Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-04-27
HERMIT.
Accepting Aioof From Society a Man
Retains the Milk of Human Kind
ON The Fayetteville Observer.

ness.
From the Fayetteville Observer.
There lives in the solitude of the deer
barrens, about fifteen miles southwest
Of Fayetteville, one Of the most remark
able characters of u day. For nearly
fifty years Tom Edwards has occupied q
rude cabin in the tangled, ~unfrequented
woods, exchanging the pleasures OF SO.
cial life with no II except his dogs.
rifle and pet deer, and ignoring the du.
ties and responsibilities OF civilization,
A few days since we had the curious
pleasure of meeting him in town, where
he.had been forced to zone in response
to a subpoena from the grand jury 10 tes-
tify in a criminal case. He was clad in
a sort of purple colored cotton Jeans,
that fit him about asgracefully as 3 meal
sack would a broomstick. His face was
unshaven and his long, diagy. red hair
keen and penetrating. and evineel both
intellect and cunning. We observed in
his manner a reticence and Caution as.a
to suspicion, naturally begotiau Of his
strange habits of life. W!shal. however,
he impressed us with the idse Thai on
closer acquaintance he might Prove ssRE-
al or rather comlanionabie.
He told he WAS never married and
had no thought he ever would he. INA.
he was then on his first visit % Eayeae-
vile, Notwithstanding he ha& lived 50
near for almost half q century. He
never voted in his life Il kaaw and
cared nothing for the wrangles and diff
ferences of political parties. said he:
II was never in a court house Till to-day
and would not be here nov. but they
forced me tocome, and I'm already tired
of town life and want to @ home.' We
| were also informed that he never mus
tered, nor paid q tax, nor attended
church or school. and that he is rarely
ever seen in the haunts of men, except
at 9 little water-mill, in guest OF bread
stuff, q few miles from his home. II is
said that he used to 90 to Huntsville,
Ala, occasionally, when his exhausted
supply Of ammunition compelled him,
and then he would barter off his pelts
and venison, but always got others to do
this for him if he could.
Some years ago his aged grandmother,
in the peevishness of second childhood,
conceived the idea that she wanted to
90 and live with Tom in the woods.
How old she was no one exactly knew,
She seemed delighted to repeat that her
mother told her that she was born on
the same day as the battle of the Hang
ing Rock and that was all she could tell
about it. Her every feature and appear
ance bore the unmistakable evidence of
great old age. To crafty her Tom took her
to his cabin, where she lived in seeming
contentment for several years till her
death. She thus became the first intrude,
| ~ Nr,,3c ho,,r .H,,< -,SI 49, ~ -
and sollcitude due to an infant he watch.
ed and nursed her. In that wild anc
lonely spot, through long days and DARK
nights, she was his only care, his the
only voice and the only hand to solact
and comfort her. He cooked her foot
and spread her frugal board, made he
simple toilet, cleaned her scanty gar
ments, smoothed her bed and listened
lovingly and patiently to her o%ft-repeat
ed stories of the olden times. While he
would hunt during the day she watched
and waited in the doorway for his com
ing and greeted him with childish glee.
And thus they lived-the boy and his
grandmother-till death summoned her
to Join the generation of her youth.
Toms pets are his deer and dogs. He
has now, and has had for many years, q
small enclosure where the deer are con.
1lned and increase from year to year. He
has had no less than fifteen at one time,
though he seems sad now as he refers to
the scarcity Of game. "Hunters have
come too Close" he said 'and have driy
en- off the deer or killed them up. The
black tongue destroyed lots of them las
year. It's mighty bad. The tongue gets
black, swells ~, andunless it bursts and
lets out the black blood they are certain
TO die. | lost some of my pet ones. ]
rarely get a shot at adeer or turkey now
l Killed only q few of each this last win.
ter. It's not like it used to be-"