Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-04-12
THE "WOODsMAN."

There are very few persons now living in
the "lower end " who remember strange
character, who died almost sixty years ago
in collier's cabin, in a ravine running
from the beautiful valley through which
the Little Beaver wends its way to the top
of the hills south of it. On the side of
these hills about one and a-half miles
southwest of Quarryville is spring from
which there is a large stream flowing all
the time. Though situated high up, it
has never failed in the least. This is a
branch and also one Of the heads of the
Little Beaver, and empties into it just
above the "Y" on the Lancaster and
Quarryville railroad, before which it is
used for washing ore at the new iron ore
mines of w. H. Rinear, esq.
This spring is known as 1.-THE Woods
mans" spring, also as ''Speckman's," or
Robinson Crusoe's Number Two" OF
the early life of the erratic character from
whom it gets these names nothing is
known, but by great many folks who
knew him it was thought he came from
Philadelphia, and no one ever positively
knew. That he was Il man of more than
ordinary intelligence all agreed, and why
he was here living in this strange place
was mystery which died with him.
His name he gave as James Kerwall,
which was evidently assumed. But he
was known by the elder people as 1.-THE
Speckman'' The younger folks knew as
"RObisOn Crusoe number two.'
His house or cabin was situated very
near the spring his stable alongside of it
and the remains of both arc still percepti-
bic. Here he lived in his collier's cabin,
which was very small, for about twenty
five years. He always kept an old rip of
| a horse, with which he Travelled around,
| with vehicle made of two hickory poles,
kind of sled known as a sled wagon,
gathering old pieces of wood, rags, etc,
but his speciality was old bacon or
"speck," from which his name was de-
rived. This he gathered up until he had
a large quantity and then took it to the
soap boilers, which was the only visible
| AiCdiio uC ust't VI ODl.tiIiiiso ihoiCS, DuC III
always had plenty and lived well, but in
| filth. When demonstrated with for being
SO dirty, he would strike the attitude of
all actor and his expression was s. dirt is
not poverty" He had no more intercourse
with his fellow men than possible, and
when visited would shrink from them as
from viper.
! At the time he lived his residence was in
a very heavy forest then owned by Daniel
Lefever's grandfather (now owned by Mr..
Lefever himself), and Kerwall was a
squatter and would neither go of nor be
driven. He was supposed to have quite a
pile of money and an old citizen tell us that
it was wonderful to see the vigilance he
would display when any one was about. In
this place he was found dead and hauled
out and buried by kind neighbors about
sixty years ago in graveyard now on the
farm OF James McMichael. No money was
found in his cabin, but all around his
former home large holes may still be seen,
where treasure-seckers have been pros
pectIng, but never with any success.
There is no doubt this strange charac-
ter's life had romance in it, and one
which could be woven into story stranger
than fiction itself.