Evening star., 1909-01-10
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Nichols has never given up after begin
ming to whittle.
S.nce becoming the champion whittier
Of Washington. Nichols has carved walk
ing canes fer many prominent men, among
them being President Roosevelt senator
Daniel. former Speaker Henderson, sen
ator Blackburn Representatives Richard
ardson and Pearre and many others All
of the canes were of dogWood, care1uIlE
selected by the whittier. Each IS hlghiy
priced by the possessor. as IN every m
stance il bears an autobiography anu the
emblems of societies. organizations ana
clubs of which the recipients are MEM
hers. Around the canes wr!gg1ng snakes.
suuirrning lizards, croakinG frogs ana
sleeping crocodles are carved.
Nichols has whitfield canes or fancy
designs out of wood taken from the
White House. Supreme Court of the nit
ed States courtroom. the bier upon which
President Mckinleys coffin rested while
his body lay in state at the capitol the
old Ford'S Theatcr, where freSiuent
Lincoln was assa ssinated. and from others
historic timber.
In addition to the many canes he has
presented gratituously to men OF national
prominence ard legislative distinction.
Nichols has Whitfield several hundred
others which. when finished, We're sold to
interested admirers for neat little sums
Anything l can draw or have drawn
for me | can carve from WOOD. SAID the
champion, as he whitfield away on piece
of pine and shaped the letter O.
To see Doe Nichols no one would
ever suspect him CT being an artist. He
is a man about forty-eight years old,
standing five feet two inches in his shoes.
Eleven hours each day he can be found
at the site of the old Baltimore and Ohlo
railroad station. In good and bad weather
he must throw the switch which marks
the parting of the ways for the CapItai
Traction and Washington Railway ana
Electric cars Nowadays he is bundled
up in a heavy overcoat reaching almost
to the ground. big black cap pulled
down over his ears. and his small hands
incased in large woolen gloves. There
is always a merry twinkle in his blue
eyes and his ruddy face is ever adorned
with broad smiles for the crews of the
many passing cars. and pedestrians VINO
have come to regard him as permanent
fixture at the corner.
1t is between times when it is not neces-
sary to throw the switch, that Nichols
does almost all of his whiting.
II guess l whtte about one minute
and a half out of every three said
Dec to a reporter for The Star. THE
cars come right often now since the sta
ton was opened and / don't have as
much time l used to-
While I'm waiting for the cars l do
my best work. because l can take more
time to it. | don't mind the Interrupt
tons. because l know I'm going TO finish
my piece. and finish it right, at one time
or another
champion was asked.
We'll, l just picked it up as a pastime.'
replied Nichols. II took up whiting to
keep my hands occupied while l thought.
I've been whiting since 1881, when first
came with the company.
Il used to, drive hill horse for the
company. The cars went up Capitol Hill
on B street, and l was stationed at the
bottom of the hill to hitch my horse to
the tongue of the car and help the other
fYx-n 10 no
course there was always fifteen or twenty
minutes-sometimes half an hour and an
hour-between cars. and ! had to do
something to keep from getting lonely.
"One day in the spring of 1881 a fellow
came to the little box which l sat.
waiting for a car, and showed me a piece
of broomhandle with a snake carved on
it. l thought it looked pretty nice and
wished ! could do work like that.
Il had never tried to whittle hut l
thought I would like it; SO next day L
went to the stable and chopped the handle
off of an old broom and took it over
to my box l had pretty good twenty
five-cent knife, and, after sharpening it
on the curbstone, l began to whittle. l
was very proud of that snake when l got
it carved. l found that whiting was
just a question of time, patience, care
and skill and. really, outside of that
there is nothing to it. l was pleased
with my first job that l chopped off an
other broom handle and carved two
snakes on it. Since then I've kept at ii,
and there is nothing in the line of ami
mails, emblems. vines lettering, figures
and reptiles that / do not think | can
whittle out of wood if I'm given my time
to do it
Did you ever use anything but q
pocketknife?' asked the reporter.
Never in my life" declared the cham
pion with emphasis. Thrusting his right
hand into the huge overcoat pocket. he
produced ten or twelve knives of various
8 yes. shapes. colors and previous condi