The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-11-12
WHITING 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


year-the jackknife experts who la
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
was often i'll at ease unless he had his
knife In his hand with block OF
wood on which TO exercise il. 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 rs habit and
as an art. appears to have practically
disappeared. The jackknife is no long
or in evidence as il once was, either
In country towns or along the water
front The pace of life has quickened
or else other interests have driven Ill
out And even the small boy, though
ne still cherishes his knife, does not
number the expert use OF IL for. cary
ing among his ambitions.
In those days every boy who
amounted to anything--one who was
not a regular neutrality-suspicious.
| He demonstrated this not only by
" whiting out hull, which when sup
piled with masts and riggin stood
evenly oh 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 II 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 bone There were the won
Gerful chains, some square linked, 9th
ers with double square links. with
wooden balls running freely within
the length of the links, these having
] been carved out of the middle Of the
square of which each section of the
chain was made.
It was pretty proud boy who could
show one of these chains with three
or four links, the last one having n
paddock swinging from il, for II gave
him a certain high standing with the
"fellers" not obtainable for any 9th
er reason.
Every boy had 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 if II was not a
toadsticker. An ordinary knife was
| good enough for sharpening pencil.
but when It came right down to good
execution it was the "sticker" every
time.
|
chain carving with piece of soft
pine. say an inch and one-half square,"
said a wl,ite-haired Providence. r. L.,
man. when they had mastered the
art they shifted to hard pine stick
the successful manipulation of which
II meant big blisters on the hands, 80
hard was the cutting.
II have not seen a boy whiting on
one of these chains or anything else
In years. ! think about the last whit.
Ting saw them doing was in connec.
ton with peach stones. out of which
they were making little baskets to be
hung to the watch chain and rings for
the finger.
There is another reason why the
boy is not whiting as he formerly
did. He had to make his own kites
fashioning the backbone and making
the bow with his knife. His mother
furnished the paste by mixing flour
and water. He covered the kits with
a newspaper which had to be at least
a month old before it was allowed to
be taken from the closet-people held
on to their newspapers in those days
Despite what this old patriarch says
the boy is still buying and carrying
his knife. only, as the shopkeepers
explain, he is apparently more fastid
ious in the choice he makes. giving
the big "toadstickers" the go by for q
more attractive article; still he insists
upon having one with good cutting
edge.
II sold more knives just before tbs
holiday season closed last Christmas
than had for a long time" said one
Of the hardware dealers. land in a
special sale held since then disposed
VI several hundred more. yet I CAM
say when l have seen boy whiting
while about the streets as I used to-
wonder how many could In the
spring, when the zap Is running up
cut willow stick. fashion a whistle
get the bark off without breaking L.
finish the whistle, slip the bark or
| a,aio ood blow tho thtnp7 We hOve