Scouting For Girls, Official Handbook of the Girl Scouts Part 52

Signal by Shots

The old buffalo hunters had an established signal that is yet used by the mountain guides. It is as follows:

Two shots in rapid succession, an interval of five seconds by the watch, then one shot; this means, "where are you?" The answer given at once and exactly the same means "Here I am; what do you want?" The reply to this may be one shot, which means, "All right; I only wanted to know where you were." But if the reply repeats the first it means, "I am in serious trouble; come as fast as you can."

Totems in Town

A totem is an emblem of a man, a group of men, or an idea. It has no reference to words or letters.

Before men knew how to write they needed marks to indicate owners.h.i.+p.

This mark must be simple and legible and was chosen because of something connected with the owner or his family. Later some of the trades adopted a symbol; for instance the barbers in the early days were "blood letters" and were closely a.s.sociated with the medical profession. Their totem indicate their business and we have the red and white barber pole of today. It was among the Indians along the West coast of America that the science and art of totems reached its highest development, though they have a world-wide usage and go back in history to the earliest times.

Out of this use of totems as owner marks and signs grew the whole science of heraldry and national flags.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Northern Pacific R. R.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Salt Lake R. R.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Santa Fe R. R.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Traffic Squad]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bell Telephone]

[Ill.u.s.tration: p.a.w.nshop]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Liberty]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Army]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Druggist]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Ireland]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Woodcraft]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Navy]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Sea Power]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Optician]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Union Pacific R. R.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Islamism]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Skating]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Star Union Lines]

[Ill.u.s.tration: New York City]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Penna. R. R.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Power of the People]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Canadian Pacific R. R.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Barber]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Scotland]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Totems Often Seen]

Thanks to the fusion of many small armies into one or two big armies, that is, of many tribes into a nation, and also to modern weapons which made it possible to kill a man farther off than you could see the totem on his s.h.i.+eld, national flags have replaced the armorial devices, and are the princ.i.p.al totems used today.

But a new possibility has been discovered in modern times. Totems will serve the ends of commerce, and a great revival of their use is now seen.

The totem is visible such a long way off and is understood by all, whether or not they can read or know our language, is copyrightable and advertisable, so that most of the great railway companies, etc., now have totems.

There are not less than one hundred common totems used in our streets today. Among the familiar ones seen are the American eagle, with white head and tail, the Austrian eagle with two heads, the British lion, the Irish harp, the French fleur de lis, etc. Among trades the three b.a.l.l.s of the p.a.w.nbroker, the golden fleece of the dry-goods man, the mortar and pestle of the druggist, and others are well known. Examples of these and others are given in the ill.u.s.tration but any wideawake Woodcraft Girl will be able to find many others by careful observation.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Christianity]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Mourning]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Electric Power]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Commercial Success]

[Ill.u.s.tration: "AFOOT AND LIGHT-HEARTED."]

FOOTNOTE:

[4] This article is chiefly a condensation of his pamphlet on "Poisonous Snakes of the United States," and is made with his permission and approval.

SECTION XIV

CAMPING FOR GIRL SCOUTS[5]