The Rag and Bone Man

[Jalaco]

Re: The Rag and Bone Man

Thank you very much for the tip and info, Mrs. Lawson! That sounds like a decent impression that isn't skill heavy. Sadly, I live in central Up-state New York, so it would be a long drive for a day trip. But the next time I am out west, I will most definetely stop by the museum and check out at least that bit of it. I will look more into that profession and the lifestyle of such people. Until I start my own plantation, that is a strong contender.
Do you know of any resources that reference woodcutters in the south? Given that few trees are usually cut down at reenactments, everything you said about its application in a reenacting setting would work beautifully. But as far as background goes, the obvious centeres of logging and such would have been Maine, the Old Northwest, Oregon, etc.
I imagine some places on/near the east coast would be most settled and therefor cleared of trees, although there would have been many places in the east with forests and such. Would the western Confederacy have had an industry to rival that of its northern counterparts? Arkansas comes to mind?

[Hank Trent]

Re: The Rag and Bone Man

While looking for 'a job,' one thing that crossed my mind at one point, along with rag-and-bone man and others, was possibly portraying a former convict who had comitted some crime (wether it be petty thievery or something as bad as murder). He then could have been hired as a substitute by a wealthy individual who paid for his out, or just flat out conscripted and thrown from prison into a regiment.

Maybe others know more about this, but I'm not sure how a person serving a prison sentence could be released to serve in the army. So far as I know, in civilian life a governor's pardon or an appeal which overturned the previous judgment would be the only way, but maybe there was some wartime conscription rule also.

Of course there would be corruption, but I'm not sure how that would work. Is there evidence of prisoners being used for substitutes or bounty jumpers, and some kind of regular bribery going on to get them illegally released from prison? Or was there some legal basis for having one's sentence commuted if one enlisted?

An already recently-released man who needed money, and a rich person who needed a substitute, would be a perfect match, so that does sound reasonable.

A convict impression would require me to do little more than be myself, so would be that much easier to portray!

If only it were that easy! Needless to say, a person might be reluctant to talk about life in prison, or even reveal that he had been in prison at all, so it would be a natural reason to avoid saying anything about one's past, and in that sense, it would be a good work-around for giving the illusion of being a period person without needing to know the details of period prison life. I portrayed an alumnus of the Ohio Penitentiary once, and just told people I'd spent five years up in Ohio. When they asked what I did, said I worked in a factory that made planes, and changed the subject. Well, yes, that was the contract labor that inmates did--as I recall, making planes and other carpentry equipment.

But think of all the things an ex-convict would actually know: what the prison rules were, what it meant to have half one's head shaved, whether he'd come out of prison with a fear of having water poured on his face (and why he might--read up on the Auburn system). Could he send and receive mail, could he have visitors? Could he socialize with other prisoners? What rations was he given? Did he wear striped prison clothes? What did the guards wear? Were white and black prisoners segregated? What medical care did one receive?

Like any other background, there's a simple way out: figure out a reason the knowledge won't be needed during an event. I knew darn well I wouldn't be expected to make a plane at an event out in the woods, and didn't plan to say I'd been in prison, so it didn't matter whether I could actually use factory machinery or whether I knew all the details of prison life.

But like any other background, no life in the 19th century was so simple that we can know much about it without research, all these years later.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Hank Trent]

Re: The Rag and Bone Man

Do you know of any resources that reference woodcutters in the south? Given that few trees are usually cut down at reenactments, everything you said about its application in a reenacting setting would work beautifully. But as far as background goes, the obvious centeres of logging and such would have been Maine, the Old Northwest, Oregon, etc.

I got the sense that Mrs. Lawson was talking more about an ordinary woodcutter, rather than someone working in the logging industry. All those southern steamboats needed cordwood on a regular basis, as did all those southern trains (which also ran on wooden ties, each cut and hewed with an axe), in addition to the fireplaces of all those southern households. Then there were all those rail fences...

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Elaine Kessinger]

Re: The Rag and Bone Man

Since you are in upstate New York, allow me to draw your attention to an event in New York...

Immersion event taking place at the Genesee Country Village and Museum in Upstate New York.
If you missed it last year, now's your chance to get in for this year!

The setting is a small town in what will later be Western Virginia. There is a military component, but the civilians are just trying to get along with Life as Usual. Participants in this event will be expected to maintain first person for 24 hours, and will stay in one of the 68 historic structures on the museum grounds. All food is provided through the registration fee ($30 until September 15th) and is appropriate to the location and season. Participants have all of the museum's 400 acres to themselves (no public) and can use hearths, stoves, beds, and select furniture and equipment. Period currency is also provided to conduct business with. It doesn't get much closer to time travel than this!
Dates of the event are November 2-4, 2012

There are a number of recommended civilian roles to choose from, or create your own. Each participant is expected to submit a photo with registration to ensure high accuracy standards are met.

