The Harrison times., 1916-07-29
Dwelling Is Fast CrumbIing as
Result of Powder Mill
Blasts.
BUILT OVER A CENTURY AGO
Aged Brothers Born in Shack They
oeeupy-CiVil War Pension Paid to
Elder Suffices for Their
Meager Wants.

New 9ork.-Two aged hermit broth.
ers, George w. and Louis c. Lurk,
aged eighty-four and seyenty-four re-
spectiyely are threatened with the
loss Of their century-OId cabin, in
which they have spent practically all
their lives. They live in the noun
famous region of northern New Jersey,
between kenyil and Lake HOpatcOng
There are big powder mills at Kenyil,
and the numerous accidental eXplO-
Sions there have almost wrecked the
Lurk cabin.
The cabin was built I'm 1907 by their
father, William j. Lurk, farmer,
AT his death more than sixty years ago
he divided equally his seventy acres
between them. The brothers did all
their own work until fifteen years ago.
when, enfeebled by age, they were
obliged to employ farm hands. Then
the powder mills began to pay higher
wages than the Turks could afford,
and the farm has since been allowed
to grow wild.
The brothers were born in the little
old cabin. Louis only excursion to
the outside world was trip to Penn
Sylvania on a canal boat in the sum-
mer Of 1873. Since then he has not
been further than a mile from his
home. George has Travelled a little
more extensively. For several sum-
mers he was engaged on a canal boat
plying from a point near his home to
Mauch Chunk, Pa. He served his
country for a short time near the close
of the Civil war in Company B, Thir-
ty-ninth New Jersey volunteers, and
was wounded in the shoulder in the
battle of Petersburg. His pension
enables the brothers to get along.
The Old Homestead.
There are four rooms on the ground
floor of the cabin, the one in front
the largest being most freely used.
Here is the stove, the dining table
and an old cot. A room back of this
serves as another sleeping quarter.
Another front room is used for StOr-
ing farm utensils, food, wood and un-
used furniture. In the rear of this is
the room where the brothers were
bOrn-George on November 20, 1882,
and Louis on February 10, 1912. There
are three or four frames on the walls
which once contained pictures. Stacked
in corners are letters, old papers,
magazines, etc. the accumulation Of
century. One letter, picked up re-
Gently by a visitor was addressed to
the father in the penmanship of the
early days, and bore faint poStmark
of some date in 1921. The upstairs
part of the cabin is in an unfinished
state
The general room, used for cooking,
eating and sleeping, Is plastered and
has a more habitable look than any
of the others. In one corner Is stack
of wood, thrown down carelessly
alongside an old-fashiOned stove, rust
ed and creased almost beyond recOg-
milton. The bedclOthing on the little
cot and the cloth thrown over the few
dishes on the table may have been
white once. The chairs are antiques"
The floors are without covering.
George, although older than Louis,
is far more spry. Louis is suffering
from kidney trouble and is quite
feeble.
Louis "GoId Mime"
AS a rule George wears no shoes
only socks. Neither has had hniS
cut or shave within memory. George
does the cooking. Their meals CON
sist of milk from farm in the vicin-
ity, cereals, crackers, fruits and, oc-
caSionally meat and potatoes. They
rise with the sun and retire at night
fall, Should light be needed at night
candles are used. Both can read, but
it is very seldom that either sees
newspaper or magazine.
Louis is looking forward TO the time
when he will have recovered sufficient
ly to explore his gold mine" in the
mountain. He insists that there is
one on his property, and says that If
his health were good he would soon
prove it. He talks Of going to a hos
pital, but says he hasn't the price, and
he Is averse to accepting charity.
George has wonderful collection
Of Indian relics, including hundreds of
arrowheads. Redmen camped in the
territory in the early part Of the eight
eenth century. George says there Is
"knack' in finding arrowheads.
"Wait until after shower" he ad-
vises, "and then walk out into the
fields. Youll see little things glsten-
ing in the dirt. These are arrow
heads" George has an old gun which
his father picked up over hundred
years ago in the old cabin, but his
prize relic is the battered hat he wore
in the days Of '65.