Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-02-14
Asael Inman's Silent Life.
THE REMARKABLE CAREER OF MAN
WHO ssSWOR II OFE37 TALKING,

THE REMARKABLE CAREER OF MAN
WHO 'swoRE OFF, TALKING.
AsaelP Inman, whose funeral look place
two miles east of Utica, Saturday morn
ing, was a highly eccentric character
Seventy years ago he built log cabin on
one of the hills that slope to the Mohawk
River. He was then 16 years OF age, had
wife and $50. Some time during the first
year of his welded life Inman informed
his wife that he intended to preserve
silence for the remainder of his days. This
conclusion was the result of an exciting
dialogue which Inman overheard between
his father and near + lative: Expressing
belief that more harm than good is
wrought by speech, he announced his de-
termination to place a permanent paddock
on his lips. This was in 1910.
The following year his first child was
born. When that interesting event was
approaching near climax lnman rode
seven miles in the night TO Fort Herklmer
in quest Of a physician. He carried slate
and pencil, wrote statement of the situa-
ton, and returning with the medicine
MAI, received the announcement OF his
paternal responsibilities in silence. The
following year-in 1S12-when the yeomen
of Central and Northern New York were
summoned to the defence of Sackett's Har-
Dor, Inman reported for duty at post
near Adams, Jefferson county. riding alone
nearly 100 miles through the forests to the
recruiting station. Producing his slate,
| be wrote: II come to fghJ-not to talk. -
Some years ago Inman had occasion to
visit Buffalo, and as suit in law was in
prospective he went prepared for a sic e
Entering one of the leading hotels in Buff
| falo the old gentleman wrote: BEST room
No meals. l burn wood. Thought you
might not have enough, so | brought some
along" The big trunk, packed with wood,
| was taken up to his room, and it sufticed
| to keep the eccentric warm AID cook his
simple meals during his sojourn in Buffalo.
| Kerosene oil was pet aversion. His the
! DRY was that the glare strained the eyes,
while the iii left an unhealthy faint in the
I atmosphere. He was never known to sit
| by a c0al fire, and always avoided gas, ard
his son. from whom | gather these details
assures me that rather than sit in car
preferred to ride twenty six mil-s ON the
| platform on bitter cold day II winter.
| His wife, who survives him. saws that no
woman ever had kinder husband. The
relations between the couple we're always
pleasant. and Mrs. Inman has rem lrked To
her neighbours: If Asael talked as much
as | do. the Lord knCs. s what might hap
pen.' Mrs. Inman is Sc vars old. and
vigorous She states that during the first
| few years OF her husband S sil-nce he would
frequently mutter in his sleer.
Some of his written replies 10 the ques-
| tons of acquaintance curi us to know
why he preferred silence t. speech are wor-
thy of mention. One retort frequently
used Was: "a good listener is 10 be prefer
red to d poor talker." Another was: Il
want to prove that man can be happy
and hold bis tongue Another: Il am
trying to think Of something good enough
to say out loud" A clergyman once asked
Inman whether he didn't think the Lord
gave him his tongue to be used. The pen
cied repy was: THE Lord gave me a
mind that tells me when to use my
I tongue.''
In 1912, while travelling with his wife in
stage between Syracuse aud Rochester,
the vehicle was halted in front of small
country tavern. A child as sleeping on
the porch. Inman, looking out, saw a
| large black snake crawl to the side of the
infant. Grasping his wife's arm, he shout
ed: "See!'' and, pointing to the snake,
sprang from the stage, pursued the reptile
some distance, and finally killed it.
He leaves carefully written record Of
his life during some sixty years Of his 81
Ieuce. Portions IF these diaries are quite
interesting, but as a rule he enlarges upon
the absurdity Of giving utterance to frivo-
lous thoughts. He seems to have regarded
speech as a sacred gift, to be INDUCED in
only when it promised benefit to the hui
man race. Here are sone of his s'axi0ms:"
"Mcst lives are productive of empty
noise.'' LAS one million is to one, so is
sense to sound" ''He who talks most
feels least 1.-THE fool talks while the
wise man thinks" Inman leaves a snug
| fortune. which his son inherits. His last
written MESSAGE was: "Silence is golden. )"
His oft penciled admonition to his son
was: keep your mouth shut. "-Utica N
| " Letter. january 24th.