Daniel C Carter

[Be_Prepared 10]

Could anyone point me to a good online source of information about Daniel C Carter. Google searches, troop web sites and wikipeida, etc all seem to have the same page of information reprinted over and over

 

Thanks

[Miki101 14]

Do you mean, Daniel Carter Beard? If so, what info do you need and perhaps I can assist.

[Be_Prepared 10]

Yes - sorry - Daniel Carter Beard

 

I'm looking for 2 or 3 stories - just things he may have done - antedote type things that would illustrate his early life and love of the outdoors

 

Thanks

[emb021 16]

Not sure about on-line sources.

 

He has a autobiography (Hardly a Man is Now alive), and there are a couple of 'kid' books on him and his life.

 

Also, several of his books are still in print. David Godine Press has his American Boy's Handy Book, Field and Forest Handbook, and Book of Camp-Lore and Woodcraft. Dover and others have several other works of his still in print such as Outdoor Handy Book, Shelters Shacks and Shanties, and Boat Building and Boating. Also in print is his sisters' book American Girls Handy Book. There are several others of his books I hope will be brought back into print. Be nice to see a new bio of him (Seton has 2-3 currently still in print).

 

One story I recall about him is that he picked up an idea from Mark Twain (he illustrated his "Connecticut Yankee"). Twain, to 'stand out', would wear white suits. Beard would do the same, but would instead wear white buckskin.

 

[Miki101 14]

For your purpose, the BEST book is the Cyril Clemens and Carroll Sibley book called UNCLE DAN. Clemens is a relative of Mark Twain and he had lots of correspondence with Beard while co-authoring it.

 

HARDLY A MAN is a dreadfully dull read and difficult to go through. It does have some very good info in it, however. For regurgitation purposes, go with UNCLE DAN...it gets to the point quickly since it was written for teens.

 

 

David C. Scott

 

 

 

[Miki101 14]

Here's a link to Amazon sellers who have the UNCLE DAN book.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0007GRVEU/ref=dp_olp_2

[Be_Prepared 10]

thank you for the information and the link -

[scoutmaster52 10]

There is an interesting museum of Carter at Bear Mt State Pk in NY

[Kahuna 172]

Uncle Dan must have been very charismatic. I just read about a camporee in Dayton where he was guest of honor. Boys just followed him around all weekend. Sadly, he was apparently very whiny and jealous of his status among the other founding fathers. Guess everybody has human failings except, of course, me.

[emb021 16]

"Sadly, he was apparently very whiny and jealous of his status among the other founding fathers."

 

Well, Seton could be the same way. Just read his bios (even the bio on West spoke of the issues between the 2).

 

Would love to learn more about Beard's work with the Culver school's summer camp program.

 

I know that he used to visit my home council area in SW Florida during the winters for years. When the local scout people discovered he had never received a Silver Beaver, they tried to give him one, but National wouldn't let them.

 

 

[Kahuna 172]

Seton would probably qualify as whiny, yes. He also had this fantasy that B-P stole Scouting from his ideas. However, he's an interesting man. Almost never bathed, though.

 

I visited his home in Taos when his wife, Julia, was alive and it reflected a very interesting pair of people. His museum at Philmont attracts a lot visitors, so he may be the best remembered of the three: West, Beard, Seton.

 

I have an arrowhead made from a piece of glass that was alleged to have been made by Seton. It's with a large photo of him, so it has some authenticity, but no provenance.

[Miki101 14]

"He also had this fantasy that B-P stole Scouting from his ideas."

 

Ummmmm...BP did borrow from Seton. I don't think that is in dispute. The question is, "Did BP plagiarize?" and I think the answer to that question is no. I wrote an article a couple of years back on that question for the Scouting Milestones website.

 

www.scouting.milestones.btinternet.co.uk/setonfeud.htm

 

However, this is a Dan Beard thread, so I'll let my article state my opinion on plagiarism, Seton, and BP. My upcoming book in 2009, "The Scouting Party" will address that question also in a more formal way.

 

David C. Scott

 

 

[Kahuna 172]

David, yes borrowing is a lot different than stealing and I think Seton really wanted to be recognized as the (or at least a) Founder. Whatever B-P took from others, he certainly was the figure who made it all happen.

 

I'll be looking forward to your book.

[Kudu 186]

The entire contents of Dan Beard's handbook for his fiercely boy-run pre-Scouting organizations, The Boy Pioneers: Sons of Daniel Boone, can be found at The Inquiry Net:

 

http://inquiry.net/traditional/beard/index.htm

 

Also included are many chapters from his following books:

 

The Outdoor Handy Book

The American Boy's Handy Book

Field and Forest Handy Book

Shelters, Shacks, Shanties

 

Plus the "Scouting" chapter from his auto-biography Hardly a Man is Now Alive.

 

See also the link to Dan Beard's Camp Uniform with information about his camp.

 

For more information about Traditional Scouting (including Ernest Thompson Seton's entire pre-Scouting handbook, The Birch Bark Roll), See:

 

http://inquiry.net/traditional/index.htm

 

Kudu

 

[shortridge 184]

It's not an online source, but right now, I'm staring at a copy of "Dan Beard, Boy Scout," in the Childhood of Famous Americans series. They're really neat, active biographies written for young kids, but it may give some examples of the sort you're looking for. (I still have to read it, myself, or I'd write up a couple for you now.)

 

It was written by Miriam E. Mason, published in 1953 by the Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc. It's not listed in print on the Web site of the current publisher, Simon & Schuster, but is probably available in a local library with a good childrens' section.