The Early Years

The writer has to look backward; at 92 there is no rule or right to look ahead. Born [near Soldier, Jefferson Co., PA] at the moment that Lincoln's funeral service was being held fronting the State House in Philadelphia, where many were hurt in the mobs demonstrating grief and roaring revenge at the terrifying news. A few days later the lamented president was buried in the local graveyard along with little Tad, in the midst of throngs at Springfield. The war was just ended and the country was in a state of chaos. Foreign people, generally, were disappointed --had hoped that the South would win.

My memory begins at the age of five. Then it was that school began --a two mile walk in forests in paths to be made in deep snow. Outstanding recollection is that head-tickets were won for the prize of a volume of U. S. History --size 6"X4", �" thick --grabbed by the older ones and never recovered.

Big pine forests covered most of the farm. At 8 I had to go with father and older brothers to help make square timber for rafting down Redbank Creek. The only way to get money for taxes and to buy sugar and coffee for the older ones; the personal drink was milk or water. Tools for making timber comprised the gin, cross-cut saw, broad axe and double bit, wedges (iron and hand-made ones), the cant-hook and maul. Hand-spikes were cut at the job. When the big pine was felled, the first thing was to climb on top, and cut into the trunk for juggles ( *see below); this when split off called for the tree to be turned over, and now the gin came into operation; this done, the same process was gone over to cut the juggle from that side --and so on until the stick was squared. It was all a real man's work. When enough timber was so made, it had to be hauled to the creek-bank for rafting in. This meant the family ox-team and others borrowed from neighbors, to load on 'devils' sled and dragged away to water side.

It was at this time that father cut the largest pine in the state. They squared it at a length of fifty feet --face at base measured 42 and 44 inches. It required six teams of horse and oxen to drag it on the level road to creek-bank. It was the largest stick of square timber ever floated down Sandy Lick and Redbank to the Allegheny and thence to Pittsburgh. There its arrival created a sensation; there was no mill large enough to process it, yet it was sold there for $300, and sent on down the Ohio to Cincinnati where it was sawn into ship-lap. No recollection to account for any of that money coming into father's hands. A careful mining engineer in later years, accounted the story of that big pine and found it to have had a value of $1,800, at prices ruling at that time.

Father was known all around the region as "Honest John" --and some years later he was elected Justice of the Peace. He never adopted a docket or had a trial --always adjusting disputes or complaints without formal hearing and without fee.

From the age of eight to age sixteen I have no memory of ever having seen as much real money as a silver dollar. There was no money. Food came from the field and garden, and from the forests --always fresh meat could be had by an hour's hunt around the fences. The old Kentucky rifle was the only way to get wild game --squirrels, pheasants, wild pigeons --all must come from a rifle ball --shotguns were a disgrace at that time. Never used. A damaged rifle had been cut off at 2 ft. length barrel was given me by the family doctor; it was a smooth bore and would shoot. Always it was possible to get within rail-length of pigeons and black and grey squirrels. The easy approach and short range assured a bag full of fresh meat for supper.

[ *Explanation of "juggles" :

Operation # 1 :  One would stand on the log and, with a broadax, cut a straight line on the top side of the log by slightly hitting the log and moving along the full length with a repetitive action.  A mark the full length on the log is thus made. Operation # 2 :  A double headed chopping axe would be used to cut V notches on top of the log, the depth up to the marking line at approximately 18 to 20 inches apart along the length of the line. Operation # 3 :  Then one would use the broadax to cut or pare off the wood on this one side in a rough manner.  A second pass would be made to true up and smooth the face cut.  The above operations would be done to all four sides of the log. Slab wood, with the bark on, are called juggles when produced this way. This was hard labor, one needs to be in excellent health to be a woodsman.  I truly thank God that work, for myself and this generation, is easier today.]