, J. A. 14. ( JUST ABOUT ME ) J. A. U. { JUST ABOUT US ) by Dr. Bertrand K. Wilbur Volume I of III Volumes Boyhood 1870 - 1890 • • & Education As a Physician Camden, N.J. and Bryn lla:wr, P& • ( Pages 1 - 195 ) HaTerford, Pa. 1933 - 1936 Introduction to this Digital Edition Autobiography of Bertrand Kingsbury Wilbur Just About Me BKW began JAM in 1933 while still in Haverford, Pa, and wrote the final page in 1938 in San Diego, California as he notes at the top of p. 737 in Vol III: ....It is a long time since I wrote any of this, and I am still anxious to complete it. Having brought old letters and papers to do so with me in anticipation of having lots of time out here, which I have failed to find, I have at last gotten at it. It seems best to describe events as a series of pictures, rather than in anything like history. Its sad enough any way, but it seems to me that you children will want the whole picture..... As noted at the top of p. 278, Vol II BKW hand-typed five carbon copies of JAM. These three digitized volumes were scanned from a Xerox copy made from Teddy and Nelson's carbon, when I stayed with Teddy at her small frame house in Haverford during the summer of 1981 and helped paint her eaves from a long ladder. I'm forever indebted to Teddy for introducing me to JAM, and for her suggestion that I make this xerox for my family, particularly since all the original onion-skin copies are rapidly deteriorating. And none of them would have held up to the digitization process. Please note that in many places BKW apparently had later thoughts and memories he wanted to add after writing the main sequentially-numbered text. In such cases he summarized these added memories on pages which he numbered A, B, C...etc. I suggest that you read the main sequential text first. And then read these lettered addenda pages separately; the events they describe do not necessarily fit exactly where inserted in the text. TABLE OF CONTENTS Begins with BKW's original 3-page Table of Contents which covers Vol I and Vol II, and later supplemented by son Ross Wilbur's expanded Table covering Vol II and Vol III. FORWARD Written by sons Bert and Harry during the 1936 'Wilbur Welcomes Wilbur Reunion' in Lavallette, NJ (pictured on p.62 of 'Happy Days') when JAM was only partially completed PREFACE Written nine days later by BKW after a coronary event during the summer. He describes the genesis of JAM: .....this took form, and as it did, I pounded it out from my grey cells by the twofinger-and-thumb method... BKW speaks of spending many evenings with Anna Dean ('mother') writing, editing, laughing, and reliving their life together during the preparation of JAM/JAU. HAPPY DAYS & SPECIAL EVENTS The 900-page JAM/JAU story ends in 1912 when the family was still quite young and living in the big house with many servants, gardens and optimism for the future. It is unclear why BKW chose to end his story at this point, even tho he lived for many more years and died peacefully in 1945. But World War I was brewing in Europe, tastes and customs were changing, and the business climate was becoming more competitive. Perhaps these were the 'sad' years of which he speaks earlier in the text. And he might have had difficulty recounting those years in JAM. -- Page two -- Introduction to this Digital Edition