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This article about a camp chest by George Parr appeared in the August 3, 1861 issue of

the

Scientific American

:

Improved Camp Chest. The two

accompanying engravings are

pictures of the same thing, though

one represents it as a table spread

with a cloth, set with dishes, and

supplied with seats for three

persons, while in the other it appears

as a moderate-sized box or chest.

Though the chest is only 31 inches in

length, 14 in width, and 10 in depth,

and weighs but 40 lbs., it contains

the following articles: 3 web-seat

camp stools, made of the best

hickory, and folded together; hatchet, saw, carving knife and fork, 3 flasks, that will, in

the aggregate, hold one gallon; tea caddy, coffee caddy, wash bowl, dipper, 8 plates, 4

knives and forks, 4 each of table and teaspoons, tea and coffee pot combined, with a

strainer; frying pan, pot for boiling, 3 drinking cups, sugar and milk bowl, cruet stand

for pepper, salt, mustard and vinegar, with

mustard spoon and cork screw combined

; 1

apparatus for boiling tea or coffee, and fuel for 20 meals; 2 table cloths, and 2 towels.

The principal novelty of this

invention consists in the

arrangement for securing

the legs to the box in such

manner that they will fold

snugly inside to close the

box, and will support it

firmly when it is used as a

table. The legs are attached

to the inside of the box by

the hinges so that when the

box is opened the legs can

be turned down to support

it as a table. The latch upon

the side of each leg, can be

turned down into the notch thus holding the leg very firmly in place.

This camp chest is not intended for soldiers, merely, but will be found quite as well

adapted to the use of hunters, fishers, picnic parties, and excursionists generally.