Autobiography Of Philip H. Dewey; Farmer, Lumberman, State Official

By Philip H Dewey

Step into the life of Philip H. Dewey with his compelling memoir, Autobiography of Philip H. Dewey: Farmer, Lumberman, State Official. This engaging autobiography offers a firsthand account of Dewey’s multifaceted life, providing readers with a rich tapestry of personal anecdotes, professional achievements, and historical insights.

Philip H. Dewey’s life journey is a quintessential American story, reflecting the values of hard work, determination, and public service. From his early days as a farmer navigating the challenges of rural life to his ventures into the lumber industry, Dewey's narrative captures the spirit of entrepreneurship and resilience. His experiences in the lumber trade highlight the industry's significance in shaping local economies and the broader American landscape during his era.

Throughout the autobiography, Dewey’s vivid storytelling brings to life the people, places, and events that shaped his journey. His narrative is enriched with historical context, offering readers a window into the socio-economic conditions and cultural milieu of his times. Dewey’s memoir is not only a personal chronicle but also a historical document that captures the evolution of American society through the lens of an individual’s experiences.

Autobiography of Philip H. Dewey is an essential read for history enthusiasts, students of American studies, and anyone interested in the personal stories behind the nation’s development. Dewey’s candid and heartfelt account inspires and informs, celebrating the enduring values of hard work, dedication, and service.

Join Philip H. Dewey on a journey through a life well-lived, and discover the remarkable story of a farmer, lumberman, and state official who made a lasting impact on his community and beyond. This autobiography is a testament to the power of perseverance and the enduring importance of contributing to the greater good.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Porirua Publishing
• Release date: Jun 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9781991312013

Book preview

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© Porirua Publishing 2024, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 4

FOREWORD 7

CHAPTER I — THE BEGINNING 9

CHAPTER II — STARTING LIFE IN THE NEW COUNTRY 14

CHAPTER III — SCHOOL DAYS 21

CHAPTER IV — INDUSTRIAL ERA 25

CHAPTER V — GAVE UP COLLEGE AND GOT MARRIED 33

CHAPTER VI — BARK PEELING AND LUMBERING 45

CHAPTER VII — FRATERNAL AND GENEALOGICAL 57

CHAPTER VIII — WILL DUGAN KILLED—THE BIG FIRE AT CORBETT 69

CHAPTER IX — EXPERIENCES IN MINNESOTA 75

CHAPTER X — A MINNESOTA LOG DRIVE 83

CHAPTER XI — FAREWELL TO MR. CHARLES B. WATROUS AND MEETING WITH MR. WILLIAM L. SYKES 87

CHAPTER XII — CONTRACT WITH EMPORIUM LUMBER COMPANY 93

CHAPTER XIII — A SMALLPOX EPISODE 100

CHAPTER XIV — CANDIDATE FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER—DEATH OF OUR LITTLE SON 109

CHAPTER XV — ELECTED COUNTY COMMISSIONER OF TIOGA COUNTY—LUMBERING DAYS ARE OVER—THE OLD ENVIRONMENT PASSES AND A NEW LIFE BEGINS 114

CHAPTER XVI — LIFE INSURANCE—LEETONIA—TELEPHONE BUSINESS 120

CHAPTER XVII — THE STATE GRANGE 126

CHAPTER XVIII — THE GRANGE DORMITORY 129

CHAPTER XIX — OUR DAUGHTER MILDRED—THE STATE WORKMEN’S INSURANCE FUND—ELECTED SECRETARY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS 138

PHILIP H. DEWEY

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AUTOBIOGRAPHY

—OF—

PHILIP H. DEWEY

FARMER

LUMBERMAN

STATE OFFICIAL

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Philip H. Dewey

Addison and Amy (Ripley) Dewey Father and Mother

Monarchs of the Forest

Felling a Giant of the Forest The first operation in lumbering

Building a Splash Dam for Driving Logs

Breaking the Landing; a Log Driving Scene—Close-Up View of Lumber Yard

Lucy Elnora (Mrs. Philip H.) Dewey

A Good Load of Logs on Bobsleds and a Good Team of Horses—Building a Tram Railroad in Early Days

How Hemlock Bark Is Peeled—A Typical Scene

Logs at a Sawmill at Gardeau, Cameron County, to Be Manufactured Into Lumber

Loading Logs on Cars by Hand Before the Days of the Log Loader

A Familiar Lumbering Scene: A Husky Crew; Log Slide at Top; Railroad at Bottom of Landing

The Dewey Coat-of-Arms

Peeling the Bark from a Giant of the Forest

Logs from the Hills to Be Hauled to the Mill on a Railroad Built for that Purpose

