The earliest photograph album in the archives to use the language in captions dates to 1916, but it is clear from the writing that it was already a well accepted and known vocabulary for those in "the know." Beyond the general word "savages" used to describe all seasonal employees, each occupation had its own term: Heavers=Waitresses, Pack-Rats=Porters, Pillow Punchers=Lodge maids, Wranglers=Horseback guides, Gear-Jammers=Bus drivers, Bubble-Kings/Queens=laundry workers, and Pearl Divers=Dish washers. Yellowstone's jargon actually pre-dates the Yellowstone Park Company, although its exact origin is unknown. Later generations added "cool", "groovy", and "rad". Thanks to the booming entertainment industry of the 1920s, the youth-oriented flapper culture gained a glamorous image and young people around the country adopted such phrases as "cat's meow" and "the bee's knees" to indicate the best, wonderful, or ultimate. It wasn't until the 1920s, however, that slang began to throw off its association with criminals and the "lower-orders". Slang has been around for hundreds of years, starting with the English Criminal Cant in the 1500s and entering the popular imagination through its use in literature and drama. Former savages still get together regularly and host a webpage that searches for lost friends and coworkers ( and ). The word "savage" was the term given by the employees to themselves and was used as a way of denoting a special experience for several generations of Park workers. Those of us who work with the history of the Park immediately understand the special meaning of the word: that the donor was once an employee for the Park's main concessioner, the Yellowstone Park Company. When donors call to offer their old photo albums or letters, they will often explain something along the lines of: "I was a Savage at Canyon in '64".
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