Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-07-04
Old.Fashioned Birch Canoes.

The has become SO popular
among sportsmen and tourists, writes
a Bangor, Me-, correspondent to the
New York San, that the building of
this light and graceful craft has grown
to be an important industry in Maine,
especially on the Penobscot river. Jack
Darling of Lowell, a famous hunter
and guide, and an adept at building
the birchen craft, says that when all
the work of getting the materials from
the woods and putting them together
in proper shape is considered, $35 is
not a big price for a canoe. Time was
when the big birch trees were to be
found near by, and clear straight cedar
was at hand in plenty, so that the ma
terials for a were easily obtained.
Nowadays the birches are from fifty to
one hundred miles from the up-river
towns, and two suitable trees are sell
dom found within sight of each other,
while the cedar is also distant.
All bark for canoes come from the
white birch's outer coating, the inner
side of which in winter has a reddish
brown coat, while in summer it is
smooth and yellow. The winter bark
is preferred because it is tougher, and
because of the opportunity afforded by
its brown coat for tracing various de-
signs with a knife. The canoe-builder
fells a white birch, which is at least
one foot in diameter eighteen feet from
the butt, allowing it to fall across some
small logs to keep it from the ground,
and then strips off the outer bark. The
bark is hard to handle, curling up in
oononfrSo ooi1o on1 r,,of ho Sun~nonI nv
toasted over a fire before it can be
Strengthened out and rolled up proper
ly. The bark and a lot of clear,
straight cedar are carried from the
woods to the building-yard in canoes
O boats. At the yard, stakes are
driven into the ground in the shape of
q canoe, and the bark, after more toast
ing, is fitted to the frame. Next the
gunwales, strips of spruce and cedar,
are shaved out and fastened to the top
side of the bark with copper nails.
Then the whole inside of the bark is
lined with lenghtwise strips of cedar,
and owe these about fifty transverse
timbers of the same material are
sprung in, their ends being secured I'M
der the gunwales. All cuts made in
bringing the bark to the required shape
are sewed up with strips Of cane and
gummed we with a mixture of oil and
rosin. Ash thwarts, very narrow, are
fitted, and strips of tough canvass are
glued over the lap of the bark at each
sharp end, and the canoe is done. With
two smoothly shaved, widebladed pad
dies of poplar, maple, OF ash, she is
ready for service.
If the canoe is intended for deep
water, where there is a sea, she is
fashioned deep; if for small lake and
trout streams, she is shallow. Nearly
every Indian tribe has a model of its
own, and the white men use entirely
different forms. A good canoe of the
ordinary length-eighteen feet-will
carry four men safely if properly man.
aged. The only tool used by white
man or Indian in making the graceful
birch are q knife with curved blade,
an awl, a drawshave, and q hammer.
The Indian often has only the knife.
The red man is not so neat a builder rs
many white men are, but he navigates
a canoe with greater skill. 1t comes
natural to the lndian-even a fat
squaw paddles with dexterity.
About ten years ago canvas was in
troduced as q substitute for bark for
covering canoes. and many cloth
canoes have been built in this vicinity
since. The duck craft is covered with
a thick coat of paint to mako it water
tight, and is lighter, while fully as
cheap as birch. but not so symmetrical.
Birch will never be displaced by canvas,
for it bends in prettier forms.