The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-23
DOGS AT HIS DEATH.
QUEER LIFE OF A NEW YORK HERMIT.
"Bob Ridley" and His Life secret-His
Hermit Life Among the Hills-Was
He u Pirate or Did He Lose
His Reason In the War?
Lprewstef IN. Y.l Cor. N. Y. world.l

There lived a short time ago among the
mountains of Eastern Putnam County
one of the most remarkably eccentric char
acters ever known to this country. When
the present men were boys at school no
name served so effectually to restore quiet
to a noisy crowd of children as did that OF
"Bob Ridley" 1t had then become
familiar spirit to be evoked at will in the
nursery of each neigboring household, and
to be brought out on all state occasions as
one of the curioslties in that portion OF the
country.
Eastern Putnam County, near the border
line of Connecticut, Is much broken anu
hilly, the eminences arising in some places
even to the dignity of mountains. These
have no general tendency, but loom up |
here and there with surprising irreguari-
ty, as though the Titans in wanton sport
had made mountains for pastime. Far
UP among these hills, away from all habl-
tations, stands-or, rather, stood until
few days ago-a hut of the rudest con-
struction, partly above and partly below
ground, formed of dirt, stone and bits OF
board. This was the hermit home Of "Bob
Ridley"
WneUlef III was lue biuo hduiO Va 'H'S
strange individual, or only nickname.
never was ascertained. He seemed to rec
ognize it, called himself by it, and went
into the census book as Robert Ridley.
On pleasant day In summer, II one
could have approached this hut unob-
served, he might nave seen, sitting on
shelving ledge of rocks near the rude door
way, short, stout old man, clothed In
many-coiored rags, with gray hair hang
ing in tangled masses on the shoulders,
and grizzled gray beard, hiding all but
wild and watchful eye.
Here, with staff in hand, scolding his
many dogs or talking incoherently to In
visible beings around him-now with
pleading voice and again In the widest
manner-calling them all sorts OF endear-
ing names and then suddenly changing to
the bitterest denunciation, he became
fit object to awaken fear In stouter hearts
than children. Sometimes he would make
q tour Of the neighboring hamlets, and
added new speed to the struggling school,
boy, or sent him scampering across the
fields to avoid this wild, mysterious being
of the hills. And he was well calculated
u CTodJo buCh AOui 90 hO oPpaNeNHSN 'eN-
rolling gait, swinging his lusty staff,
followed by his troop Of dogs, and now
and then stopping suddenly to challenge
some imagined foe or bestow thrust and
curse at the unfortunate cur that got be-
fore him.
He was always polite to ladies and to men
who addressed him civil. Upon hearing
a carriage approaching he would spring to
the side OF the highway, gather all his dogs
behind him, and then, with his battered old
cap In hand, await its passage; and II
spoken to would invoke a blessing on the
passer-by. He never asked for aims, was
always honest, and met with kindly treat.
ment from the people Of the surrounding
country. They ofttimes carried far over
the hills to the lonely hut Of this demented
old man meat and clothing, and visited
him on many cold nights Of winter to see
that he had something to eat and to burn
He resisted all efforts TO remove him tc
an alms.house or asylum and, as he was
never violent to any but imaginary per
sons, his whims were humored, and he wa'
left to spend the rest of his life among his
dogs away in the wilds OF his mountain
hut.
Such were the characteristics Of thii
mysterious individual. As to his history
not much can be said.
He was no tramp He lived there in thu
days when tramps were unknown to tina
peaceful neighborhood, and lived ther'
since, but resembled them only In hi
poverty and his rags. His age at the tim'
of his death was supposed to be nearly I
hundred years. His nationality was neve
known. He seemed to have forgotten 1
himself and growled a broken English tina
gave no clue to his mother tongue.
One day he was found at his hut NOR
rational than ordinarily, and recounted II
part some scenes from the story Of his life
From that 1t was found that he had beel
at one time in the Spanish marine service
That be had been employed at sea was evi
dent TO many who heard his nautica
phrases. Upon being urged to continu
his story he told Of a battle in which Who'll
armies were engaged, somewhere beyon
the sea; also OF his having fought on shiI
board, been captured, put In irons wit
many others and thrust into deep, dar
hole. While relating this he would b.
come greatly excited, and at the end SUE
denly wild, and yell with fierce rage at I'll
unseen foes around him. To this exter
his story was told, but he never got beyon
the chains and the deep, dark hole, an
was always thrown into spasm of rag
when reciting that part Of his history.
II is thought by some that this strang
being was at one time pirate; that
was captured, thrown into prison, al
there became insane. By others 1t is b
lieved that he was soldier In the servi'
beyond the sea and lost his reason In
similar way. That he was educated WI
apparent to those with whom he wou
converse, and they were few; that he hi
seen refined life was as evident from &c
tain characteristics OF the man. No o.
knew when he first came TO these mour
aims, and he never left them after. II
body was found one morning not long a
surrounded by his faithful dogs, and I
people gave 1t q decent burial. Had I
true story Of that life been known it wou
probably have formed a romantic chs
ter.
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The Root OF All Evil
Galveston (Tex) Newsl
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