So 65+ years later, after a wonderful Wilbur Reunion in Virginia in 1980, youngest son Ross Wilbur, then retired and living in Minnesota, was motivated to compile this heartfelt 190-page book of photos and personal memories, that fills-in this later period of the Wilbur Family history to some extent. To compile this work, Ross interviewed his brothers and sisters who were still alive, excerpted sections from the large trove of personal letters and memorabilia he had accumulated, and added his own unique and loving memories. I flew up from Chicago to visit Ross and his wife Helen during the preparation of this volume, and was honored to help Ross in the its production and distribution to every living Wilbur at the time. So it seems appropriate that Ross' later work be included now in this digital Wilbur archive. SUGGESTED JAM READINGS: To help readers 'get into' the story of the Wilbur Family, I would like to suggest a few episodes that I have particularly enjoyed: JAM page 1 13 170 240 249 296 370 486 558P 562 592 629 658 667 683 712 745 755 759 781 787 801 Early childhood beginning in 1870 in Camden, New Jersey Family trip to Europe by steamship, train and carriage in 1880 Arriving in Alaska for the first time Courtship of Miss Anna Dean Hike up Mt Edgecumb in the wilds of Alaska Summer in Gratiot, Michigan Return to Anna Dean and their wedding Cruise of the sailboat Bertha captained by BKW Meeting John D. Rockefeller in Alaska Leaving Alaska for the final time Beginning work at the chocolate factory, by 'God's direction' Summer at HO's 'salmon preserve' on the St Lawrence River BKW raises money on the Main Line for a YMCA Buying a 1906 2-cyl Maxwell - top speed 35mph BKW joins the first Board of Health; describes early sanitation standards Discovering Lavallette and the New Jersey shore for the first time in 1908 Steamship cruise in 1910 from New York to Caribbean & West Indies Early biplane flights from nearby cow pasture Honeymoon in Jamaica by steamship in 1911 Early trips to Lavallette in the new 1912 4-cyl Cadillac Harry Backus and the Family's black servants Starting a Scout Troop soon after scouting came to America Carolyn Treadway and I as BKW's grandchildren, enjoyed discovering, editing and digitizing this massive work. We hope that future Wilburs will also enjoy reading it and passing it on to their children. JAM represents our heritage. For we believe that within each of us dwells the ideals and spirit of the man who was Bertrand Kingsbury Wilbur. Clark Maxfield Son of Helena Ruth Wilbur Maxfield January 24, 2017 .t'.liEFACE &.hLIES'l .HCOLLi..C'JI01\;) &.nd .t0YL00LI. Centenia.l E:xpo:;i tion, tryn :.lav.r, .t'<'. in l ~7J. heLry C. l'.l J bur, Description of i:ryn ll~a~·r, r:Uro:··ertn trip in l080, .School d~=>.j·s, d.ss Geiger, .1-ept'erell, ;.'other'~ horr.e, !/.onnt 1-lol.J·oke Ccde;;:e, ranherst, .i:·.~ss. GBi\EALCGY of Ltn;rence and Chapman !'r.r:1ilier,. phge 54-lc First Camping trip to iY.aine, • Lake KennebnGo, Lake Kinr.: Rnd .l::~:trtlett, t.i0 &·t>3, !~ere abc-ut LTJ'1'. 1\',>-V.T, '1\J, .ci:ool in .d:ll1:1d•.dphiu, bcJmor,t Gra:m:r.er, Dr. ~~-iller unct "'dirond&ck trip ::.n 1;-"i.;b, !"'g.?'!, Gc~ntr&l Hit_h Schocl, 1-'hilE-celphia, 81: huhrw:r:ann ;,.cdic~d College, U!U~:i, 9(-: ,~- lr_,g, 'l'he louguets and the t'i!·st bi.c:.