The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1879-05-09
AS4ELf lHlIAlN'G SILENT LIFEL

YEARS. tGN>t 'h'"' - = 'iF''''tA
Recording the death of Asael p.
lnman, whose funeral took place two
miles east Of Utica, n T., a CORES
pondent, says: Inman was 10 highly
eccentric character. Seventy years
ago he built q log cabin On one Of the
hills that slope to the nMohawk river.
He was then sixteen years Of age,
had q wife and $50. Sometime du-
ring the first year of his welded life
Inmah told his wife TINT lie intended
to preserve silence for the remainder
of his days. This conclpsion was the
result of an exciting dialogue which
lnman overheard between his father
and'Ha near relative. Expressing q
belief that more harm than good is
wrought by speech, he; announced his
discrimination to place q permanent
paddock on his lips. This was in
1810.a '',z.h' .&.. ,;,, ~...''
The following year his first child
was born: When, that interesting
event was approaching Il near climax
Inman rode seven miles in the night
to Fort Herkimer in quest of physi-
clan. He carried slate and pencil,
wrote a statement, Of the situation,
and returning with the medicine man,
received the announcement of his pa
ternal responsibilities in silence. The
following .year-in 1S12-whcn the
,yeomen Of central and northern New
York were summoned to the defense
of Saekett's Harbor, Inman reported
for duty at post near Adams, Jciler-
son county, riding alone nearly 100
miles through the forests to the re-
cruiting station. Producing his slate
he wrote: 81 come to Gght-not to
talk" r.-.t,j
Some years ago Inman had occa-
sion to visit Buffalo, and as suit in
law was in prospective he went pre-
pared for scige. Entering one of
the leading hotels in Buffalo, the old
gentleman wrote: "Best room. No
meals. ,Iburn wood. Thought you
might not have, enough, SO brought
some along" The big trunk, packed
with Waod, was taken-up to-his room,
and it sufficed to keep the eccentric
warm and cook his meals during his
sojourn in Buffalo. Kerosene oil was
a pet aversion. His theory was that
the glare strained the eyes, while the
oil left an unhealthy taint in the at
mosphere. He was never known to
sit by coal fire, and always avoided
gas, and his son, from whom I gather
these details, assures me that rather
than sit. in a car heated by coal
fire, the old gentleman preferred TO
ride twenty-six miles on the platform
on bitter cold day in winter.
His wife, who survives him, says
that no woman ever had kinder
husband. The relations between the
couple were always pleasant, and
Mrs., Inman has remarked to her
neighbors: I t"Ifi Asael talked as
much as I do, the Lord knows what
might happen" Mrs. Inman is
eighty-eight years old, and vigorous.
She states that during the first years
of her husbands silence he would fire.
quently mutter in his sleep.
Some of his written replies to the
questions Of acquaintances curious to
know why he preferred silence to
speech are worthy of mention. One
retort frequently used was: Ga good
listener is to be preferred tc poor
talker." Another was: 81 want
to prove that man can be happy
and hold his tongue" Another: 81
am trying to think of something good
enough to say out loud" A clergy
man once asked Inman whether he
did not think the Lord gave him a
tongue to be used. The penciilcd
reply was /: "The Lord gave me a
mind that tells me when to use nv
tongue"
In 1912, while travelling with his
wife in a stage between Syracuse and
Rochester, the vehicle halted in front
of country tavern. A child was
sleeping on the porch. Inman, look
Ing out, saw large black snake
crawl to the side of the infant.
Grasping his wife's arm, he shouted:
"See!" and, pointing to the snake,
sprang from the stage, pursued the