Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-22

- ~ hSesohp, AZ '"S
m In the timber regions, the
lumber Jack. While the work Of the
lumber Jack is not 30 spectacular as
the round up and 'broncho busting"
OF the cowboy. he 10 an interesting
and picturesque character who Is rap
idly disappearing with the vanishing
OF our forests. In the time OF his
glory he Ia the fellow we'll met who
has labored all winter In a lumber
camp. saved a few hundred dollars,
gone to the city In the spring and per.
haps In less than 48 hours after land
Ing is minus his roll OF bills and has
nothing to show for It except a head.
ache and a very indistinct recollection
how he came by that. With the lum-
Der Jack will 60 the lumber camp. the
camp cook" the "iunkey." the boss"
and other worthless.
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 .
crew Of G was sent out early one
fall to a lumber camp to cut Eastwood
for a 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 a sort
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
10 talk and Joke. The lumber Jacks
looked at US with a sort OF awe and
then glanced at the cook.
Cooks Commands Obeyed.
mo talking at the table," the cook
fercely called out as he glared upon
US. This command. 80 sudden and I'M
usual. was strictly obeyed during the
meal. At first we took 1t to be q re-
buke for our noisy way OF entering the
Sooh ohuhty put oAtCI Tue m6dI WAS
over we we're informed that talking
at the table was a serious breach of
the regulations and that we had better
abide by the rule.
The privileged character in camp Is
the cooA. Within his domain his au.
thority 10 supreme. The saying that
the way TO reach q mans heart
is through his stomach holds good in
the lumber camp. and q 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 a
sort OF reverence. Next to the boss
shanty," It Is the holy Of HOLES. When
the door is reached all conversation
ceases and the men silently fle In
and take their places. The head OF
the table Ia always reserved for the
boss. Not q word IL spoken at meal
time. except when victuals are asked
for. Meal time. instead OF being a
social hour as It 10 In society. 10 with
the lumber Jacks a time of silence, II
not OF meditation. The origin Of this
rule has been v~ariously explained ID.
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
the camps, no such rule exists. Al