The Holly chieftain., 1912-08-23

peculiar cnAfActerR- On tnO
plains the cowboys; in the
~ mining regions. the miners;
and in the timber regions. the
lumber Jack. While the work of the
lumber jack 10 not $50 spectacular a.
the round up" and "broncho busting"
Of the cowboy, he IL an interesting
ana picturesque character who is rap
Idly disappearing with the vanishing
OF our forests. In the time of his
glory he 10 the fellow we'll met who
has labored all Winter in q lumber
camp. saved q few hundred dollars.
gone to the city in the spring and per.
haps In less than 4s hours after land
Ing IL minus his roll Of bills and has
nothing to show for 1t except q head
ache and very indistinct recollection
how he came by that. With the lum-
Der Jack win 60 the lumber camp, the
camp "cook," the "dunkey," the "boss"
and other worthies.
From Michigan to the Pacific coast
are found the lumber camps. employ
ing At seasons Of the year Thousands
Of men. These lumber camps. small
communities In themselves. have their
unwritten laws and regulations, DIFF
fering more or less in the several
states.
A few years ago the writer with =
CROW Of men was sent out early one
fall to . lumber camp to cut basswood
for bedding firm. The cook with a
few Of the lumber Jacks had remained
In camp during the summer to load
logs. but all the formal customs of the
camp were preserved. We looked up
on this excursion Into the woods for
the purpose Of cutting wood as q sor.
OF late summer vacation, and were &C.
cordingly In high spirits. When the
horn blew for the first meal we rushed
boisterously into the cooks shanty and
seating ourselves at the table began
to talk and joke. The lumber Jacks
looked 1T Us with q sort Of awe and
then glanced at the cook.
Cooks Commands obsyed.
: mo talking At the table," the cook
nercely called out as he glared upon
us. This command. 30 sudden and un-
usual. was strictly obsyed during the
meal. At drst we took 1t to be re-
buhe for our noisy way Of entering the
cook shanty. but after the meal was
over We were informed that talking
at the table was serious breach Of
the regulations and that we had better
abide by tho rule.
The privileged character in camp II
the coox. Within his domain his au.
thority 10 supreme. The saying that
the way to reach a mans heart
10 through his stomach holds good in
the lumber camp. and cook can
make or mar the efficiency OF a
crew Of men by the quality of his
cooking.
In Wisconsin and certain parts Of
Minnesota the lumber Jacks enter the
"cook shanty" at meal times with 4
sort Of reverence. Next to the boss
shanty." 1t Is the holy Of holes. When
the door Is reached all conyersat tion
ceases and the men silently file in
and take their places. The head Of
the table 10 always reserved for the
boss. Not word is spoken at meal
time. except when victuals are asked
for. Meal time. instead Of being a
social hour as it Is in society. is with
the lumber Jacks time OF silence, II
not Of meditation. The origin Of this
ruls has been variously explained.
The most plausible explanation is that
the lumber Jacks might inadvertently
drop some remark rejecting upon the
cooking, and thus insult the dignity
Of the cook.
In Washington. at least in some Of
che camps, no such rule exists. At