Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-09-18
EoRTy-FrvE YEARS AHEBanT.
Bsrsft OF His wife, Austin Sheldon Cannot
be Induced to Return 10 Civilization.

Bersft OF HIS wife, Austin sheldon Cannot /
be Induced to Return 70 Civilization.
New York SIN.
Austin Sheldon, known throughout
Pike county as the Pike county hermit, /
and who returned to his cave IN the
mountains after a brief retuTnt to CiVlliZs-
ton, has furnished many sketches for
the metropolitan press, and occupied
more space in public prints for the past
fifteen years than any one man in that
famous county of snake and tanglefOOt
nOtOriety. Sheldon came to Milford
about fOrty-hVe years ago and bought
small farm In the vicinity Of Blooming
Grove. He worked the farm alone, and
was very re6cent man, never holding
intercourse with his former neighbOrs,
and rarely coming to Milford, save as his
necessities compelled him. He never
was visited by any relatives or friends,
and after farming a short time he sold
out his place, and took up his abode IN a
cave situated six or seven miles up the
mountain, back of BriscOe's hotel, a pub
lie house about five miles below Ding
mans Ferry. Here he subsisted on what
he could hunt, being a good shot, and he
was occasionally seen by spOrtsmen hsh
ing the various streams IN the locality.
The district in which he lives is full Of
I
many are the stories told by huntsmen
who have from time to time run across
Sheldon in his pursuit Of game.
A few years ago he was found by
party of hunters, nearly starved to death.
| 1t seems he had been taken with terri
/ bic fever, and alone, without the neces-
saries of life and having no means OF
! communicating with his nelghbors, he
must have inevitably persisted but for
AHaA oil az Of q
| him. He was conveyed to Dlngman's
and kindly care was given him. Alter
| he recovered no inducement could pre-
vail upon him to keep out Of the noun
tains He again took up his abode IN his
rude hut, an almost savage lie. he
| never could be induced to speak OF his
/ past life; his family and relatives he
! most strenuOusly avoided mentioning,
| and as soon as thesubjecJ was introduced
/ in any manner Sheldon was sure to take
j his leave.
It was comparatively a few years ago
! only that his relatives found traces of
! him and arriving at his hut, used every
! endeavOr to get him to return and take
! up his residence one more among those
/ by whom he was hOnOred and beloved.
/ His relatives said that he was an
! educated man from a Connecticut town.
] Which town it was they preferred not to
!
! early life he had married young and
beautiful girl and, before the honey
moon was past, his life was blasted by
! the sudden loss of his wife. He was from
/ home at the time attending to some bust
ness when a terrific thunder-shOWer
! came up, accompanied with great forks of
| lurid lightning. His wife was complete
! ly Frustrated with fear, and shortly after,
! her reason becoming dethrOned, she died
in horrible paroXysms.
He disposed of his business and prop
! erty in Connecticut, and, without COM
municating with any Of his friends, left
/ his old home in a wagon with two
| horses and sought another home in the
! wilderness. He found a retreat in Pike
county, where he has lived for fOrty-fve
years. His reason now dethrOned at
least, partially, his whole attention was
given to the study Of the Bible.
It is said of him that he could
reEe eat whole chapters from the
the Scriptures without making theslight-
est mistake. Any passage of Scripture
he could locate as soon as 1t was referred
to. His whole conversation for a long
time was upon religion. Last Autumn
the old gentleman had another bad sick
ness, and the kindly people of Dingman
communicated with one of his sisters.
The lady at once came on to give aid to
her suffering relative. He was very fee
BILE and emaciated, and his neighbors
thought he would die. After no little
amount of persuasion backed by gentle
force, the poor fellow was conveyed to
his sisters home in Connecticut. Every
attention was given him, and after long
and WearisOme illness the old gentleman,
now past 70 years of age was again
brought back to life. No sooner had he
recovered than he began to mourn for
the old life in the Pennsylvania noun
tains. He pleaded with his sister con-
tinually and with all with whom he came
in contact, and at last won her consent
to allow him to again return to his old
haunts. A few day ago Sheldon, with his
sister, arrived in Milford, on his return
to the old life, and SheldOns eyes danced
with Joy as he again beheld the outlines
Of the Pike county hills and tTOd the
heath so welcome to his feet. So anxious
was he to again take up his abode In the
old hut that he could not eata mOuthful
of the bOuntiful dinner spread for him at
the SaWkill house. He paced restlessly
up and down the streets at Milford
nOdding to each familiar face and
grasping the hands Of some Of the
old settlers of that town, eagerly looking
out for the old stage running to Ding
mans that should bring him to the lone !
" mountain home. The old man Wasin |
the best of spirits, and neatly dressed.
It is safe to say thatif he has his choice |
he viii never again return to civilization, |
but viii die as he has lived for fOrty-five |
years, a hermit among the Wllds Of the /
Pike county mountains.