Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-03
Early Americana.

Henry Ford's announced purchase OF
the entire contents and equipment OF
an old-time lumber camp for his early
American museum out at Dearborn is
CONNIE ndable and will take rank with
the complete reeqnipment of that old
New Bedford whaler which Col. Green,
son of the eminent financier Hetty
Green, has established as a museum
along the ocean frontage Of his New
England estate. Except that the old
vessel is set into solid concrete she Is
ready, down to the last sail needle, the
last extra harpoon head, and with even
Q stove" boat awaiting the ministra-
tions Of Chips" the ships carpenter,
to voyage after 'sparm" and bow
head" On pleasant days her sails are
spread by the crew of ancients who
find in her happy home.
Just as this ship Is vivid msmento
of a chapter in American life now al
most closed, so will Ford's camp be. 1t
is such Q group of buildings and Access
series as hourished In OtssgO County,
Michigan, in the 7Os Of the last CEN
fury. True, there are In other parts
of the United States, notably New Eng
land and the Far West, lumber camps
today, but ones noticeahly different
from the shantyman's home OF half .
century since Railways, tractors, shower
baths, canned delicaeies, recreation
rooms, telephones and radios-even .
frequent fiivver parked handy for the
trips in and out of the "walking-boss"
make the old-timer rub his eyes in
establishment.
Reminiscent of the times when crew
would 90 into the deep woods and, with
no other tools than their axes and,
excepting q stove, some lengths Of pipe
and few cooking utensils, with no
equipment hew for themselves . CON-
Portable, If not eommodious, Winter
home, is this new addition to Mr.. Ford's
already varied and valuable collection
of Americana. The equipment includes
hunks, blankets, ox-yokes, chains. spike-
skidS, sleighs, saws and axes, mark
ers, sheulder-yokes, gruh-hooks, come
alongs," peavies, skidding tongs, can't
hooks, pike-poles and . dozen other
things. some Of which have passed out
of the picture and some Of which are
today as essential as ever. There will
be towel-rellers and dinner horns and
old-fashioned water Jugs,
There are one or two invariable fea-
lures of the Old-fashioned camp which
viii undoubtedly be happily missing,
One is those inevitable little bed-fel-
lows who neither work nor pay for their
lodging and which, according to the
old-time lumberjack, were eliminated
only by setting fire to "the whole She
bang" Another is the family of gnaw-
ing hedgehogs. which makes burden
the lives of the cook and his cookies.
They had good grub in those old camps,
in spite of primitive conditions. and
probably Mr.. Ford will invite his friends
to come in some wintry day and have
q picnic dinner In his newest exhibit.
Fortunate will be those who sit close
together on the deacon seat" SHINING
the pork and beans, and with one ear
cooked for the cooks below. In the
more refined camps this important
functionary used to shout Come and
get IT." In the less fancy colonies his
summons was . brief Take her!"
Afterward, when the pipes are lit and
the big stove reiueled, the ghost of Paul
Bunyan will sift through the door
crack. while Babe, the Biue-eyed OK,
munehes his cud outside.