Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-05-07
In the Maine Woods

| months in the Maine woods III auui'io'
| to those in the camps OF luillpcri'i'"
| There are hundreds of them lh'S 81"
little known or heard of by the "u's'uc
| world, although their products an go
| 10 market. Among them are me SUN
picker. the hooppolc gathercr, the axe
handle man. the shipknec Sathcrer' 'h''
| hcmlcck bark peclers, the Indian ana
the trapper.
! The gum pickers go into the WOODS
| in the fall and remain there till spring.
working as industriously every day as
the men of the lumber camps. They
arc Il quiet and busy lot Of men, ana
their zigzag snowshoc tracks may be
seen through the woods of Northern
| Maine, and their CainTllrcS glow Ill
| many a lonely glen far to the north.
Gum picking is anything hut an eN-
| citing business ana affords lots of tim"
for thought. There is no rush or
| worry ;.bout ii, yet it is as speculative
as trading in Wall street.
| spruce gum is always marketable
] and brings 4 good price, 81 a pound be
! ing Il standard quotation. yet an e&-
| ira fine article frequently brings Il"
much as $1.5o and has sold at -. "ut
| this last price is obtained only for the
particular large ana clear nuggets.
! The gum picllcrs always so in pairs.
| Two ChumS who enjoy each other "
| "omranionship, whose likes and dislik"S
| are similar, go together to the centre
| of A good gum country. far away from
| q. yeryho,lv else: sometimes building for
Themselves Il rough log cabin. and at
others occupying a deserted logging
camp. which they can make comfort
able by little work.
| l;edS of spruce bouGhS are made.
| aid any person who has ever slept on
| one can realize the comfort they take.
| The fireplace il; repaired. and the tW"
| cronirs arc ready for their business of
| the winter. If a man is fond "t woods
| life, there is no way of PASSING the WIN
! ter months more pleasantly than at
gum picking.
The outfit of the gum picker consists
| of warm clothing and a suitable num-
| h.r Of changes of underwear, A pair Of
| snowshoes. a pair of climbers such as
| telegraph Hnemen ESc. N-Shaped
| chi&el. made especially for this bust
| ness. with the handle so constructed
that a long pole can be fastened on to
| iackknife. a gun. fishing tackle. and.
| last but by no means least. llb2raf
| sup ~ of pipes and plug tobacco.
Outside of his tobacco, the gum
| picker is most frugal in the way of
supplies. for he has to haul everything
| many miles on a moos" sled. ana any
| one who has ever Iahorcd on IL pair of
| s:ov shoe; with one Of those will M
| 4. Ia
| load it moro heavily than is needed.
| He takes plenty of pork. beans. flour.
| coffee and moasscs and if he has
ccod luck with his gun and rod. he can
| live in woods luxury for the sum of 10
| cents 4 week.
| he has a stcaming breakfast Of
| beans. baked in the ground. and has
| his morning smoke while the dishes are
| being washed and the homework done
| He is then ready for the work of the
| day.
| He straps his gun on his back. his
gum bag is thrown over his shoulder.
with mis- luncheon of biscuit and pork
| in it, his srowshocs are strapped on.
and, with his gum chisel in his hand
away he goes for the work of the day,
| leaving a trail of smoke from his
pipe.
| He secs u tall spruce from which the
gum has been oozinG for many years
until, clarified by the sun. it is round
| ID ont i'm rich nuggets that await his
| coming. Off come the snoWShocs, and
| the climbers are put on. The picker
| climbs the trees and chips and rapS
| ami nibblcs like Il gigantic wood
pcckcr.
1t is not Il common thing for the gum
picker to find q tree 50 well loaded with
| gum that he cuts it down, but is not
unusual for an expert gum picker to
| take ten pounds of gum of good quail
| Ity from a single tree. This is not an
| every day occurrence. hut the average
| yield gives the Industrious picker good
wages AMI more.
Some of the older men in the business
plant their gum. That is, they go
| around through tlc forests with an
| axe and wound tho trees. which allows
the gum to ooZc ont, and III q few
years it is clarified and ready to he
picked. The round. amber hucd mug
gets arc what the gum picker hunt; for
| especially.
Tho state of Maine gum is always in
d"u"nd, for although the New York
| gum is often more inviting to the eve.
IN" confirmed gum ChcWcr declares
| that there is nothing in tho whole
rcSinous domain for flavor and true
"yankinC" qualities that can equal -
| hunk with tho centre like tho rcd of a
dying coal. severed from the seam of q
| gigantic live MHinc spruce.
| The Maine h"oppolc man has to work
| much harder yet his life is Just as ,In-
| conventional and he has Just as good a
| time as his friend tho gum gathcrcr
nc follows along in the wake Of tho
| Zimmerman and cuts from the hlIsidcs
| IN" small growth that no one wants
| lie has horse along with him. as If
| IS necessary to haul home the cuts Of
| tn" day al night
| The place selected nv the hooppoIe
| man for his winters work is some do
| serted choppinG. on which small birch
and ash have grown UP where once
stood the towering pine and spruce
| These saplnGs are cut on the hilIsidce
| and in swalnps and hauled to the
camp. The hooprofc man passes his