Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-04-27

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Some of the Characteristics Of the
Men Known as Lumber Jacks
The lumber jack is queer animal.
TO the stranger in the parts he inhablts
he seems, almost, to be OF another and q
very strange race. And to the residents
of those places through which he passes
in his spring and autumn flights, and
who are somewhat acquainted with
him he is something Of q puzzle. Some
what shy and clanish, he walks in the
haunrs OF men, with them but not OF
them, conversing only with others Of his
kind, sometimes in strange tongues no
more comprehensive than the 'houk" Of
the wild goose, the habits OF which his
ways somewhat resemble. For the
lumber jack, like that clipper OF the air,
the wild goose, is a bird OF passage, He
wings his way to the woods in the fab
and out in the spring as regularly as his
feathered prototype. To be sure, the
wild goose is apt to be the better behav-
ed OF the two, for it never gets full and
the lumber jack is often just goose
enough to do that very thing.
Probably Darwin never heheld Inn1-
Der Jack, nor heard OF one and, there
fore never classified the animal. 1t is a
query as to exactly what the savant
would have made Of the species. Prob
ably, at first sight of a specimen he
whould have made up a tree, for to I'M
accustomed eyes a lumber jack careen-
ing over the pave, clad III a "Mackinaw,"
trousers making connection just below
the knee with white socks, and brogans,
and plug tobacco would seem to be a
spectacle to startle aud amaze.
HE is NO DUDE.
The lu1nber jack does not go in much
for style from the pbiht Of view OF a city
dude His hob-nailed shoes are not
fitted for capering in drawing rooms,
more fitting in his mouth than honeyed
phrases of society. Nor would he feel
as perfectly at home i'll a drawing room
probably as where he could put his feet
on the table and expectorate out OF the
window. And yet there are dudes,
regular Beau Brummels, among lumber
Jacks, and the rivalry among the dress
ers of the class is keen on the score OF
the proper knot in neckerchief and the
correct way to sport the gaudy silk
handkerchiefs that mark the most fOp-
pish among them, all Of which indicates
a desire for the elegancies Of life that
may be somewhat surprising to those
who imagine that the chief, and the en-
crossing subject that occupies lumber
Jack s mind is where he may get the big
gest schooner of beer for his nickel. And
the lumber jack on acquaintance affords
other surprises TO those who come to
know him. AS he and his kind ambe
along the street in droves in their jackets
OF sill designs, one viewing him feels,
perhaps, languid curiosity us what
manner Of thing he is, and when, on
Awakening some morning to find that
he and his tribe have all disappeared in
the night, like the snow-bird cor those
fifteen dollars in the inside pocket, all
memory Of him is usually dismissed
along with the old questions as to where
the lost pins go. 70 one who is dis
posed to seek him out, however, and
Iparn his ways, he displays traits that
are, some Of them, admirable. and
affords an example, often, of industry,
courage and manliness that might be
initiated most proftably.
The lumber jacks life, while happy in
the main, is by no means an easy one.
To the young man who desires to fol
low the professions, it may be said that
to be a successful lumber jack requires
the constitution OF a mule and the
strength of All OK. OF course, young
men of not so robust physique who want
to be lumber kings and desire to learn
the business from the ground up need
not despair. The outdoor exercise, the
air Of the piney woods, a diet of salt
pork and habit, often. followed in lum-
Der camps, Of sleeping in their clothes
may impart to them strength to drive
away all competitors and Others and
climb to the top. To young men who
are thoroughly imbued with and enthu-
siastic over the lesson that cent iu-
diciously expended will, on paper, elay
the foundation OF fortune if the first i'll
vestment IL carefully followed up by