Great Grandpa Amnesia Travels part 12 Final episode

In September a workman who had been at Pillings & Sons,  when my father had worked there saw him at a local baseball game and got in touch with us. Uncle Ben went out to make sure it was our father as we had followed many false clues. He was my father, but didn’t recognize Uncle Ben or anything that he told him nor return to Philadelphia with him. Ella, his daughter went out to Cleveland that night by train to see what she could do. Sometime after John had arrived in Cleveland he had gotten work doing something with electrical light bulbs and insisted on Uncle Ben going to his employer to get a good reference for him. When father arrived home from work I went out to meet him on the porch steps and leaned over and kissed him, no response, no idea who I was.  That afternoon, I talked a great deal to him about his past life beyond May 8, 1923 and he would not go home to a wife he didn’t know but agreed to go to Uncle Ben’s house.

During our conversation he became stiff and lapsed into an odd spell did this twice and said he could see a woman and was sure he would recognize her again. We took the sleeper to Philadelphia and after waking in the morning he told us of a dream where some women were in the ocean laughing and lauhging. Four maiden English women lived next door to us in Philadelphia. They were very close friends and enjoyed laughing. Once when they were in the ocean swimming one of them lost their false teeth and we could imagine how the rest must of just laughed!

Frank, my fiance picked us up at the station and drove- as we passed where my mother had lived before being married, my father said that the house is very familiar to me and he thought that the Main Line was familiar. When my Aunt Ada met us at the door he again had no recognition of her. There was an unusual big mirror covering half the side wall he looked at that and said, “I’ve seen that mirror before.” We had breakfast while Frank went to get my mother. We were standing in the living room when my mother came in calling “Jack”, “Jack” he turned and recognized her then asked where is Ella?, where is Lilly, the little black dog? The broke down and cried and things came back to him.

He and my mother went to the shore for two weeks which the doctor suggested. After that he was perfectly normal and before long went back to work at Pillings in a less important position with less responsibility as he formerly was a shipping manager. He worked until about week before he died. He died of pneumonia on 20 April 1934 at the age of 77. He had been gone from the age of 64 till age 67. The only change that there seemed to be was how he watched his money as this was natural because on May 5th he didn’t have any. It is also suppose that he took on the name of John Farnham as his sister lived on Farnham Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. John took notes every place he stayed on grocery bags. He kept a log so he could pay back the money that was loaned to him as he went along. This is something similar he would have done in ordinary life and through out his life he has kept notes much like a journal.

This journal doesn’t tell you every place he stayed as I came across a letter giving an account of places he stayed and with whom.

Memory was gone on May 8th – first day I can remember awoke in C&C shed at Gray’s Shed with nothing but wearing apparel I wore. Walked along the railroad and caught in sudden storm soaking wet from knees down. Then came to mountain cabin after dark and they kept me over night and dried out my clothes at fireplace.

