20 TH E JO URN A L the regular name. It is certainly a compound exposure.The food supply becameexllaust- of German and English, 'genuine Pennsyl- ed and starvationhovered over them for vania Dutch. Its early acceptance is shown many tedious days. When suddenly the in an inscriptionon the fly leaf of a Ger- Farm sun began to shed its rays through man Bible given to IsaacKurtz, by. his the tops, melting the ice and snow as if by school teacher,Christopher Kiess, as f al- magic, and before they had f orgotten the lows: ''Blumengrofe, Hepburn township, rigors of winner, che flowers were in bloom Lytoming county, Pa., 15th February,1841 again. As an illustration of the suddenness Seek ye first the kingdom, etc. of the changefrom intensewinner to the In the early days letters to friends in mildness of May, it has been recorded thad Germanywould tell of the flowers in the on April 11, 1818, rye was out in head. woods and the name Blumengrofe so glow- Af ter the seasonhad settled in this. their ingly, ohat the i-magination in so-me cases first springtime, so that men could go about, was excised beyond what the actual facts someof thesturdiest of chem,by wayof warranted.At one time when a newly aniv- Indian trails, (for there were no roads for ed party reachedthe top of the hill which many after-years) took acrossthe hills to commandeda view of the valley, the out- Williamsport, in search of food f or their look was so disappointingthat one woman famishing people. Although the settlers in exclaimed, "ls that your Blumengrofe? I the "big valley'' were of a different religious can see nothing but black stumps." And no faith and nationality, they were imbued with wonder, for what is more unattractive than the spirit of hospitality thad seemed to per- a newly burnt clearing? vade the very atmosphere. It may have been It was not long before the blue token of left by the aborigines with whom it was civilization was curling up through the tree considereda high virtue given them by the tops, from the fire place of each pioneer Great Spirit. The Dunked settlers did not cabin,f or they lost no time in getting an fCruFrlempty handed, but with the liberal opening for future sustenance. But struggle response to their appeal, went also rhe as they might, they could not escapethe knowledgeof thefishing grounds at the clutches of the -frost king, who came upon foot of Hepburn's lane and at Jaysburg them as though ar)gry becauseof their in- Here for many after-years,with each recur- trusion. Bef ore they could realize that the ring spring, came the "dippers from Bloom- summer was ended, terrors encompassed ing Grove" to lay in their annualsupply of them, such as they had never dreamed of, shad and other fish, whi(3h they salted down and before the grip of winter was loosened for future use. They were called "dippers under the touch of the genial sun, the stur- by the ignorant becausethey fished with diest hearts quailed for the sake of their dip-ness; bur by the more i-ntelligent, THE loved ones.With a ready ax, and the over- though none the less sacreligious, they were hanging frees, they could replenish rhe called "dippers" from their mode af bap- great fireplace, and keep their single apart tism, which was observedby curious per- ment cheerful and coins orEable by the con- sons who had followed them to their settle- stant blazeon the hearth-stone.But cloth- men.t. ing was not provided for such hardship and JOURNAL N EW MEMBERS OFTHE Since April 4. 1968 list Mr. and Mrs. llarold R. Bock Mrs. Ed. Lewis Mr. William M. Bower Mi'. C. Daniel Little Mr. and Mrs. William R. Brink . Mr. and Mrs. LaurenceP. Maynard, Jr Mrs. Emma L. Conway Miss Eleanor J. smiles Mr. and Mrs. Edward'C. Crowe Mr. Walter R. Rice Mr. John P. Crowe Dr. Mendal F. VanValin Lycoming County Historical Society MissRuby Eckert . Mr. and Mrs. Gail Webstel' COU RTESY MEMBE RSH I PS: g:iH'i;:'£B :£'.lm=" ::.:,..'. Barto & Family Mr. and Mrs. Edwardp. Heether ?feW Buck tei VOLUME V FALL Mr. Gal'y P. Kingon Henry F. Frey NUMBER TWO 1968 the JO U R N A L of the 3

LYCOMING COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY SOCI ETY PROGRAM 1968-1969 PUBLISHED BIANNUALLY IN WlllIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA Meetings will be held at 8:00 P.M. in tile Museum Meeting Room SEPTEMBER 19, 1968 JANUARY 15, 1969 Joseph Haag - Planning Engineer, Williams- BENEFIT - Fred Wiring ,and His Pennsyl- port Area Community College, "History of vanians, at the Capitol Theater. This benefit DONALO M. CARSON. PILESIDENT Wbt. A. TUl\NBAUGH, JR., SILO VICE PRESIOENT the Automobile in Williamsport". takes the place o:f the regular meeting. DR. R. DIAX GINGmCn, IST. VICE PIUSIDENT b,CARY B. RIODELL, SECRE'TART OCTOBER 17, 1968 JAMES P. BRESSLER, 2ND VICE PItESIOENT ABRAb{ M. SNYOER, TREASUIWR FEBRUARY 20, 1969 Robert Johnston Head of .Art Dept., Lock Eric de Jonge- Chief Curator, William Penn Haven State College,''Woodland Indians in Memorial Museum, Harrisburg, Pa., ''The the Susquehanna Valley ' Why and 'What of Antiques'' with an aud- + NOVEMBER 21, 1968 ience participation time. DIRECTORS 1966-1968 DIRECTORS 1967-1969 Thomas T. Taber - Chief Industrial Engineer, MARCH 27, 1969+ N{RS. JOUR M. LINOEMU'nI P«DISS MARGARET B. CORYEI.L Sprout-Waldron & Co., "Early Railroading in Ra[ph Haze[tine - Director, Wyoming ]]]]istor Lyconting County ical & Geological Society. "Adventures in EDWARD J. DUnRWACnTER SAN[UEL J. DORNSIFE Local History MRS. EDITHL. WRIGlrT MRS. J. W. BITTER DECEMBER ].9, 1968 'Please note that this is not the third Thursday Christmas Party .3t the Park Home. Program of the month. THOMAS T. TABER Dn. L. F. DEIUit by Junior Ifiistorians (Refreshments served by Pai'k Home).For membersand their APRIL 17. 1969 guests. Junior League- ''Tile Fourth Street Story -- Williamsport"

EDrrOR PROGRAM COMMITTEE MR. L. RODMAN WURSTER

ASSISTANT EDITOR Nln. GAi\Y S. HuGaiNS LETTER FROM TH E PRESI DENT

We wi.sh that all the members of the and coopers' shop and grist mill are com- Society could see, as Ihave the tremendous pletely furnished and will actually operate, Extra Copies of The Journal Fif ty Cents Each amount of work being done for our new as they did 100 years ago. He has been museum by various groups of volunteers. helpedfrom time to time by suchmen Preparations for exhibits, storage, research, as Tom Taber and Lloyd Skriptchuik. He craft areas and general building interior was also ably assi-sledby 10 memibersof completion h-asbeen under the general dir- Civil Air Patrol, Squadron 40'1 on moving ection of our Exhibit Consultant, John several loads of heavy farm and shop ob- Strawbridge.He has given unstintingly of jects to the new museum. CONTENTS his eveningsand weekends,as well as work- Our most recent specialist volunteer is ing daytimes. He has been ably assist(d by Cli-ff Breidinger who has been classifying such men as Jim Bressler, 'Chick Schell, Joe and cleaning up oul collection of weapons- Society Program 3 Dincher, Bill Turnbaugh,Tom Taber, Jim Marshall and others. A good start has also been made in arch- Letter from Elle President 3 eology, geology and Indian lore by Mr The same can be said of Sam and Chet George Howe, Bill Turnbaugh, Don Sch- Sliding Log in the Old Lutnbering Era Milton W. Landis 5 Dornsife who have spent months in the midt, Chick Schell and Jim Bressler. selection ar)d assemblyof furnishings and more recently in the actual preparation of Urxpacking scoring and 'further cataloging The Village Blacksmith -- A Retrospect Fred L. Guernsey 15 che very sumptuous Victorian Parlor. 'Con- of artifacts is being done under the direc- struction work for it was contributed by tion of Elizabeth Carson. Cunently she is 19 Part 111af 'Blooming Grove' the 'Com-munity College and expert wall being assisted by Barbara Bressler, Betty finishings by ClarenceDell. Most of the Stewart, Mary (;aulin, Barbara Tiber, Mai:: Membership List 24 cost was contributed by the Junior League. ga-retHorn and Mrs. Conway.The jab of Lumbering and recording abjeccs has been Possibly our most dedicated volunteer a continuous effort f or the past four years. and certainly one who has a great deal to The group has beenmanned from time to Cover photo--done particularly for our lumbering gallery by Steven Collier of Munch. s-how for his many hours of hard work is time by literally dozens of Junior League Frances Maneval nils accurate r;estoration Provisionals and regular metnbers, whose of a blacksmith's shop, a cabinet makers' names are too numerous to iden'bon. 4 THE JO URNAL 5 C)ne of our most enthusiastic and loyal di:ews,Janet Frank, Phyllis Briel and Edith SLIDING LOGSIN THE OLD LUMBERINGERA volunteer groups has been working in the Wright's Junior Historians; Valerie Laud- even-ingsfor the lashyear on a similar pro ig, Katlly Gray, Jane Hoffman, Patty Sch cect on clothing and textiles under the radar, and Eileen Hoffman BY MILTON W. LANDIS leadership of June Foresman and advised by Jane Ingersoll. They have included: The following group of Junior Leaguers headed by Joyce Wise have been working Jane Ingersoll Miss Ethel Ertel this summer on making silk screen stencil Pat Sheily Mrs. Fred Snell note paper f or sale,hyping and making a Mrs. Lecce Phyllis Wagner start at molding bayberry candles M.rs. DeHardy Marcia Carl:y Mrs. Henry