Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-08
THE BLUE MOUNTAIN HERMIT.
A Strange Recluse Discovered in the
Pennsylvania Wflds.
PHILADELPHIA Times.

rate Bcrks and Schuylkill counties,
overlook for miles a rich farming
iron and eoal-producing country. The
scenery is beautiful, and even grand.
Away up on the topmost point lives
Matthias Berger, one of the strangest
characters in ali Pennsylvania He
is famous the country round as the
8 Blue Mountain Hermit" For
twenty nine years, from choice rather
than from force of circumstances, he
has lived the life of recluse His
story is strange one, but many farm
ers in the valleys and not few citl-
zens OF Reading can vouch for It's &C
curacy. A long ride up winding
path and scramble on FOOT through
brush and briers brings the visitor to
a'clearing, in the midst of which stands
low hut, of very small proportions,
hardly more than eight feet high. Not
sound breaks the stiffness of the
mountain. The door is not more than
two feet wide and the hermit stands
before the visitor.
Matthias Berger is ~ years of age
and about five feet four inches in
height. His head IS covered with
Struggling tufts Of silvered hair, comb
ed smoothly down. His face is clean
shaven, and his general attire, al
though rough, Is neat. He lives IN a
room about eight feet in diameter,
for the hut iS circular In shape and con
structod on q framework of strong
chestnut posts, placed obliquely in
the ground and in a circle. These
all taper at the top. The space be-
tween them is flied up with leaves
and plastered with mountain clay.
The walls are thick and are alike a
strong defense against winters cold Or
summers sun. Inside every thing Is
of the most primitive manufacture.
Upon huge pegs driven into the wall
are laid boards, and upon the shelf
thus made the old hermit sleeps. An
old-fashionCd wood stove stands in the
center, and beneath this, in q hole
insthe ground are stored potatoes and
eatables. There are quilts and blan-
kets for coverings, and the cushion on
which the hermit rests his he'd is
filed with straw. He entertains an
aversion to feathers and says they give
him the headache. Light is admitted
into the place by small window,
not more than three feet square. Very
frequently IN winter time he sees no
one for three and four months and
even longer, but he manages to pass
his time with his own thoughts, and
thriyes on them. Nearly forty years
ago he came to America from Ger
many, strong, active and in the prime
of life. Just in what particular place
he formerl y lived no one knows. He
does not like to talk about his history
on the other side of the ocean. Not
withstanding his complete isolation
from his fellow-men for nearly third
of century there are still traces of
refinement and gentleness which
speak of better days. The first known
Of him was IN Reading where he re-
manned but short while and then
drifted to the Blue Mountains TO chop
wood. There he made rude hutton
the spot where the present one stands.
Then vast forest covered the hills
He lived IN unbroken solitude, and
his on y companions were the multi
tudo of snakes that crawled through
the nnderbrush.
Gradually the man grew to ike the
stiffness Of the mountain, He felled
the trees about him until he estimates
that {, 900 cords have been split by
his own hands and sold. He improv>
ed his hut and settled down to live IN
1t for tire remainder of his days. Hard
work brought hia in $1,5C0, and on
tee interest OF this he lives In peace
and content.
Il live on about fifty cents a week, 5"
said the old man, and he smiled as his
IL
Il drink nothing but the Blue
Mountain tea, which I make myself,
and eat very little beyond bread and
potatoes and such game as I can secure
on the hills"
The old hermit is not entirely alone.
A dog family Or two of cats and kit
tens give him all the company he
wants. An old rife hanging against
the wall is another trusty companion
which has done him good service in
the past. These Mountains were for
merly filed with wild animals, and he
can tell many stories of his encounters
with them.
81 remember" he said, when this
entire mountain was an entire wilder
ness. Wild cats and panthers were
as plenty as briers. Just see here, :"
and he stripped off his and exposed
two Or three scars down bis back fully
twelve inches long. That was done
about twenty-five years ago. Those
are the marks Of a wildcat. / was
coming through the woods one night
when saw two eyes like streams of
fire thrown toward me from tree
overhead. I knew that they were
those of a wildcat Before I had time
to get away she jumped and landed
on my back burrying her claws deep
into my flesh. / threw myself on the
beast and while she was tearing my
hand and my arms with her sharp
claws whipped cut my knife and cut
her neck until she bled TO death. I
have killed hundreds of catam2unts
in my time and helped to extermin-
ate them in this section. They killed
many farmers sheep, and the county
commissioners used to offer several
I 4