Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-09-12
Letter from Former Resident of
Cameron County.
OsKALoosA, Iowa, Aug. I'd, 1901.
Mr.. ALMERoN CHAPMAN,
Emporium. Pa,
Emporium, Pa,

Emporium, Pa,
DEAR SIR AND BRO.-Your lettHT Of
the 26th, ult, was indeed q pleasant
surprise. 1t was pleasant to think that
from your boyhood you carrieda recol-
lection of the somewhat transient ac-
quaintance had with your family. But
] remember your folks very well, and
| think can yet see the little old church
on the hill side there at Pine street. ]
remember an incident that think was
connected with one Of your brothers.
| am not quite sure, but / think it was
him. He wanted to make corner
cupboard, and did not know exactly
how to lay it out, or the proper pro-
portions for it, SO he spoke to me
about it one day, and told him I could
lay it off for him, which did, and we
both worked at it and finished it up all
OK. I expect if that cupboard is in
existence yet my name will be found
somewhere pencilled on it. suppose
as you say, I would hardly recognize
the country now. remember a place
| think just below Pine street where
the creek veers to the south, and the
road went over the neck of the ridge.
[ think an old Bro Wiley, if have the
name right, lived on tho farm between
the road and the creek, on the bottom.
Somehow discovered cne day That the
hills south of the creek there were so
conformod that the voice was echoed
back very clearly to the road. | think
discovered it BY ha pening to bo sing
ing as passed along there. And after
wards I seldom went past there without
waking those echoes as / rode By. I
have a recollection of Il number of in.
cidents of that year One day in the
fall as was riding over the very rough
road across the hills from Karthaus to
the First Fork, all of sudden my horse
SHE'D and almost threw me. In a mo-
ment | heard a growl and looking
around as soon as | could control the
horse, there close by the road in the
laurel was mother bear, with two
good sized cubs by her side. In the
winter, crossing from the Bennets
branch to the river, up west Of Gale
donia, snow storm came on. It was
showing before | started, but not fast,
but it was over 90 miles without house
across the hills, and after was on the
road awhile it seemed as if the bottom
fell out of the clouds. The snow got
deep and drifted fast. My horse got
wearied and could hardly go, and [
thought would hardly make it. But
l came to log cabiu where a settler
had begun a clearing in the woods, and
l was hardly ever so glad to see a human
habitation. | asked if | could have
shelter, and the man said if could put
up with what they had was welcome.
So he cared for my beast, and I stayed
there about three days before venturing
further, anI we lived on buckwheat
cakes, potatcs without salt, and some
very rancid fat bacon.
have had it in mind some day to
take trip and visit some of those old
scenes, but / cannot tell yet when. l
was through there once on the cars in
the 70's. 1t was moonlight and went
on the platform at Emporium and rode
that way to First Fork, but could see
little then that I recognized. Are the
Sizers, or any of the old people there
yet? There was old Brother Morrison
on the creek west of Portage. | used
30 think much Of them. Remember
me to your folks and let me hear from
you again.
| suppose you remember Brothers
Fulton and Pattison, who were with
me that year on the work; both are
dead. I met Pattison in Chicago at
the General Conference of 1868. He
then lived in Michigan, but went to
Florida and died there. His wife was
Miss Mead, who lived on Bennets
Branch.
Yours,
/