Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1916-12-29
Old SHIP CARvERS
Their Occupation Gore, Theirs Is
Nov Lost Art.
ricUREHEADs OUT OF DATE.

tlSUnEHEAUS UUl Ut DAIE.
These Famous Old FaneifuI figures,
Eisborately Fashioned In Wood, Find
No Place In the Decorative Scheme
of Modern Hindismner.
While there is u revival Of wooden
shipbuilding IN Maine. giving employ
ment to the carpenter. figger and ssh-
maker. there is not on the whole length
Of the coast any job for the carver
the sculptor ia wood who used to make
the fguTeheads. That is an occupation
now entirely gone, for the tigurehesa
Is out of date and its carving a lost art.
One OF the most famous Of the ship
carvers was the late William T. Sea
vey " Bangor who fashioned igurs-
heads for the best square riesers that
ever left Maine He learned his trade
In Bsnscr shipysrd when the banks
Of the fenobscot brlstled with new
vessel frames. piled his elcaver. ehisel
and souge through all the years OF
America'S greatest maritime glory,
witnessed the decline Of our ocean
commerce and lived to see his occups-
tlon entirely gone.
For forty years or more did seavey
carve angels and cherubs, kings and
queens. meImaids and dolphins, states
men aud warriors. not to mention an
occasional lion and numerous eagles,
for the adornment Of down east ves-
sells. for every craft Of any considera-
Die size carried a fgurehead some sort
Of ornament under the bowspht BE-
ing regarded as necessary to complats
her outfit. But now all that Is gone.
Owners can see no sense In spending
money on such gewgaws as a blue eyed
aud white robed queen wearing a ysl-
low crown. When they build vessel
now-square riggers are no longer
thought of-they white her of tor
ward to billet head and let her 60 at
that. Maybe a gilt scrollwork tops her
stem. but nothing more.
htn II - thaA buuhiI hhbNs NV
wood sculptor no more. the sole re-
minder OF Seavey's art being a broken
and faded specimen Of his work. encs
carried by a big ship. but for many
years mounted as sign over his shop
door IN Exchange street In the days
OF her youth this statuesque lazy,
whitfield and chiseled from a pine log,
had golden trimmings on her GrsciaB
robes and in one dainty hand held aloft
a golden goblet Now she is weather
worn and griiny. and the goblet hand
Is gone. but she is the most striking
memorial Of Seavey. all his other paint
ed beauties being scattered to the
seven seas under foreign flags or gone
to the port Of dead ships.
One OF the finest fgureheads in It's
day was that OF the clipper ship West
ern Belle II was the full sized figure
of woman, with her left arm out
stretched. carrying a few spears Of
wheat. Her right hand gathered the
folds of her skirt. the drapf of which,
considering that the 4lterial was
wood. was admirably executed.
From the general outline ne less
than from the careless curl lying along
the breast It is suspected that the ear
yer had worked IN marble or was q
natural genius. His name was samp-
son. He neglected to cut his nrst
name on his masterpieces. He lived
and toiled iu Bath. the home Of Amer
lean shipbuildlng. where the Western
Belle was built in 1876.
His handiw0rk was carried by Bath
built ships to the most remote parts
Of the world and 1t is related that a
south sea island chief was so Impress
ed with the Yankee carver's skill that
he sent him commission by friend
" skipper to make a set Of idols to
meet the theological needs Of the
chiefs heather subjects.
The Western Belle is spending the
evening of her days as a coal barge.
but the lady who graced her PROV was
retired from the sea and now occupies
a place In garden. One of her pecd-
liarities was a detachable arm, the one
In which she held the wheat. During
voyages it was unscTewed so that the
seas might not break it, being replaced
when the ship was about to make 4
port This was not known in the more
elaborate OF the old wooden figure
heads. especially of men-of-war, where
danger OF shattering was greatest.
Some fgureheads were illustrative
OF the vessels name. others were
whims Of the owners or the captains
and ptill other vymbolie OF events stS
curing at tae time the vessels were
built. The schooner War Eagle, for in
stance. was built In wartime. and she
had for her ngurehead a fierce looking
eagle. perched on heap Of cannon
balls and with arrows clasped In ita
talons The War Eagle was destroyed
some years ago at Boston by an expls-
sion OF naphtha in her cargo. The
schooner American Eagle was decorat-
ed with gorgeous bird Of freedom.
and the brig American Union was lib
orally ornamented. stern ana bew.
with symbols OF this nation,
The old steamer Expounder had a
figure Of John Marshall holding the
constitution outspread. and the steam
er Daniel Webster carried on either
paddle box medallion head Of the
great orator while In her saloon was
hung life sized portrait of him, pre-
scented by the citizens Of Boston.-Bes-
ton Globe
Great men begin enterprises because