To receive an application form as well as rules, regs, a bit more about the event, and have questions answered, please contact Bevin Lynn at blynn@gcv.org.

Photos of the historic buildings and grounds can be found at www.gcv.org
More information for military types available at http://www.140thny.org/tactical/tactical.htm

Hurry! Only a few spots available until September 15th!

[Jalaco]

Re: The Rag and Bone Man

I am not actually sure about being released from prison myself, even to serve as a substitute. I'm hoping to find some more info or find someone who has a bit of knowledge on the topic. Hopefully, then, those other questions that you posed, and some of which I had wondered, could be answered. I haven't looked into it greatly, but I'll have to do some more hunting myself.
As you say Mr. Trent, that although there are so many facets of life that we can only hope to provide the illusion of 19th century one, I am a crude enough of an individual that playing the part would be of little problem, luckily! In thinking prisoner or convict, I imagine a person who (although no two people or personalities are the same) would have a few basic qualities and/or attributes that would put them in a certain mindset. Now, granted, I have never been to prison, but I feel that I would more easily be able to swing downwards to acting like a rough, generally crass individual than a more refined, upper class one.

In regards to the woodcutter, I suppose I do believe you are correct there about ordinary woodcutter vs someone in the logging industry. I still wonder though, do you know about organization of such men? While the south didn't have the logging industry that the extreme north did, would there still be any sort of business like organization or body of men who did such work? Or would it truely be an individual effort there, someone chopping wood as a freelancer (to use a probably non-period term)? Did individual men chop wood and then sell it to railways and steamboats, or was it done within a contract made between a woodcutter and a boat captain, railway or farmer who needed a rail fence? I'm liking the idea of a woodcutter as a simple-enough and physically based (aka FUN) trade, but would like to know a bit about the business side of the work for conversation purposes, if there is much info on the topic.

On a different note: Miss Kessinger, thank you twenty times over. I've been there before for the annual beer/battle/ball event they host in July, but haven't heard of this one before. Being so close to home, I'll be a son of an abolitionist if I miss it. Thank you again for the tip; this might be the event of the year for me!

[Hank Trent]

Re: The Rag and Bone Man

I am not actually sure about being released from prison myself, even to serve as a substitute. I'm hoping to find some more info or find someone who has a bit of knowledge on the topic. Hopefully, then, those other questions that you posed, and some of which I had wondered, could be answered.

Which state penitentiary? It would make things easier to pick a famous one, like Auburn, but a lot of info about even the smaller ones is online.

Just as a few examples (the titles link to the full books online):
Life in Sing Sing, 1860
Rules and Regulations for the Government and Discipline of the State Prisons of the State of New-York, 1857
A Report on the History and Mode of Management of the Kentucky Penitentiary, 1860
Earlier, but Prison Life and Reflections... in Missouri Penitentiary, 1855

I still wonder though, do you know about organization of such men? While the south didn't have the logging industry that the extreme north did, would there still be any sort of business like organization or body of men who did such work? Or would it truely be an individual effort there, someone chopping wood as a freelancer (to use a probably non-period term)? Did individual men chop wood and then sell it to railways and steamboats, or was it done within a contract made between a woodcutter and a boat captain, railway or farmer who needed a rail fence?

I don't know about those who contracted to hire labor and sell wood as a business in large quantities, and how that worked, but from the point of view of the worker, portraying a day laborer would mean that you'd work for whoever wanted your labor, whether it was a poor widow needing a few days' work getting wood in for winter, or a logging company hiring men for the winter. It was the lowest level of working class, just above beggar, but at least in the south you'd be socially above the slaves--or at least you'd think you were. Your main concerns would be how much you'd be paid per day or per piece, whether room and board was included, who supplied the tools, how much work was available, what hours you'd be expected to work, etc.

This would have been a little earlier in the century, but is still pretty typical, from the introduction to a Maryland plantation journal at http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/blackford/blackford.html :

Blackford employed a large number of hired laborers for seasonal farm work, for cutting wood and timber, and for special jobs such as filling the ice houses and repair work on barns and houses. Some few were hired for the year. The hired laborers included native whites, foreigners whom Blackford called Germans, Dutch, Scotch, Irish and Italian, free Negroes, slaves belonging to his neighbors, and Indians. Most of these were unskilled workers but Blackford occasionally hired skilled carpenters and brick masons. The latter were employed to remodel his own house and to rebuild a cistern and water works. It is impossible to say just how many workers Blackford employed, but a count for two months in 1838 discloses 3 slaves, 4 free Negroes, 3 Indians, 2 Dutchmen, 6 Germans, 1 Irishman, 1 Italian, and 21 local whites. Nor is there sufficient evidence to generalize about wages or the quality of work done. One white man was paid $1.00 per day, a white woman 62 1/2 cents, and a Negro girl 87 1/2 cents in wheat harvesting. An old man who did what Blackford called "piddling work" was given his keep, a little tobacco, and an occasional sum of money for making fence palings. An "old Negro" was hired to make brooms of broom corn grown on the plantation at 6 1/4 cents each. One free Negro cut 18 1/2 cords of wood, split 550 fence rails, and sawed blocks for shingles and logs for lumber, but his wages were not recorded. One white laborer split 2,640 shingles by hand, a carpenter pulled off the old roof on the barn and smokehouse on Shepherd Farm and nailed on 6,800 shingles on the house in Shepherdstown. The brick mason who rebuilt the cistern and water works at Ferry Hill Place was engaged in the task for more than a month.

