Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1910-11-17

~ OMEWHERE. down the road the
engine stopped to get a drink.
There was nothing In 1t for the
~ passengers, the day being Sun
day and the lid we'll clamped
down. even in the Ozark country.
where the moon is said to shine in
the darkness occasionally. Neverthe-
less the passengers got something
worth while stopping for. What they
got was picture. 1t was simple
composition with background OF
crimson autumnal foliage. weather
stained log house In the middle dis
lance. we'll screened in woodbine and
trumpet creeper, the frost-nipped re-
mains OF an old-fashioned garden and
right in the middle foreground. not
stones throw from the track-tbe soil
tary figure. He stood beside the squat
gatepost, just as If he had been paint
ed there good half century ago. a
cob pipe In his mouth and a somewhat
tattered straw hat pushed well back
from his ford brow and straight gray
hair. His lean arms embraced. as far
as human arms could reach, NAM
moth pumpkin that reposed on the
gatepost, and into the side of the yell
low rind he had cut, "Prize-winner, 2l6
pd."
Il thought he'd be there" one OF the
passengers laughed. He hasn't done
a thing but fiaunt that pumpkin at the
passengers the past four days since he
got il back from the county fair. You
know II isn't easy to raise big fellows
like that in these Ozark hills. 1t takes
rich bottom soil to make 'em grow to
any considerable size, and the Ozark
farmer needs his little bottom patches
for something besides show fruit That
old chap got some Of the best pumpkin
seed that ever was brought into mar
ket and he's been at 'em ever since.
That 216-pounder did actually cap
ture the prize in a certain Missouri
county, but there was pumpkin
shown at the Merchants Exchange In
st. Louis that would have broken the
old Ozark farmers heart 1t was the
great achievement of Tom Powell, who
many years and who supplied the seed
from which that one great hill pump.
kin was developed. 1t took a three
horse team to haul thirty pumpkins
to St Louis for the display. The com.
bined weight of the load, exclusive of
the wagon and driver, was something
over 5000 pounds. and the largest OF
the pumpkins tipped the beam at 237.
the heaviest pumpkin ever brought to
st. Louis. 1t was converted into 100
succulent pies.
The demand for pumpkin has not in
creased in proportion to the popula-
tons increase. In the days of our
grandmothers canned things were al
most unknown. And there was the
tradition that in the fall, from the mid
die Of October to Christmas. there
must be long row Of pumpkin pies
on the pantry shelf every Saturday
night For moderate-sized family
ten pies would suffice. but there was
many a housewife who made her tired
boast, I've baked two dozen this
morning, and | do hope there will be
enough left for Monday dinner"
In the old days. the pumpkin was
put TO another use. It was the basis
for very delicious soup-strange as
this may seem. Even now in the mar.
kets of Paris there is the custom of
browning King Pumpkin the last Sat.
urday in September. The largest and
shapeliest is elected king, and there is
regular ceremonial. an hour of the
afternoon being given up to the parade
through stalls and adjoining streets
Of the market. the trades people in cos.
tune and the pumpkin adorned with
gorgeous crown of tinsel and imita
ton jewels. When the parade is over
the fruit is uncrowned. cut into sec
tons and these auctioned Off to the
highest bidder. to be taken home and
made up into soup.