Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1909-04-29
OLD time TURKEY EAT
A Once Popular Feast In the
Pennsylvania Mountains.
GONE WITH THE WooDsmEN.

Tho People, Traditions and Assoeia-
tions That Made 1t Possible Are No
More, and II Joins In Oblivion tho
Apple Cut and QuiItins Gee.
''It isn't because there is no more
material in the Blue mountain region
of PENNSYLVANIA to provide turkey
cat 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 cat 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 festivity in the
mountain districts between the Schuyl-
kill and the 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
w 'iiSiii uSI'ciiueu tl!{!t'Sl eullfely on
their skill with gun a trsp for their
food supply.
The cabins of these mountaineers
were built of logs, the chinks between
which We're 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 Il broad fireplace across that end
of the room.
"l'hc cabin was banked all around
with earth. against which hemlock and
pine boughs were heaped. Sometimes
rows of cord wood were piled up al
NEST To the caves. the better to keep
out the cold. which is always intense
during winter on those wind swept
hills
"There was rarely a cabin with more
than one ROOM The wallis were dark
and smoky, and from raftcr or beam
hung plentifnlly strips { .ierkcd VENT
son and chunks of smoked bear meat,
along with hams aM; bacon from the
family pigs fatteLcd 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 we'll frozen wild turkey.
while The woodsman's cabin was al
ways prepared for n turkey eat. 1t
never knew when it was coming. A
turkey eat began with the making up
of Il party in neighboring village or
settlement. Taking along fiddler,
they would appear at this, that or the
other woodsman's cabin Of winter
evening. and the woodsman and his
family did the rest
INSTANTLY the birch wood pail of eli
der came forth. While the cabins
guests drank cider the host prepared
and spitted the turkey over the hick-
Dry Goals in the fireplace to roast for
the feast. When it was ready for the
table it was placed before the guests
on a 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
pam haas and head cheese, and with
1t went the sweetest of rye bread and
butter. Pnan haas is a strictly Penn
sylvania Dutch creation.
1T is made from the rich juices left
after boiling the ingredients for head
cheese, these being thickcncd to stiff
paste with bucEwheat -four This paste
is pressed In forms until cold and is
served in slices. III is Il dull blue In
color. very rich and very good
"After the feast the turkey eat was
rounded ont hy !, night of jollty super
induced by the fiddle and maintained
by ii in HIS music for the old fashioned
rotllon 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 jewellers i'm the mountains
the game laws have forced Il situation
that leaves them with their ancient oc-
cupation gone, and The hunt being no
longer 4 source of maintenance its ira
ditions have departed with it, Tho
newer generation of these people is of
other tastes and associations, SO while
The Wild turkey is yet In proximity i'm
that Blue mountain region to supply
the material for the festive turkey cat
the traditions and associations that
made 1t possible are no more, and 1T IS
zone, like the apple cut, the quilting
Doe, the pig killing frolic and others of
The old time rural pastimes that are
row but a memory" New York Sun.
Hot Stuff.