A Scout's Book of Signs, Signals and Symbols

by Daniel Beard

Overview

Boy Scouts cofounder and avid outdoorsman "Uncle Dan" Beard researched the secret languages of trappers, hobos, steamer pilots, and Native American tribes to compile this comprehensive resource of pictographs and other encoded communication symbols. First published nearly a century ago, this practical reference provides Scouts and other lovers of the outdoors with an ever-useful guide to following trails and interpreting their surroundings.
Uncle Dan leads readers from basic directional signs to danger signals of land and sea, chalk and map signs of animals, symbols of the elements, celestial characters, and marks of the seasons and of time. He explains common gesture language, signal codes, flag signaling, animal tracking, and a host of other well-illustrated signs, signals, and symbols. This timeless manual provides valuable insights that will enrich the adventures of hunters, campers, backpackers, Scouts, and other wilderness enthusiasts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780486820866
Publisher:	Dover Publications
Publication date:	08/15/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Known as "Uncle Dan" to his friends, Daniel Carter Beard (1850–1941) was a famed author, illustrator, and social champion. Inspired by the rugged traditions of the American frontier, Beard founded the Sons of Daniel Boone in 1905. Five years later, he merged the organization with the newly formed Boy Scouts of America.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

SIGNS OF DIRECTION

As Found on Sign-Posts and as Marked with Pencil or Chalk on Fences, Barns, Sheds and Telephone Poles

The signs of direction may be divided into two general families; the first is composed of painted sign-posts and chalk-marks used in the more settled parts of the community and the second is made up of what might be termed the wilderness signs of direction. In this second family are included trappers,' voyagers,' Indians' and gypsy signs made of the material found in the wilderness, the trails or the road.

Everyone should be familiar enough with these signs to read and use them intelligently. For instance, Fig. 1 is the traffic sign adopted by cities in order to prevent the streets from becoming blockaded; this is simple and explains itself; it is a command for all vehicles to take the direction in which the arrow points. But there are other signs here given, which are understood by few people. For instance, Fig. 6, which is a chalk or pencil sign used by yeggmen and hoboes to warn comrades that they must hit the trail and disappear as quickly as possible. Many a householder might avoid serious inconvenience, if not disaster, by becoming familiar with such signs and using them to their own advantage in place of allowing the underworld and enemies of society to monopolize their use. With boys, these signs suggest all sorts of games of trailing and searching for hidden treasure and open a vast field of new sports.

Signs of Direction

Sign-post and Chalk-signs

Fig. 1. White arrow in parallelogram cutting a circle horizontally. Go this way only. (Traffic sign.)

Fig. 2. Hand with index finger pointing, or an arrow. Usually on painted signs and maps indicating that the proper direction is that indicated by the point of the arrow or the pointing finger. (Sign-boards.)

Fig. 3. An arrow with a circle on its shaft means literally "nothing doing" in this direction. (Hobo and wilderness Scout Sign.)

Fig. 4. Arrow with a perpendicular line across the shaft indicates that the leading man, scout or person left the beaten trail at point marked and took the direction indicated by the arrow. Both Figures 3 and 4 are used on explorers' and military maps. (Wilderness Scout Sign.)

Fig. 5. An arrow with a parallelogram where the feathers should be, tells the reader that a message, a letter, or a document of some kind is concealed three paces from the sign in the direction indicated by the arrow. (English Boy Scout Sign.)

Fig. 6. Circle with two arrows across it is a command to move on quickly. A chalk-sign used by hoboes, yeggmen and vagabonds. Usually a warning that the constable or police are looking for them. (Tramp Sign.)

Fig. 7. Circle with dash cutting the circumference. Used at crossroads. Means take the trail pointed to by the line. (Hobo sign.)

Fig. 8. The letter Y placed horizontally is really the outline of an arrow-head with the same meaning as the pointing hand and the arrow. (Fig. 2.) A sign of direction.

Fig. 9. Is the same as Fig. 8 but you will note it has a short line near its point, or apex. This means that camp or the place of rendezvous is but a short distance ahead in the direction indicated. (Modification of Indian Stick sign.)

Fig. 10. The same as Figure 9 but in this case the vertical line is at the open wide part of the V in place of at the point. Meaning a long distance to camp. (Adapted from the Indian Trail signs.)