-cles, ~~!,. i:.oJLoori :d; I·r.Jn J\.~:;v.r, 9u- LJ7. lfact': &.nd i,errh:r eg;:;s, 444: heler..a arrives . 'oorn.,lo.:~4::: .~. .. .. ·1:,__ ·b + ::< t ' ? 44"·-·· and E-ertrund .L:.enr·,; 1s ..~.LnD ';."):.... ~~..._.ars u ou ......... er._:t..,.., . . '"".n.. Le~onk ·,)-·ls <•nc' D,_,."tJ·'-s ~'±5-D·, Ar,.::,:'s ma.ldc~, -14o-A; krs. Fost('r ar.d Soa~l;{ .11. ............. .......... . .......... ' • • 1 .i. .. c:.·~··.'-r . ·'47· r•amp"""' !i~ Crab J,.nadian ~~,:ounted I'olice, 540; The "Ala.eka:."'l a>1d Shefflel''"543; Trip to Squanshansky Bay, 54?; Anna oatche B sal ::non, fi49; Our fare;vell party, 552; The Pande Basin hoo.x, 5:':3; ~;y gold mine, ;)54; Sell in;i out, 555; :t.'arewell to Sitka, ;:-,r:,e. AT?l:i.EHX TO Tit:; i\JJj\:i!~.S..- ::;;:;;::nc·;1. My mother'3 letter nf 19J2, 556-A ~~; Indian River, 558-F; Seining l'Jalmon, !:'?:-2.- F; S!:Joid:1g salmon, 558- I;. ~'orests, ptar:::tigan and JA1;-~~ Hedoubt,~:<~'-S ~-.c; Beo.r ::·:nting, 558-1.:; Interior of I:aranoff lslnnd, f:~i2-U; E:;nry ]•.?i~lds, !"58-0; .Jo.hn D.Rockafeller, 558-P: :Let te:re of my mother, :15o-lt to X; Anna's letters to the 1:iationa.l Indian A3so. 55S-\' to 558-c:~; 4th of July Oration, 558-DD; Delegc;.te to General As~eT'!bly, "·['·8-II; !!is~ Eindshaw on getting Spectacles, 558-:),Q.; THJi: Hot~.VARD TRI:F. !.'y La.at re-port tQ1the Board, [1 60; Retrospect, 561; Ca.nneries,562; A scare on the stee...-,er, 563; Seattle, St.Louis, CinDinnati, 567; 'rhe Chu'toh rece;Jtion, h68; Van Lenne-p again, 570; I decide on buninees. !'·71; .Jettled in AP.dmore, 572. 'forking in the factory, 572. J Vl)l. 'Ihe ~ 10 ~·'.c~ ,._:_- :1 (}r c:-~~ '-7 ·~;rL~::~ ~ _,~~ ::. n~::-t_ ,. ~-~:to t.::ret=: \."'"Jl'-~TftPS is unr·s~::'.tt~d t-:. t:~~-- tv·) t.iti .. ~.- \'--· :..•-··• :.: ~-· ...... 1..7.) • .&.'J.t:·.,:;r it e·)incid~:-.~ '-'.3..-tf: t!·.e t,h::-et: Cr:. yt.:.,:.;t·.:, ·:::..:.c:-. -~-::: ;;:.. ::~~.::.-.·. • 'J(!: :·ht··.. : - : : t :· to "'t':".-:: 37":.::.;_--;c:_- t_' Si·~-;:-~~~~~rj tv ~:flH .::...:.. .:::.~{C·. f..-, 1 ; -·--;:. l r; ~:> r~ t: · r~' · :~i-~.l;-::!:V. :~~r;:- ,·. ·_·. -·~· ·;,. :.~.~~:·. ·.-~f,;~~:~:~{·~~~~~w;~~~:::. . r:_, ~ -._·t r ': l~. i .r:.: ·~:---~_.:7; ;~ut:-:iY 1 :_~ :·:::·~-;!f. raze 4 --~ ,. i t .. r._::·.:: .l~i.l lui lt~ t .c-:;~~t 1 L ~·,_, t_ f J,. Table of' Contents, page 4 • Volwne II Medical }r~i.fi_sionary to Sitka, Alaska ··Page-· 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. J!,.. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 46.. 45. 46. Advertisement for Homoeopathic Physician a~ Sitka, Alaska · Corr.mission, January 23, 1894 Lectures about Alaska Juneau, 1894 Sitka The Nission, First Impressions - "The Sheldon Jackson Training School" John Gamble, han of all Work Rudolph ~·lalton The Beauty of Sitka "The Ranch" lvhere the Thlingit Indians Lived "A Morning at the Ranch - from "The North Star" published by U. P. Shull, Mr. Austin, and B. K. 1-Jilbu:::Teaching Native Girls to Become ' 1Boston Cooks" The ~ission Hospital Life at the Mission Returns to Philadelphia for Surg.';::· Back to Sitka with Sister Helena Elliott The Mission Staff The Mount Edgecumber Trip Childbirth at "The Ranch" The School Students "Indentured" Hi9cS Gibsc.n, the Hospital rrurse' s 40th Bi:::-thda::· The Doctor is a 1-?itness at a Nurder Trial of a ~·~ctor Uses S!!:in for Skin Graft for I-iusb:md of Princess Then and Teaches a Less~n of Christ's Forgiveness Tne i':'::>rth Star Ke>vspaper A Strained Surgeon 195 A 198 200 205 208 209 211 215 216 220 221 224 226 2?