Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-11-26
oId-Fashioned Birch Canoes.

The canoe has become SO popular
among sportsmen and tourists, writes
Bangor, Me-, correspondent to the
heW 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, famous hunter
and guide, and an adept at building
the birchen craft, says that when eli
the work OF getting the materials from
the woods and putting them together
in proper shape is considered, S35 is
not big price for q 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 canoe 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 bisch's outer coating, the inner
side of which in winter has reddish
brown coat, while in summer it is
smooth and yellow. The winter bark
because Of the opportunity afforded by
its brown coat tor tracing various de-
signs with knife. The canoe builder
fells 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 thenstrips off the outer bark. The
bark is hard to handle, curling up in
eccentric coils, and must be warmed or
toasted over fire before it can be
Strengthened out and rolled up proper
ly. The bark and lot of clear,
straight cedar are carried from the
woods TO the building-yard in canoes
or boats. AT the yard stakes are
driven into the ground in the shape of
canoe and the bark, after more toast
ing, is fitted to the frame Next the
gunwal,s, strips of spruce and cedar,
are shared out and fastened to the top
side of the bark with copper nails
Then tle whole inside of the bark is
lined with lenghtwise strips Of cedar,
and over these about fifty transverse
timbers of the same material are
sprungin, their ends being secured un-
der the gunwales. All cuts made in
bringing the bark to the required shape
are sewed up with strips OF cane and
gummai over with mixture of oil and
rosin. Ash thwarts, very narrow, are
fitted, and strips OF tough canvass are
glued ever the lap of the bark at each
| sharp end, and the canoe is done. With
two smoothly shaved, widebladed pad
dies OF poplar, maple, or ash, she is
| ready fDr service
III tie canoe is intended for deep
water, where there is sea, she is
fashioned deep; if for small lake and
trout Streams, she is shallow. Nearly
every indian tribe has model of its
own, and the white men use entirely
differelt 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 orlndian in making the graceful
birch ne a knife with curved blade,
an aw. a drawshave, and hammer.
The Indian often has only the knife.
The REQ man is not so neat builder as
many white men are, but he nayigates
canoe with greater skill 1t comes
natural to the lndian-eyen fat
squaw paddles with dexterity.
About ten years ago canvas was in
troduc,d as a substitute for bark for
covering canoes, and many cloth
canoeshaye been built in this vicinity
since. The duck craft is covered with
a thickcoat of paint to make it water
tight, and is lighter, while fully as
cheap IS birch, but not SO symmetrical.
Birch will never be displaced by canvas,
| for it binds in prettier forms.