Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-02-26
Death ola Hermit.

. Lu.N
Many years ago there lived in Phil
adelphia two brothers named Harper
who were engaged in business togeth
er, and were successful merchants
They lived in luxury, and seemed in
the enjoyment of all the blessings o.
life. One of them finally concluded
TO go to Europe for year, partly on
business but fully as much for pleas.
ure, and elaborate preparations were
made for the trip, which was in those
days quite an undertaking. At last
all wa ready, and Mr.. Harper took
| passage for London, where he arrived
safely. in good time. He visited the
various countries in Europe. and pro.
| lOnged his stay to two years, occasion
/ ~ hearing from home and gaining
assurance that all was well there. At
| last letters ceased coming, and Mr..
Harper fearing something was wrong
took passage for Philadelphia, where
he arrived to find his brother dead
himself a ruined man.
The brother that had remained to
care for business had fallen into the
habit, during his brothers absence of
visiting gaming houses, where he had
acquired a habit for gambling, and
this had led to bis ruin. After loOs-
ing all they both possessed, the broth
er shot himself in a fit of desperation,
and had been buried some time when
the subject of our sketch returned
from Europe. His sister, the only
relative besides the brother in this
country, had died of grief and he
was left alone. Covered with chagrin
at the unhappy turn in his worldly
affairs, and bowed with grief at the
disgrace that had been brought upon
his name, by his bTother's conduct,
be determined to quit the home of his
youth, for some spot where the treaeh-
cry of man could not reach him. He
accordingly found his way to the
northeastern part of this county, in
West Penn tnwnship, bordering on
Berks, where he lived the life of
hermit.
His little hut was rndely built by
his own hands, under the shelter of a
huge rock, and there he dwelt in seelu-
sion mourning his mIsfortunes, and
held no converse with the rest of man
kind. How he lived, or what he lived
on, no one knew. but the residents of
that part well remember the queer
man who "dweit with solitude, and
walked the rocks and forests like a
wolf" and mis- coming and going was
watched with eager interest by all
who knew the story of his strange
manners and still stranger life. At
last all trace of the hermit vas lost.
No one saw him any more, and peO-
pie believed him dead, visited his
cabin, expecting to find it the grave
of the dead stranger. But he was not
there. Neither was his body any,
where to be (, und, and no trace of
the strange mans whereabouts could
be aseertained.
Soon after his disappearance in
West Penn, a queer old man with
bent form and wrinkled visage ap-
peared in Ringtown, at regular inter-
walls, and purchased some few necces.
saries of life, and then departed with
out word to any one. His move
ments were so strange that ne was
followed, and his path led to a little
rude hut in the gorge of the noun
tains, bordering on Columbia county,
where lived alone. This was the her
NIT Of West Penn. He had left the
former place to make his seclusion
more certain, and had sought this
wilder and more rugged place to re-
main during the balance of his life.
A short time ago he wandered over
into Columbia county, evidently on
the verge of starvation. and died there |
at the ripe age of nearly three score
and ten years, neatly one-half of
which had been spent in the silent
of the mountains without a
companion save such as nature crea-
tad about him each changing season. |
The story of his strange and lonely
lie as given above, was briefly told |
In his last moments, and the old man |
rame near passing away without |
leaving behind trace of intelligence, |
As to life of bitterness and solitary
such as has rarely bee n
known in the history of our race 1t
IS believed that the terrible cold OF
this winter drove the old man from |
his desolate home to the shelter of !
that civilization he has shuunad for |
years, and among the scenes of a hap !
py country home, in the cleaning of !
4 whites eve his hermitage ceased, |
and be passed away from the goodly |
scenes of an earthly existence that had |
been to him of a most unfortunate |
character