~::> 236 244 245 250 256 257 258 260 267 269 271 273 279 280 284 287 290 291 295 303 312 313 519 322 323 .."i:nco 333 -~~~"' yr -· • Table of Contents, .:1.. 50. o3. 04. C5. c7. ciS. c3. :o. • 71. 72. -~ 3. 7,_;,. 76. 77. ..... ao. n;:, 79. 31. 52. 54. 55. 5o. :7. ::.9. 91. ?2. :15. ':::7. ::3. :.co. ~age 5 After wn Operation A Blessed Letter Society and Other Things The H.M.S. ".t-heasant" u.s •.s. Y:heeling lirrives Social Life in Sitka John G. Brady, Governor (1380 ) A Valentine Party Missionary Boxes A Christmas Play (A clash of the Indian Cult~re with Christian Concepts) The Grauhouhone ~. Austinis Surprise Party I Get a Letter Aunt Helen Taylor's Letter "You May Come for Nancy" Afu..g;ain Dinner i'!ith E,;.rr;r (and Clara) v;estward r..o ! Across the Continent, On the"Topeka", Ylliose S~ateroc::r.. Is Tt:is? Sta.teroo:r.s Oversold, Often ! June~u and u~cle Sam, Independence Day at J~~eau Sitka Tomorrow, Sitka and Eome, Anna Tells of hoven's Xest, The First Day at Hor::e The First Triu to the Islands Our Rec8ptionL(The Eride and Groom) Another Picnic , Suppers at haven's Nest . Goodbye to the Lettsk Girls (Selins o. il.."lnie), Selina's Le-;;ter, At Y..ork .ne;ain, iillnie Hines Letter ~iedical \'.ork, The Mountain Top;,.Stumping and Clearing (e..t lt!:.ven's I;est.) More About Raven' s Nest, .tilllla Y.ri tes c!'· Cur Doinf:S Lieutenant Stanford E. koses, Letter of Lie-.:..tenent koses (about the battle of Santiago, Spanish-..,:;:eri:::an ;·:ar) Anna rteturns S:xne Calls, .iillna Tells of .F&.rty Calls, ?reserves and }.un::;.v;~:.ys, A Chafing Dis;,. Sup;:;er ------· -·~,. Page 339 340 342 343 344 345 3~5-A 346 347 348 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 3c0 3ol So2 3o3 3ti4 365 .,_ ... .... co 3o7 3o8 3o9 370 372 374 375 37o 377 378 379 3!:30 381 332 387 388 3-59 339-A 393 395 399 400 401 403 407 409 413 415 y' Table of Contents, • 2.Jl. ::.J2. :.J3. :J4. :.os. ::.Jo. 107. lD8. :-J9. llO. :.:..1. :12. ~14. ::5. •__ 1 o. . • :.:..7. :.~o. p~ge! Building the .r.ddi tion, (lilld 1iission V;ork), J.. 1:an In Our R:::Jc:n, Moving Into a Bigger Eest, The IJJ-terior of Raver,' s liest, Raven's Nest, Co::ne In. "Coming Up Stairs", :Uore About the l>iest, A New Life Is Given Us, aQuarrel, Eut Only One, Photography and Other \','ork, Society Letters and Other Viork A pathetic Family (at the Ranch) We Ne"rly Lose the Nest, Fire at Raven's Uest, Christmas Boxes from Home, Christmas 1898, Entertaining the Cottage I:-oys, Ice Crea...'ll Surprises Row With Dr. Y.hite (Naval surgeon) The Big Potlatch (Opposed), The Peace Dance, The Deer Is Captured, 1Core .h.bout the Big Potlatch, Costwues ~d:. the Dance Herring and Eerring Eggs A Baby .hrrives (Bertrand E. Wilbur, April 10, 1899), A True :!v~ther' s Heart, More .About Baby, Bab.,- Eert, Kew Adjustments Necessary, Maids Un.maid, Soapy Smi tn:• s :Decoy, Helene, the Piazza and Garden The F.arriman a:oedi ti::m , A Note on Earriman Camping at Crab-nay, Crabs and Salmon Trout, Fa~ at Crab Bay, Bring ~ Gun Doctor Yachting at Saw l.dll Creek, Tripping In Silver Bay, Not ,i,.ll Play A Parisian In Si~ke Eospital Scholarsnio Letters A..'1other Th;__'1ksgi vi ins Din!ler, Th10>nksgi ving; 1899 .Acting Xa.val Surgeon . ADo-th'erC!1..ri sh:.!:',S, Christ·:u•. s 1899, tiwre .nbcu-t Chri st:-r.as, Skat~ng ~nd Frost Crystals Colonel"'i,ilbur, lst.. Lieutens.nt ',filbur Fb.nnie 'iillard (Hora Ca.rapbell, Olga f.ilton) and Others (Question of hi:z;her education for natives.) .