Christopher Columbus COBURN, the diary began January 1, 1871, in Crystal, Maine, part five Contributed by wagga719@idt.net (Sally Ruscio) Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Mar. 7, 1893 his mother, (Laura FOBES) died peacefully in bed at 7:45 A. M. She would have been 83 years old April 18. On the 22nd of March he and Elmer MOORE went into the cedar railroad tie business which ended June 1. This summer saw quite a bit of farming as well as other work. The winter of 1894 the activities covered cutting of wood for self (Christopher Columbus COBURN) and customers; also some telegraph poles. The summer of 1894 was a repetition of 1893. This summer, 1893, his son Ferdinand is mentioned as helping. He was in his 14th year. During the hunting season he guided sportsmen. Nov. 14th he went to Crystal Station (four miles) to see the first train go over the new track. During the summer of 1893 his wife left home and the following summer was divorced and was given the custody of the youngest boy, Arthur. The first winter Mr. Thomas ASHER and wife kept house for him and the second Calvin PALMER, wife and daughter kept house for him. After the railroad went through a new industry started up, that of cutting hoop poles, to go along with the other lumbering and wood cutting. An incident occurred Feb. 27th, 1895 when Edgar BUMPAS of Patten went out of his head and landed at the house and had to be taken care of until the authorities took him away Mar. 2nd. Mr. Coburn was on the sick list from April 15th till the 27th. This spring son Ferdinand shared the bear trapping and cruising. Seven bears were taken and the traps were taken up July 11. Aug. 15th, started on a tramp trip up through the "garden of Maine" the northern section of Aroostook County, carrying light camping equipment including a small "A" tent and cooking utensils. The first night camped two miles north of Houlton; second, near north line on Bridgewater; and the third day a quarter mile west of Presque Isle. At one place on the road we passed a farm where 50 bee hives stood in the yard and here we purchased 4 1/2 pounds of honey for 40 cents. On the 18th, Sunday, we went only five miles to a camp ground in Washburn. The next two days we passed through Woodland and Castle Hill camping just south of the latter place. 20th went through Ashland and camped at Ox Bow road, on the old military road from Bangor to Fort Kent. We stayed one night at Mt. Chase and on the 23rd arrived home, having traveled about 150 miles, and seen some beautiful fields of grain and potatoes. Balance of summmer worked out until hunting time, then guiding. At the end of hunting season he trapped for small furs in around East Branch and on occasional trips home worked out by the day. Caught a fisher Mar. 12, 1896. Set first bear trap April 24 at SMITH's camp. Caught a bear in this trap May 9th. On the 18th of July, after taking up bear traps, he started for Mt. Katahdin with a party including his two oldest sons. Went up the old Appalachian trail through the basin there ice was found among the rocks, and just at the crest between the two main peaks of the mountain a large bank of snow where the snows of all winter had drifted over from the table lands. A sizable stream of water was running from this snow which was fast melting in the hot sun. On arriving on the mountain a cloud drifted over them shutting out all the view. They spent one night at Katahdin Lake and the next night they camped at a spring on the north side of the mountain soon after reaching the heavy timber. Returning home early in August he and the boys started a wood for Leonard ORDWAY which was finished Sept. 5, over 31 cords of four foot wood. During this job they camped in a tent on the site. After election day the diary states that he went to the East Branch with sportsmen. His party got a moose Oct. 6, as well as several deer and other game. On finishing his guiding, Nov. 17, he went back to Patten and on the 30th, after working for different people, he moved his household goods from the PEAVY house in Patten village to PARKER's camp in Happy Corner. The last month of 1896 he was hunting for himself and then went to Patten where he worked for B. O. DREW (Liberty's son) and others. March and April, 1897, making snowshoes, until the 26th when he went in to East Branch and started his spring bear-trapping.