 The Gentleman Hunter |
Cookie's Favorite Soup
Snapping Turtle
Cookie was a great hunter, so our family was
treated to all sorts of wild game with our meals. We ate deer,
bear, rabbit, squirrel, quail, turtle, and groundhog in a variety
of forms from steaks to soups.
Our Hunting Camp
In Brockway, PA.
A Really Fine Day
Game was taken in different ways, but one of the most
interesting was "noodling" for turtles. I never witnessed
this process, but I have seen the scarred hands which
resulted. The hunter walks a creek bank, poking a long
iron rod down through the grass at the edge of the water.
A distinctive feel and "thump" identifies the location
of a delicious snapping turtle. The rod is probed around
it's back, in order to ascertain that the turtle's strong-beaked
head is facing into the bank. The noodler then
closes his fist to protect his fingers, and reaches under the bank. If he doesn't
get instantly bitten, he grabs the turtle by a hind leg
and yanks out his prize.
As Cookie got older and wiser, he found a less risky way
to get his turtles. He made friends with the Fish Market
operator in Pittsburgh, who would periodically get one
for him.
By this time in his life, Cookie was a railroad accountant working
downtown. He was always well-dressed in a 3-piece suit,
a felt fedora and clean white shirt. During these smoky
days in town, he would even take a clean shirt for a
change at noon, having rode the streetcar to work.
A Fine Father
Gentleman, Blacksmith
Accountant, Hunter
Picture if you will, this obvious gentleman getting on a
downtown streetcar carrying a 20 pound live
snapping turtle by a hind leg! As he stood with his free
hand clutching the overhead strap, the other riders
gave a wide berth to this man and his beast. Needless
to say, he was the Talk-Of-The-Town on many occasions.
Our 5-points intersection at the bottom of Ivyglen Street,
was manned by a policeman called "Big Red". Noone
even cared to know this man's real name. Suffice to
say that he was despised by young and old alike, for his
Draconian enforcement of all laws real or imagined.
As usual after work one day, following a brief stop at
Kunkel's Tavern, Cookie proceeded across the intersection
to catch his ride up the hill. On this day, he had a turtle
with him and Big Red approached with some sarcastic remark.
Cookie waved the
turtle in his face and said "watch out Red, he'll bite you
for sure". Red scoffed at him, and pulled out his leather
blackjack to poke at the turtle's head. In a flash, the
expensive mace lost all of it's lead beebees onto the
highway. If Big Red could have devised a reason to
arrest my dad, he would have tried. And that would
have been a scene to behold.
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Cookie was a great hunter, so our family was
treated to all sorts of wild game with our meals. We ate deer,
bear, rabbit, squirrel, quail, turtle, and groundhog in a variety
of forms from steaks to soups.
Our Hunting Camp
In Brockway, PA.
A Really Fine Day
In Brockway, PA.
A Really Fine Day
Game was taken in different ways, but one of the most
interesting was "noodling" for turtles. I never witnessed
this process, but I have seen the scarred hands which
resulted. The hunter walks a creek bank, poking a long
iron rod down through the grass at the edge of the water.
A distinctive feel and "thump" identifies the location
of a delicious snapping turtle. The rod is probed around
it's back, in order to ascertain that the turtle's strong-beaked
head is facing into the bank. The noodler then
closes his fist to protect his fingers, and reaches under the bank. If he doesn't
get instantly bitten, he grabs the turtle by a hind leg
and yanks out his prize.
As Cookie got older and wiser, he found a less risky way to get his turtles. He made friends with the Fish Market operator in Pittsburgh, who would periodically get one for him.
By this time in his life, Cookie was a railroad accountant working downtown. He was always well-dressed in a 3-piece suit, a felt fedora and clean white shirt. During these smoky days in town, he would even take a clean shirt for a change at noon, having rode the streetcar to work.
A Fine Father
Gentleman, Blacksmith
Accountant, Hunter
As Cookie got older and wiser, he found a less risky way to get his turtles. He made friends with the Fish Market operator in Pittsburgh, who would periodically get one for him.
By this time in his life, Cookie was a railroad accountant working downtown. He was always well-dressed in a 3-piece suit, a felt fedora and clean white shirt. During these smoky days in town, he would even take a clean shirt for a change at noon, having rode the streetcar to work.
Gentleman, Blacksmith
Accountant, Hunter
Picture if you will, this obvious gentleman getting on a
downtown streetcar carrying a 20 pound live
snapping turtle by a hind leg! As he stood with his free
hand clutching the overhead strap, the other riders
gave a wide berth to this man and his beast. Needless
to say, he was the Talk-Of-The-Town on many occasions.
Our 5-points intersection at the bottom of Ivyglen Street, was manned by a policeman called "Big Red". Noone even cared to know this man's real name. Suffice to say that he was despised by young and old alike, for his Draconian enforcement of all laws real or imagined.
As usual after work one day, following a brief stop at Kunkel's Tavern, Cookie proceeded across the intersection to catch his ride up the hill. On this day, he had a turtle with him and Big Red approached with some sarcastic remark. Cookie waved the turtle in his face and said "watch out Red, he'll bite you for sure". Red scoffed at him, and pulled out his leather blackjack to poke at the turtle's head. In a flash, the expensive mace lost all of it's lead beebees onto the highway. If Big Red could have devised a reason to arrest my dad, he would have tried. And that would have been a scene to behold.
OR
Our 5-points intersection at the bottom of Ivyglen Street, was manned by a policeman called "Big Red". Noone even cared to know this man's real name. Suffice to say that he was despised by young and old alike, for his Draconian enforcement of all laws real or imagined.
As usual after work one day, following a brief stop at Kunkel's Tavern, Cookie proceeded across the intersection to catch his ride up the hill. On this day, he had a turtle with him and Big Red approached with some sarcastic remark. Cookie waved the turtle in his face and said "watch out Red, he'll bite you for sure". Red scoffed at him, and pulled out his leather blackjack to poke at the turtle's head. In a flash, the expensive mace lost all of it's lead beebees onto the highway. If Big Red could have devised a reason to arrest my dad, he would have tried. And that would have been a scene to behold.