&d-r.ard 1:arsden, 1·.arsden 1 s ''Mariette". Dif'ficul ties &nd ircblems, Capturing Children (Comt'etition bebm :l::eetings Trouble Ya th Cottt;.ge People f.iiss Gibson's :Furlough Acting U:inister r.r:;&.in (Iir. kcClellend on furlough.) 'fhe Cruise of'. the Bertha, The Charter, Ferparation, \';e Sail, 0 ' "-.,g , "C.._~c': t ~I 'I .j. " b DI.J~y ~ • • ,.. h.._ Cnar o _;:;.~ ~-~ ve.1 ~ 1·.es "• \J::a. ~.nx1ou~ "'1 &. ~, 11. L"ivelv Sall, t.1o~kB. 1sl2nd, S1tk:a 1~o~.; ::.n ~::>rlr.!. ..:S, • S:::.~oed £:=-:,..bJ Exp~cted 430 431 433 438 439 444 445 450 ·~452 ?5ti ~59 4ti0 4tH 4o3 4o4 4o8 470 471 474 47o 477 482 483 484 485 H.c·:ouo-:; Bs:y~ Difficulties, A Bad Situation, Ship t·irecked!,.Saf'e, In the l'i!ornint; Light, the hX, .Home, Settling; Y:i th Clements. .n_'1 Unusus.l Experience, Correspondence v,i th the Eoe.rd {re complaint about visiting; the hanch rr.ore often), :t.:y Reply, A foor Letter O:.>..:c 419 428 Chicken Yox Or - -?, &~~ll ~ox!! The l:Iew Baby (i:iarry Lsv;rence born Janun.r./, ll, 1900) Ss.d, Strenuous Days, 'iie Nl:l.l'"le Him Harry, The Scourge Jia.ges, JW:r:e: Complications, Yr. Ke!:ly }~e~>.rs Del;.th Fs_ther and liot:,er Visit Us, E&.l ibut Fishing, D!i.f Trips •-·ith Father, Proble:r,s of liisc , , Thinking of ::tesigning, I Resigp.;;-JlyvResie;nation, My Resi[Tia.tion i:.ccepted, Thinking About It, i.£'ter Three ?;!onths 487" 5o a El4 515 517 518 523 529 .... • • • Table of Contents, page 7 no. OTer the ~nite Pass. 111. Skagway and ~hite Horse. A Dangerous Trip. Ska~~y At Last (mining for gold & the gold rush, '97 -'98), Miles Canyon 112. White Horse, Town and Rapids, l~nite Horse, Yukon Ty., ·Dyea, Dead and Desertelll. 113. The Mission Doctor, No longer. 114. 11 The Alaskan" and Sheffler. 115. The Wreck of the Islander. 116. "Going to Press". Two Bad Boys 117., Squa.nshansky Bay,Anna Catches Salmon,The Scow Goes Adrift, The Cruse of the Suchflopsky. 118. Leslie Jackson's Paintings 119. A Farewell Party. 120. The Pande Basin Hoax (devoid of gold) 121. My Mine At Billy's Basin. 122.. Selling Out, I Return On The 1 Kelly', Goodbye Dear Friends, Farewell to Sitka 123. Appendix to Alaska Section. My Mother's Letter of 1902 Indian River The Big Salmon Catch, Smoking Salmon, The Forests~ Ftagmiga.n and Redout Lake, BUnting Bears, Chasing a Deer,Baranoff Island interior Henry .M. Field and lUece, I Meet :tAr. Rockafeller, We Expect Young Roacafeller to Dinner A Birthday Letter From Mother, 1899 Anna's Letter, April l899,September 1899, Anna'a Le~ter - to National Indian Association. The Model Cottages, The Cottage Settle~ent Fourth of July Oration, 189o General Assembly, 1902 and Home Board of Missions Miss Hindshaw's Squib (about B.K.W.) 124. Thinking It Over, My Last Report. As Looks Now 125. Canneries."The Ship Is Sinking ! 