The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-10-25
SAVING OUR BACON
Origin of an Ancient Colloqui'
aIism in Connecticut.
Expression Used When Debtor GETS
Best Of Creditors by Question.
able Methods in 6usl-
ness Deals.

Distribution and sale Of the govern
nent supply Of bacon brought to the
minds of many who are acquainted
with old sayings the ancient colloQui-
alism. Saving ones bacon" The
thrifty housewife, laying in store OF
the smoked meat. assures her near
neighbors that she is Saving her ba-
con-" The housewife. Of course, Is tell.
Ing the truth, but as she repeats the
ancient colloquialism she fails to use
It in its proper sense.
The housewife who is SO gay over
Saving her bacon" would be >horri-
fed and justly provoked. If her neigh
Dor would reply: what You cheating
your creditors?" And that Is just what
abe means If she employs the term
properly. The story Of the origin OF
the colloquialism Is credited to Con-
necticut, according to the Hartford
Times.
In the days when the Charter Oak
was green and Sir Edmund Andross
was more green. New London boosted
Of q citizen Of the name Of Fitz John
Winthrop. He was a sailor. and more
over of literary tastes. These tastes
were more distinctly commercial. That
h, while he was quite bthliOphile on
his own account. and had a gOOdly
store of books he was in the business
Of collecting books for others. Prob
ably because he was something OF .
eonnoisseur. the colonist who coveted
foreign published books engaged him
to obtain them when he was in pOr,
on the other side; or. knowing their
fads, he would, Of his own account.
make the purchases, and bring them
over, disposing of them at fair profit.
Among the customers was a !awye=
who was also interested In shipping,
politics and several other things which
IN our later day might go by the name
of speculations. At the time when he
was flush with money he would invest
In books, and depute Capt. F1tz John
% obtain them abroad. Among other
works for which he had something
II . penchant were those Of Lord
bacon. He managed to have quite 4
dzabIe importation at different times.
On one occasion, when the captain
came into port and brought him a
tale Of books. he found the lawyer In
financial difficulties Of shady char
acter. On the following day the prop
lrty was to be "distrained." Under
De colonial law among other things
exempt from the claws Of the creditor
Was meat of various descriptions, and
@uantities. Bewailing the fact that his
books must 60 under the hammer, he
was disconsolate when the captain
came with the additional volumes. he
i, had decent supply Of wits end he
4 ana the lawyer. working Sindust1 ously
~ night, managed to stow away 4
,sk rood deal Of the library In meat bsr.
RESIN the cellar. On top of each was
q layer of bacon in coarse salt. The
following day. whom the sheriff"s clerk
came with his red chalk. re scrawled
his "X'' on each of the barrels. and
the contents were exempted. 1t must
anave been some time later when Capt.
Eftz John related the story. and man
aged to add. Leave it to any one n
them barls didn't told Bacon" And
80 when a debtor cot the best of Ills
creditors W questionable methods. the
proceedings got to be known as "Sav'
aup ox,p's bacon"