The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-11-28
TENN, NOVEMBER %. 1878.

forrest, and here and there the faint
Pickering of distant star.
Austin greeted them cody, without
exhibiting the slightest sign of emotion,
and after some hesitation they followed
their aged brother into his wretched
abode. Together they spent the night,
with nothing to eat. nor bed upon
which TO sleep. They entreated and
used every inducement for Austin TO
abandon his cave and accompany them
to'the home of his childhood, where he
might have comfortable home for the
remainder Of his life; but to all their
entreaties ne gave negative answer,
stating that he was cOntented as he now
was. Seeing that he was determined,
they gave him some clothing and a
small sum Of money, and afler spending
the most miserable and wretched night
of their existence, bade Austin farewell.
The old veteran is in height little
over five feet, while his weight viii not
exceed hundred pounds. His hair is
long and grizzly, aud his beard shaggy
and falling low on his breast. He Is
fierce-looking. q mass Of rags, and tat
ters, weather beaten and dirty. lie has
not shavcn In forty years. He wears
the same suit of clothes which he dom
ned twenty-five years ago, which are
so badly rent as to render it necessary
to keep them on with withes of twisted
hickory.
He had always sworn vengeance
upon newspaper reporters, stating that
they had written wrongly of him; but
when a correspondent met him at
the entrance of his cave some time ago,
and extended him a hand, he grasped
it tremlingly, while faint light lit up
his wrinkled and care-wOrn counten-
ance.
The cave is several feet beneath the
rocks, and its dimensions only about
by 10 feet. 1t contains no articles Of
furniture excect an old rickety rock
ingchair, held together by ropes, and is
what the old hermit used for his bed.
Instead of chairs blocks of woods are
used. He has no stove, but does his
cooking over a small stone fireplace.
His diet consists chiefly of fruit and
berries in their season, while in the
fall and winter he lives upon fish,
which he catches in the ponds, and
game which he traps. He is no hunter
and never fired a gun.
He has neither chick nor child, him
self and large tame rat being the sole
occupants of the "palace in the rocks"
He is as deaf as an adder, and has been
so for years, and persons conversing
with him do so by riting on a slate.
All questions asked him are ans
wered in a manner plainly denoting
that his education was not neglected in
his boyhood. lie is well read, and con-
verses fluently upon any subject; is
strictly religious, and occupies a great
part of his time reading the Bible and
other sacred books which he has re-
ceived from visitors. He never uses
any lamp or candle, his only light be-
ing from the fireplace.
When asked. "Do you expect al
ways to make this cave your abiding
place ?" he answered, Eyes such is my
wish, until / die"
The old veteran is continually bent
on working out some invention, but as
yet his many products in this line have
proved failures. "..-..
He has had numerous hair-breadth
escapes within the past five years. Dur
ing the raging forest fires of 1871 his
cave was surrounded with the crack
ling flames, and for time he was in
danger of being roasted alive, the deep
ness of his cave alone saving him.
During the most severe weather Of
last winter he suffered greatly from the
cold, and was one morning found In a
freezing condition by party of hunt
ers who were passing through the
woods on their way to New Jersey.
That he will continue. his hermit lite,
and eventually be found frozen to
death, there is but little doubt.