Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-11-11
WH|TT[|NG WOOD
A LOST PAST|ME
DISAPPEARED WITH THE OLD.
FASHIONED SAILOR.
Boy Of Today Buys His Toy Boat and
Kite Sticks, Thus Saving Time
and Labor


boriously fashioned curious keep
sakes out Of soft wood, or who idly
whitfield sticks to toothpick dimen-
sion as they sat and debated the prob
lens of the nation in front of the vii
lage stores? The old time Yankee
was often i'll at ease unless he had his
knife in his hand with block of
wood on which to exercise it. He
could not focus his mind on heavy |
questions-like the elections at the |
next town meeting-unless he was
watching a shaving curl gracefully in
the wake of his carefully sharpened
knife blade.
Those who had abundant leisure
often devoted themselves to elaborate
carvings. Sailors were especially
gifted in this way-deep sea sailors,
who occupied themselves on long voy-
ages with miniature ships and other
models. And while the back country
Yankee was an inveterate whittier
he rarely tried to compete in artistic
results with his seafaring brother Of
the coast.
But whiting both as a habit and
ss an art, appears to have practically
disappeared. The jackknife is no long
Or in evidence as 1t once was, either
In country towns or along the water
front. The pace Of life has quickened
or else other interests have driven 1t
out And even the small boy, though
he still cherishes his knife, does not
number the expert use Of 1t for cary
ing among his ambitions.
In those days every boy who
amounted to anything-one who was
not a regular lycoddle-possessed
a jackknife, and knew how to use it,
He demonstrated this not only by
whiting out hull, which when sup
piled with masts and riggin stood
evenly on her keel, but which, when
fitted with an AL suit of sails, rode
safely every squall and boisterous sea
and showed clean pair of heels to
the other small ships as it slipped
across the duck pond.
That was not all the small boy with
the handy pocket knife learned to
make from inspecting what the sailors
brought home. There were the Won
derful chains, some square linked, 9th
ers with double square links, with
wooden balls running freely within
the length Of the Inks, these having
been carved out Of the middle of the
square of which each section Of the
chain was made.
It was a pretty proud boy who could
show one of these chains with three
or four links, the last one having a
paddock swinging from 1t, for 1t gave
him a certain high standing with the
"fellers" not obtainable for any 9th
er reason.
Every boy had a jackknife in those
days and he did not think much Of the
one that was handed to him on Christ
mas or on his birthday II 1t was not a
toadsticker. An ordinary knife was
good enough for sharpening pencil
but when it came right down to good
execution 1t was the "sticker" every
time.
II can recollect that the boys began
chain carving with a piece of soft
pine, say an inch and one-half square,
said a white-haired Providence, r. 1.
man. "When they had mastered the
art they shifted to a hard pine stick
the successful manipulation of which
showed the grit the boy had, for otter
It meant big blisters ON the hands, sc
hard was the cutting.
IT have not seen boy whiting OF
one of these chains or anything else
in years. I think about the last whit
tling l saw them doing was in connec
ton with peach stones, out Of which
they were making little baskets to b,
hung to the watch chain and rings fol
the finger.
"There Is another reason why tn,
boy is not whiting as he formerl,
did. He had to make his own kites
fashioning the backbone and making
the bow with his knife. His mothe
furnished the paste by mixing f1ou
and water. He covered the kits will
a newspaper which had to be at leas
a month old before it was allowed t,
be taken from the closet-people hell
on to their newspapers in those days
Despite what this old patriarch say
the boy is still buying and carrying
his knife. only. as the shopkeeper
explain, he Is apparently more fastid
ious In the choice he makes, givin
the big "toadstickers" the go by for
more attractive article; still he insist
upon having one with a good cuttin
edge.
II sold more knives just before tn
holiday season closed last Christina
than / had for long time," said on
of the hardware dealers, "and in
special sale held since then dispose
OF several hundred more. yet I can
say when have seen boy whittlin
while about the streets as l used t.
wonder how many could In tn
spring, when the sap is running VI
cut willow stick, fashion whistle
get the bark off without breaking 1
finish the whistle, slip the bark o
again and blow the thing? We boy