Logs Piled, Known as Skidways, Ready to Be Taken to the Mill

A Log Slide in Operation

Taking Logs to the Mill on the Snow by Bobsled

Sixty Million Feet of Lumber at the Large Sawmill at Sheffield, McKean County

A Typical Lumber Camp—Scene at Liberty, McKean County 93

A Typical Log Landing

The Great Sawmill, Cross Fork, Pa., in Full Swing

Stacks of Hemlock Bark to Be Used in Tanning Leather

Costello, Potter County, Pa

Showing one of the last stands of original hemlock

Log Loader in Operation—Log Train Ready to Go

Steam Log Loader in Action

A Lumber Mill at Leetonia, Tioga County

Watrous Concert Band of Gaines, Pa

Six of my own children playing, two sons and four daughters

A Group of Grangers

Mrs. W. D. Phillips breaks the ground for girl’s dormitory, Pennsylvania State College, State College, Pa.

The State Master Speaks at Ground-Breaking Exercises, Grange Dormitory, Pennsylvania State College, State College, Pa.

The Grange Dormitory for Girls, Pennsylvania State College, State College, Pa

Mr, and Mrs. Philip H. Dewey and Family, 1926

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FOREWORD

In writing this short story of my life it has not been my desire to draw out in tedious and meaningless phrases any portion or part of my activities. Acknowledgment is hereby extended to the Department of Forests and Waters for several lumbering scenes used in this publication.

From the very fact that during my life many and various occupations have entered in, it is but natural that explanation should preface the detail in order that the reader may get some knowledge of the essential or outstanding changes before reading the entire story.

First, as a lad in school, then as a pioneer in a new country; later, the writer became farmer, lumberman, musician, supervisor, school director, County Commissioner, Justice of the Peace, insurance manager, telephone builder and operator, Member of the General Assembly, Lecturer and Master of the State Grange, Manager of the State Workmen’s Insurance Fund, and Secretary of Internal Affairs.

These occupations have been of a public or semi-public nature. Farming is so well known that little has been said about that; lumbering is so little known that about it much has been said. None of these activities has left the author poorer for having engaged therein, but, on the contrary, each has added not a little to the success of this busy, if not somewhat useful, life.

It is our hope that some portions of this life’s story may be worthy of emulation by the youth of today, especially in matters pertaining to reliability and faithfulness, in whatever calling, occupation or profession may be chosen or selected.

PHILIP H. DEWEY.

August 8, 1933.

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Some Recollections of a Busy Life Looking Backward

CHAPTER I — THE BEGINNING

This is Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, 1932, and it reminds me that my first birthday was November 12, 1868, just sixty-three years and three months ago today. Born in a comely frame house in Richmond Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania, the fourth son of Addison and Amy (Ripley) Dewey.

Unlike all the stories I have read, I was never accused of being overly handsome, could run no faster, jump no farther, or in any other way outdo my associates at work or play. However, by means of a few well meant and solidly grounded principles of life that I learned early enough to make use of and, in fact, establish as the true maxims of life, I believe I have managed, through my friends and the grace of God, to live a full and useful life.

There are at least two good and sufficient reasons why these memoirs are being written: first, to complete a record looking backward of the outstanding episodes, many of which perhaps my nearest friends knew little or nothing about; and second, should there be anything in my life work worth emulating, it can be used by those who wish or desire to follow any or all of these lanes of activity and vicissitudes which have been my lot to travel.

Rather than undertake to charm any reader who may elect to peruse these lines through the use of meaningless words and phrases, I prefer to make clear my thought in as few words as possible, even to abbreviation.

Naturally, a writer begins at the beginning and follows along, step by step, throughout the lifetime of his subject, thus unfolding, page by page and chapter by chapter, the life span from early childhood until the final or closing chapter. Therefore, it will be my purpose to begin with my earliest recollections as they come to me now, and follow after that manner throughout this narrative.

A quilting party, with a house filled with women, was the earliest of my recollections, probably because in creeping about the floor my activities apparently disturbed some of the visitors, who offered to cut off some of the curls that adorned my head at that time, while others agreed to cut off my ears if I did not take to the tall timber and cease to be a child. This threat must have accomplished the desired result, for immediately I crawled under the lounge and would not come out until the party broke up.

A wedding party, when my mother’s sister was married, was the next big event in my life.

Soon after this, for I had learned to stand on my feet and walk around a little, a neighbor boy came along, placed me on his sled and drew me to the school house, a short distance away, where his sister was teaching. Being missed at home, a search was made and the whole community joined in the search. I was found asleep on a bench by the anxious searchers, where the teacher had tucked me away after keeping the whole school in an uproar for an hour or two.

