Lake Author Claims another victum some say the lake has Bad Karma.

I spent the summer of 1977 as a Assistant to Camp Staff Ranger and a Canoe Voyager at Camp Semiconon in Butler County Pa.
Once a week my self or the other Voyager John would take a group of  10-20 scouts on a 7 mile hike from camp Semiconon located along Conequenessing Creek to Moraine State Park and Lake Arthur in Prospect we would then get in the canoes which where waiting for us and canoe 2 miles across the lake and stay overnight in the area  of where an old town was located  where you could still find old foundations some jutting up out of the lake the yelow pin on google earth shows where we use to stay .

The entire time I was on these trips and years subsequent when my own troop went on " The Shoe & Canoe " Trips  as they where known I was always on guard and peaked as something did not seem right with the whole area . Especially after the scary experience we had with unknown intruders into the camp the first week of the 77 season.
The area is heavily wooded and Indian names and lore are rampant  as is tales of witch craft  and satanic worship thru out that rural section  of Butler County .Plus sevral cemetarys the snyder cemetary said to be haunted by a creature with red eyes

http://www.ellwoodcityledger.com/news/local_news/local-historian-chronicles-lost-cemeteries-of-moraine-state-park/article_b77697ba-699c-54a2-a914-e0c4c59a09a1.html

http://www.bfro.net/gdb/show_report.asp?id=48575

As well as the old stone house  Tavern nearby where many unsavory things happned  by Highwaymen and lore of buried treasure they left

http://oldstonehousepa.org/

Any truth to any of it who knows but a lot of strange deaths and disappearances have occurred all over Butler County and I often get the feeling I should not be some where so I get the hell out of there good advice regardless if a situation does not feel right leave the area .There maybe nothing to it but better to be safe than sorry.

Lake Author has seen many deaths over the years as well  from boaters who run into problems and people who go swimming and have drowned  and 3 recent cases in the same fall time period over several years 2012, 2014, and 2015   just add to the mystery and mystique of the area

Several middle age men  go fishing and hunting  etc. around the same time in the Fall  and  all found drowned in the lake

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/body-missing-boater-found-near-boat-launches-lake-/nSxXZ/

http://www.wpxi.com/ap/ap/pennsylvania/body-of-missing-fisherman-found-in-pennsylvania-st/npC89/

http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/5207749-74/park-body-arthur

Is there some kind of conspiracy going on?

The answer is No.  While there are those who claim Indian spirits are at work who cause things to happen and pull people under the water like the tales of the river witch  . The truth is  as the weather changes from summer to fall so does the weather and the lake itself as the bottom becomes  more slippery from decaying foliage and winds get much stronger across the lakes surface as winter  storms move in. There are also many large sink holes in the lake due to fact it is man made as well as obstructions from old farm building foundations etc which where flooded over as weel as being part of a mine reclamation project   which lead to tripping hazards.etc when lake levels are low  and accidents will happen .

All 3 made the mistake of going to the lake and being by themselves near or in the water a very bad idea in fall as water temperatures plummet and one can die  due to exposure very quickly. Especially if one is not engaged in regular exercise  activity .
One of the leading causes of middle aged  hunters opening day deaths are heart attacks when they go into the field for a vigorous days activity and they normally are couch potatoes.

 Safety  Experts advise You should never Hike ,Hunt or Boat by yourself in the fall and winter time especially around water yet many do and have never had an issue but it only takes that few seconds of inattention or sudden medical issue arise and if no one is nearby you may well lose your life because no one knows you are in trouble.

While there are those who like to blame supernatural forces are at work at the lake  and often cite Chief Corn Planters curse on the white man  its seems all to often we are our own worse enemy. 

Missing / Stolen Reward 1910 Mauser 1910 handgun - 25 caliber - do you buy or collect or where given one of these guns did you check its back round if not there are serious consequences for being in possession of this stolen gun

A man my wife knew Jeff  who who did some  wood  work on our house about 20 years ago and did gun smithing as a hobby and lived on School Street in Penn Hills Pa and is now deceased . He  either lost ,sold or was otherwise stolen from him a Mauser 1910  25 caliber 6.25 mm  hand gun which I had given him to repair . aprox. 20 years ago . It was Reported Stolen  to Penn Hills Police  and not seen since.
  Serial number # 213979

Not a particularly expensive  or historic gun  war and millions where made and many Germans carried them for personnel protection.

Though the gun was well made it had one fatal flaw and that was the flat springs in the gun which would frequently break and which Jeff was going to fix for me. Well he never did and kept putting me off finally admitted to me lost it in his house.   I immediately called Penn Hills  Police who took a report .

You can still buy these guns at any gun show for around $150-$500 depending on condition and certain models could go much higher if you had case etc.  mine was closer to the $150.00 dollar  more of a family heirloom than a practical gun to carry and I would like to get it back so I can pass it down .

