The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1873-06-28
A New Hampshire Farmer.
He IS MADE CRAZY BY HARD Work
,a- ss In FLORIDA.

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'fEs fs --s,s e4t set' l.,
A correspondent of the New York
Sun tells the following story: About
three years ago farmer named Sawyer
came to New Smyrna, Florida, from n New
Hampshire. He found fine hammock
ridge three miles south of the hotel and
pre-empted it. 1t was situated on the
edge of the Hillsborough river, and
covered with beautiful cabbage palinet,
tos. The great Turnbull swamp
nargined it on the west Sawyer went
to work with the indomitable energy of
the true Yankee farmer, lie built a
log shanty eight feet square, and thatch-
ed it with palmetto leaves. He was
alone, having neither wife nor children.
Up at daylight in, the morning, he
worked until dark, cutting out the thick
tropical underground, and burning out
the sinewy trees. The hot summer days
came, but the New Hampshire farmer
took no rest Morning, noon, aud night
he labored the same as he would have
worked upon farm among the Granite
hills. The climate failed to make him
lazy His nearest neighbor was three
miles away. Occasionally he paid
him visit, but always after dark. His
furniture was of the primitive order, and
he slept upon bed of Southern moss
which he gathered from the cypress
trees in Tnrhbull swamp. Winter was
the same to him as summer. II did not
Tighten his iaboi, except thatstlIe days
were shorter. There was neither snow,
ice, nor frost In fact he could raise
more in January and February than he
could in August or September.
Within a few months Sawyer cleared
up two acres Of ground. He planted it
with corn, beans, aud potatoes, occasion
ally setting out bitter SWEET orange
tree, The potatoes aud beans turned
ont well, but the corn did not amount
to mdeh- The orange frees, however,
thrivcd wonderfully Snwyer.lived UP.
| 'ou the Gsl and oysters thaBfillci the
river aud upon the vegetables that he
had cultivated. Ths woods were full OF
game, and lie never suffered sunless
through want Of rasher of bacon. In
the spring Of the year the beach was
lined with turtles eggs, aud these were
always easy to get. Wild plums and
grale' as sweet as honey Aourished in
the forests, while oranges and lemons
could be picked by the bushcl in nearly
every thicHct.
Once in while ncghbor called up.
on Sawyer. The latter treated his visi
tor cou'teously but never stopped work
to talk with him The New England
man was cautioned against excessive
labor, but he insisted that it would
never hurt man to work, and paid no
attention to the warning The second
summer was unusually hot. One day "a
native discovered the Yankee farmer
| noeing corn in the burning sun without
hat or shirt, His skin was blstered by
the heat, and his face was ipping
with sweat. Sawyer declared that the
spirits had visited him during the night,
and told him that Adam had worked in
the Garden of Eden without shirt or hat,
aud that he would find it more coufor-
table to follow Adams example. He
declared that the spirits cane to him
every night, and dictated to him long
reams of manuscript.
| 1t was evident that Sawyer was be.
coming crazy. One day he disappeared.
He was gone fora week, When he re-
turned he roamed the woods at niyh
bcating tambourine, Blu. the.o was
no let up to his work. He hardly stop
| ped for dinner Day after day he tolcd
in the ssbroiling sun untilhis white skin
turned as brown as the hide Of an Indian
and his blue eyes faded through want of
rest, BY this time he had about eight
acres under cultivation, but he planted
as he had planted in New Hampshire,
and the results were not encouraging.
in one OF his insane fits he started for
home aud the kind people of the neigh
borhood sent him to his home in New
Hampshire. He recovered his senses
after spending some time in an asylum,
and his neighbors say that thoy have
received letters from him annonncing