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-
