In the late 1960’s, Mr. Laun C. Smith Sr. (1888-1972), who was raised in Clearfield County, donated copies of photos of various lumber camps to the Clearfield County Historical Society.
He wrote of his memories from growing up working as a young boy into adulthood at the camps. Smith wrote the following on the back of this picture shown:
“In the summer of 1903, when I was 15 years of age, I asked Adam Marshall for a job. He gave me a job, probably because several years earlier I had spent the winter at his home.
“My bunk was the upper bunk on the right as you entered the door. Because of my youth, I worked extra hard that first day. I was ravenous at the supper table but went quickly to my bunk when supper was over.
“Those were 10-hour working days and it was dark when I crawled into my bunk. I had scarcely got settled when the door opened. Red-headed Tom Kirk stood there.
“Men,” he said, “Sharpe has a bark car off the track on the bridge over Bell Run. We need 12 men to unload that car of bark before we can get it back on the track. How about you, buddy?” He said to me, “Will you help?”
“Sure,” I said and jumped to the floor. “Oh, you are only a damned kid,” he said. “I can work with any of them,” I said. “Okay,” he said, “come along.”
“The 12 of us worked until midnight when Johnny Nail, the woods boss, sent me, the youngest, and an old man back to camp for coffee and sandwiches.
“I carried two large coffee pots (about four gallons) of steaming coffee and the old man carried two large chip baskets of sandwiches and had a string of tin cups hung around his neck.
“The rest of the men were at breakfast when we got back to camp. I hurriedly washed up and ate and fell in with the men ready to go down for that day’s work.
“Kid,” said Johnny Nail, “do you mean you are going to work today?” “Yes,” I said. “Well, he has the guts,” said Johnny. About 4 p.m., I was so tired and sleepy I could scarcely stand up. “Kid,” I heard.
“I looked around and Johnny motioned for me to come over to him. “See that witchhazel bush over there? You crawl under it and I’ll wake you up at quitting time.” I think I was asleep before I hit the ground. Three days’ pay all at once! I got $1.50 a day. I was rich.”
This photo was taken at the Adam Marshall Camp in Greenwood Township – Bell Run. Greenwood Township lies west of Curwensville, along the Susquehanna River. Laun Smith Sr. identified the camp crew left to right:
Three ladies – Sarah Ella Marshall, cook; Lola Gelnett, cookee; and Sophia Richner, cookee.
Three men standing back of ladies – Bill Brooke, husband of Ella Marshall; Bill Weaver, husband of Sophia Richner; George Brooke, brother of Bill and husband of Lola Gelnett.
Men on benches were listed as unknown.
Smith could identify the fifth man from the left in the white undershirt as Reuben Hartzfeld, also, the man at the right with his hand on a canthook as Alphus Korb.
What a wonderful foresight that Smith had to document his memories and share them with the Clearfield County Historical Society.
Generations to come will enjoy learning about our forefathers in their own words.
