By CHUCK MARTIN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Like many great artists, Ernest ''Mooney'' Warther never made a fortune by selling his intricate carvings of wood, bone and ivory. But fortunately, he and his family have made the rest of the world richer by displaying the carvings to the public, at the Warther Carving Museum in Dover, Ohio.
The son of Swiss immigrants, Mr. Warther began carving in this northeastern Ohio town around the turn of the century. With little formal education and no training, he began his 64-piece ''History of Steam'' carving project in 1913. A decade later, the New York Central Railroad hired him to take the impressive collection of carved locomotives and trains on national tour.
After displaying the collection in New York for nearly three years, industrialist Henry Ford offered to buy the carvings -- plus hire Mr. Warther to do custom work. But Mr. Warther turned down the lucrative offer and returned home to Dover to carve.
In 1926, Mr. Warther opened a knife shop to help support his family. His son, Dave, and three grandchildren continue to operate the business adjacent to the carving museum. Mr. Warther carved until he was 85. He died in 1973, after suffering a stroke.
He never sold his carvings, but Mr. Warther did give away 17 of his wood and ivory locomotives to friends and family around the country. All but four of those pieces have been returned to the Warther Museum, at no cost. The museum, which receives no public funding, displays more than 200 carvings. Visitors can see a full range of Mr. Warther's works, and if they're lucky, they can watch his son, Dave, carving in his father's tiny workshop.
''Nowadays, you do anything with your hands and you'll draw a crowd,'' Dave says.
IF YOU GO
What: Warther Carving Museum.
When: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily (last guided tour begins at 4 p.m.).
Where: 327 Karl Ave., Dover, Ohio. (Dover is about five hours from downtown Cincinnati, in northeastern Ohio, south of Canton on Interstate 77.)
Cost: $7, $3 students. Group rates: $5.50, $2 students.
Miscellaneous: Dover and Tuscarawas County is rich in Amish, German and Swiss immigrant history, with antique malls and gift markets. David Warther, Ernest Warther's grandson, operates another carving museum specializing in ships: David Warther Carvings, 1387 Old Road, Sugarcreek, (330) 852-3455. Tuscarawas County Visitors Bureau: (800) 527-3387.
Information: (330) 343-7513.
