Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-10-06
OeaIb OF a Tennexsee Hermit.


! The McMinnville Nelc Era announces the death on
| the 23i ult, of DANIEL VEST the weIl-known Her
NIT of the mountains at lineage OF seventy eight He
had lived for a number of years in the hollow of
large American poplar tree in the opening of which
he had fitted a rude door. In the centre Of this hol
low he would build his fire in winter and for cook
ing his plain meals This hollow also served as his
sleeping apartment and it is said he slept in sitting
posture reclining against the wall Of his house Ad
| joining or near to this tree he had a rude shed
which he used workshop. where he manufac
| tured chains boxes, cider mhls &c. \ short time
since lady Of the vicinity visited the old Hermit
in company.with her husband and some gentlemen
| friends and from her account of which, published
! in the NeJO Era, make the following extract
Being Of the sex to which all hermts are said to
be particularly inimical made up my mind to suf-
fer such inhospitality as that which ST. Kcyin
Is reported to have inflicted upon poor Kathleen. But
my 'eyes of blue" seemed to exert a contrary eft
feet upon the recluse that instead of becoming
eXaSperated upon my introduction, he gave me
very cordial shake of the hand, and hustled about
for of his chairs with all the pOliteness if
not the grace, of Chesterfield. OnIthe whole Sir
Charles Grandson himself could not have done the
agreeable with mere credit to himself, more sat
lstactiOn to me. Instead of having my head snap
ped off in twnkling by an ogre, found the hermit
a simple, genial cOnyersable old man. Poorly clad
and If must say it. not scrUpiOusly clean yet there
was dignity about him which | cannot express
otherwise than by saying that it seemed to me the
dignity Of truth for the old appeared somehow
as though he never dreamed of falsehOOd or
redemption though doubt not that in his life he has
suffered from both. In looking at him was more |
than once reminded of the words of old Adam in |
las you like it,
"ThOugh 1 old, yet strong and lusy,
For in my youth never did apply
Hct and rebeIliOus liquors in my blood
Nor did 1 with unbsshful forehead
The means Of weakness and debility
vL Therefore fore my age is as a lu'ty Winty-
Finding that my watch had stopped, inquired of |
mon ami" the hour. Immediately one of the gentle
men turned and proposed the same question to I'm
Gle Daniel" He brought forth from his capaCious
pocket piece Of sheet lead iii the form Of quad
rant, marked with degrees and with 4 line and |
pummet attached; setting this in peculiar position
i'll regard to the sun, he told us the hour and cor
rectly too, in moment The queer little chrome
meter was of his own construction | had by this
time climbed into the enclosure 10 observe his man
ner of taking time" and then he showed me his
cooking apparatus, (hs principal food is pounded
corn or hOmny,) his cider presses pipes. &c pur-
chased one of his unique chairs for my little boy
and taking hold of mon ANTS" hand, stepped eau
tousy up and took a sly peep into the tree. Oh it
looked like den Well, if DiOgenes lived in a tub,
'Uncle Daniel y has evInced much better taste, to
say the least, in choosing the greenwood tree"
You would be astOnished by this man; he is so
simple, yet so shrew; child like, yet so Critical
crazed one would think, and yet exhibiting more
good sense tina in thousands of those who make
more pretentiOns. His manner is quiet, his CONVEX
satinn candid, his language good and at times even
choice, and his voice singuiary soft and winning In
religion he is independent thinker. in politics he
has ever been supporter of the principles of the
old hero of the Hermitage, under whose generalshp
he has so often fought. His favOrite oath land as
for as | heard the only one) original one to
say the least. "Bg Blood :" he would otter ex-
claim, yet never, if remember rightly except when
talking of his old campaigns.
We learned something of his former history. 1t
might found the ground work for novel, and shows
conclusively the power of woman to mould the des-
tiny of man. He has. he says resided in the coun-
ties Of Warren and Cannon for the last fifty years
He is a North CarOnian by birth, and was a soldier
IN the war of 1872. He says he at the Mobile
station when the battle of New Orleans was fought
and heard the booming of the guns when his old
General was whipping the British. He has drum
and fife Of his own construction and even now he
every morning beats the Teueie that he was wont to
hear at day-break in days so long gone by He
married. it is said in early Ffe woman whose hus-
band had left her, and who was BY her considered |
dead. They had one child, and lived together in
great happiness and harmony After the lapse of
years the former husband returned, and claimed his
wife. He told her to make her own choice; if she
loved him most TO remain with INN and she should |
never repept it, it, however she loved and preferred
to go with her first husband, to do So and he would
never blame her. She decided to 90 with the first |
Daniel West at that time in comfortable cir
cumstances. bad quantity Of stock. and was adding
TO his substance every year After the de-
,ertion of the woman he loved, he became de-
ected, let his property TO ruin. and finally
adopted the strange and secluded life of a hermit in
lis tree. He has lived in this way many years. He
lOes not do so from necessity. (or he has friends
who have besOught him to make their home lbs
own) but from choice. When questioned as to why a
he prefers such mode of iife he only that
the world has not used him we'll And yet he p
to o
Filtered in feelings towards it, indeed full Of con-
eminent seemed his conversation, that could not ts
lep thinking of Crusoe in his trying to make
he best of everything The rough winds OF the m
world have passed over him, leaving him without 8;
he asperty Of the msanthropc the auster OF the ri
scetic or the exclusveness OF the anchored leaving
i'm in short only what he appesrs to be,-a simple
solitary.