868 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
Hints 'and Wrinkles. 
Readei^ afe invited to send for pufclication tinder this 
Iiead hints and wrinkles drawn from practical experience, 
and, pertaining to shootingt fishing, camping and outdoor life. 
No.!4.— A'Handy^ComblnationlGrab-Box^and Table. 
The novice at camping is often piizzi'ed over the 
.problem of how to carry his perishable provisions while 
on his way to camp, and what to do for a table when he 
arrives and makes ready for a meal. To an old hand 
these questions are easily answered, and he _ prepares 
for every need ere he Ifeaves home. But while a few 
minutes' time and work will provide a serviceable table 
in the permanent camp, if one knows how to go about 
it, one who camps only now and then for two or three 
days, naturally casts about for something that will be 
eflficient yet simple, and at the same time serve two 
purposes, at least. Canoeists have hit upon something 
that will do this, in the combination grub box and table, 
and a description of it may give the beginner a fair idea 
of a box that serves as boat seat, supply kit, dinner 
table, and a handy place to lay things on at night, when 
the ground is damp. 
When kerosene vapor stoves came into general use 
among canoeists, they realized the advantages of eating 
meals inside their tents when mosquitoes were annoying 
soft ground, and frequent capsizes of the outfit would 
be the result. When the four brass pieces are in place, 
the legs should be fitted into them, and each leg pro- 
vided with a shoulder, so that it will not push further 
through than necessary. Then set the whole on an even 
surface and mark the bottom of each leg, sawing it oflE 
so that it will rest evenly on a floor. When this is done, 
the table will be quite rigid, for so small an affair, when 
set on soft ground. 
Take two pieces of brass, each an inch wide and three 
inches long, the thickness being about_i-32 of an inch. 
Lay one across the vise, first opening it about J4 of an 
inch. Take a 3-16-inch steel drill, or a wire nail, and 
place it across the brass, parallel with and over the 
opened jaws of the vise, then hammer the drill until it 
forms a loop across the bit of brass like that shown in 
A, Fig. 2. A few raps with a hammer will do this. 
Then bore three holes in each end of the strip, and treat 
the second one in a similar manner. Place one of these 
brass strips Hear the bottom] of the box, on the end carrying 
the hinges, and the other strip on top of the lid, near 
the edge and just above the hasp. _ Now turn the lid 
back until it is in a horizontal position, and measure 
exactly the distance between these two strips of brass. 
Then take a piece of hard brass wire about 3-16 of an 
inch thick and place it in the vise, letting one end stick 
up a trifle more than an inch, Hammer this end until 
it forms a right angle, try it in one of the strips and see 
it it fits nicely, then bend the other end likewise, until 
other small stuff. Some of these nest in the large kettle,' 
but there is sufficient space left for bread, eggs and the 
•usual supplies for two persons for two days, while th« 
legs and lid-brace lie across the contents under the lid* 
The vapor stove and its supply of wood alcohol an^ 
kerosene are carried in a tin sugar box, in which ther^ 
is also sufficient space for sundry supplies in tins pi 
jars. When the two boxes are filled, there are supplie! 
for several days. As it is often desirable to cumbei 
the tent with as few articles as circumstances will per)' 
mit, the table may be left outside at night, with the \U 
closed. With this end in view, it is well, in finishing 
the box, to give it two coats of linseed oil and two 6 
good spar varnish, so that it may be left out in the rail 
without fear of injuring it or its contents. 
Some of these boxes have been made of thicker m^ 
terial than the one described, but this is not necessary 
if white pine or red cedar is -used. For larger ones 
however, it is well to make the ends of half-inch boa_rds 
and the sides three-eighths. As the average deckei 
canoe will not accommodate a much larger box, sixteei 
or seventeen inches seems to be the size generally mad« 
In stowing the box is placed in the after end of thj 
cockpit and used for a seat. 
Perry D. Frazer. 