Foltz Mrs. John Eck Joyce Wise Dorothy Ribando Mrs. John Smead Mrs. Lecce Possibly the most challenging of our vol- Mrs. John Detwiler Mrs. Robert Galley unteerlobs is that of bringingorder out of Mrs. Robert Steiger the chaosthat is presented.by our 50-years Tudor Historians deservecredit for their accumulation of documents, pamphlets, recent labors-such as Stu Helming, Gary manuscripts, photographs, clippings, pub- lications. books. etc. that came under the Doebler and John Imrisek who put in a hard day helping move objects to the new general heading of archives. Most of rhe museum credit for making tremendousprogress on this mor)umental lab goes to Gladys Tozier Credit must alsobe given to our Office f or her determination and know-how. Some Staff of Elizabeth Helmrich. Executive Sec- of the sorting and nearly all of rhe pack- re,tory and Marie Mabb, Executive Assistant, aging has been done by Leroy Derr. Gladys each of whom works a half day. They have has been assisted:from time to time by: both shown the volunteer spirit, "above and beyond the call of d'uty". We also have a Beryl DeNeil FrancesHough new part-time custodian,Ralph Wiksrrom, JesseAndrews Mary Girton who has proved himself to be extremely Emily Derr Marie Fredericks Helen Rote helpful with all kinds of handiwork at the new building. Your more active officers Slowly the snowflakesfloated lazily down ths. Lumber-jackshad cut down the tall Volunteers have risen to the occasionf or such as TreasurerAbe Snyder and Mem- from the leaden sky. Already a mantle of frees, peeled the hemlock bark and cut the special jobs such as to make acoustical bership Chairman Peggy Lindemourh should white blanketedthe mountainsand valleys f allen trees into log lengths. Loggers had drapes for the meeting roDIn. These were also take a bow f or their unselfish service. of .the Flocks Run lumbering region. Smoke hauled the logs over dug-roadsand rolled cut, sewed, ironed, assembled and hung by wafted slowly upward from the chimneys them into high piles along-side the new Annette 'Selleck,Marion Frank, JesseAn 1). M. Carson of the various lumber camps scattered along section of the log slide. Watering bad:els the length of the valley, giving notice to were placed on the slide. The goose-necked one and all that busy cooks were at work (braking) spikes were at rhe ready. In in the kitchens preparing food f or the next fact. all was in readiness to i:eceive the meal waiting logs. Extending up the valley near rhe creek, Word had gone out from the lumber PLEASE NOT'E beside a ne;ly'built road, was rhe log slide: company that conditions were right for To a woodsman'seye it wasa thing of sliding logs. Snow had started to fall and it Seatsfor rhe Fred Wai:ing Benefit Shan are more than half sold out. Get your beauty. Built as sturdy as man could devise was cold enough [o freeze water to ice in and construct it, the log slide stood ready the slides.Along the trails and road in the pickets now if you wish to see this live, musical extravaganza. and waiting to receivethe onslaughtof valley and on the dug-roadsover the moun- hundreds of thousands of pine and hem- tains' could be seen woodsmen headed for lock logs that would soonbe sl.i.dingon it the lumber camps in knots of ovos, t-hrees from mountain slopes to the valley far be- or larger groups-Briskly and erectly they low. Old sectionsof the log slidefrom the walked in their calked, high-topped Wis- mouth of Flocks Run and extending up- consin shoes.Loud boisterous talk filled the We are badly in need of a typewriter f or the Archival Department of the Museum. stream had been repaired. During the past tir as they headed f or their winter's job Anyone willing to contribute one in reasonablygood condition, please call the office. summera new sectionof log slide had been on the log' slide. Sometimes winter set early addedto the old slide to tap a newlylum- and work'commenced rhe last part af Nov: bered-off tract that had been harvested dui:- ember. More of tcn log sliding was delayed ing the past spring, summer and fall mon- until the month of December when cold, 6 TH E JO URNA L 7 fi:eezingweather marked rhe beginning of THE LOG SLIDE IN. OPERATION with the roar of the speedinglogs. Our the valley begins to fill up solid with logs the job of sliding logs down co the main party starts walking down the road near and the soundcarries f or miles on a clear creek. which was t:he Blockhouse Creek. The log slide has now been in operation the slide,all the time keepinga wary eye day. As our party wittchesthe logs come to where rhe logs were piled high on the land for many weeks and the different crews on the running logs watching for Chatwild rest it is noted that soon the level part of the ings to await the coming of the spring have learned the routine to perfection so log which might leave Eheslide and endan- slide will be filled with logs, and logs would fl(xxls. that the logs come i:unning down che slide ger limb or life. scar backing up the mountain side. A work- in an almost continuous procession with man picks up a cin horn and soundsa sig- Most of the arriving men were assured li-tele interruption. It is about time tor the Supt. Mccracken went to work in the nal to the woodsmenup the slide at the jobs on the log slides. They were experienc- Superintendentof the Central Pennsylvania woodsas a youthand workedat all the diff- log piles. He is warning them to shoproll- ed men who Had worked on log slides f or LumberCompaq)y to pay a visit to the job erent jobs associatedwi-rh lumbering. He ing logs into the sl-ide until further notice years.Most of them had talked with rhe boss to make an assessmenton the progress be- became expert in all the skills associated These men at the piles will not have time previously and had spoken for a job bef ore ing made in the woods. Eugene M.. Mc- with lumbering. Today, as he passesmen to sit down and rest or maybeplay a gains winter had set in. Others without a pro- cracken is the land and Timber Superin- at work,he can tell at a glancewhether a of cards. They immediately start rolling logs misedjob spoke with the boss and hit him tendent of the C.P.L. Part of the company's man is capableof doing his job. Today, the from the f ar end of the log pile to the franc up for a job upon their arrival at the ca:inp- holdingsis the entire watershedof floors Supr. is dressed as a woodsman. He walks near the slide so that they will have an Run in Cogan House Township which com- in calked, high-topped shoes and wears ample supply of logs ready [o roll into the A scene of activity and excitement greet- prises over five thousand acres. Their lum- woolen socks, woolen panES and a couple slide once the signal sounds f or them [o ed each group of new-comers.G'ld friends bering operations began in the 1890's. Lec of woolen "hickory" shirts. He wears a hat start sending logs down the slide again. were greeting each other with much should- us go back [o the year 1898 and in our and leather-faced gloves. He looks lust like er slapping and hand shaking, loud talking imaginations let us join the superintendent his men except -for that air of confidence The "running slide" is that parr of the and laughing. Sometimesthe company Sup- on his trip of inspection. and authority which sets him apztrt as the log slide where the logs slide along under erintendentwas present and visited with boss". More often than not he is addressed their own momentum. After che logs come the men. The Jobbers wick their straw SupE. Mccracken cordially invites us [o IS "boss" by his men as he exchanges greed [o rest, they must be movedonward with bosses were busy assigning the waiting accompanyhim alongwith a numberof ings with them. The boss has a word of a team of horses. This part of the slide is woods hicks [o then: jabs f or the winter's the company officials. On the appointed day advice here, a compliment f or good work called the "shove slide". It is always kept work. we walk to the end of the slide bear rhe rop there, a word of caution where needed. well watered and iced to make it slippery of a mountain.The -inspection is about to so that a team can move more logs at a The afternoon hours slipped by swiftly. begin. There is much to see and learn. We As our party continues down rhe moun time. Darkness closed in on the' lumber camp. use our ears and eyes [o good advantage as cain trail it is noted that the logs are run- Tne cook (or cooked) appearedin the doo;- the inspection proceeds. From where we ning extremely fast. The grade, here, is A scene of activity greets our parry as way and indelicately announced supper by stand at the head of the slide we see =oun steeper.The ice on the slide is smoothas we come to the end of the resting logs. We yellingout, "Comeand get it or I'il threw rain sides laced with trails and dug-i:eads glass.We arrive at a station where a "spike have been walking on a well packed road it out." The waiting men filed into the over which rhe logs had been dragged to the tender" is watching the logs with a worried along-side the log slide. The hooves of many horses have packed the snow on the road. lobby, hung up meir coats, macs oi: caps and landings near the slide. Still standing are look on his -face. He aheady has ovro "goose- Far down the road we see a number of then went