The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-12
WHEN LUMBERMEN GO HOME.
Wild scenes When Maine Wood
choppers Leave the Camps.

(From the Boston Advertiser
The folks in the rear coaches of Ban
gor and AroOStook train the other day
heard above the clanking and rush of the
car wheels a tumult of shouts from the
smoking car ahead. Any one who was
not accustomed to the gentle manners Of
iliZation would have imagined that a fear
full scene of riot ard slaughter was in
progress out there.
Once in while the yells would almost
split the ears. and out from the open win
dows of the car would go whirling old
coats, tattered shirts of bright hue, caps
and hats. and other garments.
From the fact that later several men in
the car were seen arrayed only in their
heavy underwear, il was evident that
some of the travellers had even discarded
their trousers.
The lumbe-man of the old school likes to
reach the city peeled right down to the
indispensable in the way of attire He is
going to buy new suit of SO clothes any
way, and what does he want of the woods
worn garments that have been absorbing
the Steans and stenches of the lumber
camp for many months? They remind him
OF his bitter toll and his sequestration. So
he offs with EN- as the train goes hurrying
on, and has good time in shedding the
things.
noise from the smoking car is the worst
feature of the scene. The average lumber
man is good-natured in his riot. Unless
he is especially provoked or has some old
grudges 20 satisfy he yells and whoops and
storms up and down the aisles-and that's
about all But even in doing that he furn-
ishes some queer spcctacles along the line
in these days between the cut and the
drive.
There is a week or two now when there
is nothing else to do except to have good
time. spend the earnings of the winter in
the woods and get ready for the start back
to the headwateTs where the logs are yard
ed ready for the rush down the river.
In these later days the majority of the
nnflG mon in Mslfn ar Tod n
are as irresponsible, so far as their finan-
cial affairs GO as sailors They have only
few days to spend Il lot of money. 1t
burns. The friends of the lumbermen say
that the men are better off when their
money is gone. Then they will get back
to work. They will remain temperate,
steady, and sober as deacons until the
next pay time comes.
The unfortunate feature of the situation
is that there are SO many harpies waiting
in the Maine cities ready to seize and
ing at the railroad stations will behold So
lcitors for all sorts of enterprises from
clothing stores and boarding houses down
to the varied list of attractions grasping
the elbows and whispering into the ears
of the rough-bearded men who step off
the trains from up river and gaze about
themselves half timorously before plung-
ing into the whirlpool OF the distraction
about what is waiting for them there. but
with the obstinacy or the carelessness of
sailors. who allow themselves to be
shanghaied over and over again, they are
led away
In the old days most of the men who
came down from the Moosehead region
knew the veteran Conductor Nathan
Swan, and used to make him the cuSto-
dian of a part of their wealth. He had
their entire confidence, and used TO be
carrying all kinds of little bundles of
money tied up and ticketed- The men
would turn up later, on their way back
to the woods. congratulating themselves
and Uncle Swan ON the fact that they had
left a reserve fund sufficient to buy their
tobacco and little Injuries until the time
of the next pay day.
The police tell me that fully one-half
of the men waste with careless prodigali-
ty the whole of their earnings in forty
eight hours. They either spend it them
selves or it is stolen from them The
law-abiding people of Maine have long
lamented that this fact is So but to pre-
vent ii a guardian would of necessity be
required for each lumberman as soon as
he struck town-and the guardian would
most likely be used roughly If he at
tempted to interfere with any mans
proud prerogative of spending his own
money as he sees fit.
The woodsmen used to create great hav-
oc in trains and hotels with the spike
soed boots that they resolutely wore ev-
erywhere and chawnked down with great
vigor. A State law now makes ii pun
ishabie offence to wear such footwear IN
on floors Therefore, it is common spec
tacIe to behold a string of men kick OF
their big shoes at the doors of barroomS
and hotels before going in for a drink
But their heavy socks are almost as much
protection as the ordinary mans thin
soIed shoes The law against spike-soled
boots Is now four years old, but the
breezy man from the woods hasn't yet
finished cursing the dude notion"