Fig. 11. The same as the preceding figures but with an addition of a number of vertical lines crossing the V. With the Indians each vertical line stands for a day's journey, but with the people in the more thickly settled country, distances are measured by miles, and each line indicates a mile. With boys using these chalk-signs in town, each line will represent a block or city square. (Adapted from Indian Trail signs.)

Fig. 12. A wave stem arrow with circles, cross lines and half lines. Is used by the knights of the road, gypsies, tramps and hoboes to tell their fellows in this case, that two children, four men and three women passed this way. The arrow indicates direction, the circles indicate children, the four lines crossing the shaft of the arrow indicate men and the three half lines indicate women, which tells us very distinctly that in the underworld children are looked upon as ciphers, and women as but half men. (European Hobo sign.)

The foregoing signs of direction may be pencilled, marked with a soft brick, a burnt stick or a piece of chalk or painted on signposts. But, as a rule, they are not practical signs to use in a country where there are no fences or buildings or sidewalks, consequently the people traversing the wilderness and wild country resort to other methods of marking the trail.

CHAPTER 2

WILDERNESS SIGNS OF DIRECTION

On Indian Trails; Game Trails and Prospectors' Trails; Also Used by Gypsies, Scouts, Explorers and Sportsmen

When the trees blanketed our continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River with a dark and gloomy forest in which there were only occasional openings, or prairies like those which existed in Indiana and Illinois, it was necessary to mark the trails through the woods in order that one should not become lost. True, the country was traversed by Big Game trails, war-paths and Indian trails then known as "traces." But many of these, even the celebrated war-paths, were overgrown with underbrush and weeds so as to be only distinguishable to the initiated and accomplished wilderness man. Hence when the white men came, they marked roads for the settlers. The surveyors and pioneers did this by blazes made with their axes on the tree trunks. These were called blazed trails, "cantiagge," marked trees, by the Long Island Indians and they are still used in the North woods, in Maine, in the wilderness of Canada and the far North, as well as in the few forests remaining in the West.

The blazed trail is either made by chipping pieces of bark off the side of the trees along the line of travel, known as "Go by" blazes (surveyors' marks), or by what is called a "spot-trail," i.e., by making big blazes on the face of the trees along the line, so that one spot may be seen from any other preceding it.

Fig. 12 ½. Three blazes on a tree indicate an important "line" tree, or more frequently a witness tree for a corner of plot of land; usually another blaze is made on side of tree nearest the stake or stone marking the corner.

Fig. 13. Blazed trail. It tells the traveler that a line or trail runs alongside of the points marked. It does not give the particular direction like the arrow because this trail may be followed either way. In the diagram the blazes are much closer than they would be in the wilderness, but it is so made that the reader may more readily understand it. (Surveyors,' trappers,' foresters,' and explorers' sign.)

Fig. 14. Spot trail; useful in traveling after sunset as one blaze may be seen from a position close to any other blaze, but cannot be seen from a position to one side of it. (Hunters,' trappers and foresters' signs.) With surveyors a spot mark indicates a line tree, that is a tree standing on the line; sometimes both a spot and a side blaze is used to show that the line hits the tree on one side.

Fig. 15. Broken bush trails. When traveling in an unknown country, one bends and breaks the bushes backwards so that their tops point backwards. When retracing one's steps, one's eyes will catch the exposed under surface of the leaves on the broken bushes, thus making it easy to find the way back. (Hunters/ trappers,' and Scout signs.)

Fig. 16. (Kikaige, I make marks on the road setting up branches — Chippewa). When a stick is stuck diagonally in the ground, the free point shows the direction to camp. In the Northwest, when an Indian has made a kill of moose, sheep or caribou he puts one end of a fresh willow stick in the ground and wraps a bit of the skin of the dead animal on the end of it as an invitation to anyone coming along that trail to come and eat. If the willow stick is fresh and not withered the traveler knows that food and camp are not far ahead of him, but if the willow stick is wilted and drooping, the traveler knows that it has been there a long time and the hunters have probably eaten up the food supply and hit the trail; but the stick in Fig. 16 simply indicates direction. (Abnaki Indians.)

Fig. 17. A long upright stick at the upper end of the pointer tells us that camp is a long distance ahead. (Abnaki Indians.)

