Kate Sanborn

“ Now the men in the trade think that to put an Indian out is to waste money.
“When I started business, in 1861, my stock cost me $30, and I had a figure that cost $40. I had to have the sign, though it cost more money than the stock inside. Since then I have been 46 years in business on one (Calvert) street,” said Mr. Caspari.
In 1864 he hired a man from New York to make figures for him. The first figure was a small one, representing an Indian squaw. This was sold in Baltimore in 1865 and brought $15.
These figures were made out of old masts. ”

“ Every man to whom I have appealed for aid in making my story interesting, through pictures, has 35been most courteous and amiable. I have written to absolute strangers—often to a Post Master for the name of a skilful photographer in his town, another perfect stranger, and have always been answered promptly and sometimes with enthusiasm. Several have refused pay, saying they had got real pleasure out of the work and were sorry there was nothing more to do. Sometimes they were obliged to crawl out on a roof and shovel away snow to rescue the poor Indian. ”

“ This complimentary allusion is intended for me, but I make no claim to this honor; it is difficult and risky to try to prove oneself the first in any line of discovery and no doubt there are scores of others who have rescued these statues from oblivion, by giving them a place of refuge. ”

“ And as we scoot here and there in all sorts of out of the way places, we see a Policeman, a Baseball Player, a Hunter in appropriate garb, a handsome Highland Chieftain. Cupid is not omitted; of course not, he is popular and found everywhere. Actors of the past generation have been honored: Edwin Forrest as Metamora, and the elder Sothern as Lord Dundreary. One of these pictures was taken in front of a cigar store in Worcester, the sign is nearly fifty years old and the Indian was formerly the Figure Head of a merchant vessel ”

“ Dreves, Sr., at one time dealt in Indian figures.
Sailing vessels that for a long time plied up and down the coast of America and across the Atlantic carrying merchandise and passengers would become unfit for further use at sea and were then dismantled.
Often the masts of these old sailing vessels would be trailed in the water and towed into port. These portions of masts would, in the water, become hardened, or even petrified. They were of large size and furnished excellent material for wood carving of all kinds. ”

“ To review the history of these Indians one would naturally look to a tobacconist of age, with years in the business of dealing in and manufacturing of smokers’ articles, and in interviewing several of such many facts of interest may be learned. ”

“ He has a distinct genealogy for it is believed that the wooden statue came first into existence in England as a Tobacco sign because Sir Walter Raleigh, who carried the plant back from his trip to America, told of the Indian’s Pipe of Peace and the joys of smoking, besides enjoying it himself. Naturally the Brave himself should be used to advocate its use. ”

“ So, it became the symbol of cigar stores both in England and other countries, as the striped pole belongs to the Barber, who in old times used to bleed his patrons as well as shave them, and the frisky Goat called attention to “Bock Beer.”
Soon all of these will have gone.
A great variety of such signs were found in New York, and several other cities while hunting in a taxi. The most common is the Brave gazing, with right hand over brow; next an Indian Queen or a young girl with a tobacco leaf or bunch of cigars in hand; Squaw with Papoose; Minnehaha, a very pretty girl, offering cigars ”

“ It is difficult to find any in many of our large cities; photographers write that they have been obliged to hunt not in a taxi or auto, but by groping in store lofts and dark attics and that then the figures must be taken “down and out” to get a right light on them. ”

“ In the right hand is a bow and the left hand holds a bunch of tobacco leaves.
Evidence of the skill and training of the now departed German sculptor may be seen in the figure. Every muscle visible on the human form is executed in its exact relation. ”

“ I own that I am a bit superstitious about Indians and fancy I am liked and protected by them, after several unusual experiences which I take this opportunity to refer to the Society for Psychical Research. ”

“ Bringman’s Indian figure, on West Baltimore street, is very old and very impressive in appearance, being of unusually large size and displaying great muscular development. It has required much repairing about the feet and on one thigh. ”

“ Figures were sold all over Baltimore and were repaired frequently. Some were more exposed to the elements than others. Some were of such design that portions were more easily broken off than was the case with others.
61
“Sagamore, Sachem or Pow-Wow”
63 XI TO repaint a figure cost from $10 to $15. They were always painted flashily with high-grade paint and trimmings of genuine gold or silver or whatever metal was called for. Some had earrings, others beads, bracelets or necklaces to repaint fancifully. Then the feathers of the Indian required the highest artistic blending of colors. ”

“ Dreves obtained two lengths of such masts and wished to have two Indian figures carved from them.
68He found a German sculptor from Munich who had carved figures now to be seen adorning the Capitol at Washington.
The German sculptor had never seen an Indian, but when shown pictures of the figures he was to carve exclaimed: “O yes, that’s the American,” meaning that the Indian was the only native American.
Each Indian completed cost $115 in the raw wood.
69
All High Rollers
71 XIII THE Indians carved by the German sculptor are represented with catamount hide for covering. ”