The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-02-12
"REMINISCENCES.
SOME OLD PIKE BOYS.

stANttiit1 anu stii lgIi-
sons who lived adjacent TO, or in any
way were connected with the pike,
either during its construction, or dur
ing the repairs that were constantly
being made OH account of the immense
amount of travel. Not many old pike
boys remain in this neighborhood
now. In previous paper the few re-
manning old wagoners, and the one or
two old stage drivers were mentioned.
DIR. III. a. Hartzell, who is living in
Petersburg, in retirement, and who
has passed his four score of years sew
eral years ago, was an old pike boy.
He came to Petersburg many years
ago, and has lived here ever since.
His profession, originally, was saddle
and harness making, and later became
dentist, which calling he followed
for long time then he became an
extensive dealer in furs, wool, hides,
ginseng, etc. At his advanced age,
he still jumps on his cart or horse, and
makes long trips through the country.
and only year or so ago did he
abandon his semi-yearly trips through
the mountains of West Virginia in
quest of pelts, etc. He, while working
at saddle and harness making, made
untold numbers of "wagon harness" :"
with ten inch side straps, or traces,
twelve inch back-bands and breech-
ing, and ''housing' that would take
nearly quarter of a side of leather TO
make, and wagon and drove whips,
galore. Many "A long-lashed buck-skin
whip, that has cracked over prancing
steeds in a stage, was made by him.
DIR. Hartzell saw the old pike iii her
glory and her decline, in her prosper
ity and her adversely. The oldest per-
son now living in Addison township,
is Ephraim Stuck, who is almost
lightweight years Of age. He was a
blacksmith, and has shod thousands
upon thousands of wagon and stage
horses. Night after night he has
made horse-shoes, or nails, or has
driven the shoes on, the merry ring
ing of his anvil sounding in the still
night, like Christmas anthems, or the
'..Curfew BelI' that "shall not ring to-
night" He it was, who made the
"butt-chains" used on heavy harness,
spoken of in some previous paper,
which were forged out of the iron bar
into flat short links, which were tied
behind the wagons and dragged
through the sand until they were as
bright as silver. He also made "doub-
le-linked" breast chains, that were and
are vet, the wonder of all who see
them. The old mans working days
are over, and he seems to be waiting
only for the summons to the further
shore against which his frail life-bark
has long been beating with the recei-
ing waves of life. James Mccartney,
Jimmy" rs his friends call him,
past four score, an Irishmln, as his
AO AAiAN NtuNNA. 4.
while the pike was in its original
glory. He was essentially n pike boy,
since he spent the best days of his life
on it and near it. He has quarried
many thousands of perches of stone for
repairs OH the pike. He has dug and
shoveled, and broken stones, and cart
ed in rain, and wind, and snow, win
ter and summer, scores of years. He
now lives with his son, on a produc-
tive farm, an honest, venerable, law
abiding citizen, beloved and respected
by everybody, happy that in his de
clining years he is blessed with a rea-
sonable degree of health and strength,
and an abundance of the comforts Of
life, with kind friends to minister TO
his wants, and willing hands to assist
his tottering footsteps. He owns an
extensive quarry, from which lime
stone was hauled by splendidly built
tram road, described in a former paper,
for repairs on the pike. George w.
Turney is another old pike boy, bat
his years do not weigh 80 heavily up
Oh him. He has passed the Psalmist's
allotted time, but he can take his fish
ing rod and walk several miles TO the
creek, wade i'm the water a whole day,
if necessary, in pIrsuit OF that no5lest
of all fish-the brook trout-come
home in the evening with his bIsket
full of delicious fish, a. fresh and spry
as boy of twenty. Mr.. Turney was
also a blacksmith, and n postmaster
was he, too, i'm his trade. He was a
brother-in.law of Mr.. Stuck, and like
him he has made the same kind of butt
and breast chains, and has also shod
horses without number. He worked
i'm shop with several other workmen,
and many nights did they hammer
the iron until daylight did appear"
In addition to being an expert fisher
man, Mr.. Turney has been a great
hunter, and many a mile has the writer
trudged along with him after the nim-
ble deer, taking turn about on the
''crosssing." Mr.. Turney was faith
full soldier i'm the late war, and his Gov
ernment, appreciating his services, has
granted him liberal pension, to ch3er
him i'm the decline of life. On one oc-
oasion Mr.. Turney and the writer were
hunting together, and We scared up
two old does that We knew were up in
the mountain. We had some trouble
TO get them into good place, hut
finally Mr.. Turney ran to u crossing,
and the writer drove them to him.
The conditions of the piece of timber
in which We had them were such that
there was only one place for them to
run out and when the report of Mr..
Turney's gun was not heard, the writer
concluded something was wrong, and
when he came through on the track hC
saw Mr.. Turney with a look on hi:
face a man might have had if all hi:
friends were dead. He felt something
like the man whose load of turnip:
had rolled out of the hind part of the
wagon to the bottom of hill he wa.
ascending, when he remarked he wa.
too mad to swear, and anyhow h,
could not do the subject justice. Th'
does, both As large rs good sized year
lings, had come within easy gun-sho
of Mr.. Turney, when his gun did no
ego off, All he said when the writel