Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-28
ADIRONDACK GUIDES ARE
EXPERT WOOD WORKERS
THEY MAKE FURNITURE FAR
FROM CIVILIZATION
It's All a Part of the Days Work, but
the Ingenuity Displayed Often
times Amazes the Out
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When an Adirondack guide Is really
master of his craft he is also great zeal
more In particular he is skilled, quick
and ingenious carpenter and joiner, with
an expert knowledge of local woods ana
deftness in making articles OF 1urnlture
from cedar and pine in the round tnat lew
urban craftsmen can equal, says "ii'ei
in the New York Sun.
Such men can furnish a camp through
out with articles of these materials made
in the rustic fashion, and there is no more
appropriate furnishing for camp that is
really such and not mere palace In the
wilderness.
For the bedrooms they make bedsteads,
usually of pine in the round with the bark
removed for the sake of greater cleanll-
ness, sometimes of planed plank. The
wash stand is made of tongued anu
grooved wood and shaped to go into
Garner of room or a tent. 1t is usually
provided with ample shelves for storage.
Wood Boxes
Every bedroom or tent has its two wood
boxes, one of large size to hold the billets
of hardwood which are to keep the hearth
fire or the tent stove going, another of
small size to hold the light dry pine used
for kindling. These boxes are made in
several forms and are always charming
and appropriate.
Sometimes the larger box is a crib of
carefully chosen cedar sticks in the round
firmly Joined and provided with tight
bottom The smaller box is often of pine
boards covered with birch bark carefully
chosen for color and marking. and bound
with narrow strips of birch or some other
native wood with the bark on.
Sometimes the kindling box Is completely
covered with small strips of some wood
that tenaciously retains it's bark In such
case the coloring of the bark is carefully
considered, and the box with its hinged
lid is beautiful. Structurally also 1t is ex-
cellent, for it is nicely joined in every
part.
1t is the pride of the carpenter-guide to
make use of simple materials ready to
hand, and accordingly the hinges of such
a box are often contrived of wrought nails
cleverly twisted and turned so that they
serve their purpose to perfection, and give
a pertinent and easy working hinge.
Chairs
Chairs for the bedroom, porch and living
room are made in a great variety of
shapes from cedar with the bark on. All
the parts are fitted together so that the
chair is at once strong, comfortable. neat
in appearance and stable on its legs. Great
arm chairs are made thus with seats of
cedar in the round like a miniature cor
duroy road The braces Of the back are
made with decorative intent. but structu-
raj qualities are rarely sacrificed for deco
ration.
In some parts of these big chairs the
cedar is bent, with the result of decora
ton and structural excellence. Smaller
chairs are made on the same plan, and
some are of simpler design.
Tables are made of all sizes and for
many purposes. A dining table seating a
dozen persons and made of cedar in the
round, with planed pine top, has been used
in one Adirondack camp for fifteen years.
1t is in every way admirably suited to its
purpose. and the bark remains on the ce-
dar just as when the table was made.
Decorative Tables,
Smaller tables on the same plan are
used for many purposes. More decorative
tables are made of cedar, some in hex
agonal form, others round, with three
legs, very tippy but not impracticable.
Still others are made entirely of wood
in the round with the bark on. The face
of the table in such case is made of small
places wrought into a, pattern orrayed
from the center.
1t is in ambitious efforts like these that
the carpenter-guide is apt to be betrayed
into bad taste. AS often as not though,
his esthetic mistakes come from his effort
to comply with the taste of his employer.
Benches, settees, sewing tables, sofas
and even sideboards are made Of such
rustic materials and upon simple liens.
Plant baskets are covered with birch bark,
and servceable cups and pitchers are
made of that material.
Excellent linen chests are made entirely
of cedar in the round save for an interior
lining of pine Indeed. it would be hard
to name any article of household furniture
which can be made of wood that the guides
will not undertake to make from the ma
tive material.
Cedar is the favorite wood with the
carpenter-guides, because it is durable and
easily worked Every camp should have
some seasoned cedar in the round stored
against need.
Wild cherry with the bark on is used
for small decorative articles and with
good effect. White and yellow birch are
also used and unless often beech. Alder Is
also used for small articles.
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