outside again to a long bench scatteredgroves of hardwoui trees buc necked" spikes inserted into the slide to filled with tin wash basins where they wash- among the groves of hardwoods che ground slow down the running logs. The boss teams of horses coming toward us. The ed their faces and hands. dried themselves is covered with tree-tops and limbs which talkswith him andadvises that a third and teamster at the head of the procession counts on coarse towels. combed their hair and were trimmed from the pine and hemlock perhaps a fourth braking spike be inserted off the number of logs he thinks his team enteredthe dining room to partakeof a well- only recently cut. All around us at the log into rhe slidef or a spellto put a brakeon can move. He stops his horsesand turns cooked and nourishing meal. Satisfied com- slide are great piles af logs waiting to be the logs and slow down their speed. Woods them around so they are headed down- mentswere heardto the effect that this cook rolled into rhe nearby log slide men do not like to use the braking spikes stream.He has a long chain, thirty feet because it tears out shavings and splinters long, one end is fastened to his double- +'as putting out good ''grub". Requests trees with a clevis. The other end of the were heard to pass the ''spuds" and the like. As we wzttch,a woodshick picks up a from eachpassing log. Already, a high pile large tin horn, points ic down 'the moun- of shavings has accumulated by the side of chain has a grab welded in.to the last link. After supper some men assembled in the tainside and sounds loud signal bIasEson the log slide. With the speed of the logs The grab is a right-angled heavy piece of lobby [o visit and loaf on the benches un- it. Echoesof rhe signals bounce back from now under control, che spike tender settles iron and the end or point is sharpened to der the mellow light of kerosene !amps in sunounding mountains. Far down the log back to relax and our part continues down a point. The teamster carries a grab-maul wall brackets or lights suspended from the slide faint blasts of an answering hora the tnouncain side. We pass several more with him. One end of the maul is flattened ceiling. Others put on their coals and hats waft back to us. Now, all workme;i along spike tenders before reaching the valley and is used to hamtner the grab into the and went outsideto continue their visiting. the slide are awarethat logs will soon bi floor where we see the logs running at a last log af his "trail". The other end of the Somewho had walked a long distancechar coming dawn rhe slide. Teztmsof men at fast clip fm down the valley and out of maul is pointed and is used to knock the day soon went upstairs to the bunkroom the log piles use their pickleversto roll sight. The first logs have come to an uneasy grab loose from the log. The teamstertakes wl;ere they soon fell asleep. Long bef ore logs into the slide. Two men at a log work- rest nearly a half mile down the slide. his maul and grab [o rhe end of his last log: midnight all were asleep and the camp was ing together bounce the logs into the slide Speedinglogs, coming up behind themehit He places the grab poise on the log and silent 'except -for rhe lusty snoring of more with speed.The grade of the log slide here the firsilogs with a ''Thump" and Jolt them mauls it deep into the log. Next, he drives than a few tired men. Outsidethe snow was on the mountain is quite steepand the logs onward another feu, rods. There is a con- the point of ins grabmaul deepinto the log falling. gain momentumquickly. The air is filled tinuous sound of "whumps" as the slide in becausehe wants that maul with him on his 8 THE JO URN AL 9 trip. The teamster gathers up his reins down the slide watering the slide. Some- as the pliers took out the logs from the down on the landing, it could stop all work (sometimes called lines) and speaks to his times a trail of logs comes up behind him slide as fast as they came alE)ng-sidethe on the entire slide horses. They start out slowly and tig'been tnd pushes the barrel for him and if he piles and when the last log arrived at the the chain.l-f he is in luck the logs begin [o cares to, he can sit on tne log and handle pile, the teamsterstopped his team, took Af ter the superinrendencand other com- move as the horses strain against their col- his barrel wien little effort and get some up his maul and with one clip he knocked pany officials had looked over the splash- lars. The trail of logs stretching out in front rest the grab free of the log and startedback dam and the landing they got together f or of his team is really being shoved by the up-slide for another trail. A steady stream a short conference.If cold weather held up last log which the tefLmis pulling. By this It is.noclong until all the logson the of logs were arriving at the landing and the they felt confident fear all their logs would line of reasoning, it is easy to understand push slide are moving and we he;r a series men working next to the slide had to keep be on the landing by spring. This season's why this sectionof the log slide is called of signal bIasEs on tl; horns to the men at rhe logs moving fi:om the slide to make work would net them betweenfifteen and che "shove slide". If weather conditions were rhe head of the slide alerting them to start room for the logs coming in on rhe slide eighteen million feet which would float lust rigllt, logs lying on the slide would d down to the boom a-t WilJiamsport in the freeze fast making it difficult for the team- =le::=U:\:'t:=.:?Ui;\sn'ii The straw-boss in charge of piling the spring. Drivers with teams of horses hitched comesthe Jloarof running logs and the landing held a responsibleposition. He hir- to sleighs stood waiting. Supr. Mccracken ster to start his trail of logs. Wish a lever would be driven to the raikoadstation at he would bust loose a few of the back logs whump '' of bumping logs as they come ed and fired men at will. He had a position and move them up-slide leaving a few fcec [o rest in the valley. It is nearing the noon of authority and sometimesdrove his men to Trout Run wherehe would boarda train meir utmost.. If a man couldn'.t handle his space between rhe logs. Af ter starting his hour and. we,are nearing rhe lumber camp to his home in W'illiamsport. team, a seriesof bumpswould occur as the wherea brief stop will'be made.Arriving lcb, he was fired. There was alwaysmen coming in hunting a jab, f or jabs were scarce G'ur imaginary uip to the log slide is logs came together, creating a f orca strong at the.camp, rhe party is treated [o a good, ended.Our party dispenses.We go our enough to free the whole trail of logs. nourishingmeal servedby the cook and the those days. When a good workman played out on the landing he was sent up the slide separate ways. Without ever having left ou'r h.elpers: Xf ter resting and visiting a short comfortable armchairs we have made a While this first teamsterwas hooking on time, the party dressesagain in the winter [o work at a less arduous job. The straw- strange journey. We have had a glimpse of [o his trail of logs, tenth af ter team of horses clothing and resumesthe trip to the landing boss was all over the landing giving oi:ders passedhim or] their way up-slide where other and advice. He carried a lever with him and a phase of rhe great lumbering industry teamsters counted out their trails. drove We pass realm.after team ot horses as they lent a hand when men had trouble with a that brought growth, fame and f Ol:tune plod along with their trail of logs. Wc to many and to Williamsport in particular. their grabs, and started down-slide wish meet many teams as they go back from the large, heavy log. The whole successful oper- their logs. When the slide operzLtionwas ation of the log slide often dependedon the As we sit back and museover this singular landing for another trail. 'After walking a trip to a log slide, we begin [o wonder working at rop efficiency there was a con- mile or so at a brisk clip our party arrives boss in charge of piling the landing. If he tinuous flan of logs down-slide and a par- at the landingon BlockhouseCi:eek at the understoodhis job and had sufficient help about other aspectsof the lumbering in- dustry which I will try to describe to you. ade of teamsreturning up-slide for another Patterson farm. The C.P.L. Company had of high caliber everything went along trail of logs. leased some land from Mr. Patterson and s.noothly. However, if things got "balled-up In and ou-t around all this activity at the had built a large splash-dam, cleared off slide we see arlother workman busy all rhe trees and stumps and graded the surface for a landing on which to pile their logs. lime watering the slide. He is also called PART TWO a slide-tender. He operates a fifty gallon From the edgeof the creek ;nd back across barrel which he fills with water through a the clearing large piles of logs were being LUMBERING IN FLOOKS RUN square hole sawed out of the cop where the piled. At some splash-darnlogs were pile;i bunghole of a barrel is usually found. The at the edgeof the pond where they could be rolled into the dam. Omer piles of logs Sometime late in the 1800's, thousands The C.P.L. (as the company was famil- hole is about a f oot square and is large wel:e stacked