Letter From Mrs. Charles L. Wagner to Alfred L. Shoemaker, February 13, 1949

Authors

• Mrs Charles L. Wagner

Document Type

Correspondence

Files

Date

2-13-1949

Keywords

dialect rhymes, cats, wishbones, recipes, saffron, pie crust, milk pie, funeral pie, molasses

Description

A handwritten letter from Mrs. Charles L. Wagner addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated February 13, 1949. Mrs. Wagner recounts a Pennsylvania Dutch rhyme about cats as well as a method for decorating with a wishbone. She describes family recipes using saffron, potatoes and noodles and discusses other foods such as milk pie.

Sender

Mrs. Charles L. Wagner

Recipient

Alfred L. Shoemaker

Corresponds to:

Packet 3-8

City

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Transcription

Lancaster, Pa.,

Feb. 13, 1949

Dear Alfred L. Shoemaker,

Dear Sir,

Your column in the Lancaster New Era is of special interest to me, as it is to many others. I have wanted to write several times but hesitated because of the liberties I take, without wanting to, with the English language. However, with your close acquaintance with "Pennsylvania Dutch," you will probably overlook my misplacement of of, to, at, in, on etc.

The snow that fell this week and the beauty of its whiteness spoiled so soon recalled a little bit of rhyme you may or may not know. It is - but how to spell it?

Aintz, tswae, Drie

Die katz lauft in Schnae,

Die schnae gaet aweck.

Die katz lauft in dreck.

This and the "hinkle dreck" rhyme are the only ones I can recall although I knew others.

Concerning wishbones, we were always eager to break off the larger piece while making a wish as the one having the lucky part would be sure of the wish coming true. Many people crocheted bright wool over the wishbone, creating a thimble holder or wall ornament. No matter how I try I can't recreate in my mind a thimble holder of this kind. Of Pennsylvania Dutch cookbooks I have this complaint: Most of the recipes aren't Pennsylvania Dutch at all or am I wrong? At any rate, Lancaster County dishes do not appear very often and none are like those familiar to the people I know, or to me. Much of my cooking and that of mother and grandmother is recipeless. Perhaps trying to modernize recipeless "dishes" to the point of definite measurement of ingredients is the reason they appear so unfamiliar in print.

Mother and grandmother used saffron quite freely or I'd better say, whenever they made boiled potpie or noodle soup, in gaschmeltzdie noodlin and potatoes boiled with beef; with sweet and white potatoes peeled, cut in thick slices and boiled together. Thickening (thin) I mean, a little flour and water mixture was added when the potatoes were nearly done, then some butter. Saffron had to be used sparingly and it was considered quite an art to gage the right amount. Not so much care was necessary in making saffron tea which was a standard potion for driving out measles.

In Lancaster County, Schnitz Pie as well as raisin are considered funeral pie.

When mother had enough leftover pie crust to cover a pie pan she put in enough filling for a half pie and brought one edge of the dough to meet the other edge. This way she used varying amounts of pastry and filling. She called them Loowa schenkil (schenkle) or half moons - either name. Apple butter tarts and milk pies out of short supplies of dough were her specialty. In a small tin she'd fit a bit of crust, put in some flour and sugar mixed and then fill the tin with milk. Next, her dainty, clean, forefinger would mix the three ingredients. Dots of butter on the top and then in the oven. Sometimes the flour didn't stay blended in the milk which left the flour thick and the milk thin but it was so very delicious nevertheless. My own daughter is quite as fond of milk pie as her mother. Sometimes Mom would put a half inch or so of molasses in the crust. She added a bit of water to the flour and sugar mixture and added this to the molasses, stirring it in with dainty forefinger. A little butter but only enough to blend with ingredients. She used her forefinger because a spoon might accidentally cut the dough.

I can remember with pleasure Grammy's popovers and schtrivelyn, her shortcakes baked on top of the stove and the bacon gravy so good with potatoes in the jackets and sliced, salted raw onions. The popovers were not the baked kind but were a flour, sugar, egg, butter and hot milk mixture dropped into deep fat by the tablespoonfuls. The schtrivelyn were the same ingredients run through an old fashioned tea or coffee pot spout like this [spiral drawing]. Of course in the deep fat, some of the lines overlapped and a loose mound of coils resulted. They were dainty and light, but eating them was less dainty as pieces were broken off with the fingers and dipped into molasses each person had before him in a saucer. I hope not to convey the thought that we had the table manners of savages as Grandmother was very strict and would not allow her children to "eat ugly." Have you eaten boweragnepp? Potatoes and gnepp, onion pie, (delicious) gefilde noodles, liver gnepp, pea soup with schpetzlin, hot potato salad with schpetzlin. Heavy eating ain't? There is also the popcorn cake and taffy.

This big letter has tired out my pens it seems and reading it may have the same effect on you. Before closing I would like to ask if you know the titles of some books which I could send as occasional gifts to a book collecting friend in Holland who supplies stamps at rare intervals for my collection.

He is interested in books about people and customs in any part of the United States. I would like to know of some that have been translated into his native language. He knows some English. We had quite a misunderstanding when he wrote of Queen Wilhelmina as being against the poor people when he meant the direct opposite. Barriers of speech. This is the mess I make of English, writing letters. My mother-in-law would say - I can't make out the B from bull's foot! Better luck to you I hope. With best wishes, I remain,

Sincerely yours,

(Mrs. Charles) Daisie R. Wagner

Language

English

Rights Statement

This item is available courtesy of the Ursinus College Library Special Collections Department. It is not to be copied or distributed for commercial use. For permissions which fall outside of educational use, please contact the Special Collections Department.

Recommended Citation

Wagner, Mrs Charles L., "Letter From Mrs. Charles L. Wagner to Alfred L. Shoemaker, February 13, 1949" (1949). Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents. 322.
https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/shoemaker_documents/322