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Life and Ramblings of a Frontier Doctor: Journal One (32522) by: Morgan    169  Vote for this story   Subscribe to this story   Story Rating
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This epic western saga tracks the fictional Josiah Rohrer, a Pennsylvania Dutch youth growing up in the mid 1800’s, from his childhood in Lebanon County through his action-packed adventures in the post-Civil War West.
In Josiah’s first journal, he tells of growing up in a small “behind the mountain” family in Green Point, Northern Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. As Josiah matures from a small boy to a strong young man, he learns vital skills and life lessons from his family and community. From his father, he learns about hard work, integrity, hunting and marksmanship, and a keen business sense. His mother and two aunts, Cora and Annie, teach him about “doctoring” with herbs and Pow-wow, a Pennsylvania Dutch healing ritual. Josiah’s family instills pious values typical of the area. As Aunt Cora put it, “People often make judgments by appearance and first impressions are seldom reversed. Often one will tell another person and even though you haven’t met them, they, too, will have an impression about you.” These values will serve Josiah well in later years.
Josiah acquires proficiencies as a blacksmith, apprenticing under the nearest blacksmith, John Soliday. He also learns beekeeping and uses for honey from a bear of a man named Vic. Josiah’s As Josiah matures, so does his sense of wanderlust. He decides to head for Philadelphia to seek employment as a blacksmith. In Germantown, he is employed by a sour man known as Jonathan Sparks, a bumbling yet criminal-minded blacksmith. When Sparks plots to trap young Josiah into a dismal seven year indenture, he sets off a dangerous chain of events that pits him as Josiah’s nemesis throughout Josiah’s long journey. This journey eventually pulls Josiah into the Civil War and to the new frontier out West (Journals Two through Five).
 
 
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Chapter 1: Youth






As I look back, I often think about Green Point in Northern Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. It was beautiful and wonderful place for a young boy to grow up. Green Point itself was a green, cool and shady place covered with evergreens so it stood out as green all year round. That is where I, Josiah Morgan Rohrer, was born September 28, 1841. For me it was a momentous occasion, if not for anyone else. My birth was presided over by my two maiden aunts, Aunt Cora and Aunt Annie, highly respected midwives from the City of Palmyra. They may not have been the three wise men, but they were determined to get me off to a good start. After my birth, they asked my mother, Johanna, “Should we keep him or put him back?” With a tired groan, “Keep him,” and I was kept. My aunts were not often given to humor.


Also, it was to be, that my father was called in to examine me. This did not happen with girl children, only boys and then only if they were born with a dark bruise-like marking at the base of the spine. Neither Obie nor Bart had one. I am told I had such a mark, which lasted about one and a half years before it faded. My father declared me a “Black Rohrer”. “Black Rohrers” were usually destined for some form of public service, but only time would tell.


Thank goodness my parents had not been defrauded with a girl child, who for a long time would be just another mouth to feed. Ah, but boys, almost as soon as they could walk, they could work. I don’t remember much before three, but I probably did as my younger brother did. He was four years younger and he would go barefoot behind the plow, playing the game of pick up stones and carry them away. He was also expected to break up clods with his bare feet.


My first true memories really began at three years of age. I helped Mother feed the chickens. Whether this was really help or just getting me to begin to understand the value of work, I don’t know.
 
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