below the dam in readiness enough that a pail of wager can be dumped of acresof prime limber land on the water- iarly known) startedto lum'beraff the into the barrel with dispatch and speed for rhe spring floods. The piles of logs shed of Flocks Run came into the possession Flooks Run areain 1903.At this time the From the squarehole to rhe back end of were built up layer upon layer. The logs of the Cerltral Pennsylvania Lumber Cotn- lumbering industry was at its peak in Pine, the barrel a stout, narrow board has been ]ay straight and neat. Next [o rhe creek pany. Most of the timber was hemlock with Jackson and CoganhouseTownships. All nailedfast which servesas a handleto the piles were highest. By the end of rhe :ome pine in-rermixed with stands of var- the hemlock bark was hauled to the Kings- guide and managethe barrel. The barrel it- log sliding seasonthe woods hicks were ious hardwoods. The company was interest- ton Tanneries at English Center and in the self lies on the log slide like a log. At the rolling their logs on skids up hill from ed chiefly in the hemlockand pine which spring the pine and Hemlocklogs went down front end of the barrel and near the bottom the slide. These men working on the larld- could .be floated on water to the boom at Little Pine Creek in the log drive. Many lum- two small holes have been bored and pegs ing were called "pilers". Pilers worked Williamspart. Hardwoodswere too solid ber companies were operating in this north- have been inserted to keep the water from in pairs. Two men with levers would lnd heavy to float in a log drive so were ern part of Lycoming CourLty.Their offices flowing out. Now, the barrel is -filled with roll a log from the slide onto their skids leff to stand and grow. Hemlock was the and headquarterswere located in Williams- water and the gendergoes to the front of the They rolled the log a short distanceun- most valuable to the company becausehem port. Wheneveran official wishedto make barrel and pulls out the pegs.Streams of til they met anotherpair of men who took lock bark was in great demand. There was a a trip [o the lumber camp,he went by train water gush out and against the sides of the over and kept the og rolling to its place very large tannery at English Center, not either to Trout Run or Waterville, hired s[ide and soon wi]] freeze a coating of ice on the pile. This same operation was go- many miles away from Flocks Run which il horse and rig at the local livery stable on the slide. He grabs the handle of the ing on at many piles of logs along rhe boughtup all the hemlockbark then avail- and drove to the camp. barrel and gives a push and goes slowly slide. Teainsrers never stopped meir teams able 10 THE JOURNAL 11

Before starting lumbering operationsin f avowedas the ideal timber for slide build- slide builders to keep their slide level. outlirled the limits of the trough of cheslide. Flocks Run, the company officials divided ing. Here the beech trees grew tall and When crossing a large scream of water some The first man started to work with a sharp their timberlandinto large tracts. A tract straight. They were plentiful and close at bridging was necessaryand could be com- ixe to score the log with deep-cut gzLshes contained enough timber for a years work hand. There was little demand for beech bined wick cribbing when necessary. abDuL six to eight inches apart and as deep and to make a log drive profitable. The first lumber on the market. It was a hard wood as he could chop with one blow of the axe. tract to be worked was the mouth of Flocks and also weathered better than some other Quite often a branchslide camedown off the mountain and was united wi.th the main The secondman in the team camealong Run along Blockhouse Creek. A splash-dam speciesof trees. Logs of f ourteen to m 'enty- behind and with his axe choppedloose che was built and a landing was Jnade ready f or f our inches were considered ideal for the log slide by purring a big, wide curve in the slide. Where beechwas scarceother timber branch slide where it met the main slide. large chips scored by the first man. This the piles of logs that would come down che \ slide from the woods. These tracts were let was used to build the slide. First to go on b Thesecurves in a running slide were the first time over was not enough to complete the trough and the scoring and chopping out to "robbers" who would do the actual che ground were the ties. Ties were short souce of many accidentsand great care J out was repeated several times urltil the pro- lumbering. Two brothers, Grant Roupp and thick logs about five feet long. Ties could was used in building theirs.The slide boss be of almost any diameter as various thick- spent many hours searching through the per angle of Ehe trough had been reached. John Roupp, got the job of lumbering this The finishing touchesto the trough was ap- first tract. ThEly built a large lumber camp, nesseswere required to maintain a level woods for trees with a natural curve in grade over urleven ground. Ties were placed them. The slide logs from these naturally plied by a man with a broad-axe.This broad barn and blacksmith shop at Dry Hollow :axe had only one bit which was very wide about a half mile up-stream from the dam. five to ten keE apart and partly embedded curved frees had lust enough bend in them to curve the slide withou-t resorting to any nd hailed to a razor'sedge and camewi-th In the spring, when the sap began [o flow, in the ground f or stability. Notches were a very crookedhandle. With this axean they started hiring men [o cut and pell che chopped ol] top of rhe ties to cradle the slide artificial means [o build it. A regular log hemlock.Hemlock bark would peel off eas- logsfirmly into position.Next rhe slide slide on a curve was not sufficient to con- expert could shave off the surface of the tain the speeding logs on a running slide. trough so that one not familiar with the ily until hot weathersometime the last of logs were hauled from tile woods to the work could well believethat the log had slide and rolled on top of the ties. These Centrifugal force built up by the speedaf June when the bark began to. tighten and been planed smooth by ZLcarpenter. peeled with dif-ficulty.. IAt this point the rhe log causedthe log to lift up arid out of logs fitted snugly into the notches. Carpen- rhe trough of rhe slide on a curve and go cutting and peelingjob stopped:When the ters had made half-laps on the ends of the bark was dry, the'Roupps hired men with crashing over the outside of the curve. To SLIDE ROAD slide logs before placing them on the ties. overcome this problem the slide builders teams itnd wagons Mich' bark-racks og them Half-laps were made by measuring eighteen It was necessary to have a good road [o haul the bark to the tanneryat English inchesback from the end of the log. With built up a wall of sewed logs on rhe ou-aside Cancer. of the curve.The sewed timbers were spik- along-side the log slide especially down the a cross-cut saw, a cut was made half-way ed faso to the outside log on che curve. Lay- shove slide where teams of horses "shoved" Already in bark peeling time, the boss.in down through the log. This eighteeninches er upon layer of timbers were spiked into the trails of logs. This road was gradedat of severed material was slabbed off the end the wall until a heightwas reached that the same time the slide was being built. :n:.{.EeiptPI.j:::i:l::i:s::: of rhe log leavinga half-lap.The half-lap would contain the running logs. Over solid ground a good dirt road was in slide building. of one log fitted into the half-lapof its built but where swampy ground was en- making logs giving the appearance of one HEWING THE SLIDE countered a corduroy road was constructed When a right-a-way f or the slide had been long, straight' log. We could say the logs lnd it was relatively easyto build. Long, trapped out, crewsset to work cutting out had been spliced rogerher. Two notches were As soon as the slide logs had been spiked straight logs were laid in pairs the length the' trees and brush, removing stumps, grad- choppedout of the Eopof each tie so thee firmly into place on the ties, a team of of the swampy area and about eight feet ing a road and otherwise getting ready to two logs lay in the notches,side by side apart. At this stage of construction these and to; the full length of the slide when specialistsin their trade begantheir job of lay the slide. making the trough in rhe slide logs. Wi-rh logs remindedone of a woodenrailroad completed. The splices in the logs were axe. a;iz and broad-axethese men started tr;ck. These bottom logs were called BUILDING THE SLIDE always directly over a tie. No two splices hewing the slide". When a woods hick once stringers". Crosswise upon the stringers were ever allowed on one tie. The spliced were laid smaller logs a'bout .