Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1921-09-30
HARVEST HOME DAY

somehow we cannot lOFBeL VIC |
: Harvest Home Day" that meant
SO much to us thirty years ago,
1t was usually held in September
and eycrybody-old and young
attended. 1t was different from
a county fair, because there were
no races, but few exhibits, plenty
of political speeches Git was us
ually the opening Of the fall po-
litical campaign and sham
battle. The latter was what at
tracted our boyish attention.
There was a regiment Of state
militia there for one day, the Gov
ernor of the state would review
them, and then the "sham battle "
was the real thing. Shooting
with blank cartridges taking
prisoners, displaying marches, bu-
giles, bands, music, noisel Pea
nuts, popcorn, lemonade, and won
derful "orangcade" - but the
latter cost ten cents glass, so
we never could afford but one
glass. Yes, and toy balloons,
gaudy candy canes, ice cream at
/ 10 cents per dish (it was before
the famous cone had arrived) a
top buggy hidden away off in the
rear ranks, your best girl beside
you for an all too brief fifteen
minutes of what Burns calls,
"happy love, where love like
this is found, "
and then the sun sinking lower
in the west, the horse hitched to
the buggy, everything loaded in,
and the homeward ride in the
shimmering infant moonlight Of
a newly born night I!
Such was the annual Harvest
Home Day" to hundreds of
youths all over the great state Of
Pennsylvania. But to the parents
it was a different tale. 1t was
a day of rejoicing at the close of
a bountiful harvest. The day be-
fore was spent in dressing, cook
ing, and packing a fat chicken
or two, with sundry pumpkin pies,
light bread (and it was so light
if you'd let a slice of it go you
wouldn't know whether it would
go up or DOWN fresh home churn-
ed butter, can of beet pickles,
everything packed into basket
and the lunch was ready to go
In the morning all was hustle
horses fed an extra quart of oats
milking done an hour early, Dad
had to shave and Mother had tC
change her dress and black hel
shoes. Promptly at nine O'Clock
we were all off
And what a day it was. We
have already described the attrac
tons to the young, but to the
old folks it was along different
lines. Mother would usually gel
a chance to chat with some ole
pastor she hadn't seen for 6
couple Of years, she would alsC
see the two or three new nieces
and nephews that had made theil
debut during the year, she could
talk with aunt Betsy from Spring
boro, and meet cousin Josephine
husband whom she had never
seen, but had heard so mucl
about. Dad usually discarded thu
pipe and blew himself for a couple
of twofers. They were" two fel
a nickel" He'd be down by thu
biggest swing pushing the child
rem who all loved "uncle Bill.
And when the speeches opened
in the "hall', Dad was there OF
the front seat. When Sibley elo
quently pledged himself to worl
for the interests of the farmers
partisan politics were forgotten
and the man without a flaw
was declared as good as elected
= Republicans tossed their hats TO
the Democrats with avidity, ant
vice versa, to go to the polls sixt.
days later and -" vote e
f straight, "
g But it was a great day 70
+! everybody. No harm was done
$ if Mother did take a walk wit
Desolate Radure for the expires
purpose of gossiplng a wee bit
No harm was done if Dad diO
smoke a couple of twofers-thc.
= were not made of tobacco, bu
! cabbage leaves! No harm wa
Q done if Joe thought it folly, t.
I try to hug Mollie" as the dog
! gcrel song went the rounds tn
= next day - for it was only til