John Colbath started working in the woods with his father at age 15, in 1913, in a camp outside of Ashland. He started out as a cookee and also worked on the river drive. After that, he went back to high school in East Millinocket and then worked again in the woods starting at age 18, at Dwelley Brook for the Eastern Manufacturing Company and the next year at Salmon Stream. He then worked in a drugstore in East Millinocket for three years before getting married and going to work in the paper mill in East Millinocket. He later moved to Bangor.