requiem for a peanut roll

Special to the Beansoup for the Soul Blog
Pottsville, Aug 1(AP) – The special County Grand Jury today convened to investigate charges of chocolate candy hoarding against several individuals, all violations of Section 6 of the Pottsville Candy Control Act, alleged to have large quantities of peanut rolls, nonpareils, and chocolate covered cherries in their possession.
In a statement issued by the City of Pottsville’s Surgeon General, it was alleged that the candy hoarding was apparently sufficient to maintain a family for a year and hence far in excess of the requirements for seven days, the period recognized by the City as a “reasonable” for residents during this time of crisis.
This is the first investigation of individual candy hoarding which became illegal after the sudden and abrupt closing of Mootz Candy Store, which created pandemonium in the county seat and elsewhere. With the announcement of the close of Mootz Candy Store, panic and fear took hold of the population. Long lines formed to purchase the remaining candy supplies at fifty per cent off (see photograph above), thus allowing the lucky ones to consume twice as much chocolate, but leaving the majority of us without enough chocolate to survive. The line at the store was reported to be larger than the bleenie line in Shenandoah on social security day according to an anonymous reliable source.
The crisis was unparalleled in modern Pottsville History in terms of scope, size and violence. It was more violent than the Cartoon Riots that occurred in Garfield Square over ten years ago when a passerby questioned the chastity of little orphan Annie, who was beloved by the citizenry. The Cartoon riots lasted five days, ending with the pillaging and destruction of the Garfield School building, often compared to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.

The initial protest over the candy shortage occurred along Centre Street, spilling northwards towards Jalappa and southwestward towards Bunker Hill. Starting with peaceful petitioning, the disturbance quickly escalated to riots and looting. The police were able to quell the disturbances within twenty-four hours with the assistance of the city K-9 corps and meter maids.
City Hall issued a press release stating that the police are ready at all times to proceed against hoarders, regardless of their social standing, and that charges will be filed to the end. It is alleged that one house on Greenwood Hill was recently raided, revealing a garage with 10 barrels of dark fudge, 7 barrels of white fudge, 5 barrels of maple walnut fudge, 105 pounds of non-pareils, 100 pounds of chocolate covered pretzels and 75 pounds of gumdrops.
Neighbors are reporting neighbors who are discovered to be burying large quantities of peanut rolls in backyards; all as a result of the reward money posted by the city.
The Surgeon General hopes that with the opening of the Intermodal Transportation Center busses will be available for those wanting to travel to Hershey in order to obtain the sought after chocolate.

With the approaching extinction of quality retail stores in the county, discussions are underway for a second hand candy store to open at the former Mootz location. When asked what a second hand candy store is, a PADCO representative said "a store that sells old candy past its expiration date, but at a deep discount; I prefer not to refer to it as stale candy; hopefully there will be candy cigarettes, Sugar Babies, Sky Bars, Mary Janes, fizzies, Bonomo turkish taffy, jujubes and wax lips. Such candy would be appropriate in a historical district... especially the wax lips which could add some long needed color to Centre Street."

Easter week, Schuylkill style

What it week it was. First St. Patrick’s Day occurred during one of the earliest Holy Weeks that I can remember. This confused everyone, not knowing whether to get palms or shamrocks.
Then before you knew it, it was St. Joseph’s Day. Why is that day important? Well, it is the day that the Canadian geese return to Schuylkill Haven. We headed over to watch them dive-bomb towards Bubeck Park, formerly known as Stoyer’s Dam, to the sounds of practically every fire whistle in town. The whole town assembled in a carnival-like atmosphere to greet their feathery friends who land and make Schuylkill Haven their home until Burro Day in late September when they take off for the south once again.

After watching the avian wonder of nature, it was back to Pottsville for the egg hunt at Pic-a-Pac Park on South Centre Street where the Recreation Department hid eggs practically everywhere. Take a good look when you drive by, there is still a few under the concrete slags. Luckily the youngsters were handed out shovels, weedwackers, and egg detectors so that most of the eggs could be found before the nightly frost set in. I put a small Canadian goose egg in the exhaust pipe of one abandoned vehicle at the park. I hope some lucky child found it before dark.
If that was not enough, we then drove over on Wednesday to Shenandoah to stand in the long line at Kowalanek’s for the Easter kielbassi. Legend has it that it was served at the Last Supper. I am not quite sure about that though. Take a good look at the de Vinci painting; it is hard to see what is on the table.

Our trip was marred only by a heated discussion between a man and a woman who kept up an argument over correct pronunciation. She said it was kielbassi with a long e ending, while he said it should be pronounced kielbass –a, with a short a sound at the end. The Shenandoah riot police quickly took them away and peace was restored. We got inside and packed our grub in our large the coolers and headed back to Pottsville.

As we had reserved tickets, we headed to the famed Peanut Roll Exhibit at the Historical Society, an exhibit that rivals the Faberge eggs that the Russian Tzars collected and displayed. The peanut rolls have a better taste. You know, Carl Faberge made his jewel- encrusted eggs for the Romanovs but none of them could be eaten. Our Historical Society proudly has on display the greatest collection of Mootz peanut rolls ever assembled. Some of these peanut rolls were actually made for John and Maria Pott and the rest of the Pott dynasty when Pottsville was still but a dream. They are not really rolls, but creamy candy balls. If you want rolls, then you have to go to Capitol Bakery.

This Exhibit at the Historical Society allows a visitor to get up close and personal with this fine array of mouth-watering candies. I have been to many a candy museum, such as Hershey’s and the Bazooka Gum Museum, but neither can compare to this local exhibit. Viewing the Mootz collection of historic peanut rolls up close, from all angles, gives the spectator a way to gain a real appreciation for the particular detail, design, and fastidious workmanship of Mootz. It goes to say that photographs (and Mammy took hundreds) will never capture the subtlety of the glow of each unique peanut roll. With the glitter of every peanut roll, each one seems to have a life of its own. The stuff of which their made – vanilla butter cream, dark chocolate and ground peanut – makes them time capsules of Pottsville’s grand history.

Last photograph: Faberge egg which unlike peanut roll, cannot be eaten

I cannot impress upon you the importance of taking the entire family to see the Mootz Peanut Roll Exhibit. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the elegance of the Mootz family – legendary candymakers to all of the high and mighty within Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Peanut roll wrappers and boxes once handled by legendary County Commissioners, Mayors, Burgesses, and School Directors, and a variety of scallywags are all carefully marked so that you can tell each apart from the other without straining your eyes. Do you know that there is even a half-eaten peanut roll on display which was supposedly left on the bench by the quarterback of the Pottsville Maroons during that championship game? After you promenade in the Easter Parade, why not stop in?