[en feet long. \ achieved a position on the team of sewing W-hale all this activity was going on, the were staggered so that ally one splice was r These top logs were packed together, side madeon a tie. O:verthe centerof the tie, slide, he wal looked up to with respectand boss was cruising the valley and hillsides admiration by his fellowmen. A man who by side, and spiked fast to rhe stringers= f or the tallest. siaiahtest trees to be used J a notch or recess was chopped out and a could hew slide was a Hall who had acquir- Sonaetimesloa(is of earth was hauled and in building the slide. A crew followed him. hole was bored from the recessdown ed special skills in handling. the :tools of his spread over the top logs. Corduroy bridges Sawyers notched and sawed dou'n the trees through the two half-laps and into the tie. grade.The slide crew worketi with speedand were built over streams and gullies. By late Swamperschopped off the limbs and other A long slide spike was inserted into the precisionand they receiveda higher ra,teof fall the slide and road-shad been completed protuberances.'The trees were cut into log hole and mauled home through the laps and pay for meir work. With chalkline they and readiedfor operation lengths and teamsters came and hauled solidly into the tie. The spike held the two the logs to the slide. The cry, "timber ' ra.ng logs together and anchored both firmly to out often during thesebusy daysof slide the tie. PART THREE building. The slide was bunt as sturdy and When the slide passedover a creek,a JOBSIN FLOOKS RUN permanent as man could devise because ic would take the bearingof millions of logs gully or other depression a framework of over a decade or more. smallerlogs was built from the ground up- One article we read about lumbering in Williamsport in the year 190-3and that Mr. ward to support rhe slide. This framework FlooksRun statesthat the CentralPelln Eugene M. Mccracken of Ralston becalDC In Flooks Run. beech trees were most was called "cribbing". Cribbing enabled the associated wick the company in the same sylvania Lumber Company was organized in 12 TH E JO URNA L 13 year, coming from Ralston to Winialnsport, the mountainsides. In the Steam Valley ai:ea, No attempt has been made to record the still living at this date where -he built a new home at 828 High back af the old Anderson homestead. the names of the younger generation of woods- Street. Mr. Mccracken became Land and main slide was built to the branch slides men who started working in the woods after Many incidents, accidents and amusing Timber Superintendent of the company and, that came down) out of Shingle Hlollow, rhe era of lumbering in Flooks Run. It was episodes occurred in the log slide days and as such, Cook full charge of the lumbering Norman Hollow and Wagner l-follow. they who worked in the hardwoodforests we could not closethis narrativewithout operations in Flocks Run. He took person- and around the sawmills. Many of them are relating a few of them. al interestin awardingthe first tract of OLD WOG'DS HICKS timberlandto his nephews,the Roupp Bro- thers, John and Grant Roupp, who were P.ART FOUR the sons of Mr. Mccracken's sister Mrs. The..term "hick'' was a title applied only to skillful woodsmen .with many years of Charles Roupp. The Roupp homestead was hard work in the woods behind thetn. These OLD HICKS' YARNS near the Beech Grove School,in Cogan men were proud to be called "an old hick. House Township, and was kx:aced quite near the Flocks Run timber lands. Earlier in this story it is relatedthat Ides- Many accidents happened in the woods. Uii:'',=":i;":.E":P:£' :'E=:b sa Roupp cooked f OI her brothers at the If a man was injured so severelythat he affection among old hicks John and Grand Roupp built a lumber Roupp Camp. One cold, crisp, mid-winner's had to be hospitalized, rhe mien in camp camp and a barn and startedthe bark-peel- We. cannot presume to list all the names day one of the teamsterscame down wish took up a collection to help pay hospital ing job in the spring. Their catnp might a severe sickness .and was. compelled to put expenses and if a man died a collection have been located at Dry Hollow although of theoldoldof wo:l=s hicks at this writing Many his teamin the barnand go to his bunk. was taken up to help defray the funeral some ald timers believe it was located down- area as soon as woods work was finished The slide was in perfect condition and the expenses. stream nearer to the mouth of Flocks Run. logs were coming -faster than the teams and their names. have. been forgotten.' The A frightening experience occurred at one Then: sisters, Idessa and Viola were the camp names.of a few have been recalled and are could shove them down Ehe slide. Idessa cooks.Laura Weaver was hired to help in could not allow this waste of horsepower of the campsone could winter night. Late rhe kitchen. Sometimes,when the crew was as follows: John R Moyer, Perry Baum- in rhe evening, a man, pale and shaken, gartner, Oscar Landis, Bill Landis, -Charles and again?t.the protests of her h.elpersand extra large, their mother came to the camp bursa into the lobby saying there was a Haynes, Stanley Livermore, Oliver Liver- the men alike, she dressedin warm clothing, and helped the girls. went to the barn and hitched up the team woman lost up on the mountain side and and with great determinationdrove team she was screaming f or help. The men dressed During the ensuingyears, tract after all that day and the next until the teamscer hurriedly, lit a kerosenelantern and went tract of timberland was let out to robbers. was well enoughto resumehis job. In 1967 out into the cold. As they listened they heard It was just a matter of ten or so yearsuntil lust a few months before his death she a scream far up the mounrai-nside. They the entire water-shed had been lumbered called to her to come down to them. After Charles Keagle, Daniel Krise, Frank Kea- again related this story to her brother Bill off. A man by the name of Wagoner (Wag- Roupp who had come to her home in Mans- an interval the screamcame again, this time ner) jabbed aff the second tract. He had his gle, Thomas Livermore, Sam Livermore, field to visit her. farthur up the valley. The men followed the camp at Gummy Hollow. Clayton and Law- I)an Livermore, William Persun. Donald slide razed,calling as they walked.This rence Mitstifer .took the third tract. This Mccracken, Jim Patterson, WaJ;e. Alex- Then there is the story about a camp continued until .the screams ended far bzLck was a large tract and they were busy for sev- ander, Harry Alexander, Glen Moyer, Geo. further up Floors Run where the cook a in the mountains.The men returned to the Hughes, Edward Baumgartner, Charles Car. eral years clearing off their tract. Their man was the cook tllerc - was busy getting camp. Some old-timers said it was a pan- camp was located on the creek near the end ml, .Hank Carrot, Dempster Mccracken, supper ready for the crew. The log slide was ther out hunting. But a few of the men of the Weaver Road that commencedat the Charles Crier, John Blouse, Murky Brian, near the camp and the logs were running were not convinced that it was a panther Weaver farm up near Beech Grove. This CinnamonCrist, Oliver Crist, Jim Schtnou: fast. Throughsome mis-adventure a log and always entertained a haunting fear Chat road was a fairly good road and was much der, Charles snipe, George Dannley, Ed jumped the slide and camehead-on toward a human being had perished up in che used in lumbering days to reach the Mits- Roupp, Wellie Kulp, Homer Kulp, Forrest Ehecamp. The log smashedthrough che wall mountains thad heart-breaking night rifer Camp. Still later on, the jobbers, Jesse Royder, Oscar Drtunater,(:ordy Drumarer, of the kitchen and cameto rest with one and Frank Clark openedup a new tract Ed .Finch, Sam Kissinger, Charley Kissinger, end under the stove.It heavedthe stoveat a When log sliding got into high gear, above the Mitstifer Camp followed by Uriah Krotzer, Ira Ling, Jacob Metzgar, darlgerousangle. This cook was a quick- the operation of the slide corntinued around Drumacerand Ed Caldwell who jabbed the Charles Sawyer, Pulley Ling, James Post, tempered man and he starred raging against the clock. Niight and day the logs came eastern part of the C.P.L. Holdings. Moran .Beck, Bill Gibson, Barney Hinkly, rhe injustice of it all. He rushed to rhe open running down the slide and teamstersshov- Willard English,Tom English, Big Charley ed trains of logs down [o the landing regard- As soon as the first tract was finished, back-door, shook his fists at no one in par- English, Wilber Day, Foster English, Dec- ticular, yelling and screaming that he less of the cold of night. The infrequent ap- ker Johnson, Harrison Dodd, and i)thers who the woodsmen from tha't camp moved up- could lick the whole crew for this terrible pearance of ''Northern Lights" was the stream [o work for a robber lust starring in can be remembered only from their lash injusticeto him. After the cookhad calm- cause of some fear and al-arm among the on a new tract. Each jabbed built log slides name like; the Okome Dennisons, G'regon ed down so trac it was safe to approach him, night shift on the slide.Very few had any which connectedto the old slide built the Hill Teeds and Scheiders,Hughes, Fair- a crew rallied to his aid. They removed knowledge at all about Aurora Borealis and previous year. By the time Drumater and childs, Thomases, and many others who have most believed it to be an Acr of God. A few Caldwell had built their slides. there was a been forgotten which is regrettablefor the offending log, eased rhe stove carefully down on its legs auld found Char the sup- scientists of that day did advance rhe theory long slide the full length