Woodsmen's Tests
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By Dan BeardNovelties for Crockett's DayHow to Run a Costume Race, a Leap-Frog Race, a Wheel-Barrow Race, and a Push-Wagon RaceNext come the real woodsmen's tests, for be it known that the Son of Daniel Boone who can win the observation race, the hawk-eye test, and the notch for the sign language is a boy possessing all those qualities which make a woodsman scholar and a successful man. We are following in the footsteps of old Mother Nature, for she makes the play of all small animals a schooling for the pursuits of their mature life. To make the Davy Crockett Midsummer Field Day a success, enlist the sympathy of your parents and teachers, and if your Fort is in a big town or city, go to the mayor or councilman, and obtain permission to make your camp for that day in the public park. In this political work you will find your parents and teachers of great assistance in showing you how to go about securing the required permission, and if you approach the officials properly you will find that even the toughest politician has a soft place in his heart for the boys. If, however, you live in a small settlement, there are open fields and pastures all around within reach where you can pitch your tents, and make a corral of your prairie-schooners for head-quarters and dressing-rooms for the athletes. Wherever you have the space to do so, make your camp in the center of an oval tract. The camp ground should be protected by a fence made of a rope attached to upright sticks. The spectators can camp and picnic upon the outside edge of the race-track, where they will have a full view of all the events. These may comprise all that are usual in athletic contests, but particular attention must be paid to such tests of skill as are peculiar to our order, many of which have already been described in the previous chapters of this book. Prairie-Schooner RaceThe most exciting race of the meet is often the one run with the prairie-schooner with the hoops and canvas removed. The course for this race should be over ground which has both hills and level stretches. Each schooner has a crew of two-one to push and one to steer. In going over the level ground, one boy runs behind, with his hands upon the pusher, shoving the cart, while the other one steers by means of the strings attached to the front axle. When they reach the brow of a hill, the pusher is allowed to drop the pusher flat on the cart, and the boy who has been running behind leaps aboard and coasts down the hill. The crew must arrange between themselves when to change places, for one boy cannot push the cart through the whole race with any hope of winning. The changing places by the boys requires considerable practice; it can then be done without any apparent slacking of the speed of the cart. During the change, learn to keep up the speed of the cart, and thus allow the boys to alternately rest. When you come to a down grade, both rest while enjoying the coast. The length of the course had better be decided after some trial trips, because much depends upon the nature of the ground where the race is run. Observation Race
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Last modified: October 15, 2016.