Albert, An Old Shacker Who Lived Near Paulding, Michigan, Chats With Friends
Albert was an old “shacker” who lived in the north woods near Bruce’s Crossing. He was not a total recluse but was somewhat of a hermit who went fishing with Carl Senior and his friends quite often. They used to stay in a cabin down the road from Albert’s place. Once Albert invited Esther and Carl into his little shack, and Esther was not favorably impressed with his housekeeping skills (or should I say lack of them?). She said his pillow looked like leather it was so dirty and crusted over. That was the first and last time she ever went into his place.
UPPER PHOTO: (Left to right) Carl Krieser, Sr., Albert, Ed Murdo, Esther and a fellow in riding pants and boots.
MIDDLE PHOTO: That was one of the rental cabins at Paulding. Once Esther was sitting on the couch in the cabin, chatting with the men when suddenly a little mouse came scampering along the back of the couch right behind her. Everybody but Esther saw it but they were all very quiet about it. They probably didn’t want to scare the poor mouse--not to mention Esther! She never saw it but after a bit they told her about it. By then it was too late to react, but they all had a good laugh from it. In the photo Carl Jr. and Carl Sr. stand in front with Jippy sitting on a stump.
BOTTOM PHOTO: Carl Jr. and Carl Sr. standing with Albert. His shack can be seen in the background to the left. This photo was taken about 1946. Sometimes Carl Sr. would take Junior with him for a week when he went back to work from Kimberly. They stayed above a variety store and Junior would go to work with him, doing little odd jobs. After work, they’d go fishing together. Junior actually learned how to drive during one of those trips. He drove from Bessemer to Kimberly on old 45, gravel and all.
All of these photos were taken in the summer. During the 1942 winter, when the family lived there, they had 173.5 total inches of snowfall at Ironwood. That’s just a stone’s-throw from Bessemer. And it didn’t melt until spring. Wow!