Wood Chopping Contest (Part 2)
New Ipswich Historical Society
Marion Davis Audio-Tape Transcriptions
Sometime before her death in 1986, Marion Davis recorded her memories at the encouragement of her brother, Walter Buck. The recordings were transcribed by a secretary.
The Friends of Wapack have made these available to the Historical Society. Marion was born on February 8, 1894 in Fitchburg, MA.
The Contest
When the time came he had spent 3 hours grinding my axe so that it would cut a good deep cut. We went down to Wilton. They wanted me in my felt boots just as I was dressed that day they came to see me. I didn't think much of that, but anyway we went to Wilton. I met an Ethel Drew from Temple; she had a double bitted axe. And there was Mrs. Bullock from Milford. I was a little bit nervous when I first got down there but then there was a big crowd. They had a fenced off area and they had 3 logs laying on the ground there. All had been hewed down so that there was a 10" cut had to make 3 cuts thru these logs. They gave us a hat to draw from; I drew No 2; it was the middle log. We went to work. I had my log 2/3rds thru when the crowd began to holler, "No 2, No. 2". I was trying to turn my log with the axe. It was too heavy so I had to drop my axe and turn it with my hands. It didn't take but a minute or 2 to finish. I won and Ethel Drew came in second so we each had a trophy given us. We were invited out to dinner that afternoon but I had to get back to the Lodge as I had guests staying there. It gave me a lot of publicity; there were men there with cameras and afterward I heard from some of the Appalachian members that they saw me in pictures in Boston and they saw the chips fly. Some of the contests came out in the rotogravure section 1 of the Sunday papers.
Then after that I began to get letters from one party after another. I had a letter from the Daniel Boone Club wanting me to join that, then I could go all over the world Because I was a winner I would be taken around the world with a chopping exhibition.
The funniest thing I got was a letter from a man in Canada. That letter went to Ipswich, England, and how it ever got back to me I don't know. He said he had a nice camp up there in Canada in the woods but it needed finishing Hearing about me he thought perhaps I'd like to become this wife and come up there and help him finish the camp. I never answered that letter.
Photo Archives
I couldn’t find a photo of the log chopping contest, but we do have one of the church BEFORE the clock was added (see todays diary entry)
James Roger diary entry
24th January 1913
Dull and mild; wind west. David & Daniel clearing up at Fox place. I fixed Hall after the committee had cleaned up and put leaves in henhouse. Also went to Mail; got postcard from Hamish. Signed petition to have article put in the warrant for Town to take over the new clock from Baptist Church. W. Thayer got accounts for cemetery work. Got letter from May.
Wish we had a pic of Marion in her glory. Wonder if news articles of this event still exist online.
Re the proposal letter. People still get New Ipswich mixed up with Ipswich England and Ipswich Massachusetts. In the Information Age, things still get confused.
I believe my grandfather John Kangas was agent of the clock at the white church sometime after the Apostolic Lutherans took it over. We all liked the sound of the bell as kids. A real bell. Not fake electronic bells and chimes that you hear in many places now that we are in the Imitation Age. No resonance.
And did people put leaves in hen houses instead of straw or sawdust or wood chips, down on the floor?
So, who won the contest?