KINZUA 2: Our conclusion today of a column in a North Carolina
newspaper about the town of Kinzua written by Mary E.
Fleckenstein:[neWLine]

“”Other summer fun was learning to swim at the old swimming
hole. The big kids taught us by throwing us in the water. Sometimes
they even pulled us up if we didn’t resurface right
away.[neWLine]

“”Since our entertainment was limited in this wee town, we were
forced to be creative. There were long hikes in the woods among the
wildflowers, dizzying cartwheel races, daily croquet tournaments
and softball games in the evening. Further into the evening, there
were singalongs and corn roasts around a campfire. There is no
taste like that of a purloined ear of corn from a nearby farm
that’s roasted in an open fire.[neWLine]

“”Our town had a fire tower on top of a long twisting hill. On
winter evenings, when the moon was out, we would pull toboggans up
the hill as far as we could, climb on and start the wild shrieking
ride down, cheating death at every curve until we got to the
bottom, where a pole was waiting in our path. If you missed this
pole, you were a winner. The losers were noticed in school the next
day by their bruises.[neWLine]

“”With the arrival of spring came the noisy rite of marble
playing. A big ring was drawn in the often muddy ground. This was
very competitive, with the debatable winners collecting the
colorful stones and adding them to their bounty.[neWLine]

“”Our small town still holds many memories. It is under water
and now in a place called the Kinzua Dam Area and known as the
Allegheny Reservoir. Kinzua – the town itself now a
memory.””[neWLine]

[neWLine]

BIG SWIG: Herman Roach, Eldred, remembers cod liver oil
well.[neWLine]

Years ago, he tells us, his mother used to take gallon jugs of
cod liver oil and pour it into pint-sized whiskey bottles and keep
it in the kitchen cabinets.[neWLine]

He had an amusing story about the result.[neWLine]

The family had a friend who he called “”a real alcoholic”” and,
on a visit from downstate, headed straight for the whiskey jug.
“”He grabbed one, measured it by his thumb and took a big swig! It
was too late for him to spit it out, so he
swallowed.””[neWLine]

Herm chuckled at the retelling of the tale.