of Flocks Run they were all worthy men and deserveto per was intact and would be ready at Elle char the sun sllining on Elle rumbling ice- and' many branch slides coming down off have their names recorded in history- usual hour. bei:gs near the North Pole caused the great 14 TH E JO URN AL 15 flashes and streamers of light [o illuminate our kitchen and they had a squaredance entire length of the mysterioustracks. The yarns to come out of the lumbering era. It our temperateskies heedlessof the f act there while the musiciansplayed in the tracks all at once appeared on rhe road just was told and retold and embellishedupon mae the North Pole is in total darkness for parlor near rhe organ wish the caller stand- aheadof the teamsstanding on the road time after time. It was Che subjec-t of much six months of rhe year during our winter ing in rhe doorway between the two rooms They decided a "thing" had dropped out speculation in the lumber camp. Men shook ind receivesno sunshineat all. On Mon- ,At other times. when a few woodsmen of the sky to the road, its red-hot shoes their heads over the meaning of this mys- day, February 15, 1892, a remarkabledis- droppedin f or a visit, theywould sit around had made the peculiar tracks in the snow. te'nous visitation. play of the Aurora Borealis or "Northern in rhe ki-tchen and tell stories or "spin Near the campthe tracksended as if the Lights", illuminated the sky f or hours and yarns" as it was called thing had risen into the air and flew away. Gone are the great daysaf lumbering in Lycoming County. Gone are the sights, broughtfear to the heartsof many who Sometimes their stories turned to rhe The badly shakenmen could c,ometo only observed the phenomenon. Old timers who one conclusion. They agreed that the devil smells and sounds of the lumbering in- were working on the slide that night down supernatural .and were extremely frightening had come down on the Flocks Run road dustry. The camps, the log slides, dams and to us young listeners. One of 'these stories sawmills have all decayedand gone back Bear Run - this was years before Flocks Run had to do vita a woodsmani:eturning, late rhe previous night on one of his nef arious into the soil. In seventyyears time a new was lumbered claimed they could hear the at night, to a campin Flocks Run.'Near errandsand had made Chosehoof-prints in hissing of the lights as they raced across the snow. Evidently che devil had changed crop of frees has grown and covered the the sky. At times the lights were bright rhe outskirts of Steal:n Valley stood an ab- Ills mind and had gone back to hadeswith- old scars on the mounmins. All that re- andoned house, empty of all furnishings, enough [o read a newspaper by. Horses be- out completing his mission. This narrative mains of the old log slide days are mem- its bleak glass windowssranng out at the ories - but, che memory lives on. came' frightened and could hardly be con- dark of night. This old house stood near the proved oo be one of the most fascinating trolled by the teamsters. One God-fearing road that led to the lumber camp.As the [earnster stopped his team, fell to his knees woodsman approached the house he thought and prayed';loud. Others stood and gazed he saw a glunmer of light. He stopped'in spell.bound at the marvelous sight in the bewilderment for he ]cLew no one lived THE VI LLAGE BLACKSMITH A RETROSPECT skies. It was a night to be long remembered there.As he watchedin trepid-anion,his pulse quickening, he saw a pale, blue flame BY FRED L. GUERNSEY When their work schedule permicred, of light move slowly through the upstairs lnosc of the woodsmen left camp Saturday roollls, passing by one window after another Having spent over a half century as a gon rims and tires on a lumber wagon was evening to go spend Sunday at home. The and from room to room. He was convinced Village Blacksmith, I am dedicating these eighteen dollars; today it would cost sevenEy- young ones cleaned up at home, dressedin mac this was a ghost he was watching. He eight dollars. their bestclothing and went to visit their few remarks to che few remaining Village thought the spinemight be search-ingfoi: Blacksmiths, wherever they may be. A good mechanic received $1.50 pe{ day, girls, or in the vernacularof the day, they someobject ]ost long ago here in this house. but we got two poundsof roundsneak for went to "spark" their girls. If one of the He did not tarry long but hurried awayon ['m looking back to my young and happy days -- my greatest pleasure lies in th'ink- wo shillingswith a chunkof liver thrown local schoolswas having a box social or his trip to the camp,thoroughly shaken by in holiday entertainment, all the young cou- his experience. Others also claimed riney had ing of the brave and kind-hearted Black- smiths wi'th whom lboth worked and as- Tne Blacksmiths of thadperiod were men ples gatheredat the schoolhousef or fun seen rhe blue light at night in rhe old house. and gaiety. Young married couples went sociated. whose honesty and mechanical skill was be- Another old hick's story had [o do wi-th to visit their friends and neighbors on Sat- I started as an apprentice with my Father yond reproach, and an i'nspiration to. t:he uday nights. I was very young at the time p harrowing experience some [eamscers had rising generation. Honor never:allowed them one cold winter morning. They had just left at an early age. Both my Grand-f arhers and but remember well the get-to-gethers here Great Grandfathers were "Sons of the For- [o descend to the low level of deception at our home. Sometimes we had music the barn with their horsesand were going when dealing with their fellow men. up the slideroad to hookonce a trail of ge". My Father had two Brothers chat were Mother had a parlor:organ on which one of Blacksiniths and two Sisters who married They were the quality of men who accom- the fellows would play chords in accom- logs when the lead teamster'sattention was dmwn to a trail of tracks coming d-ownthe Blacksmiths. ied' Daniel Ba)ne in the days. of. .the paniment with a violin. I can remember covered wagon, and also with the builders the many times that Jim Brewer and Billie road coward the camp. These tracks were im- My Mother had two Brothers who work- of the first railroad that carried civilization prints of small hooves shod with horse ed at the gradethe greaterpart of their Persun came to spend an evening with us. t over the western plains to the Golden Gate Jim was the only lef t-handed fiddle player I shoes and the tracks were spacedas if a lives. man shod with horse shoes had walked af (:ali.forma. ever knew. He had the strings reversed on Of this large family of Smiths,I have his old fiddle so that he could bow with the ;down the road. Other teamsters came to Immortalized by Longfellow, glorified by view the tracks.Wham raised -the hair on the one Cousin left who is still working at the Jeft hand. Billie played chords on rhe organ rude. the world's best painters, honored by his and they madethe most beautiful music I backs of their necks and glazed their eyes fellowmen and re;pecked by h-is neighbors. ever heard in my youth. SometimesDon was the honible touchthat the trackswere Looking back just 50 years it cost one The Village Blacksmith, since the advent dollar to \hoe a norse with new shoes and of the automobile and commercial truck, Mccracken came along with Jim, and Don melted clear through the snow and ice down has become alm:ost as extinct as the passen played the organ. We were one of the very to the bare ground. Most appalling of all 50 cents for re-setting f our shoes. Today few families who owned an organ in the were the tracks where the hooveshad step many shoerscharge eight dollars f or four ger pigeon. early 1900's,so we enjoyed more.musical ped on pieces of wood. The wood was new shoes. Time was when this formidable artsy of burned and scorchedand the men thought entertainment than most families. If enough It cost thirty-five cents to set a wagon mechanicswas a vital force in the nation's neighbors came to hear the music, .some- they detected an odor like sdphur . and nite, new neckyokeswere one dollar, whif- business, and were it not that their passing brimstone in the tracks. They examined the times an impromptu dance was held in fletrees were fif ty cents. A new set of wa- has been brough-t about by the orderly pla- 16 THE JO URN A L 17 cess of necessity and invention, it would ter, stocks,and dies f OI cutting threadson all ready for che first winter storm. So Scourged to his dungeon, but indeed be tragic. all sizes, taps for threading nuts, a stout through preparedness, he reaped the harvest Sustained and soothed by an unflattering The Village Blacksmith Shop in the early hooping trestle, on which the wheel and ind earned rhe gratitude of his patrons. Truss, approach thy grave as one who days was on every crossroad and intersec- tire were placed. A sledge block, and anvil The history of this unselfishand indus- Wraps the mantle of his couch about him tion of the main highways swedges of various sizes ';nd {f arms, gauges trious Village Blacksmith should be an ob- And lies down to pleasant dreatns. It was generally of frame construction and templees,many madeby himself, buc ject lesson to the present generation. In concluding this eff ort to portray the nevertheless surprisingly accurate compared and mostly of one design, but with plenty The fallowing dictum of William Cul- mechanical and business qualities of the of room on either side and rear to accom- wi;th rhe tools of today. His gigantic task and diversified activities become all the len Bryant, in "Thanasopes" seems appro Village Blacksmithas I knew him and as modate farm wagons and general purpose priate here. he was known by those who precededme, work. more apparentespecially when one con- I add the following: sidersthat his work was done so well. 