Old whistling photo

[bigskybri]

Found the photo below in a North Idaho county history book. No date is given, but it's cool.

[hoopy mike]

Lovely. I particularly like the boots. What's the guy on the right playing - some sort of improvised drum?

[weedie]

Yes......this is a great photo,I'd love to have been there to hear what they were playing .
And....I want a pair of those boots

[Mr.Gumby]

What's the guy on the right playing - some sort of improvised drum?

He's playing the box.

[Scott McCallister]

He's playing the box.

Cardboard box?

Aye...

Luxury!

[Hotblack]

He's playing the box.

Cardboard box?

Aye...

Luxury!

Aye. Bloody luxury that were. When I were a lad..........

[hoopy mike]

What's the guy on the right playing - some sort of improvised drum?

He's playing the box.

That sounds even better with the Gumby accent.

[JTC111]

He had to walk uphill through the snow for 5 miles to get that box ...and then had to walk another 5 miles uphill through the snow to get back with it.

[brewerpaul]

I'll bet they're playing "I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK"...

[s1m0n]

That's a lovely photo

..I'd love to have been there to hear what they were playing.

Hmm - guitar, taterbug, whistle, & box. I think we can rule out bluegrass!

This photo deserves to be archived somewhere or other on the chiffboard.

[an seanduine]

weedie wrote:

Yes......this is a great photo,I'd love to have been there to hear what they were playing .
And....I want a pair of those boots

Those are very probably White's Boots. The finest logging boots ever made. They were located in Saint Marie, Idaho, in 1902. Currently they are in Spokane, Wa.
I've never met a 'Smoke Jumper' who didn't wear White's.

Bob

[JTC111]

Those are very probably White's Boots. The finest logging boots ever made. They were located in Saint Marie, Idaho, in 1902. Currently they are in Spokane, Wa.
I've never met a 'Smoke Jumper' who didn't wear White's.

There's a great song written by James Keelaghan about smoke jumpers called Cold Missouri Waters.
The version I linked is by Cry, Cry, Cry ...best version I've heard. It pretty much instantly became one of my favorite songs of all time. The lyrics haunt me in the same way as does Kilkelly by Peter Jones.

[AlonE]

What whistle this?

[s1m0n]

What whistle this? :P

It's hard to tell, but it looks to me like it's larger than a D whistle, so the options presumably include a Clarke in C (they all were, then) or a Hohner Bb. Or some variety I've never heard of.