HARDWOOD RECORD 



19 



Formerly, it was not. thought necessary to 

 provide tops or covers for caskets. The body 

 was always exposed; at the time of burial 

 heavy mats or cloths protected with cross 

 pieces of bamboo were put over the body. 

 Since the Americans have occupied the ii-Iands 

 native uutlertakers have l)eeu compelled to 

 use covered caskets, and nuuuifacturcvs now 

 provide covers for all burial rases. 



Crude burial cases which arc siriiiily hard- 

 wood logs with sufficient space gouged out to 

 accommodate the body, as shown in figure 1, 

 are seen in remote sections of the islands. 

 This is accomplished by the use of chisels 

 and by burning out the wood with hot coals. 



The original style of hardwood coffin is 

 shown in figure 2. This coffin was never deep 

 enough, and the body projected above the 

 sides. It was usually of the tapering shape 

 shown in figure 2, but was also made with 

 straight sides, as in figure 3. Strips of liard- 



wood entwinei-1 with cords form 



kind of 





r.y.' 



PHILIPPINE COFFINS, 

 litter used for burial purposes, a view of 

 which is given in figure 4. This affair has no 

 sides or top, the body being protected with 

 heavy mats. These litters have been dis- 

 pensed witli in nearly all the cities and large 

 towns of the islands, but they may still be 

 seen in the mountainous districts. 



The United States government has sent 

 caskets to the island for the bvirial of sol- 

 diers and civilians in the employ of the gov- 

 ernment. They are mostly of inexpensive de- 

 sign, but the native manufacturers are not 

 slow in constructing coffins modeled after the 

 American style. One of these patterns is 

 shown in figure 5. The result has been that 

 some excellent hardwood coffins of domestic 

 manufacture are now seen on the market. 

 These coffins lack much of the metal trim- 

 ming of the American-made product, but the 

 excellency of the wood, and the long and 

 tedious labor of finishing and polishing them, 

 make really worthy articles. 



Although but little metal work is used in 

 the elaboration of caskets, native manufactur- 

 ers turn out beautifully hand-carved cases. 

 Often in making a casket for a rich native, 

 elaborate designs are carved, and parts highly 

 polished with native oils. Figure 6, for ex- 



ample, is a specimen 'which demonstrates tlio 

 unceasing toil of the native woodworker. The 

 top of this coffin was inlaid with seL'tions of 

 v,-ood that looked very much like ebony, each 

 little portion carefully adjusted. The natives 

 who do this work receive about one dollar 

 I'hilippine currency, which is equal to fifty 

 cents United States currency, per day. 



blgure 7 illustrates another stylo of artis- 

 tic decoration. 'I'lie top of this case was 

 made of hardwood resembling walnut wliich, 

 after having been smoothed with i]lanes, was 

 carved with tlie tloral design as shown. The 

 workman recpiires two weeks to do the artistic 

 work on this coffin. Figure 8 shows a form 

 of coffin used in sections where wakes are 

 common, which is adapted for the employ- 

 ment of candles or other lights. Wood hold- 

 ers are arranged on the lid to hold the can- 

 dles. A funeral in the Philippines is really 

 a weird sight; the flickering light of the 

 caudles, the solemn music, the low chanting, 

 ;dl often ending in hilarious festivity, are 

 peculiarly impressive. 



The native casket makers are sometimes 

 called upon to manufacture cases of unusually 

 elaborate pattern. One coffin seen was fitted 

 out in the manner exhibited in figure 9. The 

 six hardwood balls at the corners were sup- 

 po.sed to ward off evil spirits. 



An Appetizer. 



Dinner was a little late. 



A guest asked the hostess to play some- 

 thing. 



Seating herself at the piano, the good 

 woman executed a Chopin nocturne with 

 precision. 



She finished and there was still an inter- 

 val of waiting to be bridged. 



In the grim silence she turned to an old 

 gentleman on her right and said: 



"Would you like a sonata before din- 

 ner?" 



He gave a start of surprise and pleasure. 



"Why, yes, thanks!" he said. "I had a 

 couple on my way here, but I think I could 

 stand another. ' ' — Harper 's Weekly. 



Hardwood Gears. 



The hardwood gear has 

 been a factor in mechanical 

 devices for centuries, as is 

 well known. Our forefathers 

 constructed very substantial 

 hardwood gears because the 

 manufacture of metal gears 

 was not perfected as it is to- 

 day and the output was lim- 

 ited. Hardwood gears are not 

 at present made because metal 

 gears are not available, but 

 because there are movements 

 in certain intricate machines 

 that can best be effected by 

 means of the cogs of hard- 

 wood gears. Softness and 

 smoothness in running are the 

 chief qualities in favor of 

 hardwood gears. If cogs are 

 constructed of properly se- 

 lected wood and correctly ad- 

 justed, wood gearing will op- 

 erate with as little noise and 

 friction as rawhide. 



Too great care cannot be 

 exercised in the selection of 

 woods to be used in the manu- 

 facture of gearing. Toughness, 

 elasticity, evenness of grain, 

 freedom from knots, smooth- 

 ness of finish, complete sea- 

 soning to avoid warping or 

 shrinking are essential. The 

 use of the soft woods, such as 

 alder, asp, beach, willow, etc., 

 would result in gearing which 

 would not make very many 

 turns without stripping off 

 the cogs. The hardest woods 

 known are of necessity chosen. 



^'•^^ 



F'^e Ti^s 



Imported woods are often 

 used in American shops when 

 the domestic varieties are not 

 available. Boxwood, elm, oak 

 and walnut of abundant do- 

 mestic growth are commonly 

 employed. Among the foreign 

 woods used are ironwood, 

 brazil-wood, amboya, black 

 ebony, camwood and palmyra. 

 Woods of great elasticity and 

 hardness are chosen for gears 

 of moderate size, such as ash, 

 hickory, hazel, lance-wood, 

 yew, etc. The even-grained 

 woods of the lime-tree, pear- 

 tree, and the like, have been 

 used to good advantage in the 

 making of large cogs for 

 heavy wood gears. Crab-tree 

 wood, locust and lignum-vitae 

 make exceptionally good teeth 

 for wheels in which the body 

 (rim and hub) is of metal. 

 The wood cogs are fitted into 

 slots in the rim. 



The accompanying cuts il- 

 lustrate various methods em- 

 ployed in making revolving 

 cylinders with cogs. Some- 

 times the end of the w*ood 

 shaft is grooved out as shown 

 in figure 1, the cog and shaft 

 in one piece, which is a very 

 strong combination, even if 

 the wood is not of the tough- 

 est species. It is essential 

 that the shaft of wood be 

 thoroughly seasoned and free 

 from imperfections. 



Of recent years a popular 



