Thursday, January 27, 2011

Treasure Chest Thursday: Great Grandpa's Lumber & Log Book





 Schribner's Lumber & Log Book (1882 ed.)

Front cover, stained and worn

My maternal great grandfather Charles Lee Newby was a carpenter and worked his trade until he was in his mid sixties. My grandmother, Mary Fern (Newby) Runyan, kept this book her father used as his reference. Apparently it got a lot of use as it is quite worn but not in bad condition.  These are some of the illustrations I liked.

Table of contents

Illustration on how to load logs after they are cut
‎"How few know the great possibilities implanted within them, unless some unforseen chain of circumstances chances to draw them out. One step higher, gained by honest perseverance and purpose may make one master of a business and prepare the way to be proprietor at no distant day. Brains and perseverance always tell."

Back page advertisement for  Fischer's book on grain tables

A tornado tore apart my great grandparent's farm house in Spiceland, Indiana on the evening of June 8, 1924, the night my mother was born. My great grandfather not only repaired the damage but he did some remodeling too. I have photos of the damaged structure and the finished restoration. I'm sure he must have referred to this little book often during the rebuilding process!

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5 comments:

  1. Neat! I love old books and how wonderful that you have one that belonged to your ancestor!

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  2. Great story, Lisa. I too love old books and pick them up occasionally. My husband is a contractor and I bought him one for his birthday titled " The Complete Home Handyman's Guide" published in 1948. I'm an executive assistant and I bought another one published in 1938 titled "The Home Book of Secretarial Training." It is just so much fun to look at these old books. I'm sure your great-grandfather's book is very special to you!

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  3. What a great treasure. Count me in on the list of lovers of old books! Love the graphics you chose to share.

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  4. My favorite is the quote above the Chopper's Rest illustration: "Brains and perseverance always tell."

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  5. Having a book like this takes you right back to the time it was written--into the minds and culture of the era. I have some of my grandfather's song books he recorded his favorite songs, jokes, stories in - but in old German, so I can only read some with help. I love this from above: "brains and perseverence always tell." still true today!

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