May 9th – Gate City, Virginia – Spent the night in empty railroad car                                     May 10th – Speer Ferry – Night in empty house                                                                       May 11- Near Duffield – House on Route 2 George Miller                                                 May 12th – Big Stone Gap – rain & wet from knees down                                                     May 13th – Norton and back to Appalachia – Virginia Night in empty car                          May 14th –  Duffield – night empty cabin                                                                           May 15th – 2 miles from Gate City- night in construction car (rain)                                   May 16th – Mendota – night in old mill                                                                                 May 18th – Atkins, Virginia – Mrs. S. A. McIntyre House long ride in auto                        May 19th – Roanoke Virginia – night in railroad round house                                            May 20th -night abandon church                                                                                      May 21st – country or barn                                                                                                May 22nd – Near Verona – night in barn                                                                                 May 23rd – near Winchester – night in school house awfully cold                                           May 24th – near Green castle – night in barn near Hagertown,Pennsylvania                         May 25th – near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania – night in barn                                               May 26th – Shippenburg, Pennsylvania – night in barn                                                         May 27th – Carlisle, Pennsylvania –                                                                                         May 28th – Midway between Carlisle & Harrisburg – barn                                                       May 29th – 3 miles north of Harrisburg                                                                                     May 30th – 20 miles North of Harrisburg                                                                                 May 31st – 35 miles from North of Harrisburg – night in a barn                                        June 1st – Susquehanna University – Selins Grove Sleepy Hollow Mr Forest                   June 3rd – 5 miles North of Northumberland – Mr. Forrest                                                       June 4th – 16 miles south of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, night in barn                                   June 5th – 3 miles North of Elmira, New York – approached wet under barn                           June 6th – 6 miles North of Addison – night in barn                                                                   June 7th – 1 mile North of Jasper – Andrew Murphy family, (boy Neal) supper & lodging     June 8th – 5 miles North Dansville – barn cold rain                                                                 June 9th – 50 miles East of Buffalo – night in barn                                                                 June 10th – 1/2 mile east of E. Pembroke – night in barn                                                         June 11th – June 16th – Murray Cranndall – worked $1:00 per day and board                         June 17th – 3 miles West of Penbroke – night in barn                                                               June 18th – Buffalo – car at night licked in L V Railroad – night in barn                                   June 19th – N. Evan (12 miles south of Buffalo)  night barn                                                 June 20th – Portland New York – 52 miles of Buffalo – open shed night                                   June 21st – 20 miles north of Erie, Pennsylvania – night shed                                               June 22nd – 12 miles north of Erie, Pennsylvania – night barn                                                 June 23rd – 8 miles south of Erie , Pennsylvania – night barn                                                  June 24th – 19 miles south of Erie, Pennsylvania – night barn                                                June 25th – 45 miles East of Cleveland – night – slept out on ground at camp                         June 26th – Ohio – engaged to work, farm                                                                               Nov 1-11th – at John Hall – farmer                                                                                             Nov. 12th – Cleveland

The following is some background history of John Aikin Falck. He was born in Williamstown, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on 23 Feb 1857. Williamstown was later changed to Vintage.  His mother died in child birth. He had a brother Edward Falck who married Mary Kneipp and sister Mary Elizabeth who married Eldwin Johnson. His father remarried and his step mother was Mary Salone Schmucker whom raised him. He had a step sister: Laura Falck and two step brothers namely Charles and Milton Falck.

His mother’s family was from Wales and his father’s family was from Germany. He grew up near Lancaster and were Lutherans.

He attended Franklin Marshall College in Lancaster later changed to Philadelphia School of Pharmacy and became a druggist. After graduation he decided to travel. He went West working as a druggist. As he traveled he wrote to the Lancaster newspaper: “The New Era”  (there is a book that someone has kept up on all the articles he wrote in to the paper about his traveling experiences.)

He went to Los Angeles, California  then onto Australia living in Sidney for about three years then on to India, which is now Pakistan where he lived there for seven years. Before returning to the states he traveled in Europe and then came back to Philadelphia where he met his wife and married Esther Hunt Hansell on 17 October 1899. they lived on Wynnewood Ave. in Pennsylvania until his death.

John was very fond of children and they liked him too. He was buried in Woodland Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When John was in Jasper, New York he came to the home of Andrew Murray and he went to the door and asked if he could sleep in the barn, Neal answered and went and got his father, said he could sleep in their home. Ella went to see them after her father had died. They had felt later that he wasn’t an ordinary tramp, they had tired to go after him, but he must have gotten a lift. He made a BIG impression on them and especially on Neal. After Father got to Cleveland he wrote a thank you note and gave his address in Cleveland. From then on they were his adopted family and they sent him presents and especially at Christmas. They really adopted each other.

After he came home, two daughters visited us in Philadelphia and later Mother (John’s wife) Jack ( my son) and I (Jack’s mother) stopped to see them in Jasper, New York. That’s when they told us they tried to catch up with him.      

Thank you for taking interest in this family story and for your likes, Mary

 

 

Great Grandpa Amnesia Travels part 10

Then she wanted me to stay the summer, but I know I could not stand the work, three horses and two cows to attend to handling bushel wood______ of pot stove and left Sunday morning of all the houses I had ever been in I never heard such swearing and the grandmother led them all. There were four generations, the youngest a boy of two years. That day I  walked three miles west of Pembroke and slept in an abandoned barn having been refused shelter at a couple places.

