Cheese

[Silver Creek Slim]

This talk of cheese from the land of the Sauk has got me to wonder'n about what kind of cheeses were available in the cow towns and on the range. Anyone have any info on this?

Slim

[Delmonico]

Local made cheeses were common, the so called Farmer Cheeses are very similar to these local products.  What was then called American cheese was often brought in by train from New York State and Wisssyconsion, course taday we call these cheddar.  In the late 1870's factorys in the Dairy State started to produce a white cheese with holes in it, they called this Swiss Cheese even though Switzerland has many similar types of local cheeses, but no true Swiss cheese as we know it.

Also Parmasan, Brie and many other cheeses from Europe were brought in and are often called fancy cheeses.  Course these imported cheeses would be Expensive.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Thanks, Delmonico.

Slim

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[Delmonico]

Don't ferget that properly aged cheese is a food that keeps fer a long time and can be taken along, cause it don't spoil easy.  Cheese and crackers is a very period trail food, often homesteaders bought cheese and crackers on a trip ta town and ate them on the trail back home, often with sardines.  To be truly period ye sardines should be the kind in Olive Oil.   Canned corned beef and deviled ham are also good quick trail food from the period.

[El Peludo]

M-m-m--m, CHEESE!  M-m-m-m, CRACKERS!,  MMMMM-m-m-m SARDINES, MM-m-m-m, Corned beef!

 

[Delmonico]

Hairy Man, even though canned corned beef was around it did have a bit of a bad reputation.  It was a way ta use up cattle that died on the way ta Chicago or ihat was in other ways was not the best fer fresh beef.  Also the process of canning was sometimes hurried up and was not fully complete.  When tons of canned corned beef was shipped ta Cuba in 1898 a lot of it sat on the docks in the sun for days or weeks, causing much spoilage.

During the Spanish-American War, canned corned beef killed more soldiers than Spanish bullets.  This and a book by Upton Sinclar called the Jungle caused laws to be passed to prevent this sort of thing.

Also ta go with yer corned beef ya could sometimes have hardtack left over from the Civil War.

[El Peludo]

   A-a-a-ack!  OLD corned beef.   M-mmmm, some of my fresh cooked corned beef.

[Delmonico]

Once after St. Pats day our local grocery store was overstocked on corned beef briskets, sold the off fer about 1/2 the price of hamburger,  We bought them all.  I smoked a couple dozen of them, sliced them as need and hand wonderful beef bacon fer cheap.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Hairy Man, even though canned corned beef was around it did have a bit of a bad reputation.  It was a way ta use up cattle that died on the way ta Chicago or ihat was in other ways was not the best fer fresh beef.  Also the process of canning was sometimes hurried up and was not fully complete.  When tons of canned corned beef was shipped ta Cuba in 1898 a lot of it sat on the docks in the sun for days or weeks, causing much spoilage.

During the Spanish-American War, canned corned beef killed more soldiers than Spanish bullets. 

I thought most of the deaths were caused by malaria and disentiry (sp?) from bad water. But I have been wrong before.

Slim

[Delmonico]

There were more deaths from disease than bullets, but dysentary is kind of a catch all word ford dying of diarria, often it is water borne.  Food poisning will also cause ya ta die of diarria.  I am trying to remember the sources on this but I have seen it stated several times, in information on the early health laws, I think this information was kept from the soldiers and general public least the Chicago packing district started to sprout bodies hanging in trees and from light posts, bodies wearing suits.

From what I have heard about the conditions there I don't doubt this statement.  This is discounting some of Upton Sinclars book, cause he was a reforming Socialist and tend to exagerate a bit.  No doubt though something happened to cause laws to be passed rather quickly.

Incedently by WWI American Corned beef was prized by hungary German troops in France, who are said to have often "went over the top " ta raid American treches fer it.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Diarria is not a good way to die. If there is a good way to die. 

Slim

[Will Ketchum]

Iv'e had  dysentary from bad water in SE Asia. It makes you WANT to die.

I cut the seam out of my utility trousers so I didn't have to drop trou when the spasams hit.  Felt mighty exposed at first but later I just didn't care.

Will Ketchum

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Iv'e had  dysentary from bad water in SE Asia. It makes you WANT to die.

I cut the seam out of my utility trousers so I didn't have to drop trou when the spasams hit.  Felt mighty exposed at first but later I just didn't care.

Will Ketchum

I got it my first night in country in an upscale hotel restaurant in Bangkok, from the salad served with their version of a Kobe steak.  Condition was aggravated by the weekly malaria tablets.  Weighed 200 when I got there, and 165 when I left a year later.  Was several years before I was completely over the "runs".

[Delmonico]

Used ta drink out of a trout stream up in the Sandhills of Newbrasskey, did it fer years, once there was something new I didn't know about.  "Always drink upstream from the feedlot."

Missed over 4 weeks of work and was in isolation in the horspitttle, always tell folks I had E-coli before it was popular.   Food took less than an hour ta go through.

[Sergeant Smokepole]

Iv'e had  dysentary from bad water in SE Asia. It makes you WANT to die.

I cut the seam out of my utility trousers so I didn't have to drop trou when the spasams hit.  Felt mighty exposed at first but later I just didn't care.

Will Ketchum

Yeah, the burning is unbearable.... Between the bad food, dysentary, and nerves, I dropped from 185 to 135 pounds....

[Sergeant Smokepole]

Iv'e had  dysentary from bad water in SE Asia. It makes you WANT to die.

I cut the seam out of my utility trousers so I didn't have to drop trou when the spasams hit.  Felt mighty exposed at first but later I just didn't care.

Will Ketchum

I got it my first night in country in an upscale hotel restaurant in Bangkok, from the salad served with their version of a Kobe steak.  Condition was aggravated by the weekly malaria tablets.  Weighed 200 when I got there, and 165 when I left a year later.  Was several years before I was completely over the "runs".

Upscale?? I went to Lucy's Tiger Den on Suriwong Road....  Between the whiskey and 2 weeks of 1 million units of pennicyllin per day, the only thing I got was orange pee...........

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Smokepole, I'da obviously been better off followin' you around.  Where were ya when I needed ya.

[Silver Creek Slim]

How did we get from cheese to hershey's squirts? Who is the moderator of this room? 

Slim

[Delmonico]

The History of Diarria and How it Changed the World.

[Silver Creek Slim]

I know how to tie this together. Cheese is a cure for diarria. It always hardens the stool of my kids. 

Slim