St Ignatius High School - Ignatius Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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66 7 Q 77 F8815 fo If'l lfllfleifs by PHILIP BRANKIN, '49 Note: This is the story of the Tribune lumber camp in Canada just as it was told to the author during a visit to the Tribune Tower, Chicago. The year l9l4 saw the beginning of the Tribune lumber camps. lt is true that they had humble beginnings, but great changes were to take place in a few years. The first camp, or town, as they are now called, was Shelter Bay. This small town was the center of a 300 square mile tract of land, and from it would come the workers in the fall to harvest its vast quantities of wood. After a few years a visitor would have seen the loading plant, the power house and the new roads that had been built in this wilderness. These projects had been built up in this town only after many a setback. The power house had twice fallen in the river that ran below the hill that it was situ- ated on. The wharf that contains the load- ing plant also was washed away by the raging water of the river before it was made strong enough to withstand the force of the hurricanes that sometimes hit the camp. But a change had to take place, the rough houses of the loggers had to give way to the scientifically planned and rigidly zoned, modern town suitable, not only for the worker, but also for his family. ln the Shelter Bay of today there is electricity, hot and cold running water, and heat from a central heating plant. The homes of the men, not unlike the ones built in any suburban district, are built upon lots donated by the Tribune. Any wood that might be needed is also furnished free. This town is not with- out other conveniences that we city folks have, for there is a movie show, a modern up-to-date school for the sons and daugh- ters of the inhabitants. The spiritual and medical needs of the people are also well taken care of. lts church is one of the finest on the North Shore and provides a modern note in the Wilderness which contains, at Tadousac, the oldest church on the North American Continent. As was mentioned the town has a doctor, but this man is not con- fined to practice just in the town for he has to go into the distant forests to help lumber- jacks who have broken limbs. Transportation was one of the biggest dif- ficulties in the early years at Shelter Bay. Men had to trek for many weeks in most cases to reach the place where the timber was to be cut. Besides this the timber had to be moved to the rivers and streams on which it was sent to the paper mills. This problem, however, is changed, for when it is time for the men to go into the forests, they travel by bus, airplane, and boat. Roads into the wilderness were made by the bulldozer, and were used by the little jeep to bring men and mail in to the bush camps. ln the late fall the trees are marked for cutting and the men start to work in earn- est for the Tribune needs great stores of pa- per with which to run the daily paper. The swing of the woodmen's axe and the cry of timber are the most common things. As soon as the tree hits the ground the men of the forest strip it of all branches and it is cut into four foot lengths and stored in piles in the forest to wait out the winter. These log piles are securely fastened for the men know that the coming winter will be a fierce one, and the mighty winds will roar. ln the places where there are streams and rivers

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very special day, Christmas Eve. We called it 'Stedry Vecer' which means 'Generous Eve', and on that evening the entire family gathered under the parent roof to share the feast which had been planned so far in ad- vance. Nothing was spared to make the 'Stedra Vecera or 'Generous Supper' as festive as possible. Mother brought out her nicest dishes and cloths, and when the girls set the table, an extra place was set for the 'Unseen Guest,' and a single candle burned brightly in the center of the table to represent the Christ Child. Lighted lamps were placed in every room to shine out in warm welcome to the 'jezulatko' or 'lnfant jesus.' Father, at the head of the table, said grace, and having finished, took the 'Oplatky' or wafers, which we received from the Parish Priest for this occasion, spread one with pure honey, placed another on top, and, breaking off a piece, handed it to Mother to eat, another piece to the eldest child and so on down until the youngest of us had been served. As Father broke and distributed the 'Cplatkyf he explained that by the act of breaking bread and sharing it, we were pledging to one another our loy- alty and willingness to share the good as well as the bad during the coming year. Then came the rest of the good food, as much and as rich as that year's harvest per- mitted. Many of the dishes were traditional foods, and we enjoyed everything very much. Happy conversation and joyous laughter added to the enjoyment of the meal. After we finished supper, Father gave thanksgiving, and off we tramped into the front parlor to carry on the beautiful custom of singing Christmas hymns around the can- dle-lighted tree. At midnight the ever beautiful 'Pastyrska Omsa' or 'Shepherds Mass' is celebrated, and everyone except the very old and the very young attend. From the lower end of Town, we heard the townspeople approach- ing, calling 'Vesele Vanoce' 'Merry Christ- mas' to each other and singing Christmas Carols. And as they passed each home the members of that household joined the caroll- ers in their song and their journey to the church, which had been beautifully decor- ated with spruce branches and bright col- ored winter berries, to attend the Mass. 'Ticha Noc, Svata Noc'-'Silent Night, Holy Night,' that sweet, simple hymn, and the mighty 'Gloria in Excelsis Deo' thrilled every one of us, because we knew we were sharing in the greatest gift and miracle of true love, the birth of Christ. So you see, jimmy, continued Grandpa, we exchanged gifts with each other and with the newborn Christ, not material things, yet our gifts of love and devotion were most acceptable and very precious. And we did have good things to eat, but we enjoyed them especially because we shared them with those we loved. Gosh, Grandpa, that's a swell story, said jimmy thoughtfully, l'm going to try real hard to make my Christmas like the ones you had when you were a boy. l'm kind of ashamed of myself now because l thought only of the nice present l would get and of the good things to eat at Christmas. That's fine, jimmy, replied Grandpa. When you share what you have, no mat- ter how little, your Christmas will always be a happier one.

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the logs are stored upon the ice to Wait for the coming of the Warm spring and the thaw. Then these logs are floated down the Wide rivers to the paper mills. Where there is no Water transportation the logs are car- ried out by trucks and horse teams. Fire is the most deadly thing that the lum- berjacks ever come in contact With. This menace can ruin a Whole forest furiously fast. The Tribune is lucky that the only ones that roam in the Woods are wood-Wise lumberjacks and teamsters. But as a pre- caution six rangers under a ranger captain are stationed in Shelter Bay. They make sure that all smoking rules are kept and they see that all people in the Woods have a government pass. Fire once destroyed all of 300,000 acres of timber near the town, and the people mean to see that it does not happen again. ln later years the Tribune has started other camps similar to Shelter Bay at Fran- quelin, Baie Comeau and Heron Bay. These places along with Shelter Bay send the ship- loads of Wood pulp to the processing mills. These ships must ply the Great Lakes for the Whole time it is not covered With ice for one shipload only contains enough to run the Tribune for a Week. Without the lumberjacks, and the team- sters, and the equipment at the camps, the Tribune could not possibly hope to keep up its circulation of 7,300,000 papers a week. The management depends a great deal on men who spend their lives in the timber lands so that a great paper may be published. lmmaculate Mother, the one Whom God chose To bring forth His Son, Whom all nations bless, Conquer all evil, crush our foes, Win the World With your holiness. 23 -LESLIE SCHNIERER. '49