The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-12-31
Safe and Comfortable Seclusion
from World on Blue Mountain.
Woman Over 70 Never Saw Trolley
Car, Electric Car or Automobile
Has Not Left House Since
Husbands Death.

Allentown, Pa.-On the southern
slope OF the Blue mountains, in Lynn
township. beyond the Jacksonville.
live an elderly couple in a dilapidated
story.and-a-half log cabin who are re-
markable for the simple life they lead
and for their hermit-like existence.
They are August Betka and Mrs.
Abigail Frey. but known Whereabouts
as die Alt Alb" 1.-THE old Abb.
Their home is near a little Travelled
road leading across the Blue mountain
from Jacksonville to Tamaqua, and
two and half miles from the former
village. 1t Is the only habitation
Whereabouts, and Is as lonely and Sc
cluded a place as the veriest recluse
could desire. Rarely, very rarely, In
deed, does any one wander to their
forest home. save occasional berry
pickers and hunters.
structure of logs. about 10x14 feet,
with a primitive porch in front. sur
rounded by a rough stone wall. The
house has only one door and two
windows. 1t has one room with a
sort oF yestibule. There is. however.
an attic. reached by rickety stair.
The basement is low apartment, and
tradition has II that at one time 1t
was used as q moonshine distillery.
Here. in season, the occupants OF
the home maintain modest little
garden with a few staple vegetables
as well as few flowers. They keep
no live stock. nor even hogs or chick
ems, cats Of dogs. Here. remote from
| contact with their fellows. they exc
out scant subsistence. At the time
the correspondent visited them about
half dozen cottontails. trophies of
Mrs. Frey's prowess with the gun flor
she is an expert shot), hung from the
rafters overhead. and thus she keeps
the larder replenished with fresh
meat. A lot Of rabbit skins also hung
on the outer walls of the porch.
Gus Betko is q German. born in
Prussia. and is IS years old. and Is q
robust and vigorous old fellow. No
one knows when he came into that
neighborhood. He works at times for
farmers in Lynn township, generally
| In the potato season. besides which
he makes ak helves, singletrees and
butchers yokes. Old Mrs. Frey cuts
down the trees from which the wood
Is procured.
| Mrs. Frey was born and spent her
/ whole lifetime in the Blue mountain.
Her father was known as Der Roth
Follweiler" (the red Follweiler). to
distinguish him from others Of this
wellknown family with other charac-
teristics as to color. Their home was
on top of the mountain and along the
| old Indian trail. by which the red man
! traversed between the Delaware and
the Susquehanna valleys long before
the white man ever set foot In Penn
sylyania. Their home Is now q pile
| of ruins.
Fullweiler kept . primitive tavern
there for the accommodation Of chance
wayfarers. and there Abigail was
born Is years ago. In her earlier days
| she attended the battalions and frolics
| Of the region. whose memory she still
recalls with intense pleasure. In her
twenty-eighth year she married Joshua
Frey. and they moved 10 their present
home. The stone wall which sur
rounds the house she helped a. .
bride to build. They had one child.
which died In Infancy