The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-11-29

the base ports: again, we've been fortunate to swing down from a cold, rain soaked saddle to snatch a chunk of hardbread and some rather hairy corned beef, can- ned. (That was on the German Border, in 1918.)
 Food, and plenty of it, plays 8 major part in the proper cele- bration of Thanksgiving Day,
 wherever you are. Delicacies like pumpkin pie and Injun pud- ding come out of hiding that day and proceed to give all hands in- digestion, which is soon forgotten because of the fine tradition as- sociated with the feasting. And in the making of real pumpkin pie a housewife has the supreme cp- portunity of proving her worth. We once knew perfectly ideal woman who made pumpkin pie with a top layer of leathery hide that tasted like rubber and got tangled up with your tonsils when you tried to swallow. That woman could do almost everything else well, but she was a forked-tail savage with pumpkin, little flour, and some spices. On the other hand, we've seen cooks so ugly that even the milkman ran away who could manufacture a pumpkin pie that melted in your mouth and tempted you to eat until you were exhausted.
 Yankees have another way of celebrating Thanksgiving Day. Some of them line up for target practice in the morning and make the welkin reverberate with salvos from rifle, pistol, or shotgun. Others have an eye to business. and if the weather is right, start butchering on Thanksgiving. One of the worse accidents we ever saw was a hired man who got hog g-bit in the seat of his pants during Thanksgiving Day butch cring party.
 Years ago, long before we realized that lots of folks mix butchering with liberal inhalation of cider brandy, we sat on a fence and saw rather down-at-the- -heel farmer perform the scared rite of procuring ham, bacon, and roast ing ribs for his family. That far mer had better time than he could have enjoyed at Danbury Fair during the era of prohibition. What worried us was, he managed to cut six hams from a single hog. and that's in direct violation of rules.
 About the only work done here this year was chores and wood cutting. Several people went away for the holiday. Several more stayed hcme. Earl Smith went visiting at Pine Tree, Bob Chase took the lid off a beehive, and Jack Short measured the haymOw to see if it would last until spring. Traffic was about normal with no dogs run over.
 Speaking of traffic, our isolation is threatened. According to the rumors, the White Eagle bus line line will soon operate through this town, offering way for our folks to get away and for other folks to get over here into the Pomperaug Valley to see how reg ular folks live. When that service starts, we are going to suggest that all vehicles stop at the Mc- Carthy Store turnout to take on and discharge patrons. Henry has plenty of parking space. he adver- tises and he's entitled to all the transient trade he can corral. If business warrants 1t. perhaps we can get him to put in a gift counter between the felt boot rack and the molasses barrel
 Harm D0ran plans Co leave Skeleton Hollow soon and Is ex- pecte9 Co eAke up seaidenee Ae highland Falls. New York. Harm claims it gets lonesome down there along the lake in winter and he wants more c0mDanv nearer.