The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-07-09
A nsr,.,,,s Lsis.

A letter from Dingmar's Ferry, rA.
. New York paper, says, Austin ,
Sheldon. WIG has ocupied , speAy Z
cave In the forests Of Lehp5sn hbunship,
Pike county. seven miles fkom that
place. for more than thirty yeers., living
without a componion q any Kind, has
become tired Of leading q slnR1e Me,
and recently became enem6red q . girl
yet IN hs tesns, VINO restio within .
few mt y q kbe hermits abode. The
hermit has frequently visited The eirrs
home aSd the fast time he was there he
asked her parents to consent 30 their
marriage. OF course. they refused, and
ordered the hermit TO make besty de-
parture, and never trouble them ngnin.
Sheldon feis greatly injured. and has
since been hooking 10 other directions
with View to matrimony. Nsf Il
Sheidone life hos been sad and
checkcred one. He was born h the
village Of Bradford. Conn.,, in is96. md
consequentlyIis seventy -four years old.
In his boyhcod he learned the black
smiths trade, and arriving at mans
estate, he ;mysteriously left his homo
came to Pike county I'D purchased q
few acres of Wild, uncs4tlvated, wortlsS
less land. Upon THIS hand was As0ave,
In which. with few alterations. b he old
hermit has since made hts abode. Dis
appointment IN loveis said TO have been
the cause Of his leaving bis home. Ills
parents were well-to-do farmers. and ID
was not untii o paragraph appeared in
n New York paper o few years hgo TINT
they knew Of Austins whereabouts.
A brother and sister came here and
visited their long lost brother. and adter
staying with him In his cave over
night, used every inducement TO have
him abandon his lonely md rocky habi-
tation and return with them to the
home Of his childhood. where be would
be well cared fos. Ho refused. stating
that no preferred to die asAe had lived.
hermit. They lch him some clothing
and money and rctuyped home Shell
don has frequently received letters nom
hts family since then. entreating him
W hD<nuu u1 WacNicN hDoNo- -
short time ago he partially, concluded
b do SO, but becomnA acquainted with
the young girl above referred to, he
gave ~ the idea altogether. Sheldon's
dress and appearance has OF late years
improved although no rs wretched
hooking object Pet.
Thh cave Is only sbout l2xi4 feet.
with q slab roof His furniture eon-
sists Of four blocks Of wood for chairs,
box used as o table, a fireplace. over
which he docs his cooking. and an old
rickety rocking-chair In which he
sleeps. >He has sbout IN acre Of land
cleared. on which he grows little corn
and garden truck What he grows and
what h given to him by tho neighbcrs
keeps him. He b as deaf az an adder,
has been 30 tor pears, aud persons who
visit him occasionally, out Of curiosity.
converse with him by writing upon a
slate. which nc old hermit keeps for
that purposa He n intelligent, and
reads great deal. The book ho most
loves Is tic Bible. which he has lead
through many times, and most Of
| which be hos committed to memory.
He has had many hairbreadth escapes,
A few years ago hts cnve was sur
rounded by the forest free. and the old
man came near being roasted alive,
He once fell nom the uppermosi
branches Of a huge chestnut tree
breaking severA ribs and otherwise
csippling him. and he has been fire.
quently found In his cave in freezing
! condition That he will eventually be
] lbund dead there Is almost certain