'So live that when thy summons comes He built the market, milk and butcher 'His work is done, His trials are o'er He never enjoyed the advantage of reg- To join the innumerable caravan wagons, carryaEls, hayrack, sultry, jump- ular hours and trade unions. Job insurance Which moves to thad mysterious realm And he is fully bees't, seat,and the old familiar buggy. ' Where each shall take his chamber He fought rhe fight, The victory won and social security were unknown. On ac- And enters inlto rest. In this buggy most of the young men and count of ciraimstances over which he had In the silent halls of death, Thou go women of that period made them life con- no control, he was of ten compelled to do two Not as the ga-lley slave at night tacts. While spooning beside the "Babbling days' work in one, but he did it cheerfully, Brook", the "Old Rusty-c Bridge", or the being a slave to duty. Take for instance, a Old Mill Stream". Sometitnes using the rainy or a real har day in summerwhen Old Gray Mare" and at others the spirited rhe farmer could not work in his field. He BLOOMSNG GROVE roadster. Result--the same in either case would take the horses [o be shod. Other businessmen did the same, resulting in an Con iu&ation ot belies ot select ons to be tl'intel troll "Bloonting Greed' Wedding hours ar)d orange flowers, overflow ' of work. As it was never consid- White gloves and wedding rings. ered good taste to put off until tomorrow tbe historical tuo k ot Joseph H. McMhmn printed at Wllliatnspor} in \c)Q\ All vehicleswere sent to his shop f or what could be done today, he tightened his i:epairs. Tires, brakes, body plates, axles, belt and speeded up. THE VALLEY springs, and other parts needed replace- Although the thermometer might have ment and adjustment beenwell up in the nineties,his determin- To the presentgeneration the nameof nists have spread over the enrii:e tenitory, W:hen not busy with -theserepairs, he ation was not dimmed, and when necessary Blooming. Grove is vei:y indefinite, convey- and even f ounded settlementsin Ohio, Da- turned his attention to farm implements would work fa'r into the night. ing an .idea, ,even among many Lycoming kota, Nebraska and other western states. He would take the old plow-shore,worn The last nail had to be driven and the last county born. Germans, of a tract of country But the BZ me gf o/e olr 1804 doesnot com- down by many years af turning the sod, and foot smoothed down bef ore taking off his from Fairfield to Anthony." Or to the pose so much of the earth's surf ace, it is weld a piece of steel on its face, as well as apron and calling it a day. His task was to outsider, from Lycoming Creek, at Hepburn- a new nose: and make it look like new, provide f or hi-s f emily and old age ville, on chewest to the L(Walsock,a; Slab- merely a little gem of a valley in the midst extending its usefulness. town, (Loyalsockville) on the ease; and ly- of this region.Strictly speakingit is not snore Worse still was a slippery day in winter, than two miles long, by half a mile wide, The harlow also was shod or plated at with sleek covering all roads. ing between the northern slope of the range foroken parts, its leech sharlpened and gauged of hills nearthe Susquehann;River and the and is drained by a little brook bearing the the exactlength below the frame. l-t also Not a horse could move until his shoes steep slope of the spur of the Allegheny modest name of Bee Tree Rzz#, which takes went home like new. were sharpened. Transportation was delay- mountains bounding the West Brandi val- its rise in the many delicious springs maE ed, but soon restored to near normal by the occur in the adjacent hillsides. Even the wheelbarrow needed a new tire ever alert Blacksmith. ley on the north. The chain of higlll hills or the old one Jnade smaller to keep spokes referred to rises with rounded summits per- haps two hundred feet above the general This valley may be geographically located and felloes tight. Sensing rhe approach of such storms, he between Quaker ilill, i;n Ihe east, and Ball's was up early and when the first horse, with plain, and without a single break lor ten The housewife's wash-tub needed hoops to Mills, on rhe west, parallel with the 'Vgesc feet in burlap bags arrived, the fire was miles, while the elevatedmountain plateau keep it from falling apart. has peaks which attain an altitude of quiet Branch valley, and seven miles from Mar- glowing brightly and horse No. I in half an [wo thousand feet above sea level. The ket square, Williamsport, to the Bunker Not only did he shoe farmers' horses and hour, often in 20 minutes, was equipped church, "as the crow flies." notch. To travel mules, .but he was equally efficient in shoe- scope of country" lying between these with a setof sharpshoes on his way [o to it by ally public i:oad is a serious under- ing light track and buggy horses. work again limits, comprisesa length, from creek [o creek, of about ten miles; while the average taking, even at this day. The tortuous All this, my friends, was accomplishedby This amazing speed was made possible course, leading between high precipitous his skill and the muscles of his brawny width may be reckonedat about six miles. by the Blacksmith in his spare time, having hills, alwaysin a directionaway to the arms. The entire region, being an undulating, prepared all sizes of shoes, sharpened, shap- well watered, -fertile valley, that constantly westward of the air line, until the romance His shop equipment con-sistedof such ed, and hung in place for each horse. G'ften appeals to the admiration for picturesque of the trip is aboutdying out, when sudden- Cools as a tire bender, mandril, upright hand the customer's name, and name and descrip- beauty and quiet, prosperous, pastoral gran- ly the chai:ming panorama rolls out before drill, vise, upsetter, traverse wheel, bolt cut- tion of horse was tagged to the shoes, these deur. The descendantsof the original colo- the startled vision. Hill and dale appear in 18 THE JO URNA L 19 endless corrlbination, never tiring, but al- part in developing the religious freedom, from rhe name of the prehistoric native rhe "great swamp '' to Lnw Miller's. From ways inspiring, until one blesses the day which is one of the fundamentalprinciples down called Shamokem,now Sudbury, so this point they took the Sheshequinpath Chat directed his steps to this enchanted in our National life, and the descendants that the.German emigrants came to Lycom- up Bouser'sRun, to the Union school house country. of these poor, persecuted christian people ing, or Lacomik, in the Shamokemconnery. of today, thence through the deep, dark have taken to all parts of t-he land the;r pure canyonto the summa:t,or by QuakerHill, Blooming Grove should not be studied lives, choir frugal habits and their plodding The land about Warrensville was clea.ed where they left the path and descendedinto strictly alone in its history. While it might industry, which forms the basisof the most in 1802 by SamuelCarpenter, who, after the densely tim'belted basin which was to appear to the superficial observer, [o be an enduring part of our National character. a trine,erected a sawm-ill, a grist mill and be cheer future dwelling place. It may be isalaced community, peculiar to itself, yet a fueling machine. The I)utch settlers had rhe fact is, it has borne a most important possible that the 1804 party came in the returned to the Loyalsock and cleared up same as the party of 1817, who traveled over farms and made improvements along char the aboveroute until a little west of Muncy stream,notably Score'sgrist mill and W - Creek,when they followed the road along PIONEERS ckoff's tannery.The Quakerswere well rhe foot of the hill to Mill Creek. neat settled about Quaker Hill, so that there came from N-ew Jersey,and avoided the Scott's place, thence to the Buckley farm, As early as 1770emigrants from Eng- must have been a fair widening ou-t of the land. Ireland. Scotland and Holland fled to sandy plains along tile ri-ver, thinking chem where they f orded the Loyalsock,to Reed- old Indian trail, by rhe time the Germans er's and Tillman's. thence over Christian America to escapereligious persecution, as to be barren as they resenabledthe unfruit- came to take up their abode in the wilder- Hill, near Wilson's, and on to che place of Quakers or Presbyteriansand others as mere ful section of the state with which they ness.So far as the usual course of travel at settlement. adventurers, but all of strong, energetic, were familiar. So they selected home sites in that day can be traced,it would appearthat moral and intelligent character. Having the heavily timbered hill coun-try, reasoning the first of thesepeople, perhaps fif ty in Jacob