Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1851-07-25
The Hermit Woman of the AIIeshanie.

The suboined interesting sketch of a most
singular woman is furnished the National Intel.
ligencer by correspondent who has recently
explored the source of the Potomac river
Delighted, however, and deeply impressed
as have been, by the scenery of this Alpine
land, have been far more interested in an old
woman whom have had the pleasure of seeing.
Her name is Elizabeth Golding or Goldzon.-
She resides in log cabin entirely alone, directly
at the foot Of the gorge which has taken her
name. She IS of Germanorign, and represents
herself as one hundred aud twelve years Of age.
She was born, according to her own words,
"within two days ride OF Philadelphia" and her
father was a soldier in the revolution under
Washington, and she herself was in the mme-
date vicinity of the American camp at the de-
feat OF Gen. Braddock, of which event she ha-
bltually recounts great number of interesting
and thrilling incidents, closing each paragraph
with the remark, that the battlefield was wet
very wet-Wlh blood She has been husband
less and childless for nearly half a century, and
tor many years has lived, as now, in the solitude
OF the mountains, utterly alone. Indeed, every.
thing about the old woman is peculiar and strange.
In stature she is quite small and her hair (Which
Is white as SNOWY is very long, When engaged
in conversation, her countenance fires up exceed
ngIy, and she accompanies each sentence with
the most animated gestures. Her voice, though
still strong, is altogether beyond her control,
having an unnatural tone and the wrinkles,
running entirely over her face and neck are as
deep as we might imagine them to be after hav-
been turrowed by the tears of even one heart for
so long a time as a century. She was clothed
in the simplest manner, having upon her head a
cap made of common brown cotton, a froCk of
blue home-spun cloth, and on her feet nothing
but WOODEN socks During the whole time that
we were in her cabin, she was smoking some
bitter weed in corn-cob pipe, and although hag-
gard and worn to a marvellous degree, she had
pleasant smile; and when either of her guests
happened TO say something that was novel to her,
she would eXclaim, ooh, yes that is a wonder
full - Her only means of subsistence for years
past had been obtained by making hickory
brOoms but even this business she had been
compelled to give up, for she could no more
climb the mountains to obtain the proper mate
rial and though she seemed to be perfectly GER
tain that she would be provided for, she ex press
ed the greatest dread of the country almshouse.
We enquired as to her appetite, and she replied,
oh, | eat very little never eat much-some-
times nothing in whole day, and never more
than once day, and am we'll acquainted with
hunger" As to her sleep we also questioned
:
| cannot sleep now am so old and so Law
on my bed all night thinkingot my great, good,
and s1Ceet Father IN the HcarenS." We asked
her how she managed to obtain the necessarics
of life, and she said she did not know. only that
people who travelled the road sometimes stopped
in to give her little coffee flour, her main stav
being small garden OF vegetables, the brush
fence around which has been built by her own
hands; and this garden was Just exactly the neat
est one that ever beheld. As to her sight, it
was as good as ever, and she was unacquainted
with the use of speCtaclcs. We asked her how
much money she would want to support her
year, and she replied that ten dolarS would take
care of her long tlme-moro than year. As
matter Of course my companions and made
up little purse for her benefit; and when we
gave 1t to her il seemed as if sic would embrace
us in spite of us. Indeed, we made her a num-
of tritng presents and she expressed her graf
nude by weeping, and assuring us that her ''Fatn-
err in the Heavens" would bless US and make US
happy wherever we might go. And can as
sure the reader that the tears shed by that old
woman of tive-score years and ten, were not the
only ones that sprung into the eyes on that &C.
cason, albeit We were unused to weeping.
But have not yet given the reader an idea
of the home of this lonely being in truth, ii baf-
files description. Her nearest neighbor is some
four miles off. And her only companions in her
solitude are a little dog and a cat. Her cabin
stands near the waters edge and directly on the
hillside: it is without a window, but light in a.
bundance comes in from the gaping roof and sides
of the black aud Wondering log habitation, the
chimney of which is OF mud and sticks, and in
a dilapidated condition. Her bedstead is made of
small pine sticks, with the bark still on her
couch consisting of hcmlock boughs covered
with straw, upon which are two or three wretch
eddy poor bedquilts. In one corner of the room
are two or three shelves, where are displayed her
cooking and eating utensils, the original cost of
which (and they were very old and worm could
not have been more than a dollar. An old stool
answers the purpose of chair and board nail
cd to the side of the cabin is her only table
Hanging from the logs at the side of her bed are
two or three old gowns, which help TO keep out
the air and the rain. She is also the owner of a
spinning wheel; and from the crevices Of the logs
around, above, and everywhere, depend punches
Of herbs and faded flowers which she has gath
cred in her rambes but there was a taste and
neatncss displayed in the arrangement of the
miserable furniture of the room which gave it
a really cheerful aspect. We asked the old
woman if she ever apprehended any danger
while thus living so utterly alone {; and she re-
piled, "Of course not who would harm poor
tOrSaken beng ike me | am I AFRAID even OF
the bears; for it is only last fall that one came
down here and scratched up my garden, but |
drove him off with a stick" Up to this point
everything we saw and heard concerning this
aged woman was strange; but when We rose to
depart, we were still more astoui,hed to have her
rvet our attention by her wild movements, and
address US to the following effect: "Men, |
thank you for your goodness cannot read,
but my Great Father has told me, in my heart,
all about it. There is Heaven, men, and it's a
very happy place and there is hell, men, its a
very dreadful place; they both will never have
an end, Now, men, good by; you have been
good to the old woman, but we must part: good
by: we shall meet once more at the Judgment,
but only for a short time. Live, men, so tina,
yon may get to Heaven.
And so we left this strange being; and am
confident that long after her bones shall have
mingled with the dust, one trio of travellers, il
| still living, will remember with wonder and
/ pleasure their interview with the Hermit Wo-
man of the Aleghanies."
| Strange Surgical Oper4tion-The Cincin-
natl Nonpareil says: "Dr. Mu3zey was called
/ on one day last week TO perform singular ope.
/ ration upon the head OF young lady living in
| this city. 1t appeared that she had been in the
I aabit OF twisting and tying her hair SO tightly