Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-03
A COUNTRY CLAM BAKE
An Annual Event In Upper Montgom.
cry That Is Unique--Progrcssive
Citizens Who Know How.
Unusual Vacations for
the Stay.at. Homes
by GEORGE NOX Mccain


| y clambakc one hundred miles inland is
Il novclty-scemingly
| Not. however. to Il couple of hundred good
| citizens from the reaches of the Perkiomcn,
| ana Swamp Creek. and the unduating farm
| lands thereabouts.
| Upper Montgomery County has enjoyed
| this unusual event rs a rccurrcnt novelty
! for years
| Ii is never advert iSph, for IL is COM
| munity affair.
There is Il community organization in that
region that has been functioning for seven
| years now.
1t is known as the Citizens Association Of
the PcrkiOmen Valley.
| Its membership comprises merchants. me-
| chnnics. editors. lawyers, physicians.
bankers manufacturers farmers and all the
| progressive and forward looking men of that
section.
They've inspired good roads. and public
improvements. and patriotic citizenship.
! An awakened public spirit has been the
| visible and practical results Of their efforts.
The annual clamb8ke is their one big
gct-tOgether day.
TT ISN'T n heterogeneous. free -for-all,
hip hip hurrah event. open to everybody.
either.
The roHn;ry fair and carnival atmosphere
is absent
It's an invitation affair. 1t always has
been.
They are lurhy folks who. as guests. are
asked to associate with the elect on this one
day of all the year.
In a beautiful grove. that is engaged an
nually in advance the feast is spread
Tables are erected the night previous.
An old New England clam baking chef is
imported TO supervise the affair.
The preparations begin the day before.
The committee in charge sticks arounl all
that night.
This year it is composed of Fred Reltz,
III q n rnr Al
agent; Moses Allcbach. constable Jacob A.
Bromer garage proprietor; Fred koons.
contractor: Frank kchs. contractor. and
sam Wolford, customs inspector. who, the
members declare lis the man who digs the
clans, catches the blueiiSh. raises the
chickens. cultvatcs the corn. and is a mighty
good citizen generally.
JNIIE committee 20 il that III" wagon
l. loads of wood on the ground.
That the specially prepared pits of super
heated fiat stones are ready for the baking.
Seawced in bales. clans by the bushels.
fish and spring chicken by the hundred
pounds. and corn and sweet potatoes by the
thousand ar" assembled.
4 forty gallon kettle Of clam chowdrr is
concerted by an Atlantic City expert with
years Of experience behind him.
This is eaten while the dinner is being
prepared.
Hr. Horace T.. Kecly. former County
Ills initial strain Of suggestion TO the
members in his circular hotter this year
runs:
.Thc CLANS are barking The hlu"l>h are
waiting 10 BE- caught. Th" chickens are
fatt"ning. The corn j. growing. The ciii-
z"ns Of the beautiful Perkiom"n Valley are
fasting.
What porrnnhs all this wild c"mmot!on
in nutur.:" asks the doctor.
TRVIN II. BARnMAN. editor, and like.
L wise County Treasurer. with the aid of
Irwin $. Srhw"nk, prrsid"nt and William
IT, l,roncr. cashier. OF III" SchwcnkSvillc
National Bank. ar" ,l" g""a grnii who look
after the finances Of this annual episode.
They scan the list Of guests. while County
Treasurer Burdmun indor$cs their findings.
~ to who shall or shall not be- called to the
feast.
those who might mistak" the obiect OF the
al frcSco reunion, publishes these facts:
no speeches. No business. No politics.
y" religious discussions. Just n good, so.
clabie time.
bake is II great day in Israel for the sub
>tanliul men Of I'll" Pcrk!omrn Valley.
Its odd that other communities haven't
adopted the idea
A NEW and unique slant vacations for
n Stay-at home folks was presented TO me
yesterday.
1t came from friend who garnorcd the
facts during n little vacation journey of his
own. He said
two children. Each wanted t" take n boat
ride, so in order not TO run III" chance of
their becoming seaSiCk. We decided to go
from Baltimore to Washington by boat.
''Thp boats run on nlt"rnnt" days.
''rrninS make tn" trip in an hour. but by
hnuf rpulreS two nights and a InV
! prefer 10 say two delightful evenings, two
short nights and II day on th" chesapeake
Bay.
III was one Of the most charming trips
have ever taken.
This is what | learned on that little
Journey he said.
"TN 4 talk with the pur~cr Of tn" boat he
told me of tn" unusual method Of one
busy man Of taking n vacation.
He informed me that our srat"room was
sold on the return tri y for every week -cnd
during the summer TO Government einpoyc
working in Washington but whose home is
elsewhere.
''IIe said this man quits work at noon Of n
Saturday. has ampl" time to get lunch. pack
his bag. and get the boat by L. NJ,
the scheduled tim" for leaving.
He has Saturday evening down the Po-
tonne, all day Sunday and Sunday evening
M the CheSapeak" Bay. and arrives in
Baltimore during the early hours Of Monday
morning.
lie is called in time 10 get breakfast on
the boat
Then either by the PENNSYLVANIA or the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. whichever he
chooses lie takes a train, which. within one
hour. lands him back again in Washington
ready to open his Office, after Il delightful
week end cruise on the Chesapeake Bay
The purscr," said the narrator gave me
this merely a. an illustration Of whn, many
people do.
Great idea