The Portland daily press., 1894-12-29
EATEN FROZEN ANTS.
A New Workers. Observations OF Life
in Maine Lumber Camp.

A New Yorker who is interested IN
woods and the big game, las written for
the n. Y. Sun an account OF Maine
Ium Der camp in winter:
- Before the regular chopping and haul
ing of the seasons numbering operations
begin, which is about Thanksgiving.
when SHOWS that will stay on tbe.grouno
may be expected in the Maine pine
woods. the task of establishing the camp
must be attended to. The log novels
for the men and stable for the horses
are built and chinked with moss by plon-
eer workmen, and enough food for the
coming crew and horses is laid in to last
until the snow makes easier hauling over
the rocks and stumps OF the Wood foaos.
In point of variety the bills OF rare III
logging camps differ according to the
liberalty of the operator and the uls-
lance of the camp from sources OF sup
plies, but certain standard articles are
always provided in plenty, such as HOUR
beans, pork, tea and molasses. NOVA
days these are usually supplemented by
more luxurious articles of diet, SO thae
the lumberman fares on the average
unite as well as the ordinary city me-
cbanic. A cooking range is now usual
feature of the lum bercamp, but even
where this is provided. the cook, IN OBJ
servance of old time traditions, often
bakes the pork and beans in bean hoie'
the men wi lingly cutting the extra
wood required to maintain the necessary
open fire. ,..
About the logging camp which was
my headquarters for three weeks" salo
New Yorker just returned from NUM-
ing trip among the Penobscot upper
waters. "the snow lay foot deep on tie
ground for the last fortnight OF my stay.
I found two men in charge OF the camp
and the other twenty composing the
crew arrived and began work on the first
day that snow fell. There were frencn
Canadians, Irishmen from Bangor anu
towns along the Penobscot river, anu
native State of Maine men IN apout
equal numbers. Some Of them on their
arrival showed visible and audit BILE effects
of the poor whiskey they had drunk az
towns along the route to the woods, and
one or two were quarrelsome. put aiter
the first day everything went on as
smoothly and JOLLY as you please.
Dried apple sauce, potatoes, onions,
gingerbread and fapjacks were constant
elements in the bill of fare. and all the
cooking. with one exception. was done,
and well done, on the spacious range
dulv ses I'D in the cooks house. But
for that browning dish OF the lumber
mans daily fare, baked pork and beans,
nothing would do but the time-honored
methodFof the bean 2hole. A suitable
spot near the cook house having been
selected and the snow shoveled away,
fire was built. When it died down a
deep bowl shaped hole was dug ID the
centre and filed with hot embers. Ihe
cook had already prepared the beans by
first soaking them in cold water, then par
boiling them until the skins Wrlnkled
and would easily rub Of In the bottom
of large earthern pot, which, miracu-
lously as it seemed. had survived the
iolting of the long trip over the rough
wood roads, an onion was placed, anu
the beans were then turned in, filing the
vessel to within six inches OF the rim.
Upon the beans abundant thick strips
of salt pork slashed with knife were
laid, and on these was pourd half pint
of molasses. An earthern cover was set
on the pot, and the beans were in readi-
ness for the baking.
In the hole the embers, when reduced
to hot ashes, were seraped aside, the pot
was set in the excavation, and the ashes
packed solidly about it and above the
cover to the ground level. Then the fire
was rebuilt above them and kept slowly
burning by adding now and then a
fresh log. After twenty four hours the
Goals were raked away, the pot taken
out, and it's contents were revealed as
those delicious brown, thoroughly cooked
beans that, to the man who knows what
good food is, fully justify the
encomiums the true New Highlander
is ever ready TO bestow upon
his favorite and characteris-
tic dish. When the beans were served
observed that some of the men were not
content with the enrichment impaired
TO the dish by the sweetening put in be-
fore the baking, and poured molasses
on their beans at the table, common
custom among the Maine lum bermen.
whose diet must be one to enable them
to withstand severe cold, as well as long
hours of hard work.
"One feature in the food supply of the
Maine logging camp could nots quite
approve. The day before | started to
leave the woods hunter, evidently
native of the region, brought to the camp
on hand sled, the headquarters of
moose, and I learned, though not from
him, you may be sure that he was relied
on to supply the camp with fresh moose
and deer meat throughout the winter.
Later in the season, when the snow is
deep and a crust has formed that will
bear man on snowshoes, he would have
an easy time in procuring meat. it was
said, tor the deer and moose found in
Their yards would be unable to escape
through the surrounding snow. AS the