The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1895-02-27

without sails, but having at the bottom a
piece of timber called a keel, that OK
tended from stem to stern and that sup
ported the whole frame. In early days
these boats wore pushed up the river and
let toat down, two men being necessary
to one boat.
Forest county has been the home of
one of those sturdy boatmcn for almost
forty years. Juigc LOWS Arner, whose
hardy but healihful life has been one of
adventure, made his first trip on the Al
legheny, from Pittsburg to Olean, in
April 1884, when but 10 years of age. lie
was then in the employment of "Billy"
Kelly of Armstrong county. who. dur
ing the war of 1912, had helped to trans
port the supplies and provisions for the
army from Pittsburg to LaBuf water
ford, Erie county,-a distance of 24O
miles) coming up the Allegheny to
franklin, and then up French creek to
Water ord from were they were taken to
Erie.
Their freight consisted Of nails and $50
boxes of glass, sNl0, for Judge Warner
Of Olean, who kept the store of that place.
Olean was then but small settlement in
the forest full of pine stumps. At that
time there were no cabins on the keel
boats. The men would travel during the
day and "tie up at night for the purpose
of cooking supper aud sleeping on shore.
For bed, in cold weather, they would
select the best slab they could find,
would warm it by the fire they had built,
and, lying down on it, would cover them
selves entirely with a blanket In the
the summer, good warm sand-rock was
/ selected rs the "cozier' bed Ono morn
ing, on his first trip and within four
miles of Olean, when the men awoke.
they found that another Nature had vis-
tied them during the night and had lefl
| over them beautiful, white and spark
ling cover of snow, four inches deep.
The snow had fallen so gently during the
night, that the men were unconscious OF
its presence till morning.
Judge Amer has lived to see this mode
of transportation exchanged for the
| freight train. He has crossed the conti-
nent twice and is now spending the win
ter in a Florida home. He has enjoyed
the ease and luxury of the Pullman din
| ing-car, but we do not think they were
| appreciated by him rs much as was the
| accommodation of the keel-boat, when
he played the part of cook without a
stove. Their food consisted of potatoes.
bacon, tea and sugar. They had no mo-
lasses, no butter and they never drank
coffee. Their bread consisted of sea-
biscuit, 6x3, which also served for plates.
The sturdy men cared little for the rules
| of hygiene; for, within an hour af(er
they had "tied up" for noon, dinner had
been cooked for the men and had been
eaten, and they gone again. And we are
not surprised when the Judge tells us
that he weighed 10 pounds lighter after
every trip.
The first horse that was ever taken up
the river, was taken by Mr.. Wilson.
The second that was ever taken, was by
Judge Arnor and Hamilton Kelly in the
spring of 1885. The horse was hitched
to the boat and walked near the shore.
One man guided the horse by riding on
his hack, and another man the boat bv
staying on board and using a pole River
life was hard on the horses. They never
lived TO be very old, and their legs grew
(Will be continued next week.