THE COMBINATION GRUB-BOX AND TABUE. 
outside, or during a rainstorm. Of course, it was awk- 
ward to do this when a temporary table had been pre- 
pared from bits of plank or boards, picked up on the 
beach, and perhaps this suggested the combination table 
and grub-box, which can be picked up bodily during a 
meal, if need arises, and moved into the tent or else- 
where, and this, too, without removing any of the con- 
tents of the box or whatever may be on the table at tne 
time This is possible when the legs are m place and 
the lid locked in a horizontal direction by means ot a 
brace underneath. These articles are made in various 
shapes, but as their size is generally much alike a de- 
scription of one of them will answer as a guide for any 
novice at camping who may wish to make one for his 
use The inside measurements of this box are: i^engtn 
16 inches; width, 15 inches; depth, 8 inches; depth of 
hd, I inch; length of legs, 18 inches; dimensions of sepa- 
rate board, 16x8x54 inches; thickness of ends,^ ot an 
inch; of sides, top and bottom, ^ of an inch; legs, i^x 
3/^ of an inch. . , , • x «.i 
By referring to the illustration of this table, a very 
good idea of its form and appearance may be obtained. 
It is shown in Figure 3. Figure i shows one of the four 
brass pieces into which the legs are fitted temporarily 
and Figure 2 shows the brace rod of the lid and one of 
the brass pieces into which the brace rod hts. ifie 
•wood of which this table is made is red cedar, but white 
pine will be found more durable. The sides are fastened 
to the ends with brass screws % of an inch long, and 
the top and bottom are fastened with ^-inch screws. 
To insure perfect fitting of lid and box, the whole should 
be finished as a covered box. Then, with a very thm 
saw, the box should be sawed through one inch from 
the top, and when this ie finished, the edges should be 
smoothed off slightly with sandpaper, otherwise it will 
be difficult to fit the lid neatly. Two brass strap hinges 
are then attached to box and lid at one end, and a brass 
staple and strap placed in the center of the opposite 
end. Flat-head brass screws H of an inch long will 
hold these attachments. A small padlock may be added, 
or a bit of pine, tapered, will serve to keep the strap 
in its place over the staple. A staple riveted on a plate 
will be best. . 
To make the pieces for holding the legs, get some sott 
brass 1% inches in width and 1-16 of an inch thick. Cut 
four pieces, each about 4^4 inches long. These should 
be bent to shape, as shown in Fig. i. This can be 
done very easily in a vise, by hammering. Care should 
be taken to mark the brass where it is to be bent, so 
that all the angles will be sharp, and the width of each 
loop the same, as otherwise each leg must be fitted sep- 
arately when the brass pieces are in place on the box. 
When the screw holes have been bored in the brass, it 
it attached quite near the bottom of an end of the box, 
and an angle sufficient to permit the leg to extend out- 
ward as, if all the legs were made perpendicular, they 
would afford little stability to the table when resting on 
the finished rod resembled B. Fig. 2. If this rod is of 
?he correct length when inserted m the loops in the 
two strips, it will hold the lid-table as rigidly as if it 
were nailed in that position. 
The separate board— shown under the vapor stove m 
the picture— fits into one end of the box when not m 
use. Behind the match box will be seen a tiny strip 
of wood. On this and a corresponding strip on the 
other side of the box the board rests during a meal, then is 
75 
^n[^ §^jS 
— 
Proprietors of shooting resorts will find it profitable to advert!) 
them in Forest and Streak. 
replaced in its groove in the end, as mentioned above, 
where it also serves to strengthen the lid when the box 
is used as a seat in the boat. By this means the space 
that may be used as a table is nearly one and one-half 
times the size of the. box. For carrying handles, two 
holes may be bored in either side and bits of cord tied 
in these. If a small ax is carried, it may be safely 
stowed away in the box by tacking a bit of leather on 
one side and pushing the blade into this pocket, as shown 
in the picture. . , . , , . 
If care is exercised m selecting the cooking outfit, it 
may be stowed in the box and abundant space left for 
provisions. In the box pictured here, a gallon kettle 
occupies one corner. In another the following articles 
are nested: An asbestos plate, three aluminum plates, 
a frving-pan with detachable handle, four saucepans, 
the coffee pot, two cups, salt and pepper shakers and a 
teaball for coffee. Then there is a deep tin can holding 
spoons, knives, forks, a small whetstone etc. The 
other articles are in a tin box containing coffee, one for 
sugar one for matches, a screw-top butter jar, and 
Captain Bill and his Crew. 
