Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-10-24

water, and cutting, and grinding, and
turning, and twisting, and scraping.
and filing do you suppose that bit OF
stick has been through since it was a
happy branch of a tree, holding it's
armful OF leaves up to the sun!
In the first place, it was rudely cut
from its home, its lovely leaves stripped
off, and taken with lots of other sticks
to the cane-maker.
As the bark is taken off, it went into
the hands Of the peeler, who put it into
kettle to boil. You didn't think
grandpa's cane can be boiled like pc
tato, did you? Well, that's only the
beginning of troubles for the poor
stick. After boiling two OF three
hours, its skin was peeled off, and 1T
went to the crookmaker, for you see 1T
is bent over at the top. This man just
stuck the head of the unfortunate stick
into hot, wet sand.
That soon took the stiffness out of it,
and made it very yielding--for while.
The workman took advantage of the
pliable mood, and bent it over into n
crook, holding 1t there until it was cold
and dry, when all its stiffness came
back, and it couldn't get straight
again.
The straightener. who next operated
on the stick, had groove in plank.
aud after taking the last spark of spirit
out of the branch by burying it in hot,
dry sand, he crowded and forced it in
to this groove, and LETT it thereto
harden again. If it was not naturally
knotted, it would have to be filed with
proper roughness. but this stick had
It's own natural knots on.
After all this comes polishing, rub
bing with sandpaper, emery, or rotten
stone, and smoothening with tish-skin.
Still, after that, the long -suffering stick
wouldn't know him. Some of them
are even burned outside, and then the
burnt part scraped off in spots, to make
an old-looking, 7potted stick
At last comes the varnish. But it
can't rest yet, it must have ferule,
which is a kind of iron shoe-for hasn't
it a foot, if it's walking stick land
then come the ornaments, if it has any.
Some have brass rings others have
gold or silver plates for name 9TH
ers are tipped with gold or silver.
Don't imagine these are all the varie-
ties. Why one man at the Worlds
Fair displayed five hundred different
kinds
For handles alone they use ivory,
agate, gutta percha, horn, tortoise
shell, mother of pearl, corneila, leath-
er, and dozen other kinds that | can't
remember.
For the stick themselves, there is
scarcely a tree or grass large enough
that is not used, from the palm to the
cane
You know the cane-which gives a
name to our walking stlcks-is moth
ing but big kind of grass, don't you
Then, as if nature didn't furnish
enough variety, in the shape of sticks,
they use whalebone, gutta- percha,
rams horns, q hope they have good
time getting those straight ivory, and
shark spine. Then they are endless
varieties of heads from the Doctors
gold headed, pepper box looking top, to
the stays head, or ivory foot.
There are also other kinds of walk
ing sticks than those we see every dav.
There's the AipenstOck, without which
it isn't safe to climb the mountains in
Switzerland. 1t is very long, and has
a sharp iron in the end, to keep it from
slipping.
In the Middle Ages the Pilgrims used
a heavy, stout walking stick, or staff,
they called it, the top of which was hol-
Inyr l. liz 1, Il J., Ill Il
relics and a crucifx, but some odd
things found their way in the curious
little boxes.
One pilgrim, who wished TO intro
duce silk worms into Europe when it
was sure death to do it, stuffed his box
with silk worms eggs, and brought
them safely away. Gold pieces often
found secure hiding places there.
Nowadays it's the fashion to crowd
camp stools, umbrellas, fishing rods,
artists cases, and other pieces of furni
ture into a cane. A Scotch doctor had
made one to hold stock of medicines,
and surgical instruments. Another
an Englishman- had room in his cane
for a map Of London. Others you've
probably seen with swords and dirks in
them.
But the drollest cane / ever heard of
held a looking glass, dressing case,
inkstand, telescope, thermometer,
drawing instruments, paper, and
matches.
A man who owned that, could almost
travel without a trunk.
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