The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-01-21
A Singular Case.

Mr.. Editor Down the Winooski valley
about half way between the villages of
Middlesex and Waterbury, and where the
Central Vermont railroad cuts through the
Hogbacks mountain range, a mile from any
other road or neighbors, there lives lone
woman known in that vicinity as Crazy
Kate" What her true name is or whether
she is a wife or widow, maid or matron,
spinster or woman suffragist, grass-widow
or what not, does not appear to be known.
She seems to be naturally bright, active
person, but one whose mind by some great
trouble or affection has got unstrung and
off its proper base, or it may be the effect OF
some habit or natural Unborn wildness
She has lived there for some five years,
first in some deserted lumberman's camps,
and after they were burned she picked
up few scattering boards and with odds
apd ends, grass and weeds she fixed
up a sort of wigwam or den, in which
she has stayed most of the time since, as
| am told; was there all of last winter
and more or less OF some winters before.
The attention of the town authorities hav-
ing been called to her condition, at the re-
quest of the overseer of the poor, on the
14th of January, 1885, / accompanied him
with two of the selectmen to see her, and to
see what, if anything, could be done to
make her more comfortable and to provide
for her needs We found her domicile on
what is called the Governor Right" it be-
ing that part of Mddlesex that His Ex-
cellency, Benning Wentworth, royal COVER
nor of New Hampshire, reserved to himself
in his charter of that town June Sth 1868.
The den is some twenty rods from the rail-
road track, and in the way of human habi-
tation in New England in the nineteenth
century is curiosity indeed; is about three
or four feet high and perhaps five feet
wide and eight or ten feet long; it is built
up of bits of boards, sticks, dried grass and
weeds, and rooted over with old pieces of
boards laid on nearly fiat. Considerable in
genuity Tor Indianuity) is displayed in max
ing 1t tight and warm, but there is no door,
windows, stove, fireplace or chimney about
the whole concern. The only way of keep
ing fire seemed to be what was kept in a
common ten-quart milk pan, which had been
used till the whole inside OF the castle was
black as tar. There was sort of bed on
the ground floor, but we did not examine
that or the other furniture to any great ex-
tent as the owner was not at home. We
found her making call on one of her neigh
bors, and of all the specimens of manly or
womanly independence that ever came to
my notice she can take the lead. She ut
terly, scornfully and defiantly refused to be
helped in any way, and would not even con-
sent to have better hut with stove in it;
said she had money enough, victuals enough,
house good enough, and she would not stay
anywhere else. She says she was born and
raised in Canada and has friends there, but
won't go to them. She looks to be about fifty
years old. Now the question is, What can
be done? Which would be the greater inhu-
manity, to send her to an insane asylum,
where she would probably die soon from
sheer desire for the freedom of the woods, or
to let her live on as she is and die in what to
her would be the natural way, by starva-
ton, freezing or being run over by the rail-
road trains. The opinions of Christian
philanthropists and people of kind hearts
and of common-sense are respectfully re-
quested. VIC.