Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/709

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES Luther E y e r attended public school at Cat­ awissa and a select school at Wyoming, Pa., going thence to the M illcrsvillc State Normal School near Lancaster, Pa. H e then went to New Yoric City and entered the employ of H avcm cycr & Elder, sugar refiners, fo r a year, returning to Catawissa in 1869 to enter upon railroad work. In 1873 purchased a farm in Montour township. Columbia county, re­ maining on it fo r almost forty years, and at the end of that period returning to Catawissa, where he has since lived. In 1873 M r. E y e r married Jan e, daughter o f David Clark, who w as a son o f Andrew C lark, one of the pio­ neers o f Columbia county. Mr. and M rs. E yer have had five children: W illiam, living on the home farm; David and Luther, deceased; K ate, w ife o f Dr. J. F. Fulton, o f Benvick, P a .; and George, living at home. M r. E y e r is one of the foremost men o f his section and has been a leader in school mat­ ters for years, taking an active part in estab­ lishing the public schools o f Cfatawissa and serving as director. H e w as councilman of the borougi) and was one of the organizers and directors of the First National Bank of Catawissa. o f which he is now vice president. H e is also a stockholder and director in the Catawissa Knitting M ills. In religious affilia­ tion Mr. E y e r is a Lutheran, as is his entire family. F R K D E R IC K B . S M IT H, proprietor of the Catawissa Marble and Granite W orks, is a native o f Germany, having been bom in the province o f ^ x o n y, Prussia. Nov. 7, 1839. n is parents, Frederick and Etta (Steinach) Smith, were natives o f that country. H is father, who w as a carpenter, died while in the prime o f life, leaving two children, F red ­ erick B . and Charles G-, both o f whom now reside in Catawissa. T h e mother came to America, with her second husband, M r. Dell, in 18O0. and located in Montour township. Columbia county, where they both resided until their deaths. T hey had one child. E d ­ ward Dell. Frederick B. Smith was but a child at the death o f his father, and w as placed in 3 national school until the age o f fourteen, re­ ceiving a good German education. H e was then apprenticed to the trade o f stonecutter, working at it fo r five years, and like all o f his countrymen w as compelled to sc n ’c in the arm y for three years, being assigned to the 3 1s t Prussian Infantry. On his return home be scr'cd three and a h alf years as journey­ man at hi.s trade, and then started business fo r him self, having his apprentices and jour­

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neymen as w as the custom then. In 18O4 he w as called to the colors in the w ar between Prussia and Denmark, and continued in serv­ ice from Jan u ary 10 September o f that year. A gain he took up civil life, but in 1866 he w as once more called to the colors, in the w ar with Austria. H e served a few months, and was under corporal, in 1869 he left the Fatherland for the new world, sailing on a Red S ta r steamer fo r America from Bremen, and had the trials o f a twenty-one days’ voy­ age crc he arrived in New Y ork. Upon his arrival in America, Frederick B. Smith went to Columbia county to visit his mother and stepfather, who persuaded him to remain, Go­ ing to work at Scranton, he found employ­ ment with Michael May. who kept a marble yard, at $3.50 a day, and rem ain ^ with him three years. H e sent for his family, and in 1872 they located in Catawissa, where he entered into business fo r himself. His estab­ lishment w as the first o f its kind in the town, and it is first in importance, and fo r thirtyone years he has held the most of the trade of the borough. H is two sons are o f great assistance to him in the works, where (hey are noted for their skill, acquired from the father, who had thorough training under the old German apprentice system. M r. Smith < csigncd and erected the soldiers’ and sailors' monument at Catawissa. having been the winner in competition with twentyfive others. The cost of the monument was $1,000, and it is a work o f art, which has re­ ceived the commendation o f visitors'from alt p an s of the Stale. It was unveiled by Gov­ ernor Hoyt in 1878. In addition to this trib­ ute to (he dead there are hundreds o f tomb­ stones and m arkers in this and other cem­ eteries o f this section, all evidences of the care and pride he takes in his handiwork. In 18S2 M r. Smith liccamc the proprietor of the "D anville Hotel,” which he operated fo r two years, being the last proprietor o f that hostelr)'. T he site o f this hotel is now occupied by the Thom as Beaver Free Library o f Dan­ ville. M r. Smith is a .stanch Democrat and is a member of the Lutheran Church, taking a great interest in religious matters and stand­ ing fo r the right in every movement in behalf o f his fellow men. In the ye ar 1863 M r. Smith was married, in the Fatherland, to Christina Ncuschildt. who remained there when her husband came to .America, he sending fo r her in 1872, after he had provided a home in the New World. She died in 1879. and w as buried in the ccm-