Passing thru Buffalo which I reached by noon and I had my shoes soled and also was shaved, first time since leaving Selins Grove. It was a long hot walk thru the city to the Lake Shore and before I could get out of the city it was getting dark and coming by the freight sheds the Lehigh Valley Railroad. I hopped into one of the empty cars on a track outside to pass the night. Some time during the night I was awakened by the cars bumping and after some shifting the train whisked ahead and I was bound to go either East or West as it was too dark to get off. However, it finally backed again and into the long train shed. When leaving the car in the morning I found the big doors at the end closed and could not open them and no one about. I having moaned for an hour or more and then a guard came in thru a small door and seeing me threatened to arrest me. When I explained how I happened to be inside he eased up some and finally let me out.

I went by the Bethlehem Steel Plant and thought it would never end, but in time came on the main road to Erie stopped in a barn overnight near North Evans, the following day reached North Portland 52 miles from Buffalo. Applied at a farmer’s beyond the town for shelter, but he would not let me sleep in the barn, but I could use an old carriage shed. When I slept on some corn fodder. Before dark the hired man came to me and we talked for an  hour and when I mentioned Salies Grove he said he had been there a few days before in a car to bring home some of the students who lived in the village, the school time having ended.  He started to tell me about the escapade with the gin horse about which I have previously written and we  had a good laugh over it.

The next evening I was 20 miles from Erie and passed the night in a barn. The following day it was intensely hot my knee pained and I made only 8 miles – came by a shed early and passed the night fairly comfortable. The following day was also very hot but I had a few miles ride. On walking through Erie which was sizzling hot I came be a fire station and finding some chairs on the shaded sidewalk sat down to rest and eat some soda crackers. A fireman came out and seeing what I was eating said it was pretty dry eating and if I would wait a few minutes he would make me some coffee in a few minutes he called me to follow him into the base. Went where they had a kitchen and in addition to the coffee gave me bread and butter and some cakes.

At Christmas I sent a card to the station. That night arrived at Swanville eight miles south of Erie and asking for supper at a house met a most kindly welcome from man and wife who kept me over night on a cot in the kitchen and provided supper and breakfast. On Sunday I walked about 15 miles and had no trouble in getting into a barn for the night. The next day had a long ride and by night was at a tourist camp 45 miles from Cleveland. There was only one barn about and I was refused entry so I went into the camp at dusk and located under a tree between two auto campers one of which parties became friendly and I sat up with the man and wife until late hour and then I made my bed on the hard ground but it was toss and turn all night. Strange to say altho there had been heavy dew every night there was normal at night, fortunately for me. In the morning the campers gave me breakfast and I started on expecting them to pass me on the road. They did not intend to start until a couple hours later. I had been walking for about an hour when a couple young ladies came along in a car and asked me where I was going?  I said, “Cleveland” and they told me to get in and they could take me as far as Painsvilles a long distance to walk and arrived there about noon. One of the girls insisted on my taking a dollar she tendered me but would not give me their names and address.

I walked several miles further and stopping at a house to get a drink met a man in a Ford truck who said he could take me along for several miles. During our talk he asked if I wanted work and I said, “Yes, if it is any work I can do. “His son, he said, wanted a man to work about the place, have a room over the garage and board myself, there being a store in the village where I could get what I needed and the pay would be $2.00 a day. I agreed (June 26) to try it and if satisfactory to his son would stay. We turned off the main road and on the way passed thru Kirkland where the Mormon build their first temple which is still used by them but no  longer known as the Mormon Church. About 2 o’clock we reached the place a village of about two dozen scattered houses and one store. The father lived in the village Fullertown and the son on the edge of the place when he had a fine house built on rising ground with large lawns on three sides and a private road on the other through the grounds.The garage some distance beyond the house was large enough for three cars and a work shop which of course made a large loft above where I found a cot, bedding, table and chair, and rocker.