11 , Ordered to the Eoats, Volunteers Wanted, Seattle At Last. 126. St. Louis and Cincinnati 127. Our Reception (Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church) Page 533 534 539 542 543 544 545 547 551 552 553 554 555 558 A '558 F 558 H 558 558 558 558 558 L 0 Q R T z 558 558 DD 558 II 558 QQ 559 567 568 Table of Contents, page 8 VolU!Ile III ~FamilX Grows, Years at the Chocolate Factory, LaYalle~te, 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 13ti. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 144. 14b. l4o. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 15~. 154. 155. 'l....,o. <; 157. 158. 159. loo. lol. lo<:. lti3. lti4. lti5. • J..:: . lOcl. C~unity Boy Scout Activities. l See Dr. Van Lennep, I Decide on Business Greenfield AYe., jr~ore, Beginning Life Anew (Start at the cho~olate factory, $20 per week,Jan.20,l902) Learning Cocoa, A Factory Hand The Roasting Roo:n, The .Mystery bf Good Beans, Beans lire Burning S<:ave Oriel, Factory Foreman 1 How Does Steve Figure? The Code and Requisitions, Inspection and Testing, Rule of Thumb vs. Factory Control Bean Blender, ~·-orking Out at SolYing Problems Vieigant 1 : The Lah:nan Roaster, Roasting Temperatures Home Life at Ardmore Dr. Miller ana Eis Pulpit, Dr. Miller's Prophsey Y'•orking in the Fan. Room, 3rd Floor On to the Mill Roam, 2nd Floor, Augustus ~einer Donald ArriYes - November 2, 1902 Dressing the Mills . The New Factory - ~ew and Broad Street, fhila., Planning the Layout; The Electric Drive Approved; George Lenning; Busy Moving The Neighbors' Club Gratiot Again, .bertie Goes F·ishine; Factories, Old and .Nev. The fress Room, My Je~ish Boss Milk Chocolate, Something New; America's First Milk Chocolate ~4umber 42 Rosemont AYenue -what Tom Mutch Wrote Varied Duties, Estimating Losses Medical Clubs - to retain some professional contacts 'Ihe night ShiH; Night Shi.ft Dif:ficulties; Night Shift Itoutine Our First Girl - !;ud.die - October 5,1904 C~ the St. xar~erite, Salmon Fishing, Jigging; A Tool of the Guides \July 1905); ~o in One Pool; We Land The::1; Walter Brackett, feinter of Fish ,:._nna Is Ill; Ecne;;~·.Jor., .£-oint fl--easant Our First l.ut~obEe, ;·.e buy a Ford, Automobiling in 1904; Those Eorrid Autos; Our First Ride. Alterations at Rosemont (l90ti); ImproYements at Rosemont; Furnishings at Rosemont ~elson Joins the Family, July 22, l90ti business Life; kaking of Buds, Wilbur Buds; Trying to l'rctect Euds Factory Superintendent Joseph Baker ~pears; The Uilk Condenser Coooa and Cocoa ~rokers J.. nyn Considered; .rlrdmore Y'.PlC.A; Raising koney; Father's G':?:terous Eelp, Father to the Rescue; h.ther's Generosi~ ~~ Unvase • Experiment; Union ~ith the City Cur Second Auto • Mexwell, 19Jo, More About the ~ell r:.y :!.other's De~th.l901 A Sa~ Journey; A Lonely Wait; S!):~itual Experier"'~es; ~i~fra Falls. lS07 Services, ;~:y Mother !-;c&ers a~d''Shoring;-Uptt (Yills critiCiSJt) 570 572 574 576 580 582 585 588 690 591 592 595 596 599 601 606 609 till 612 614 616 620 ti23 624 629 630 639 641 ti47 6!)() 651 ti54 t:i55 65o 658 .~ 667 oo9 676 Table crf Contents. page 9 • 169. 