Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-04-01
A SHIP CARVER.
TALK WITH A MAN WHO MAKES
SHIPS FIGURE-HEAD5.
A Business That Has DwindIed Away
Few Figure Heads on the
Ships Nowadays - How
the Work is Done.


the Work is Done.
7 TARRIED awhile at the table OF
the figure head carver and watched
i his shining blades make their keen,
never-ending strokes. Hooked with
curious interest on the huge, shapcless
block of wood out of which he was cut
ting a naiad to adorn the prov of the
big ship that would soon be going down
to the sea.
"Forty years, sir, I've been a carver of
these things" said he, in answer to my
query, and bis snowy beard and hair
seemed to bear out his assertion. "Ah,
sir, the business is not what it was.
Only a few American ships have figure
heads now,' said the carver, as he made
4 iab at his block of wood with the
,lisel. "In their place ornately carved
billet-heads aud trail-boards are substi.
tutcd. There is scarcely deep water
English ship afoat, however, that hasn't
q three-quarter or life-size figure on its
bow. Once in a while we receive orders
of this kind, bnt they don't come often.
zone of the finest figures ever saw
is the one on the bark Spartan, which
touches at this port frequently. 1t
represents a Spartan warrior, bearing a
shield in one hand and sword in the
other. lie is in the attitude Of attack.
and there is a wonderful semblance of
life about him. The features are finely
made, and the proportions are about as
perfect as they can be. II is really
piece Of art-worl1, and would attract at
tention if it were anyrl here else than
where it is.
"The bark Hcsper, also belonging to
this port, carries fine female figure rep
resenting an ancient Greclan heroine. |
carved it myself, and my chisel chippcl
at it for months, can assure you. 1t is
no easy job to make ship figures. You
have lots to contend with. Some ecccn-
trio skipper, for instance, will give an
order to carve out some female Of his
friendship, and if your innocent chisel
cuts the least gouge oIt Of her nose, cur.
tails her modern skirt, or makes the
slightest wrong proportion, he is ready
to eat you up, and tell you to sell your
burIcsque to tobacconist."
"What are the preliminarics in the
work." asked.
"The first thing to be considered i,
the shape of the ships bow aud the rake
of the bowsprit. On their proportions
depends the size Of the figure. The origi-
nal design is drawn on paper with cray
ons, and in its rough state gives only the
slightest suggestions of the finished
work. The next step is to pick out the
wood. A solid block is chosen, but
sometimes two figures are used, and the
parts are separately carvea aud afterward
joined. The length OF the average field
figure IS between seven and eight feet.
The block is 'roughed out on the floor
and then lifted on 'hor5es, where it is
finished. The only tools used are chisels,
mallets, gauges, and sand-paper. When
once started on the figure the paper dc.
sign is of little use. The carver has to
depend most entirely on his eye to get
the expression and the proportions. The
figure is finished off with sand paper and
gilt. As is everything else, the amount
of labor expended depends upon the
price. Some figures are finished in a
few weeks, and others again require
months for completion.
"What are the usual subjects?" I in.
quircd, as the old man came to an abrupt
pause.
"Well, I suppose female Ggures are in
the majority" was the reply. "Some-
times a skipper caryes his sweetheart or
his young wife on his ships bow; then,
again, Victoria's royal head frequently
adorrs the pIow of English merchant
men. The Highland Light, large Eng
lish vessel that plies between Liverpool
and San Francisco, carries the figure of
a Scotch Highlander in the act of dane
ing fling. The barge Newsboy, local
craft, has the figure Of ragged news
boy in the attitude OF corner solicitor.
1 carved it many years ago, and compc-
tent judges say that it is remarkably life.
like. It's singular what tastes some peo.
pie have. An English captain, not over.
intelligent, came to me some years ago
and requested me to cut him out an
Apollo. / asked him what setting he
wanted, and he replied that the figure
was TO be placed in warlike attitude,
with musket in one hand. l guess I
must have argued with him for hours to
urge him away from his funny idea. |
quoted stacks of statistics to prove that
the original Apollo didn't know a mus.
ket from bear-bag. lie gave in finally,
and compromised on Victoria Regina,
life size. e."--IIarper's Weekly.
A Long Message.