The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-02-28
Hermit.
A QUARTER OE a CENTURY SHUT OUT FRo2l
CIVILIzATION-A LIFE OF SOLITUDE.

a QUARTER NE y NE-N bkNk = III ttL ERORl
CIYILIZhTION-A LIFE OF SOLITUDE.
MANY years go there lived in Fhiladel-.
plia two brothers named Harper, who were
eupaged III business together and were
successful merchants. TI.ey lived IN luxu-
-, and seemed i'll the ~.iOy ment Of all the
blessings of life. One OF them finally con-
cludsd to go to Europe for a year, partly
on business, but rs fully as much for plea
sure, and elaborate preparations were made
for the u"p, which WAS in those days quite
an Undertaking. At last all was ready,
auG Nir. Harper took passage for London,
where lie arrived safely, in good time lie
visited the various countries of Europe,
and prolonged his stay to two years, occa-
sIOnaily hearing from home and gaining
assurance that all was we'll there. AT last
letters ceazed coming, and Mr.. Harper
fearing something was wrong, took passage
for Philadelphia, where he arrived to find
lis brother dead and him self ruined man.
The brother that had remained to care
for business had fallen INTO the habit, dur
ing his brothers absence, Of visiting gam
ing houses, where he had acquired a habit
of gambling, and this had led to his ruin.
After losing all they both possessed, the
brother shot himself i'll a fit of desperation,
and had been buried some time when the
subject Of our sketch returned from Eu-
rOpe. His sister, the only relative besides
the brother in this country, had died of
grief, and he was left alone. Covered with
Cha.riu at the unhappy turn in his worldly
affairs, and bowed with grief at the dis
grace that had been brought upon his name
/ by his brothers conduct, he determined to
who're the trcachery of man could not reach
him. lie accordingly found his way to the
northeastern part of this county, III W est
Penn township, bordering on Berks, where
lie lived the life of a hermit.
His little hut was rudeiy built by his own
haads, under The shelter Of huge rock,
aud there he dwelt i'll quiet sec!usion, med
itating upon his misfortunes, and held no
converse with the rest Of mankind. How
he lived or what he lived on, no one knew,
but this old residents g that part well re-
member the queer man who ''dwelt with
solitude, and walked the rocks and forest
like wolf, - and his 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 was lost. No one saw him any
more, and people, belle wing him dead, Wis
i+ed his cabin, expecting 20 find II the grave
Of the dead stranger. But he was not
there. Neither was his body anywhere to
be found, and no trace of the strange man S
whereabouts could be ascertaiued
Soon after his disappearance in West
Penn. Il queer old man with bent form and
wrinkled visage appeared in Ringtown, at
regular intervals, aud purchased some few
necesSaries OF life, and then departed with
out a word to any Uae. His movements
were so strange that he was followed, and
his path led to little rude nut III the gorge
Of the mountains, bordering Oh Columbia
county, where lie lived alone. This was
the hermit of West Penn. He had lie the
former place to make his seclusion III 7re
certain, and lad sought this wilder ailt
more rugged place to remain during TIC
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, nearly
one half OF which had been spent III the 81
lent solitude of the mountains, without
companion s2ye such as nature created
about him each changing season. The
story Of his strange and lonely life, as Civ
en- above, was briefly told in his last mo
Iacuts, aud the old luan came near passing
away without leaving behind a trace Of in
telligence as to a life of bitterness and soli-
tary seciusiun, such as has rsrcly been
known il the history Of our race. 1t is be-
lieyCd that the terrible cold of this winter
drove the old man from his Gesolate home
to the shelter of that civilization that he
had stunned for years, and among the
scenes OF happy country home, iii the
cleaning of WintGr's eve, his hermitage
ceased, and he passed away from the good
ly scenes Of an earthly existence rhat had
been to him of a most unfortunate charac-
ter.-I'0ttSuiUs StGRduTd.