Bud Remembers the 1940s/1950s by Bud Wiser

I became involved with Pathfinder at the end of my sophomore year in high school. I may have mentioned that I went to Aquinas. At the time it was the only Catholic Boy's high school in town.  I had gone to Camp Stella Maris since I was 8. It was a Catholic boy's camp on Conesus Lake. At the end of my freshman year in high school I worked there. Up until then all of the counselors had been seminarians. But, the war was on and people were questioning the fact that these seminarians weren't going to war but were spending their summers playing baseball and swimming at Conesus. So, they decided to make them go to school year round. And, for that one summer guys from Aquinas were the counselors. But, the next year, the war was over and the seminarians were back.

I really couldn't go back to Stella Maris as a camper, My father, who was a dentist, had a patient who worked in Herman Norton's office. So, I went in and talked to "The Chief". I was hired as, what was euphemistically known as a "chore boy". We cleaned the forts, cut ice in the ice house, met the incoming trains, filled the lanterns, swept the dining hall etc. We met and unloaded the train. I worked with the caretaker, Fred Lamke.

It was a great job. I loved it and I loved Pathfinder. The next couple of years I came back as a lifeguard. Then, for a season I was Mic and Chipp supervisor. My last year (49), I was in charge of the trading post. I did spend time in Nick's [Zona] cabin on the island, the name of which I can't remember (Paradise?). The year we built the Forest Five it fell down because of the heavy snows. So, I went up in the spring to put it back up.  

That trip resulted in one of the greatest compliments I've ever gotten. I took a couple of friends from the city to help. We picked up our carpenter, Bill Payne, in Huntsville. When my friends saw the place they said that four guys could not put it up. The roof was in four huge, tar papered sections, way too heavy for four to raise up ten feet. So, they never did help. In fact, they didn't even come over to the site with my lunch. Bill said, "those guys may be alright in the city but they don't belong in the woods.” I took that as a great compliment.  He had indicated that I did belong. Bill and I did what my friends said four guys couldn't do. Two of us put the whole place back up, including raising the roof.

The Ontario government decided it would open Source Lake for leasing. Up until then Pathfinder was the only thing on the lake, no cottages...nothing. So, I figured that we'd better get a lot. Later on we could build a luxurious place. I got JB Walsh, Mert Miller and Danny Anderson. The fifth was Bill Nye.  He wanted out that winter and we bought him out...probably for $25.00 or so. I have no idea what happened to Mert Miller. I saw Danny a few years later when I was in graduate school in Syracuse and he was working for, I think it was, GE. The Andersons were an old Pathfinder family. I think there are paddles up there in dining hall for Quint and Tim and maybe Dan. The only member of the Forest Five that I know is JB. He and I are best friends. He was my best man and I was his. We're in constant contact.

I'll write more later. I do love to think about Pathfinder.

Bud