Seek Timber Bids Seminar on Aging Slated Oct. 24 Watertown Dailv Times Watertown, N. Y. Q Monday. Oct. 8, 1973 Z? ChamberDinner Set. LOWVILLE'— Sealed bids LOWVILLE — The comare being accepted at the Demittee for the 28th annual personnel including nurses, meeting and dinner dance for partment of Environmental aides, dietitians, housekeep- the Lewis County Chamber Conservation office in Albany ing, in-service education, or- of Commerce has met to foruntil Nov. 8 at 4 p.m. for the A seminar on "Reality Ori- The main speaker will be derlies, physical 'therapists, sale of sawtimber stumpage Jentation — New Approaches Dr. Muriel Oberleder, New physicians, rehabilitation spe- mulate plans for the event to in the Town of Osceola, Lewis ,to Treating Senility," will be York City, clinical psycholo- cialists, food service, social be held at Snow Ridge, Saturday evening, Nov. 10. County, on 48 acres about a presented Oct. 24 from 8:30 gist specializing in geriatric service and administrators. psychology, and consultant to Registration should be a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the State The committee is commile southeast of the hamlet Bronx State Hospital. made by Oct. 21. Those plan- prised of Martin Schill, TurOffice Huilding Auditorium of Osceola. The minimum ac- under the sponsorship of the The seminar is open to the ning to attend should contact in, chairman; Paul Forte. Lowceptable bid shall not be less Samaritan-Keep Home and public with special emphasis Mrs. Forshaw at the Samari- ville. K. .lames Hurt. Croghan than $l,65(f. 'the Ryan Nursing Home* and S. J. Harris, Lowville. on all levels of health cure tan-Keep Home. PHONE: 282-4000 STORE HOURS: J0-5:30 DAILY, 10-9 FRIDAY "PUB" BARWARE Department'Store LOCALLYOWNED&OPERATED by COLONY • — Times Staff Photo fcpike Draper, leathercraft maker and story-teller par excellence, sits at his work bench at his shop on the Independence River. In background are samples of his hand-made packbaskets and leather accessories. Once Performers Couple Forsakes Retirement For Thriving Leathercraft Shop , By FRANCIS POUND Spike's happened to be in and roll them up, they an adjoining lot and recog- would keep two or three CARTHAGE — In the nized him. weeks, even a month, deearly 1950's, hoping to reNot long after they built pending on how much salt tire, Spike and Dody Drap- their camp, the friend had you use. They could then er purchased a lot on the managed to find Spike and bring them to us at their Independence River where, returned with a pair of convenience," Spike adthey thought, no one else snowshoes asking Spike to vised. would settle. fill the centers. Garden Work Now, more than 20 years "I told him I didn't have The Draper's are also later, they are still in busi- the material and couldn't kept busy caring for their ness at one of their life- do it," Spike recalled, "but garden, feeding their chicklong trades and find the he returned a day or so lat- ens, cutting fuel for their demand for their hand- er with some heifer hides wood burning stove, or made leather products, and said 'Now you got the tending to the upkeep of snowshoes and packbaskets stuff.'" their five-room, single level so great that they have to With that, Spike was store they close five days a week and back in business making home-workshop built in 1958. operate weekends to allow snowshoes. While operating his themselves time to keep Two pair of moccasins, stands, Spike was also a liabreast of other tasks. given as Christmas gifts to censed hunting and fishing A Seneca Indian, Spike neighbors who had since guide for nearly 15 years. first came ' to the north built a camp near Spike did not talk much of country in the late 1920's, and Dody, started the moc- hisHeexperiences as a guide settling at Star Lake. Over casin business up. — that was another story the next few years, he "The woman returned a for another day. Spike had opened stands at Oswe- week or so later with an or- several such sorties. gatchie and Indian Lake der for two more pair. We He did explain why he prior to locating at Oneida . made moccasins for people quit guiding. Lake. in Lowville that winter as As Spike told it, one year Learned Trade long as the hide lasted. The around the state He learned his trade next fall we started buying jumped its1940 license fee from while living among the Mo- deerskins, processing them $2 to $5 and replaced the hawk, Algonquin, Sioux, and selling moccasins," small identification buttons Mic Mac and other Indian Spike said. \ then in use .with large