The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-11-26

called the elder Lund to the gold coast,
sent the younger man across the con-
tnent to the mines on the middle fork
of the American river. There he la
bored, working in the mines by day and
cobbling shoes at night, until the call
to arms was sounded in 81.
With other young miners, Mr.. Lund
dropped his pick and started for the
nearest recruiting station, which hap
pened to be at Placeryille. He enlisted
in Company B, 4th regiment OF Califor-
MIA volunteer infantry. Loyal Califor-
mia was afire with patriotism, but the
miner-cobbler from the American river
was not to see actual service in the
war between the states. Instead, his
company was detached from the regi
ment and shifted to Fort Vancouver on
the upper Pacific coast. The company
was acting under orders to restrain any
outbreaks among the Indians and at
Fort Vancouver the men spent the win
ter of '6l-'62. While the young re-
cruits were Willing away the tedious
winter hours at cards or jack-stones,
Private Lund spent good deal of his
time at the bench, tapping shoes and
making boots, now for the enlisted men,
and again for the sprinkling OF settlers,
who had spread out over the prairie.
Apparently the presence of an army
detachment at Fort Vancouver had its
desired moral effect, for the Indians were
never hostile that winter and in the
spring the outlook for an uprising
seemed so remote that Company b was
ordered to Fort Dalls in Oregon. There
the Snake Indians had manifested signs
of internecine strife and the govern
ment had decided that a company OF
troopers might keep the belligerent
braves from openly engaging the quiet
er element in the camp. A change in
chiefs renewed friendly feeling between
the two Snake factions and the company
was ordered south. Feb. 2S, 1858, with
the North and South gripping each other
in the deadliest of clutches, the COM
pany was sent to Fort Moiave in Ari
IONA. En- route, the men passed through
Los Angeles, then hardly more than a
struggling village of some 5000 and a
population largely migratory in charac-
ter at that.
Private Lund, now the company's best
bet in the shoemaking line, was one
of the troopers who stopped off for a
day at Los Angeles. Several times since
he has visited the city that now boasts
a population of 100000, and only men
of his experience can appreciate the re-
markable transition which 80 years of
continued growth and prosperity have
developed in Los Angeles.
If there were any men in B company
who longed for taste of real war,
they were doomed to disappointment.
for the detachment remained in Arizona
and southern California until the dawn
of peace That there was big ma
jority who really would have preferred
war to garrison life cannot be doubted
if the~spirit of the times may be taken |
as a criterion. In the early days OF |
October, 1864, the company was mus
tered out of service and Mr.. Lund, with |
an honorable discharge tucked away in |
his jeans. took his kit and started for |
home Not by any transcontinental |
train de luxe that now yanks a man /
from Portland to Portland in seven days |
and less did the soldier travel home
TO Vermont. Instead he took coast
wise vessel for Central America, took
The only conveyance available across
and caught a fruit steamer
bound for New York.
He arrived in New York and stopped
,nly long enough to brush up on the
lew ideas in footwear. Arriving in Pier
mont, n. H., he worked at his trade
or a time and then returned to YER
mont. In the years following the war
he conducted shop in Essex Junction.
n the last so years of the 6S which he
las spent at the bench, in the mines and
t soldering, he has travelled extensive
V. now following his chosen trade in
lifferent western states and then back
o Vermont. For considerable period
lie was once employed in large Chicago
hoe factory. where his early-gained
knowledge of elementary shoemaking
TODD him in good stead. For % years,
3 year last September. to be exact,
Ir. Lund has put himself on speaking
erms with nearly every shoeman in CEN
raj Vermont. A part of the time he
as been at his own bench: at other
lines he has been employed by shoe
makers who desired only proficient
raftsmen in their employ.
Mr.. Lund lives with his wife, to whom
g has been married A years. He viii
o cobbling as long as he lives, he says,
ecause there is certain fascination in
he work which never wears of. Some
ne has said that "the successful execu-
ion of his trade is pleasing to every
raftsman." Mr.. Lund retains deep
ride in turning out satisfactory jobs
nd he will probably stay at the bench,
DR. long or shsrter period each day,
ntil time shall halt long and useful
lreer.