Fig. 18. A short upright stick near the buried end of the pointer tells us that camp is a short distance ahead. (Abnaki Indians.)

Fig. 19. A number of upright sticks against the leaning stick indicate the number of "sleeps," or days' journey (for the Indian), but with the Boy Scouts of America it tells the number of miles to camp. (Abnaki Indians.)

Fig. 20. A cleft stick with a forked stick in the cleft tells us that the direction is pointed by the end of the stick. (Gypsy sign.) A green stick thrust in the mud near the shore of a lake or stream, with a chip in the cleft at the top shows the canoe trail. This is sometimes blazed on side and front to show direction taken by outgoing canoe party. (N. W. Quebec Indians.)

Fig. 21. A stone on top of another stone tells us that this is the trail.

Fig. 22. A stone with another stone on top of it and a stone to the right means to turn to the right. (English Boy Scout Sign.)

Fig. 23. The same with a stone to the left of it reads; "Turn to the left here." (English Boy Scout Sign.)

Fig. 24. In the prairie and open country a bunch of grass tied together at the top tells us that this is the trail. (Sioux Indian Sign, Dr. Eastman.)

Fig. 25. If the top ends of the grass are bent to the right, it tells us to turn to the right. (Sioux Indian Sign, Dr. Eastman.)

Fig. 26. If the top of the grass is bent to the left, it tells one to turn to the left. (Sioux Indian Sign. Dr. Eastman.)

Fig. 27. Two sticks laid on the ground in the form of a "V," indicate the direction same as Fig. 8. (Gypsies.)

Fig. 28. A row of little stones laid in the form of a "V" indicates the direction taken. (Gypsies.)

Fig. 29. A green forked stick laid with apparent carelessness upon the ground to the keen eye of the vagabond tells him that companions have lately passed in this direction. (Gypsies.)

Fig. 30. The lop-stick. In heavily wooded districts when the attention of a passer-by is required, a prominent tree is selected, a space cleared around it and the branches of the tree lopped off for a considerable distance up the trunk. Such a mark cannot escape the eye of the passer-by. (Alaska Prospectors, Explorers, and Indians.)

If, for instance, one of a party goes ahead and comes to a lake which is crossed, the water affords no means of marking a trail, but if on the hill or high bank where he again takes up his trail, a tree is lopped in this manner, it will attract the immediate attention of those following and enable them to pick up the trail on the opposite side of the lake. The lop-stick is frequently made to commemorate some event:

"The next day we dug him a grave above high-water mark. ... I climbed the tree to make a memorial of the North — the lop-stick." — Stefanson.

The lop-stick in the wilderness of Canada, now 1918, is frequently a wireless station used probably for war purposes. Several such trees were recently pointed out to the author by wilderness canoe men.

CHAPTER 3

CHALK-SIGNS FOR COMMAND AND INFORMATION

For the Wayfarer, Pedestrian, Bicyclist, Motor Cyclist or the Automobilist

A Call For Help

The illustration shows a village fence with an important chalk message on it. In the illustration the chalk message is about fifty times bigger in proportion to the fence than it really would be when the boys make it. But we had to enlarge it so that it would show in the cut. By referring to the diagram (Fig. 41) we see that three (3) is a call for help and in Fig. 97 we see that the skull and crossbones stand for a doctor, the spiral sign with an arrow point on one end of it (Fig. 33) is a command that means "come." The next one, a circle with two arrows (Fig. 6) reads "Hit the trail double quick." The next one is the Indian sign for lightning (Fig. 149). The lightning is striking a rude drawing of a powder horn (Fig. 98) which stands for a Scout. The next with two intersecting parallelograms (Fig. 79) stands for timidity, alarm, afraid. The next one is the sign of direction (Figs. 9, 10, 11) and tells us that camp is two miles in the direction pointed and the next one is the tent which means "camp," indicating that it is two miles to camp. Putting these meanings together, the message would read, "Help, a doctor wanted. Come double quick. One of our scouts has been shocked by lightning and we are afraid of the consequences. It is two miles in this direction to camp."

In towns and cities where paved streets or sidewalks offer the opportunity, chalk-signs are particularly handy. But minute pencil signs will answer the purpose for the Boy Scouts as they often do for the hoboes.