tribes as a youth. Since then, Spike and brass badges. Before going into busi- Dody have been operating After one season wearing ness for himself, he had "Spike's Wigwam" on the the badge, Spike took it to been making and selling Independence River, a few the local conservation offibaskets wholesale to stores miles south of Number cer, explaining that if he at $6 a dozen. Four Road in Lewis County. ever fell through the ice Shop Busy "They would jump • the with that thing on, he prices to $3 a piece. I Due to the lack of skilled would drown for sure. thought that was a little craftsmen and the demand "It made a man look a too much for them and too for their handmade leather little too important. Anylittle for me, so I went into pouches, belts, moccasins, way, after a man gets old business for myself," Spike packbaskets and snowshenough, he gets more sense recalled. oes, they have all the busi- than to want to kill everyAnd about that time the ness they can handle. thing he sees," he added. depression had set in and "There are few people Spike and Dody have there wasn't much else to left to do this type of work. also made a living performdo. There is a great demand ing on stage a violin-acroSpike recalled the events for these things and the batic act, dressed in Indian leading to the purchase of people with the knowledge garb, with Spike also dem• their lot, the building of and ambition to back it onstrating woodcraft and their home and how, up," Spike observed. relating Indian lore at through an accidental Besides weaving baskets, sport shows and in schools meeting with a friend and making moccasins and a Christmas gift.of a pair • shaping and filling snowsh- across the country. A flyer in the late 1930's of moccasins, they never oes, during the week Spike advertised Spike as "The did retire. is busy gathering black ash Tarzan'of the Adirondacks Spike and Dody were op- logs and pounding them erating their Oneida Lake out for splints to make bas- — Famous-for his wilderstand when he first got the kets or splitting the logs ness ventures without food, or matches — a urge to hide away and re- and shaping them into blankets, true son of the forest." tire. snowshoes, They had been performThey heard of lots on Gathering the black ash ing before they opened - the independence River logs is not easy. It could ' being for sale from neigh- take a day or a week, Spike their stand at Star Lake and continued to perform bors who were working the noted, recalling of once during after the destand with them and they looking over 300 acres of pression and until they opened began making regular trips land and not finding a sin- their present stand. ' to the region. gle black ash tree suitable They quit entertaining "I cautioned my friends for his purposes. when they came to Lewis not to tell anyone who I He buys cattle hides year County, realizing part of was," Spike noted. round and, during . the dream to retire, but He wasn't too impressed hunting season, is busy their only after they first came by what he saw on the first buying deerskin and moose out of retirement to put on few trips, but one day he hides and processing and a few shows for local picked up a black ash log, dying them red, blue or schools. made a few splints and black to make moccasins. "We could go back to started weaving a basket. "We could always use work performing anytime, "That changed the situa- more hides," Spike said. but we would rather stay tion. The country took on a "No one seems to care back in here. We like it different complexion. 1 about them (hides) any- here. It's nice and quiet," started making baskets and more. It's a shame to see Spike said. taking them to our stand to them wasted, just thrown Spike and Dody Draper sell," Spike recalled. on the junk heap," he com- have no intentions of Purchased Lot mented. changing their lifestyle or It was not long after that "If people would just lay getting "tangled up" in any that Spike and Dody pur- the hides flat, scatter salt other. chased their lot, obtained on them, fold the sides in lumber from a local sawmill and soon had a camp — about 15 feet square with a sawdust floor and a converted oil drum for a atove. "We thought we were hidden here. We thought we could retire." Snlke No experience neceisary said, noting that when they built in the early 1050s Agt 17-34-Wt will train you they were the only ones in the area. Good Salary and Benefits while you learn "Wo didn't think anyone else would build here." 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