School life was probably not as serious in those days as now, for that mischievous boy obtained consent from his teacher sister to call upon my mother, together with him, for the purpose of borrowing me each day that the weather was nice until the close of the term. Thus, I attended school at the age of three years.

My father’s farm was new, and men were building the roads and cross roads in the neighborhood, and it was great sport to watch them with ox teams drawing logs to fill in, corduroy fashion, across the swampy places, or using the dump scraper to make a fill.

One of our neighbors owned a threshing machine, and when he came to thresh for my father it was a revelation to a youngster to watch those three horses climb upon the old fashioned tread; and, when locked in and the brake taken off, the weight of the horses would start the machine going, when the horses were compelled to walk ahead in order to keep on the machine.

This was so vividly impressed on my mind that for weeks after the machine had gone my brother and I would play at threshing, using chairs or benches, carts and handsleds, to resemble as best we could the mechanism of that machine. My brother and I were good imitators for, after watching the men build roads, we would build our own roads for our little wagons.

The business of growing up, as it appeared to me at that time, was one round of endeavor in trying to keep up with the older boys with whom I came in contact. My brother Rupert, who was two and a half years older, was my constant companion and, when we were alone, could play from morning until night without any trouble; but when our cousins came to visit us, or some of the other boys of the neighborhood, a hike was always proposed and my trouble would begin. Of course my legs were long enough to reach the ground, but still too short by several inches to keep up with the other fellows. My shortcomings were their long suits, for they could get twofold pleasure out of every turn in the path. First, they would run away from me, much to my distress; then they would hide somewhere and scare the life nearly out of me by pretending they were bears. This furnishes us with Maxim Number One, for early in life I learned that by scaring a boy until he has no initiative, until he is afraid to move about alone, and especially after dark when he imagines all manner of evil spirits or animals are after him, he has lost much of the pleasure of childhood and has instilled in his very makeup a handicap that will take years to overcome. Therefore, I have never permitted myself to scare another youth, or permitted it to be done if within my power to prevent the same.

My father was a school-teacher and singing master, as well as a student of the Bible. It seemed that every morning of his life, nearly, he was at the little school house, which was used by everybody as the community house, either in a religious service, a literary society meeting or a singing school.

I was such a regular attendant at all these meetings that the background of three important phases of life seemed to have found a rather lasting abiding place in my life.

All through my life I have had, and enjoyed, a splendid religious tendency, so thoroughly tolerant that I have been able to respect all denominations in their effort for good and in their desire to eventually reach a home in Heaven. From those early literary programs I learned lessons and poems that have never been forgotten; that have cheered my pathway; that have helped to bless my home, and I trust, will help to comfort and bless the homes of my children. From those early singing schools I learned to read music, and while I have never mastered anything, perhaps, yet there has never been a time that I could not enjoy good music, and have been able to play most of the musical instruments common among our people—such as the violin, piano, all the band instruments, accordion, harmonica and the jew’s-harp. This knowledge of music enabled me to play in many musical organizations, as well as teach and lead several bands in my life· time.

The first mowing machine ever used in Richmond Township was of the Walter A. Wood extraction, exhibited on the farm of Franklin Hayes, in Shodac, and I was one of the fortunate lads to be present and watch the process, as well as listen to the remarks made by the doubting pioneers, many of whom expressed their opinion that the durn thing would never work and, if it did, it would ruin the laboring man by taking away his work.

One day in school a great commotion arose when some pupil discovered that a jack-knife artist had been using one of the porch pillars for the background of his latest efforts in hieroglyphics, and told the teacher. No one was seen in the act and no one pled guilty; so the teacher applied the first degree, then the second degree and finally the third degree, without success. In an almost frantic effort to find and punish the guilty sinner, the teacher declared she would whip every boy in school until she found the culprit.

The author of When a Fellar Needs a Friend must have been there that day, for there was never a more appropriate occasion. That was life’s darkest moment for me, for I was a boy and supposed I was in for a trouncing. However, the teacher knew, but I did not know, that a lad of my size could not wield a jack-knife with such dexterity as the author of the offensive carving had done. At any rate, the teacher began with the largest boys’ class, and her first guess, or choice, was my elder brother Frank, who was known to possess a good knife, and, accordingly, he was placed in readiness and the licking began.

She would labor for a period of about five minutes, then pause long enough to inquire if he would own up or plead guilty. She always received a steady and firm denial, then the whipping would resume with renewed vigor. This performance kept up until the teacher tired out