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Show Even Lowly Hole In Don ut To Rate Special Centennial In the maze of special weeks and 'observances eventually there should be a limit, even' in the giddy postwar world. But now comes forth announcement an-nouncement of a celebration in October Oc-tober to note the centennial of the hole in the donut. Impetus for the event, as you'd undoubtedly suspect, comes from the baking industry. Although the celebration itself may rate only passing notice, historical his-torical significance is attached to that lowly hole in the donut. That, at least, is the contention of Camden, Cam-den, Me., where the celebration will get its official start. Part of Camden's Cam-den's fame emanates from the fact that it is the birthplace of the late Capt. Hanson Gregory, acknowledged acknowl-edged inventor of the hole in the donut. Prior to 1847, all donuts or round cakes, as they were known then, were made without the hole. Sometimes Some-times a round cake had a nut in the center and historians attribute the origin of the name "donut" to this fact. At any rate, during the year 1847, Captain Gregory was sailing his sturdy vessel in northern waters. He and his men liked the round cake with a doughy center, eating it not only at. mealtime but also as a snack when they were at the steering steer-ing wheel. One October day in 1847, Captain Gregory himself was at the steering wheel with a handful of donuts do-nuts or round cakes. He had no place to put the cakes so he rammed the soft cakes over the spokes of the steering wheel, thus forcing a hole through each of them He and the men liked the cake with the hole so much that Captain Gregory ordered the ship's cook to make all future donuts with holes in them and thus according to the New England Legend the hole in the donut was born. The celebration of the 100th anniversary an-niversary of the donut hole will take place at the home of the late Captain Cap-tain Gregory. There late in October, a permanent plaque will be placed at his old homestead. From Maine, straight across the country, various celebrations are planned in California, Oregon and Washington to honor the memory of the Maine captain. |