and Quilting Bee.

lions That Made II Possible Are No
More, and 1t Joins In Oblivion the
Apple Cut and Quilting Bee.
at isn't because there is no more
material in the Blue mountain region
Of Pennsylvania to provide turkey
eat that we have had the last of those
famous festivities" said former
dweller 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 IL
possible and with the occupation that
was once theirs.
an the days when the turkey eat
was the great winter festivity in the
mountain districts between the Schuyl.
Kill and the Juniata watersheds the
sparse population was chiefly Of rude
md rugged woodmen and their fami
les, many of them descendants of
yure Pennsylvania Dutch stock. Scores
II them depended almost entirely on
their skill with gun and trap for their
oood supply.
"The cabins of these mountaineers
we're built of logs, the chinks between
which were filed in with clay. A
1uge stone chimney rose at one end
If the cabin outside, covering that en-.
tire end, while on the inside it opened
IN broad fireplace across that end
II the room.
''The cabin was banked all around
with earth, against which hemlock and
aine boughs were heaped. Sometimes
lows of cord wood were piled up al
most to the caves, the better to keep
ut the cold, which is always intense
,'uring winter on those wind swept
ills.
'There was rarely a cabin with more
han one room. The walls were dark
md smoky, and from rafter or beam
tung plentifully strips Of jerked veni-
on and chunks of smoked bear meat,
dong with hams and bacon from the
amily pigs fattened In the woods and
Utmost as wild as the bear and the
1eer. But the choicest and best be-
Dved thing Of the cabins larder was
ne fat and well frozen Wild turkey
"While the woodsman's cabin was al
nays prepared for a turkey eat, 1t
ever knew when It was. coming. A
urkey eat began with the making up
of party in neighboring village or
'ettlement. Taking along fiddler,
ley would appear at this, that or the
ther woodsman's cabin Of winter
evening, and the woodsman and his
,amily did the rest.
Instantly the birch wool pail Of ci-
ef came forth. While the cabins
uests drank cider the host prepared
nd spitted the turkey over the hick-
y Goals In the fireplace to roast for
le feast. When 1t was ready for the
bic 1t was placed before the guests
ia big tin platter. Each one carved
r himself, the plates being squares
birch bark.
'The turkey eat was not complete,
ough, without liberal supply of
IAN haas and head cheese, and with
went the sweetest Of rye bread and
tter. Paan haas is strictly Penn
lvania Dutch creation.
1T is made from the rich juices left
ter boiling the ingredients for head
1eese, these being thickened to n stiff
ste with buckwheat -four. This paste
:" pressed In forms until cold and is
rived in slices. 1t is dull blue In
g lor, very rich and very good.
After the feast the turkey eat was
''unded out by night of jollity super
duced by the fiddle and maintained
It in its music for the old fashioned
tillon figures and reels, which were
N'nced until the gray Of morning.
But most Of those old time woods.
fen have passed away, and on those
no are still dwellers In the mountains
game laws have forced a situation
at leaves them with their ancient oc-
patton gone, and the hunt being no
lger source Of maintenance its ira
ions have departed with it. The
wer generation Of these people is OF
Ter tastes and associations, so while
wild turkey is yet in proximity in
1T Blue mountain region to supply
material for the festive turkey eat
traditions and associations that
de 1t possible are no more, and It is
ne, like the apple cut, the quilting
}, the pig killing frolic and others OF
old time rural pastimes that are
w hut a memory O-Navu york Gun