The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1937-12-16
COmmOn-tater
BY Chuck Rattle

Timely Tip-If you've heard thi.
one, it will do no good to stop me
Come Christmas and youse guy.
and gals will be up at the markets
mauling over a bevy of turkeys fol
q festive board. Now, it's really
simple to tell if the turk is young
Feel along the end of the breast
bone-the end toward the neck-if
it's yielding under thumb pressure,
the birds young'un. You see, like
the skull bones of a human, the
breast bone of the turkey does not
completely form until a certain age.
That stuff yielding under your pres
sure is gristle not yet formed into
bone -.
Here's How-Some by dint of
thrifty measures over a period of
time which surprisingly inconven-
fences not at all, those who do it
say-some are able to enjoy vaca-
tons. It's swell plan that makes
vacation a year around treat for a
twelfth month can be put on the
planning. Mr.. and Mrs. Dewey
O'Gara have followed the plot, SO
I'll pass it along. Immediately they
are back from one vacation trip,
they start the fund for the next va
cation. Each year they take one and
this week they left for a month in
Florida. Needless to say, the Mrs.
handles the money and guides the
thrift savings. A few days before
they left she told this corner that
she had it all saved and hid away
but she wouldn't tell this near-pen-
niless scribbler where the filthy
stuff was hidden. Which was for
tunate because this way they have
the money.
Dagnabit-Ever since this corner
started wearing glasses, we've been
peering over them and looking way
beyond our nose. Last week we
stated how the parents of Vic Conk-
lin had resided in one home for 40
years. Come Friday and along with
it my Uncle Bill asking, why go
out Of the Rattle family?" So I
comes back with handy why?
With that he informed me that in
the line of tenure my Grandma
Rattle has hung up something like
a record-with residence under the
same roof in Waverly, Iowa, for 63
years. I know every nook and cram
ny Of the house, and even in the
semi-darkness of the pantry can go
without hating to the cookie jar
for a sampling Of those sugar
draped pastries =.
Mileage-Bruce Elliott still drives
a car that has more than a hun
ometer. But that stopped while the
car goes merrily on E. DR.. Moyn-
Than was possessor of two cars in
this corners memory that went the
route over 100 thousand . Bill
Arndt, in the last few decades as a
travelling man in a host of lines, es-
Inmates he has piloted motor cars
to total of nearly million miles.
Winterama-Icy fingers of cold
clutched the serenity of Main
Street Billows of black smoke
belched from a multitude of Chin
neys, fretted about in the wind as
citizens sought warmth within :.
Dogs guarded as sentinels the
flanks of the sun Here and
about is lone pedestrian, no stroll
ling now, he plies his way briskly
muffled deep in great coat collar
+. One holds hand over his ear
as cold nipS it Another halts
only long enough to eye the Their
mometer and with a shake of his
head is off again q. Hats become
rare as men don those warmer top
pieces . A stiff wind whips out
of the west, sends powdery clouds
of snow swirling at the intersec-
ton, penetrates coats, nips at ex-
posed noses and cheeks Trees
sway with the stiff rigidity of rheu-
matte ballet dancers as the wind
sails through the naked branches
:. Loud creaking issues from their
swaying limbs.
Fantasy-When the sinking sun
of a winters day sends its bronzed
light over the blue white snow,
that stay-at-home feeling comes
over one To sit with an apple, a
book, slippers and pipe (modern
version of jug of wine and thou)
before an open fire Is enjoyment of
the warmth within while winds
howl and play a cold tattoo on the
outer world. But today that open
fire is a myth in most homes that
must be supplied only in the minds
eye. Some few have installed fire
places, but even they do not serve
as the old oak heater or the hard
coal burner. It was fixture in the
home years back that was a big oc-
casion on the setting up. During
the winter it's nickel plated rail
served as a place to lazily cock
slippered feet and read until the
warmth prompted drowsiness. To
read until the odor of too-warm
slippers awoke one from the excit-
ing chapter and the uncomfortable
tingle Of toasted feet was an even
ing's entertainment. But hidden
fuel plants, furnaces in the base
ment do not promote that sort of
winter quietude. Then the family
red light cast off through the doors
Of the burner was a prompter for
quiet thought and a song or two.
80
Mad hatfarc-TO pnan-roct nf