839 - 841 North Third Street - a new factory (For sweet packag617 ing manufacture, after several years an addition was built on the main factory); Katty Tripple, Forewoman 170. John H. C-onverse, Crxistian 171. _William li·amilton }Liller, D.D. {dies 3/10/'07? }; A Tribute to 681 Dr. Miller and His Boys. 172. Lower Merion Board of Health; The Water Fight; Chester Springs; 684 the State Conference; More Trouble rd th Doctors; Milk Control; Conference on Milk; Milk Control Experiences; Progra~ of Milk Control; Cemetary Abuses - An Innocent Hold-up; The Commissioners Letter ; Resignition as President {after over 25 years); Nothing Happened; Public Indiference 173. Lawrence H. Wilbur, Factory Hand, Hultman, Draftsman (designed 703 layout for oTer-head cars that fed different beans into thirteen machines in "a long line, all alike and each holding f'ive hundred pounds of beans at a roast") 174. The Bud ~rapper, Hershey's Bud ~apper, Milton F. Hershey, 706 Factory Uniforms, Foremans' Meetings; Radamaker and DeGraff 175. Lavallette 1908; the Garabaldi Cottage; C.N. Clayton's Skiff; 712 Happy Days on the Bay; the Crabbing Hole; L£vallette Again; Lavallette Sunday School; Sunday School Picnics; Ca.u ght on the F"lats ;(Esther Anthony Wilbur, May 13, 1908) 17 o. We Buy Real Estate, We Draw Plans, ""i;e Euild a- Cottage; Folding 720 Bees; Inspection Trips 177. J. Archer Rulon 725 178. Father Determines to ~arry (.Anna Hutchin:>on, a widow) 72ti 179. li.O.W. & s. Incorporates; the Directors. Stockholders 727 130. Father's ~edding,-liotchkins 729 131. liarold Pierce and Dr. George A. ~orillson Ross; the Uinistry 730 of Dr. Ross 132. Ross Is Born, May 31, 1910 73;3 133. Letters to Dr. Ross; Addressing PresbJtery; Dr. Ross Leaves 733 A Brj~ Ma~T; Dr, Ross' Letter 134. Will Adopts the Committee System (1908); Committee Flan Announ737 ed; Comments on that plan; Theory and Practice; the Plan Collapses 195. Father's Letter from Korth Cape (1909) . 742 186. David Halstead, Business and Professional Club, -on Camac ·street, 743 old Philadelphia. 187. My First Talk on Cocoa 744 188. First Trip to the ~est Indies (Jan. 14,1910); Cruise on the . : 745 "Avon"; Jamaica; Cartagena 189. Cacao and the Microsco~e; Results of Study 753 190. Father iYrites i'ro~ Loni; Beach, Ca. 755 · 191. Bergdoll's Airoplane 75ti 192. Family Doings 757 193. Tri~to Pepperell 758 194. A Jamaica Honeymoon, 1911 759 195. Building Number 7 780 l9o. Early Trips to Lavallette, Off for L.; Going; to L.; On Ou.r '.' ay 781 to L.; and Then Lavallette 197. Our Mother's Eelpers; Sarah Roberts and Earry Backus, Sarah 787 Roberts; More About Sarah Roberts 198. The Boy Scouts 801 199. A Scout Troop Organized, June 1912; The Scout Troop; Early Days 802 in Scouting; Troop Programs; Troop Activities; Scout Doings; Scout Hikes; Treasure Eunts; ~-:rernight F..ikes; Darby \''roods; Scout Camps: The County Ca~p Site; Camp Delmont; Scouts F.&ising Koney; Scouts: Y.ar Activities, Liberty Bonds; Initiations; Conclusion 835 ,- Forward to Digitalized Just About Me/Just About Us Bertrand Kingsbury Wilbur (BKW) lived a long and fascinating life. Born into wealth and imbued with faith and the idea of service, his autobiography Just About Me/Just About Us provides a valuable window into the changing times of his life span, 1870-1945. In 1898, BKW married Anna Dean (ADW), who lived from 1874 to 1952. He took his new bride to Sitka, Alaska, where he was serving as doctor to a mission school. This autobiography provides a priceless record of rapidly changing Alaska, 1894-1901. BKW and ADW had ten children: Bertrand (Bert), Harry, Donald (Don), Elizabeth (Buddy), Nelson (Nick) , Esther (Toni) , Ross, Anna (Deanie), Ruth (Helena), and Virginia (Ginno). Toward the end of his life, BK’s children urged him to write his memoirs, which he did in Haverford, PA, and La Jolla, CA, from 1933-1939, totaling nearly 900 typed pages. Copies were laboriously typed on onion skin paper and distributed to his children. BK made an abbreviated Table of Contents covering the first 572 pages. In the late 1970s, my father Ross Wilbur circulated excerpts from Just About Me, copied from his xerox of onion skin pages. Early in the 1980s, Ross had his copy of JAM/JAU professionally bound. For easier readability, he separated the autobiography into three volumes and prepared a more detailed index for each volume. The index of the first volume overlaps with BK’s own index. Volume I covers BK’s boyhood and education as a physician; Volume II covers his time in Sitka; Volume III covers his life at the Wilbur Chocolate Factory, Lavalette, family servants, and scouting. In May 2016, with my husband Roy Treadway, I visited Sitka to donate to the Sheldon Jackson Museum a cabinet door carved by Rudolph Walton, BK’s best Tlingit friend. This door was a gift from Rudolph to newlyweds BKW and ADW for their new home, Raven’s Nest, which was up the hill directly above the Museum. This door, which had been in my family since my childhood, was thus safely returned to its Tlingit home for perpetuity. While in Sitka, we were honored to meet some of Rudolph’s descendants. Talking with them and with Museum curators made me realize how much others wanted to read BKW’s autobiography also. Thus began my intense quest to make this valuable historical document available “to the world.” It has been quite a journey, through thick and thin, to complete this digitalized JAM/JAU. The end result is three volumes, indexed, with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) added. Standard computer tools such as Adobe Acrobat and Preview can be used for basic searches; more advanced tools can be used for additional searches. This autobiography has been preserved in its original form as much as possible. I am grateful to my grandfather BKW who deeply shared his life with his children through the written word, and to ADW and their children for encouraging him to keep on writing about his life. I am also very grateful to my father Ross Wilbur who preserved this precious family history so carefully and passed on to me not only the cherished volumes of BKW’s life story, but the love of learning family history and preserving it for future generations as well. Carolyn Wilbur Treadway Lacey, Washington January 2017 FORWOHD. . ;•, :•':.~ ~ :. [~~·>: .,: In res;Y:n:se t.o tJ ·· .i.u::istant desire of his chilC.1·en, this ~i~cord - of his life and of the lives of those nearest and dear- ~{;..:~ rb~~~ to him, ha~ beJ'n written by our father, Bertrand Kingsbury ''Wilbur, in his maturity, and after the rin;ors of life had left ~·~~~ :-~ ~'{their mark upon his health. .. ~-·'i ~.L ~(':. $'L. ;·,. As we ad~ance in years each of us is begin'ing to experience ~.:f!omething \.::~of :.tr.-: . of the difficulty of living; sorr.ething of the burden decision in the face of inadequate knowledge; son1ething of >t· ~: 1 ~hat it means when opportunity or temptation comes; something ...... ·:or aspiration, of discouragement, of hope, and of fear; some-