Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-02-26
An Rccentric NIiser.

An Eccentric Miser.
Daniel Dancer was the very incarnation
of sordiness. He lived on Harrow Heath
common, near Harrow on the hill, inherit
ing from his father three thousand year,
avery large income in the early part of
the last century. He had two brothers
and sister. She lived with him till her
death, and In some respects exceeded him
in penuriousness. Of their habits the fol-
lowing is an example: The brother found
onthe common one morning sheep which
had died apparently of disease. He took
up the dead and decaying animal, carried
it home, skinned and cut it up, and his sis
ter made it into pies. Upon these pies the
brother and sister luxuriated in their usu-
al frugal manner until the sheep was who'll
ly deyoured. Theexpression ''luxuriated"
is borne out by the great partiality which
those who had feasted upon it expressed
for the savory carcase. Miss Dancer seem
ing in low spirits one day, a neighbor in
quired the cause; she said that her broth
had been scolding her ''for eating too free
ly of the mutton pies"
Daniel Dancer had no sense of religion,
but was consummate hypocrite. He re-
fused medical assistance for his sister, as
Stunning the tone of fatalist. To pay a
doctor was to waste money in wicked
attempt to counteract the will of Proyi-
dence His sister died before she had
courage to sign her will Her two broth
ers claimed their share with the eldest
The sum she left was 920o Daniel
claimed and received 8Io5o for her board
for thirty years, and then took his third of
the balance He never washed himself,
alleging that soap was dear, that towels
wore out with use, and generally that clean
Illness was expensive. When dirt was so
thickly engrained on his skin as to cause
pain, " he went to a pond near his house,
where, scrubbing himself with sand, he
would lay himself on his back, and so let
the sun dry him" His clothes were mere
rags. As substitute for boots he cover
ed his legs with ropes ofhay. In his ear
her life he allowed himself two shirts in
year; as he grew old he limited himself to
one, which he purchased at an cid clothes
shop. His shirts were never washed or
mended. They fell from his back in mi
mute tatters. Vermin swarmed over his
body. After the death of his sister his
house was never cleaned, his bed was new
er made. He lighted his fire with such
sticks as he could purloin from hedges
He mended his own shoes. His caution
was so yigilant and discriminating, that
when thieves broke into his dwelling, they
were bafied In search ofhis boarded treas
ures. He hid his bank notes In the cob
webs of acow-house, his guineas in the
fireplace buried In SCOT. The only living
thing that awakened in him feeling of at
tachment was his dog, to which he allow
ed pint of milk daily, while he denied
himself even pennyworth of beer. This
animal worried sheep; Dancer, fearing
that he might some day be called upon for
damages, took him to a smith and had all
his teeth broken off short. He never suf-
fered light in his house, except when he
went to bed. He allowed an old horse
he kept, shoes to the fore feet, but not to
the hind, which he considered an unneces-
sary expense. Being once in London to In
vest money in the funds, gentleman, com
passionating his squalid appearance, gave
him penny, which was gladly pocketed.
He thoroughly hated doctors and lawyers;
he used to call the former medical tink-
ers," who created maladies, curing none;
the latter he always regarded with suspic-
ion, and so intensely that, after agreeing
to sell horse for cash down, much as he
loved money, he declined the bargain sus-
pecting that the purchaser was lawyer,
and that he should be cheated. He often
said she would rather do business with
the devil than with lawyer; he would
sooner deal with the devil himself person
ally and would with less reluctance explore
the infernalregions than traverse the crook
ed mazes of a lawsuit" He once bought
a hat from Jew for one shilling, after
wearing one for thirteen years, but he sold
it to his servant for profit of sixpence,
the temptation being too strong to resist,
and resumed the old one. He lived to his
seventy-eighth year. Lady Tempest who,
with Captain Holmes, inherited the whole
of Daniel Dancers property, once found
this miserable man lying In an old sack,
which came up to his neck. She remon-
strated with him, and he answered that, as
he came into the world without a shirt, so
would he quit it. Dancer had no single
claim to human brotherhood. He had no
sympathies. To save the cost of medical
advice, he preferred the death of his sister.
At her decease, he charged for her board
and lodging, though she worked for him
as servant, and he never offered any set
off for her services. In his will he made
no provision for his relations, though they
scarcely deserved any, for they paid him
no attention in his last illness. Lady Tenn
pest had always tended him, and survived
him but short time, having caught dis
order in his house in performing the last
Christian duties before he expired. The
life of Dancer is an enigma which phre-
nologists cannot solve, nor practitioners in
lunacy unriddle. 1t may be said that in
him acquisitiyeness was intensified, not
modified by any other feeling; or he may
be charged with that form of dementia
which most closely approaches to amentia;
but still the problem remains unsolved.-
Parado1cal as it may SOUND, Dancer sought
and found his personal happiness in priva-
tons. He was rule and standard to
himself, and we can do no more than af-
firm that his whole conduct was SO excep-
tionsble as to be entirely removed from the
criticism of ordinary judgement, for we
can assign no rational motive to his acts,
and are yet unable to pronounce him in
sane.
4;aos