This is a problem with these old guns  they are still applicable to all state and federal firearms laws Just like a brand new gun and if you bought , found or where given  one and did not run a back round check on it and  if are found in possession of one of the many stolen guns like mine you will be charged with a felony and can face 5-10 years in prison  weather you knew it was stolen or not  If you inherent or buy or other wise find an old gun and decide to keep it run it thru the local police and or gun shop and make sure it is not stolen or prepare to face the consequences. Better to turn in a gun with no consequences than face legal and jail time .

One of those Strange Tragic Coincidences in life it has happened to me

Back in December of 1992 I feel 12 feet  from an attic and crushed my heal in a horrific way when a pair of  portable steps gave way while working at a customers home.

What happened a pair of pull down steps gave way  at the joint where they connected to the attic now this unlike modern pull down folding stairs was a regular pair of steps attached on one end and chains on other with weights which allowed it to be pulled up and down

I was permanently crippled at the age of 33 with a permanent limp to make matters worse the home owners insurance company never paid one cent  to me for what I went thru . My working career ruined I had to completely change what work I did and what jobs I took on.

So here I am trapped in a room my helper 12 ft above can do nothing the door opens into the room blocked by the collapsed steps and chains laying on me . My friend wife Bev heard the noise and called 911 when I told here what happened she could not get door open in the mean time one of the nicest guys you would ever meet Known as Pete the painter had come running up the massive staircase and started  slowly to help me move the staircase and debris and he was able to wiggled in as he was short and skinny and get the door open he had Bev run and get ice and packed my foot in it .
 We wait and wait 20 plus minutes a medic unit shows up  911 screwed the call up  seems with 911 in Allegheny County  you either get excellent service or total complete screw ups for operators the horror storys I can tell.

Once medics realize I did not fall down steps it was a steps collapse they called for extra units and carefully and skillfully got me down out of there and to the hospital they medics where great they told me how lucky I was to even be alive  and how many they had found dead or later died from similar accidents .

Well it would be many painful days and eventually operation plates and screws and a life time of pain  and almost 3 years till I was able to put a full days work in. When I went into surgery they where not sure they could save my foot but thru grace of god and skilled surgeons hands they where. Dr Gruen  and UPMC did a fantastic job.   Come to find out I had NASCAR drivers to thank for the surgery he performed because the type of break I had they see a lot with drivers when they would break a heal  driving into wall and foot is on brake pedal.

So I get my life and business back on track and  almost 10 years to day I had my accident I would later find out from a co worker that Pete had tragically died when he fell down a set of steps and struck his head.  The best guy you ever wanted to meet on the job who saved my life when steps almost took my life  had his taken by a pair of steps in his own house.
Ironic absolutely and  absolutely spooky.

I know Pete is in a better place and hope to join him some day and the drinks will be on me Pete

A steel worker shot in an ambush during the Race Riots in Pittsburgh in 60's - Another Cold Case of history lost and a Gunmen goes unpunished

I was a young child of 8  years old when the riots broke out in Pittsburgh in the 1960's after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and it was a scary time when the riots broke out I was attending St. Basil's Grade School in Carrick  29th ward section of city of Pittsburgh. they came over the intercom speaker and advised us all  to get ready to go home there was an emergency and go straight home do not stop any where .
It was when I got home and mom had the TV on that I saw the news had broken in and was showing the rioting going on in the Hill District .
My Mom was worried my dad was at the mill  and he called to say he was staying over a shift till it was safer to come home .
It was a couple days later when they came over the TV news that a J&L steelworker on his way home from evening shift when he was shot by an unknown assailant.

Brady street bridge where sniper layed in wait

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19680406&id=uNhaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=emwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5770,1021678

Luckily it was not my dad he was home but it was one of the guys he knew  who while driving home went up Brady street from 2nd ave and was shot  at the intersection of Brady and 5th ave.  he miraculously survived the shooting  

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19680508&id=ORwcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=D1AEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3550,3370078

The whole area where this happened has completely changed  to ride thru there today you would never know what happened in that intersection or even have any idea there was a different bridge . The Brady Street Bridge was replaced by the modern Birmingham Bridge and has its own tragic story of when it was just shortly opened and old bridge  demolished a worker would loose his leg . J&L Steel which Became LTV Steel in 70's  is gone is well as is the  extremely steep  section of Brady Street which ran between 5th ave and Forbes Ave.  across from Brady.  No gunmen was ever found and its a forgotten piece of riot history  and how people in the neighborhood came to his rescue.

Needless to say even to this day when I ride thru that intersection on occasion I still get that twinge of dread at what happened and constant worry as a kid during those times when we would take my dad to work. 

Ironically while working in the south side across the river  from where the riot took place in the Soho section while working on some flat roofs of buildings my self and others have found bullets laying on the roofs of buildings  which may have been from that time the ones I found I turned into the police  for ballistics investigation and hopefully will help solve any open cases from then.