The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-12-30
HERN|TS ARE HAPPY
Safe and Comfortable SecIusion
from World on Blue Mountain.
Woman Over 20 Never Saw Trolley
Car, Electric Car or Automobile
HAS Not Left House Since
husbands Death.


Allentown, Pa.-On, the southern
elope of the Blue mountains, in Lynn
township. beyond the Jacksonville,
live an elderly couple in 2 dilapidated
story-and-a-haH log cabin who are re-
markable for the simple life they lead
and for their hermitlike existence.
They are August Betka and Mrs.
Abigail Frey. but known Whereabouts
as die Alt Alb (''thes old Ab.").
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. It is the only habitation
thereabouts, and is as lonely and Sc
cluded q 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.
Their cabin is a rough, antiquated
structure Of logs, about 10x14 feet,
with q 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 Vestibule. There is, however,
On attic, reached by a. rickety stair.
The basement is a low apartment. and
tradition has 1t that at one time It
was used as a moonshine distillery.
Here, In season, the occupants of
the nome maintain a modest little
garden with a few staple vegetables
as we'll 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
haif dozen cottontails,-, trophies of
Mrs. Frey's prowess with the gun (for
abe 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 a German, born in
Prussia, and is 76 years old, and is
robust and vigorous old fellow. No
one knows when he came into that
nefghborhood. He works at times for
farmers In Lynn township, generally
in the potato season, besides which
ne 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 F'ollWeilerl, to
distinguish him from others of this
well-knoWn family with other charac-
tefistics as to color Their home was
on top of the mountain and along the
old Indian trail, by which the red man
trayersed between the Delaware and
the susquehanna valleys long before
the white man ever set foot in Penn
sylvania. Their home is now a pile
of ruins +s
Fullweiler kept a primitive tavern
there for the accommodation of chance
wayfarers, and there Abigail was
born 70 years ago. In her earlier days
she attended the battalions and frolies
of the region whose memory she still
recalls with intense pleasure, In her
twenty-eighth year she married Joshua
Frey, and they moved to their present
home. The stone wall which sur
rounds the house she helped as
bride to build. They, had one child,
which died in infancy.
Here Mr.. and Mrs, Frey lived and
eked cut living, well content with
their lot, and not caring about the car
ryings on Of the greater world beyond.
One day in 1882 Mrs. Frey had &C.
easion to so to the village of Jackson
Vile, two and a half miles away.
When she returned she found her hus-
band sitting at the window, apparent
ly awaiting her return When she
spoke to him she found that an un-
hidden visitor had preceded her and
had laid his hands on Mr.. Frey. The
shock was SO great that from that day
to this, ~ years, Mrs. Frey has not
been in Jacksonville or any distance
from home, and in the last IL years
she has not been away from the clear
ing surrounding her cabin home.
By tilling the little garden and by
shooting game and birds she Is able
to keep body and soul together She
also works baskets, for which there is
sufficient demand among the neigh
boring farmers, and these Gus takes
to the village to sell, In addition the
county poor directors contribute so
cents week to her support, of which
fund Joshua Lutz, the hotel-keeper at
Jacksonville, Is custodian, and which
he handles faithfully for Abigail's
benefit.
Mrs. Frey never saw trolley car;
she never saw an electric light she
never saw an automobile, and If she
ever saw railroad train it is pretty
certain that she never rode in one.
They are content with their lot, and
Abigail's world Is confined within the
20 by 40 feet. What is beyond she