Almost every telegraph pole, water tank and similar roadside object is utilized by the vagabonds as a sign-board on which they scribble their queer symbols, and such telegraph poles are just as handy for Boy Scouts as they are for outlaws and may be used by the boys without disfiguring the poles, for the little lead pencil symbol will not be seen by any one except those looking for them.

Each patrol of scouts should, of course, sign its message with the patrol totem no matter how rudely drawn the animal may be.

Fishermen, automobilists, sportsmen or military scouts may upon occasions find it particularly handy to use the telephone poles and this system of chalk or pencil ideographs to convey information to others of their party, and if the messages are signed with some recognized totem or initials, there will be no mistake made by those following the trail. Of course it should be understood that the trail followers should look for information at certain designated places, otherwise they must look for messages at the most likely places where such messages might be written.

Chalk-Signs of Command and Information for the Trail

Fig. 31. Two rude circles intersecting each other is a command to persevere, never say die, don't give up. (Hobo.)

Fig. 32. Circle with arrow. Command to go. (Hobo.)

Fig. 33. A spiral with arrow point to left. Command to come to camp, to come back. (Boy Pioneers.)

Fig. 34. A sign taken by vagabonds from the ancient books of magic, a command to stop, to halt. Stop! (Hobo.)

Fig. 35. A diamond admonishes you to keep quiet, hold your tongue. (Hobo.)

Fig. 36. A cross. A hint to be good. With tramps this means, give them a religious talk and they will give you food. (Tramp.)

Fig. 37. Two signs taken from ancient book of magic and used by tramps to tell where they can get food by working for it. (Hobo.)

Fig. 38. You may camp here. (Hobo sign.) From the letter Teth celestial writing, magic.

Fig. 39. Tells you that you may sleep in the hay loft. Probably taken from ancient magic. (Hobo.)

Fig. 40. Among the tramps and vagabonds this means to tell a pitiful story and you will excite the sympathy of your audience. But with the Scouts it simply means to tell your story, that is, make your report. (Hobo.)

The foregoing are characteristic tramp signs, but as anyone may see they also form a useful set of symbols for sportsmen or military officers and will be found particularly useful to Scoutmasters and Boy Scouts on their hikes and in their games. Many of the games being on the order of a paper chase, chalk marks make less litter and mess and tell a more coherent story for the hounds.

Road-Signs for Automobiles

Recently the automobilists have adopted some very useful and practical road signs. In the first place they have painted the telephone and telegraph posts with bands of color to mark the roads so colored on the automobile maps, but the real practical road signs consists first of a parabola, which is a term in geometry for a certain curve made by the section of a cone. Fig. A (Plate 1). This warns the chauffeur that he is approaching a dangerous curve in the road.

(Continues…)

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Table of Contents

Contents

Chapter I Signs of Direction
Chapter II Wilderness Signs of Direction
Chapter III Chalk-Signs for Comman and Information
Chapter IV Danger Signs
Chapter V Danger Nautical
Chapter VI Trail Signs for Danger, Caution, Calamity and Cries in the Wilderness for Help
Chapter VII Signs of Good Luck
Chapter VIII Word Signs
Chapter IX Map Signs of People
Chapter X Chalk- and Map-Signs of Animals
Chapter XI Signs of Inanimate or Motionless Things
Chapter XII Signs of the Elements
Chapter XIII Celestial Signs
Chapter XIV Signs of Color
Chapter XV Signs of the Seasons and Signs of Time
Chapter XVI Secret Writing--The Caballa
Chapter XVII Numerals of the Magic
Chapter XVIII Gesture Signals
Chapter XIX Common Gesture Language
Chapter XX Hand Alphabets, Deaf and Dumb Alphabets
Chapter XXI Signal Codes
Chapter XXII Bell, Rope and Whistle Railway Signals
Chapter XXIII Railroad, Hand-Flag, Lantern Railway Signals
Chapter XXIV Steamer Toot Talk
Chapter XXV Weather Signs
Chapter XXVI Weather Signs
Chapter XXVII Flags--the Red, White and Blue
Chapter XXVIII Following the Changes in the Flag
Chapter XXIX Liberty Poles
Chapter XXX Signs Shown by Trails, Tracks, Traces and Spoor of Animals