Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-01-17

ing point. The hilarity of the crowd
is noisily manifested. Ten or Is will
enter, each paying a dime. and the
one who makes the best record gets
a turkey.
Wild turkeys, too, are still to be
found If one knows where to go, and
no other bird is quite so satisfying
for Christmas. in the opinion of noun
taineer, visiting sportsman and all
others of good taste. The last one
we had was yearling gobbler weigh
ing 10 1-2 pounds, and no domestic tur-
key can compare with the flavor of
that great bird.
The old-fashicned rifie-shooting
matches are also kept up in western
North. Carolina. The usual plan Is to
shoot for a beef, divided into five
choices" The best man gets first
choice of hind quarters, second the
other hind quarter. The front quar-
ters go to the third and fourth men,
while the fifth gets the hide and tall
low The old deer rifles, or hog rifles.
appear for these contests. sometimes
with barrels 4S inches long, muzzle-
leaders and very accurate for short
sights is understood, as it is by every
man concerning his own gun.
AS everyone knows, the southland
supplies much of the decorative mate
rial used in the North for Christmas.
Holly, mistletoe, galax and leucothoe
sprays are the chief items known COM
mercially, though many other plants.
shrubs and trees contribute to the
cheer of the cold northern Christmas
Magnolia leaves from further south
are also extensively used, and so are
the pretty little ground pines from the
mountains Gathering these leaves
especially the galax, green and bronze,
which is used by florists the year
around, affords the mountain people
a good living during the winter and
carries them through a season that
was often hard for many of them
Many millions of galax leaves are ga
thered every winter by the mountain
eers. largely women, and children, tied
in punches of % and traded to the III
tie country stores for needed supplies.
OFTEN families will go out into the
mountains far from home, take along
some "rations" and spend several
weeks, sometimes all winter, pulling
galax. They put up temporary hut,
or find shelter under some huge over
hanging rock, building front to keep
out the wind and cold. They get from
25 to 30 cents per 100 for the leaves.
and where the crop is good will get
from 1000 to 5000 leaves day. usual
ly averaging about 5000, and the chill
dren less. These must then be bunch
ed and packed down. The galax IN
dustry has made the mountain peo-
pie more careful about letting fires
get out in the woods. for that destroys
the ealax. Before Christmas the ga
hackers" as they call themselves, are
very busy. for the leaves are just get
ting good, and the more they get the
merrier will their Christmas be.
Northern hunters coming to North
Carolina for It's varied attractions
sometimes spend the Christmas sea-
son here, and IL they do they are sure
to have a good time, seeing the people
at their best One form Of entertain
ing them is to get up fox chase,
which is very interesting, particular
ly If it is a red fox. for he will Keep
two alternating packs in hot pursuit
for ~ hours and never be in the
slightest danger, though letting the
dogs get near enough to make 1t In
teresting.
In the Blue Ridge country we nave
our first big snow usually not long
before Christmas, or just ABOUT ina
time. and If it comes softly, perhaps
with a little sleet to hold 1t TO the
trees, picture of fairyland VIII De
formed that battles any camera or ar
lists brush.--Forest and Stream,