Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1916-09-01
HERMITS LIVE IN
ANCIENT CABIN
Dwelling Is Fast Crumhllng as
Result OF Powder Mill
Blasts.
BUILT OVER A CENTURY AGO
Aged Brothers Born In Shack They
oeeupy-clvIl War Pension Paid to
Elder Suffiees for Their
Meaeer Wants.


New York.-Two aged hermit broth
ers, George w. and Louis G. Lurk.
| aged eighty-four and seventy-four re-
spectively, are threatened with the
loss of their century-old cabin, In
which they have spent practically all
their lives. They live in the noun
famous region of northern New Jersey,
between Kenvil and Lake Hopatcong.
There are big powder mills ut Kenvll,
and the numerous accidental explo-
sions there have almost wrecked the
Lurk cabin.
The cabin was built in 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, enfeebed 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
|
the outside world was trip to Penn
sylvania on canal boat In the sum-
nler of 1873. Since then he has not
been further than mile from his
home. George has travelled a little
more extensively. For several sum-
mers he was engaged on Il canal boat
plying from n point near his home to
Mauch Chunk, Pa. He served his
country for short time near the close
of the Civil war In Company b. Thir-
ty-nlnth 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 I'M
used furniture. In the rear of this Is
the room where the brothers were
born-George on November 20. 1892,
, 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 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 q more habitable look than any
4 of the others. In one corner Is a stack
D OF wood. thrown down carelessly
4 alongside an old-fashioned stove. rust
a ed and creased almost beyond recog
milton. The bedclothing on the little
4 cot and the cloth thrown over the few
{ dishes on the table may have beer
, white once. The chairs are antiques
: The floors are without covering.
5 George, although older than Louis
. Is far more spry. Louis is suffering
e from kidney trouble and Is quite
b feeble.
Y Louis "Gold Nine"
0 AS rule George wears no shoes
. only socks. Neither has had hais
: cut or shave within memory. Georg,
8 does the cooking. Their meals con
0 sist of milk from farm In the yicin
= ity. cereals. crackers, fruits and, oc
e casionally. meat and potatoes. They
! rise with the sun and retire at night
fall. Should light be needed at nigh
4 candles nre used Both can read. bu
s newspaper or magazine.
: Louis is looking forward to the time
when he will have recovered sufficient
= ly 10 explore his gold mine" In ths
mountain. He insists that there Il
one on his property, and says that u
, his health were good he would sooI
prove II. He talks of going 20 hos
J pitnl. hut says he hasn't the price, anC
| he Is averse 20 accepting charity.
George has a wonderful collection
1 OF Indian relics Including hundreds OF
/ arrowheads. Redmen camped In the
\ territory In the early part of the eight
l eenth century. George says there Is {
/ "knack" in finding arrowheads.
"Walt until after shower" he ad
vlses. "and then walk out into the
fields YOu'll see little things gllsten
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.
"a indian Gold Heart Balm.