During the late 19th century, as civilization forged
into the last northern outposts of Wisconsin's virgin
wilderness, one type of man came first, the logger. It
was he who hewed out the" tote" roads which were the
first feelers of civilization's farms and cities. And
yet, because he was a true provincial, cut off from
niceties of that Civilization, the loggers developed
their own unique and colorful culture.
Sunday in camp was devoted not only
to cleaning up and washing clothes, but also boiling clothes to reduce the vermin population. No one ever thought of taking a bath
because there was no place to take a bath and if there had been, it
would have been too far to carry water for fifty men. In the early
1900s many of the jacks in the woods were heads of families who
usually went home on holidays, but ordinarily, a person can go a
long time without a bath in cold weather without feeling any ill
effects. In fact, many of our pioneers, who had no experience in the
logging woods, were just as opposed to bathing as the lumberjacks. They
thought it was unhealthy to be bathing too often.
Photo taken by Kingsbury at Camp 9 for Bundy Lumber Co
Usually, there was a
wash basin at one end of the sleeping shanty, with a barrel of rain
water or creek water to dip from. In fall and spring the wash bench
stood outside. Soap and towels were furnished, but family men often
brought their own towels. No one ever brought a toothbrush, no one wore
glasses, and only a few could afford a dollar watch. Sunday was also a
day when a preacher might arrive in camp-just in time to eat and call a
meeting in the sleeping shanty. The men listened out of courtesy, if
nothing else, and when the hat was passed, they donated to the good
cause, at which time the visiting preacher went on to the next camp,
knowing full well he hadn't accomplished very much. There was no
drinking in camp, not for moral reasons, but because some men never knew
when to quit, and when drunk, became violent and abusive. The men lived
in close quarters, violence of any kind could upset the peace of the
bunk house. Gambling was also frowned on, especially poker, and a game
with anything higher than penny ante was discouraged
Camp 9
Kitchen
While there was no sign on the wall forbidding
it, every lumberjack knew that one of the unwritten laws of the woods was no talking at the table. With thirty to fifty men in a mess
hall, everyone eating elbow to elbow as at a church lutefisk supper, the cooks
would not have been able to communicate with one another if talking had been
allowed. They kept an eye on the serving dishes and coffee cans and filled them as soon
as they were empty . The serving dishes were set up to feed four men,
that is, two men on opposite sides of a long table, seated on benches, so there was no need to pass
anything.
The boarding-house reach was acceptable, and most men
speared a piece of bread or just about anything on the table
with their fork. But no one stirred his coffee with his
thumb. Perhaps it happened once, a long time ago somewhere,
and it became the inspiration for a folk ballad about the
"Frozen Logger" who, in the first verse of the ballad, went
into a small cafe one evening and a 40 year old waitress to
me these words did say: "I see that you are a logger,
not just a common bum. For nobody but a logger, stirs his
coffee with his thumb".
The chore boy or "lunch
boy" seems pleased by the attention he is getting from the
cameraman and wants his mule to share in the pleasure. The sled,
often called a jumper, was used to haul containers of hot food
into the woods for the crews at lunch time. The log cabin in the
background is no doubt the kitchen and it shows the use of tar
paper for siding and roofing. Photo taken in the early 1900's
around Parrish for the Bundy Lumber Company.
Credits: "The Wisconsin Logging
Book"
1839-1939 by Malcolm Rosholt
Photo taken near Bundy, Wisconsin. Courtesy of Gloria Rahlf
Camp 7 landing. Jeffris, Wisconsin 1898
Moving from camp to camp, the
narrow gauge 'meals on
wheels' would bring the portable kitchen to the loggers
working in the forest. The loggers were able to enjoy a hot
meal inside a warm dinning car, a welcome respite from the
harsh winters before heading back to the logging camp. Here
we see the cook and the cooks assistant sitting atop the
train.
