The system of Apprenticeships date to the middle ages. By the early twentieth century, most apprentices were ten to fifteen years of age. They would live in the master craftsmans household for the duration of their contract, which was commonly around seven years. Most apprentices aspired to become master craftman themselves, owning their own shops in time. Others would go on so far as a journeymen. Journeymen were skilled workers fully authorized to work in their field, but still working under the supervision of a master craftsman
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Escaped Shoemakers Apprentice,
Milton 1825
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Six Cents Reward for Runaway Shoemakers Apprentice Tobias Remert, aged 15
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The Escaped Shoemakers Apprentices,
Milton 1829
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In February of 1829, two shoemakers apprentices belonging to John Kauffman of Milton, escaped. William Welhaus & James Hetherington were described, including their clothing, both being around 17 years of age. (Both would have been born about 1812) A reward was offered for their return..
The Miltonian
February 8 1912
John Kauffman was born in Little York Pa, and move to Milton Pa with his widowed mother.
He learned the shoemakers trade, which he followed throughout his active years, and lived until the age of ninety, dying in 1895.He was in the service in the war of 1812-1815. His wife died in 1892, at seventy eight years. - The History of Columbia & Montour Counties
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1831 Shoemakers Apprenticeship
Between Kohler & Bright, Milton Pa
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"Last week in Philadelphia, I saw a paper drawn up in Milton in 1831, of which I had no previous knowledge, though it concerned by forebears. It was an indenture of apprenticeship between one John Bright, a Milton shoemaker, and Jacob Kohler, in which George Kohler, a veteran of the Mexican war, and the war of 1812, whose bones have recently been removed from the old Harmony cemetery to make way for the new creamery, apprenticed his son to learn the "trade of cord wainer, alias boot and shoe maker." The terms of the contract are in many ways amusing, as they include among other things, relating to schools and religious teaching, an examination of the apprentice by a minister at least once a year, during his apprenticeship. Several years back, a New York paper printed a curious apprenticeship indenture, made in the Chesapeake bay region, a century ago, in which it was stipulated that the master would not feed the apprentice canvass-back duck more than three times a week, nor terrapin more than twice a week, so plentiful in those days were these modern luxuries. " - Reminisce of Milton by Kohler - https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2021/06/reminiscences-of-milton-by-jp-kohler.html
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Christopher Latham Sholes, Mooresburg
Inventor of the Typewriter
Printers Apprentice in 1833
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"When he was a boy of fourteen he was set to work in a printing office and became the proverbial printers devil. When he had passed his apprenticeship as devil, he went to work for his brother, a prosperous printer. From being a printer, Christopher Sholes naturally developed into an editor and writer, and then just as naturally into a politician. "
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Eli Slifer, Lewisburg
Apprentice Hat Maker 1834
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" Slifer returned to Lewisburg in 1834, served as an apprentice hat maker and then entered the canal cargo business." https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2021/03/billmeyer-boat-yard-lewisburg-pa.html
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Frederick H Knight
Runaway Boatmakers Apprentice
Late Wrote Early History Of Watsontown
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Frederick H. Knight was born at Liverpool, Perry County on November 27, 1837 to Richard Knight who had fought in the Revolutionary War. His father died while he was quite young and he was forced to apprentice with Mr. Ira Sears who was a boatman and a hard task master. He ran away from this servitude and signed on to help build part of the Reading Railroad form Herndon to Shamokin. He then became employed for four years by Amos Kapp of Northumberland saving enough money to send himself to school at Freeburg, Snyder County and then the State Normal School at Millersville, Lancaster County.
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Alem Mauser, McEwensville
Apprentice Carriage Maker, 1863
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In 1863, Alem Mauser, at the age of seventeen years came to McEwensville and was engaged in William Hood's carriage shop as an apprentice, remaining there six years, when he purchased the business from his employer. https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2021/02/the-carriage-works-in-mcewensville.html
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Joseph Lumbard
Printers Apprentice in Selinsgrove
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My great, great, great grandfather, Joseph Lumbard, was the editor of the Selinsgrove Tribune. He began, however, as an apprentice for the Selinsgrove Times, which was at that time printed in the first floor of the "Pepper Box".
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1876
A Law for the Protection
of Apprentices and their Employers.
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The anti-monopoly convention, which met at Harrisburg last week, prepared the" following bill, relating to apprentices, which will be presented to the State Legislature :
First. : The apprentice to be bound, if under sixteen years of age not more than five years and not less than three ; if over sixteen years of age, then to be bound until twenty-one years of age ; if over eighteen years of age, then to be bound for not less than three years : and providing for young men under twenty-five years of age being bound apprentices for the space of three years.
Second. Specifying the duties of an apprentice. He shall be honest, diligent, obedient and faithful. Should he leave the employ of his master he may be returned thereto under a penalty ; and should he depart the jurisdiction of the court or state in which his master's place of business is located, he shall be subject to recovery for damages for the space of ten years after his majority.
Third. A master taking an apprentice shall be bound by an agreement in writing in which it shall be-clearly stated that the said master shall teach or cause to be taught to said apprentice all the arts and mysteries of his calling: ; shall Staring- his said apprenticeship provide him with good and comfortable food, clothing and lodging; if not lodging with parents or with the master, then the master shall furnish him a home where his moral character may not suffer by the change. Should the said apprentice s education De deficient when bound then it shall be specified that said employer shall give him such opportunities (either by attendance upon day or night school) which improperly profited by, will qualify him to rise to the head of his calling. At the end of his servitude the employer shall furnish the apprentice with a certificate in writing setting forth that be has complied with the law.
Fourth. Employers are restrained from employing other young persons or persons over twenty-one years of age, and teaching them the art and mystery of their calling, unless bound as' here before mentioned, under penalty of $100 to $1,000 for each offence, said fine to be paid to the poor director of the city, township or borough, as the case may be.
Fifth. A bound apprentice may be corn- under the penalty of punishment by confinement in a house of correction or a county jail ; and should he depart the jurisdiction he shall be" liable for recovery of damages until ten years after the expiration of the term of his apprenticeship.
Sixth. Employers failing to give apprentices such opportunities as will enable them to learn their trade will bs subject to recovery for damages by the apprentice either before expiration of the term of apprenticeship or for three years after the expiration thereof ; providing that if it shall appear that said apprentice is incapable of being taught the art and mystery of the calling to which he had been bound, then the said indenture may be annulled by any court of competent jurisdiction ; provided further, that application for nullification be made within two years after executing the indenture.
Seventh. That employers, after the year 1880, shall not employ journeymen under the age of twenty-five years without first ascertaining by certificate or otherwise, that they have served a full term of apprenticeship under a penalty of $50 to $200.
Eighth. Any persons forming combinations to thwart the provisions of this act, either by intimidating apprentices from applying for admission to any trade or by a compact entered into to refuse to receive any apprentices, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall severally and individually be punished by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500, or an imprisonment in the county jail for not less than one month nor more than one year for each offense.
The Parade Of The Apprentices
At Fort Freeland Heritage Days, Skilled tradesmen and heritage crafters are paired with student apprentices, demonstrating over fifty skills of the 18th and 19th centuries,============
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