Kurtz went on -foot to Philadelphia heard from hunters, surveyors or mission- that such gigantic timber could only be number--men, women and children--came to meet his father. Money was scarce,he grown upon very fertile soil. This was a aries, wonderful stories about the beauty in on foot, carrying their few mechanics had but fif ty cents in his pocket. This, and fertility of the valleyof rhe West popular reasoning,and the most fallacious with a loaf of bread.was his outfit for a and most unfortunate ohat ever befell the tools, cooking utensils, clothing arid food Branch of the Susquehar)na, they made upon their backs or upon meir heads. They trip of two hundredmiles. His father:bought early settlers. For, when the late comers their way up this streamas far as the Indian lef t Germantown by the turnpike [o Read- an old mare and truck wagon which carried treaty boundary (Lycoming Creek) and were compelled [o rake up rhe swampy ing, .thenceby what we now call Patxsville, his motherlesschildren and baggageup settledalong the alluvial bottom of the low-lands, or move on [o regions far aw;y, Ashland, Mt. Carmel and Bear Gap to Dan- rhe country. In crossing the Loyalsock they Loyalsock. Some penetrated rhe dark wild they soon found that the scrub growth was ville. This was the public road af the day came near drowning, by the colt getting erness as far up Null 'Creek as the present easily removed, the swamps readily drain- and led through an unbroken f orest and fouled with the mare in the current. The thriving village of W'arrensville. These ed, and the soil of incoiiparable'fertility, barren mountain waste, all the way from old man cried like a child and exclaimed people were either slaughteredby Erie In- setting .the key f or rhe common saying, "to Pottsville to Danville--from the Schuylkill To think of crossing the great water safely, dians, carried into captivity or driven from tickle it with a hoe and it would laugh to rhe Susqueh-anna. Af ter crossing che to be drownedin this little stream."With meir homes,so that the whole country was with a harvest.'' Ode large section has al- North Branch at Danville, they f allowed this party Mrs. Hauser carried her child in a devastated and abandoned from 1778. the ways been known as the Paf df;e Cowl/fy, the Indian trail up -the Mahoning Ci:eek basket, 'as she walked all the way, and time of the "big runaway,''until after the a name equally applicable [o the whole ex- by Washingtonville, (of today) through Michael Stroble brought his daughter, peacetreaty in 1783.After this time new tent of seventymiles of the West Branch the Muncy Hills and dawn Glade Run to Christina, up in a wheelbarrow. These. peo- settlers came in large numbers and "squat- Valley. It is said that the German emi- the Wes; Branch, west of Muncy (old ple came over the route described above, ted" wherever the old improvements had grants had suffered severe deprivation in stateroad.) Thenceby the public road over which appearedto have beenthe only one been made. the moshercountry, from rhe scarcityof Sand Hill at the Loyalsock, and through familiar to them for many years afterward. fuel, and when they found that they could A colony of Engl-ishQuakers came in possessthese great forests for a few dollars soon af ter the return, and settled the region an acre,they were captivatedby the pros- now known as Qz/a ef HfZ/, where they built pect, and scornedthe scrub covered barrens, PERMANENT COLONISTS a meeting house and school house, and es as they calledthe low-lying river lands tion, it is more than probable thadthe name tablisheda buryingground. In 1796Elihu Succeeding generations, in some cases, ex- May 20, 1805 is a day to be ever kept and John Wilson settled on the high ground plained that the title [o the valley lands in sacred remembrance by all Blooming gfea' upon them, and was not a suddenin- over-lookingthe Loyalsock,about a mile Grovers, wherever they may live, f or on this spiration. There appears to be good reason east of W=arrensville.near what is now was defective, others thad fever and ague seized everybody who settled along the day whey first saw their haven of rest in the f or believing that'i was first suggested by called Christian Hill. They slept in chair river; both of which were uue to some f oreign' land. The sight was inspiring and their English Quaker neighbors, whose cur- covered wagons f or three weeks, while extent. comaorting, f or rhe dogwoodand rhododen- iosity would lead them on "Fh;f D#7" to their cabins were being built. These people dron were in full bloom, and their white go over and ''see h(m' the Dutchmen. were petals glistening beneath the dark green coming on." They f ound thad indefatigable toil had made the wilderness "blossom like SE'lTl£MENT foliage of the f brest trees, appealedto theill natural love of flowers, and they exclaimed the rose," and in commenting on it, called From che tilde of its earliest discovery by at the confluence of the mo branches of B; me/zgf o/e)" "flowers in Ehe woods, it a "blooming grove." The Germans caught the f amiliar "blumen" (flowers) and imi- white adventurers, the region of country the Susquehannariver, was known to the which has been their talisman through three tated ohe rest, and so acceptedthe term as within a hundred miles of the Indian town outside world as the ''Shamokem country, generations.In spite of this beautiful tradi- 20 THE JO URN A L the regular name. It is certainly a compound exposure. The food supply became exhaust- of German and English, genuine Pennsyl- ed and starvationhovered over them for vania Dutch. Its early acceptanceis shown many tediousdays. When suddenlythe in an inscriptionon the fly leaf of a Ger- I.''arm sun began to shed its rays through man Bible given to IsaacKurtz, by.his ohe tops, melting the ice and snow as if by school teacher,Christopher Kress, as fol- magic, and before they had forgotten the lows: "Blumengrofe, Hepburn township, rigors of winter, the flowers were in bloom Lycoming county, Pa., 15th February, 184t again. As an illustration of the suddenness Seek ye tirsr the kingdom, etc. of the change from incense winner to the In the earlydays letters to friendsin mildness of May, it has been recorded that Germany would tell of the flowers in the on April 11, 1818, rye was out in head woods and the name Blumengrofe so glow Af ter the seasonhad settled in this. their ingly, ohat the i-maginacion in some cases first springtime, so chat men could go about, was excited beyond w-hat the actual facts same of the SEurdiest of them, by way of warranted. At one time when a r)ewly arriv- Indian trails, (for there were no roadsfor ed party reachedthe top of the hill which many af ter-years) took across the hills to commanded a view of the valley, rhe out- Wlilliamsporr,in searchof foodfor their look was so disappointing that one woman famishing people. Although the settlers in exclaimed, "ls that your Blumengrofe? I the "big valley'' were of a different religious can see nothing but black stu.mps." And no faith and nationality, they were imbued with wonder. f or what is more unattractive than the spirit of hospna.lily that seemed to per a newly burnt clearing? vide the very atmosphere. It may have been It was not long before the blue token of lef t by the aborigines with whom it was civilization was curling up through the tree considered a high virtue given them by the tops, from the fire place of eachpioneer Great Spirit. The Dunked settlers did not cabin, f or they lose no time in getting an return empty harmed, but with the liberal opening for future sustenance. But struggle responseto their appeal,went also the as they might, they could not escapethe knowledgeof thefishing grounds at the clutches of the -frost king, who came upon food of Hepburn's lane and at Jaysburg. them as though angi:y becauseof their in- Here for many after-years, with each recur- trusion. Bef ore they could realize chao the ring spring, came rhe "dippers from Bloom- summer was ended, terrors encompassed ing Grove" to lay in choir annual supply of them, such as they had never dreatnedof, shad and other fish, which they salted down and bef ore rhe grip of winter was looser)ed for future use. They were called "dippers under the touch of the genial sun, che sEur- by the ignorantbecause they fished with diest hearts quailed f or the sake of their dip-nets; but by the more i'ntelligent, THE loved ones. With a ready ax, and che over- though none the les;s sacreligious, they were hanging trees, they could replenish the called "dippers" from then: mode of bap- great fireplace, and keep their single apart- tism, which was observedby curious per- ment cheerful and comfortableby the con- sonswho had followed them to their settle- stant blaze on the hearth-stone.But cloth inen.t. ing was not provided for such hardship and JOURNAL N EW MEMBERS OFTHE Since April 4, 1968 list Mr. and Mrs. Harold R. Bock Mrs. Ed. Lewis Mr. William M. Bower Mi'. C. Daniel Little Mr. and Mrs. William R. Brink . Mr. andMrs. LaurenceP. Maynard,Jr. Mrs. Emma L. Conway Miss Eleanor J. Miles Mr. and Mrs. Edward C. Crowe Mr. Walter R. Rice Mr. John P. Crowe '' ''' Dr. Mendal F. VanValin Lycoming County Historical Society Miss Ruby Eckert Mr. and Mrs. Gail Webstei

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