to be continued…

Great Grandpa’s Amnesia Travels part 2

In a short time he had a fire in a fireplace in the adjoining room. I sat as near the fire as I could stand the heat and my clothes steamed so that I had to move back occasionally, the heat being too fiery. They had me to supper with them and after that I sat before the fire until nine o’clock when he said would retire as he wanted to be up early in the morning to do some  ploughing. He gave me bed in adjourning room it was awfully cold, having become colder after the storm. My underclothes were still damp and the night seemed about to freeze me. Was afraid I would have pneumonia before morning but fortunately my coat saved my undershirt some and my chest was protected from dampness. I could not remember when I fell asleep but at 6 o’clock in the morning he awakened me. It was no wonder that I was cold during the night as he informed me there had been a heavy frost and the early corn and vegetables ruined. Asked me if I was cold during the night saying they had divided the covers and all of them were cold. They gave me breakfast and had me sit by the fire until 8 o’clock when I said I would be moving on thanking him greatly for their hospitality.

The sky was grey and threatening and the air quite cold. After going some distance I came to a tunnel it gave me shock to think what might have happened had I not found shelter at that cabin.There was a curve in the tunnel and I could not see daylight ahead so had to take a chance to get though before a train came be which would necessitate my lying in the depression at the side of the tracks, possibly in water, as I could not get back before a train would overtake me. Fortunately I made the grade, saw day light ahead and a clear track. Not long after a engine and car passed by which appeared to be a pary on an inspection trip. About this time it began to snow and for about an hour, melting on touching the ground.

I plodded along through an uninteresting landscape until at noon came to a town which looked as if it might be an entrance to an inferno. A grey sky and over the tow a ball of yellow smoke over it, and smoke stacks belching forth fire and smoke and gases which permeated every where. A cement town – Kingsport, Tennessee. May I be saved from ever entering another on such a day – an atmosphere too heavy to allow any foul exhortations to rise. Save the aviator who may get tangled such a pocket. I was still cloudy and cold on leaving Kingsport, but in about an hour it cleared and was warm enough to entirely dry my clothes and I felt as if had come clear of wearing damp clothing,.

In frosty weather for well nigh 24 hours. Along in the afternoon I crossed the boundary line between Tennessee and toward evening reached Gate City, Va. I had gone since breakfast without food and it came to the point where I must beg for food as there seemed no chance of getting any work in this territory except possibly the hardest kind of labor which I did not feel myself capable, noting the husky man engaged in such work. Besides it did not seem as if I had any knowledge of work, my hands and muscles being too soft for labor and yet not adapted for anything in particular. I had no hesitancy in asking for “a little something to eat” except waiting for a hunch as to when best to attain it. My first attempt was a success, quite a good dish of food handed me on the back steps of a cottage, the woman appearing to take pleasure in the giving me food and talking to me about my day tramp. From then on I did not do any indiscriminating begging but followed my “hunch” and it seldom failed a few of which will follow later. After leaving this house came the question of sleeping quarters for the night but I could not bring myself to asking anyone to give me lodging for the night and just before dusk coming by an unoccupied hut and no one in sight I tried the door, but found it locked and going to the rear brought the same result. There was a ruined cellar door which had no catch and opening the door saw no steps but a slanting earth entrance to the cellar slipper and moist and working my way down with some difficulty reached the floor to find the ceiling so low it was necessary to stoop slightly. There was still light sufficient to find the stairways leading upstairs. Returning and closing the cellar door, lightning a match I went to the cellar steps and cautiously worked my way fearing they might go down under my weight but beyond some creaking and loose boards they were safe and the door to the upper room very likely the kitchen and light streamed through the cracks in the shutters sufficient to see by. There were a couple other small rooms entirely empty but as the wind was from the front and the kitchen floor dray that was my resting place. It had been getting colder. Lightning my pipe I sat against the wall for probably a couple hours shivering with the cold but as my clothes were entirely dry did not fear any effect from the weather. Feeling rather sleepy, I laid myself on the floor with my arm for a pillow and slept but not for long. The cold cramped my arm and legs and it was turn and turn throughout the night with occassionally snatches of sleep. Naturally, i was a awake at the day break, glad to see the light and at once returned to the outside by the way I entered as it seemed to me it would not be right to open the door of the house and leave it unlocked.

to be continued..