(As dictated to Bess Moore Hutton, granddaughter)
 

     I, John R. Cribbs, was born February 18, 1830 of poor

parents in the county of Westmoreland, town of Livermore, PA.

The first I can recollect was living near the old salt well

on the Blairsville Dam, halfway up the dam.  Next we lived

one mile from Campbell's Mills five miles from Blairsville,

PA - toward Indiana, PA.  There I went to school about six

months, lost my mother when I was eight or nine years old.  I

then was cast on the billows as it were, to look out for

myself.  Worked one summer for Squire Repine for a barlow

knife, and I suppose he thought I was well paid, then my

father hired me to a man named Park Strusen near the

Susquehanna River for three dollars a month to be paid in

pine knots.  The following spring he went west to see the

--- [illegible].

     As soon as I found he had gone, I ran away, went on the

canal, hired on a section boat with Capt. Williams for six

dollars a month.  I never had the luck to handle any cash

before so I thought I was rich, spent money freely.  In the

fall I couldn't tell what amount of cash I might have, had no

idea, but was a great "Dimicrat" - all for hard money.

     We then heard in Pittsburg office where you could get

gold and silver for rags, as we had nothing else then - and

in the fall when we were going to tie up on the last trip in

Pittsburg, I told Capt. Williams I wanted to settle - he

asked me why I wanted to settle here for.  I said I wanted to

get gold and silver for my large amount as I expected three

or four thousand dollars - had no idea what I might have -

but the Captain was posted on my amount better than I was.

He said to me, "John, I will settle with you in Blairsville

and I will pay you in silver and gold."  I knew he would do

just as he said as he was a gentleman and a man of truth -

so I was perfectly content and when we reached Blairsville,

he settled with me as per agreement and paid me in silver as

he had agreed so to do - it took the enormous sum of 62 1/2

cents but I was perfectly satisfied and thought I was right

well fixed for the coming winter as there was no work, the

only thing for me to do was to find a farmer to board me

through the winter for doing odd jobs.

     The next summer I drove for the same Captain on same

boat and every trip in Pittsburg, he the Captain would

jokingly say, "John, hadn't you and me better settle up?

Perhaps you want to get gold and silver for your money as

that appears to be your hobby."  I followed the old canal in

summer and did the best I could in winter for three or four

years, then I got in Express Team - drove Express three or

four seasons - cleared a little cash, loaned it out to a

party as poor as myself and I haven't got it as yet.

     Well you are sure I had rather a hard berth of it but I

always looked on the bright side and lived in hopes.  I

finally got to studying and half dreaming nights so I

concluded that there was something for every energetic and

persevering one and I then made up my mind that I would

strain a point to make my mark in some shape and I saw at a

glance that honesty and perseverance was the only true way to

prosper so I started in determined to owe no one a cent and

if ever I owned anything to own it and in the name of John R.

Cribbs.  I found in a few years experience that was the only

right and proper method and I always carried it out and

always found gold at the end of the string.  So I followed

that string and only took of sufficient for cheap living use

until I got enough to be use to me.  Another point I made was

this:  I never learned to smoke cigars or chew tobacco or

drink whiskey, but always was chuck full of fun - never

allowed myself to borrow trouble as I considered the idea

that trouble came soon enough, and as I got no schooling of

course I had to be my own instructor and that was a boon to

me as I found that knowledge got from that source was

lasting.  After a few years I went to a Mr. Nicholas Berlin

of Clarion County, to learn the tanning and saddling business

and stayed one year...[remainder was illegible]...