Early in October I found a letter on my desk froii 
Mr. Mershon, of Saginaw, notifying me that his car won 
pass through St. Paul on Oct. 7, en route for Dawso 
N. D., and to be surely on hand to meet the boys, ai 
when the day rolled around the car and all on board we 
there. Beside Capt. Bill were Major Lyon and M 
Humohreys (hobbling with a cane, yet as game and c| 
thusiastic as any of the party), Messrs. Davis, Jed Aveij 
Briggs, Morley and Mr. Seib. 
For over ten years to my own personal knowledge tli 
car and this same party, with slight changes from year 
year, have been making this same trip. Poor 1 
Schultz has shot his last mallard, for eighteen months I 
he j.oined the legions of mighty hunters who have alreai 
crossed the silent river to the land of the shadowy broi 
and the golden prairie. 
Although every nook and hidden corner of the car 
replete with drawers and lockers, and although every 
on the car had perhaps figured over his wants a dozl 
times and found nothing wanting, yet for the short tir 
they were in town before starting for the north, nothi 
must do but that they saunter over to the gun sto 
Burkhardt's, and when they got there and looked arouij: 
strange to say they, every man. found he needed sonr 
thing. The way they swooped down on vests and shof' 
ing jackets and caps and other things was a cauti( 
Jed, intending to continue out toward the coast and 
some timber prospecting, bought a Mauser pistol, light 
carry and yet powerful enough to lay low a Rooscv 
cat. 
By train time we were all back at the depot, and foil 
our car hitched on to the end of the Northern Pad 
train. Ten successive ytars have I been invited on t 
trip, and I have yet to make it. Always something 
prevent that final action of slamming down the lid 
one's roller-top desk and just going. 
Before the "all aboard" signal was given, Capt. T 
turned the key in the door and said he: "What v 
happen were we to just carry you along? We have r 
of shells, an extra gun or two, an extra sleeping b 
vacant berth in the car and plenty of provision 
what's to hinder your being shanghaied? What ^ 
happen?" I pleaded my case, and the court relucr. 
discharged me, and on my part I very regretfulb, 
longingly followed the glimming rear lights of that 
as it whisked away, perhaps the best and jolliest pari 
gentlemen sportsmen that ever threw a fly or aimed a g 
I got away from my captors by promising to run w.- 
Dawson and spend a day with them before they rettn 
but Kansas City and Chicago called me hence, ami 
opportunity w'as again taken from me. 
Saturday last, the i8th, the following wire from D; 
son reached me : 
"Leave Dawson eleven fifty to-night; need a ron 
a turkey and oysters. W. B. Mershok 
That telegram was simply eloquent. Like the B 
ishers who in Hogarth's time were stationed on the C 
tinent, they longed for the good roast beef of old IT 
Here these boys had put m ten solid days upcu 
Dawson prairies, interlarding a strictly game diet of i 
canvasbacks, mallards and redheads, with prairie chic 
scattered here and there, and now and then in desp( 
tioa indulging in local steaks and roasts of a presuni; 
dubious character. And now that their faces were n 
ing toward home, they longed and prayed for oyster 
a turkey or roast beef ! 
In my early days, after knocking about on the roa 
through Iowa, from one hotel to another, where 
steaks and sausage and cakes were the standbys, li 
have longed for the sight of a grill room where one 
go and ordering a sirloin or a chop, actually sit ther 
see it spurt and sizzle over the glowing coals, r 
knew how that poor game-surfeited crowd felt, and 
for them, and when their train rolled in yesterc 
2:15 P. M., a messenger handed over the finest lo 
oysters and the plumpest and juiciest roast that 
market afforded. 
What a happy crowd they were ! Everybody exul 
in his praise of the shooting and general good time 
by them all. Geese there were none, the lakes north -i 
yet open, but chickens and sharptail grouse and d' 
well they found them, and in abundance. The days 
bright and the air was bracing, and their mornings 
evenings were given up to ducks, and between time 
followed the elusive grouse and wary chicken, 
early shooting had educated the chickens up to c! 
