The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-07-24
MAKING WOODEN INDIANS.
THEY ARE CARVED OUT OF PINE
IN DEFIANCE OF NATURE.
A Maker of Signs Tells the Secrets of
His isTradc-Splendor Rather Than
Fidelity to Nature, His Object.

Fidelity TO Nature, His Object.
"Thcre, Pop, I've got all done but the
top. What color shall | paint that!'
The spectacled wood carver looked up |
from the bit of cardboard that he was |
lettering and said, in answer to his sons |
''Paint the head red,
Jimmy" Jimmy, lad OF thirteen, with
of incipient painters collie, was
devoting his best energies and the last
fifteen minutes before dinner to the dc
coraton of a wooden squaw in colors
whose briliancy and variety would have
shamed the splendors of the first rainbow.
The little shop down in Gocrck street
was sort Of tawdry statuary hall, re-
splcndent with the gorgeous presence OF
half dozen cigar store Indians in various
states of incomplctcncss. A tall squaw,
having a scornful face as yet unadorned
with eyes, occupied conspicuous place
in the room her drapcry consisting OF
yellow blanket and a rcd buffalo robe.
"a special order said the wood-caryer;
"the man would have that buffalo robe
red, because he thought it would attract
attention.
"Our business might be called artistic
he continued, "but there haint much
money into it. Years ago, when | was
young apprentice, l had the honor OF
making two fine ship iigweheads. They
represented parties standin' full length,
with scrolls in their hands. | don't know
who the parties was and / don't know the
names Of the ships but / was proud of
the Job That sort of business, though,
dropped off fifteen years ago. The Ameri-
can people is economical to the detriment
of art. and our business isn't appreciated
as it ought to be. / do little or nothing
now but make and repair Indians and
letter cards with sentiments such as
them"
The carver spoke with the air of a man
whose art had been prostituted to the sor-
did demands of trade. He set no store
bv the Indians turned in whole tribes,
and fashioned with small regard for the
truth of nature. ''They don't look like
Indians you know - he said, with amiable
frankness. s'No Indian ever had features
like that big fellow there, and | reckon
there never was a squaw who dressed like
that one with the red buffalo robe. If we
made 'em like real Indians they'd be too
urly to sell. We have no models, but
lust keep on making them as they've been
made for the last fifty years. The idea
is to make them look pretty, and work in
rs many colors as possible. Sometimes
we get seven or eight different tints, be
sides gliding "What are they made
Off" sWhite pine. 1t works easy. We
hack 'em out with saw and hatchet,
rough 'cm up with big tools and polish
'em off with finer implements. Jimmy
show the gentleman the logs in the
cellar
Jimmy promptly led the way to the
underground lumber room, where lay hal
dozen great pine logs from sixteen tC
twenty. four feet in length. Against the
wall leaned a rudely hacked piece of tim
Der that looked like a damaged gait
post. Jimmy averred that in time thi
would be a splendid squaw, with
| painted skirt and a headdress of plumes
He pointed out which way the fac
would turn and how the arms would ap
pear. The figure, limbs pedestal ant
all were to be carved from the single los
in one piece. 1t did not seem to contain
the promise and potency of the cleverl.
carved figures in the shop above, bu
Jimmy had faith that he and his fathe
would yet evolve from the unsightly 10!
a comely squaw of conventional pattern.
"It takes from six to sixteen days t
make one of these figures" said the mas
ter of the shop, taking up the thread o
his discourse. "The simpler ones can b
Whitfield out in three days and painted il
three more. The big, complicated fig
ures. with tOmahawks and wampum neck
laccs and beaded bows, take week O
more, and the painting requires nearly a
long. That squaw, you see, isn't tn
right color for a Squaw. That's only tn
groundwork. We've got TO paint he
copper color tomorrow. Then we'v
GOT to put in her eyes. They may b
blue, gray or brown After that come
the fine work on the feather headdres'
Nobody cares much what they look like
so they're showy, and paints the thin
that makes 'em sell What do they cost
From S15 to $50. 4 good Indian, we
taken care of, will last thirty years. Ono
year ne ought to be sent-back for +,
pairs. Taste in Indians does not chang
much, and my customers trust TO me
do the thing right. Yes, we deal in sec
ond-hand Indians, he continued, glanc
inc up at the faded splendors of squav
over whose arm the woodcaryer's stree
coat was hung for want Of bette
clothcsrack.
"When a man moves 10 new place b
sometimes gets fresh Indian. We TAX
the old one of his hands and sell it
some small dealer, We used to max
negroes from '4S TO go, but later the
got unpopular. Then the Girl Of III
Period and the Grecian Bend had g
but mostly the trade runs steady ON II
dians. Going! Well, you may say thu
business is dull, though it might be wors,
but ON the whole, the public doesn't al
prcciate our art as it once did, Ne
York. star.
An Indian Nun.