The hired laborers generally proved satisfactory workers, but they occasionally fell under condemnation. For instance two free Negro wood cutters were denied the use of Blackford's grindstone because "they had carelessly broken the handle off of the crank." Isaac Widows, a white wood cutter also "broke the crank of my grindstone. I conclude he is very Trifeling." Martin Shellman, another white man and a "trifeling fellow," was discharged but continued on the place and "ate in the kitchen with the Negroes." Both these men had been employed for the year and both were re-employed after having been discharged.

Blackford's chief grievance against his hired laborers was their excessive use of whiskey. He himself contributed to this habit by serving them liquor and by furnishing them money to purchase it for themselves. On one occasion Nicholas and Martin came to work, but "booth are for a sprey." Blackford gave "Nicholas $2.75 and Martin $1.00 which will keep them drunk for some time." After Shellman "went on a sprey for more than a week," which he had spent in Sharpsburg and where he had taken one of Blackford's sheep dogs, Blackford called him in on August 26 and gave him a lecture on whiskey drinking. "He said he would quit and drink no more." On September 4, Blackford wrote "Shellman making shingles, sober and stedy"; September 20, "Shellman still perfectly sober." Blackford thought he had worked a cure. But alas, on September 30, "Shellman came in the evening. has been Drunk in Sharpsburg all last night." A few days later a stranger called and asked for a job but Blackford decided "he looked like a drinker therefore I would not imploy him." It might be noted that Blackford treated his hired laborers as individuals be they black or white, slave or free, and judged each on his own merits. One example will suffice. Isaac Widows, a white man employed for the year, "called wants meat, bread, & money gave him none. Negro George came, gave him $1 to purchase a hat."

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Elaine Kessinger]

Re: The Rag and Bone Man

If one wants to get all formal about such things...

From: The American Lawyer, and businessman's form book by Delos White Beadle, 1855, pg. 15

No. 8.—Agreement to sell and deliver Cord-Wood.

This Agreement, &c. [as in No. l to the *].

Witnesseth, that the said John Doe agrees to sell to tho said Richard Roe one thousand cords of wood, all of it to he well seasoned, and to be of beech and maple only, and to deliver the same, securely corded, at the factory of the said Richard Roe in the town aforesaid, for the price of two dollars per cord, on the first day of June next.

And the said Richard Roe, in consideration thereof, agrees to pay to the said John Doe, for the said wood, at the rate of two dollars for each cord of wood, immediately upon the completion of the delivery thereof.

In witness whereof, &c. [as in No. l]


************************

You're looking at two subjects here...

Firstly, you're looking for "something to do" at immersion re-enactments that will contribute to the event. Cutting wood for the various places at the event that need wood is one such task. It will keep you busy in an historic manner, gives you a reason to be there, and performs a much needed service for the event.

Secondly, you're looking for a very working class persona that will keep you so busy that you will not need to be yammering on at length on topics you think you don't know sufficiently. A day laborer is just such a person. The labor you happen to be engaged in at the time we are seeing you at the event just happens to be chopping wood... for whomever will pay/barter. The labor you will be engaged in "tomorrow" might be burying the dead the battle scenario is creating "today" or helping a gardener weed Mrs. Snooty's fancy English Garden or Mr. Orchardist harvest his apple crop or... or... ...but today we're chopping wood and we hope those biscuits that smell heavenly are part of the pay.

[J. Donaldson]

Re: The Rag and Bone Man

While doing some transcription work I came across some information pertinent to the rag collector question asked in this thread, and thought I'd pass it along. Material comes from the December 13, 1862 edition of the Macomb Eagle.

"Save Your Rags. – There is a tremendous excitement just now among printers, editors, and publishers, about the increase in the price of paper. There is good cause for it. One half the newspapers in this country must stop if the present high prices continue. The whole difficulty might be avoided if more care was taken to save and collect cotton rags. – More rags are wasted annually than are sold to the paper markets. It now becomes a patriotic duty upon the part of every housekeeper to economise in this matter – to save and sell everything about the house out of which printing paper can be manufactured."

Apparently paper stock increased dramatically in price by the end of 1862 (50% per another story in this edition), and the Eagle is calling for the collection and sale of rags to increase paper production. Perhaps being a rag man was a money making proposition as the middle of the war approached.