The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-29
THE LATE JAMES G. BEECHER.
His Unique Career in the Oatskills-His
Hermit Life in the Rackwoods.

Hermit Life i'm the Racixwoods.
New York Times.
The suicide of the Rev. James Beecher ends
an extremely unique career Six or eight years
ago met him away up in the Catskill mountain
region; he had built him home there In the
depths of the backwoods and was living the life
of hermit Once he was power in his church,
an ornament of the pulpit, noted less than. but
akin in eloquence to his half-brother, Henry
Ward Beecher. He the pastor OF
the First Congregational Church of Pough-
keepsie at the time when the accusations
against his brother, of the Plymouth Church,
began 20 be bruited about Before Henry Ward
was called to court James Is said to have sought
him at his Westchester county home with re-
suit that was not INSPIRING TO the visitor. He
returned to Poughkeepsie to lock himself in his
study, and for days he refused absolutely to see
even his stanchest personal friends When he
did come forth to the world again it as q
changed man: geniality, sunny nature, jollity
had given way to a manner that was curt and q
disposition that had large proportion of sadness
in it His church offered him vacation; he
quit it for good He went to the Ulster Catskills
and built with his own hands in the Hardenberg
forest the home where found him.
Colonel Judson (Ned Buntlinel was one of the
self exiled preachers friends, and it was largely
through the influence of letter that Buntine
wrote me that managed to fad time short
vacation to hunt up s'the genius"-Buntline's til
tie for him. found him one of the most enter
taining of men; y little careless of the worlds
doings, but full of pleasing anecdote and remi-
nscence / am tempted to copy an extract from
the letter with which Ned Buntline first in
terested me in James Beecher. 1t has a double
interest now--its description of the hermit home
aud hermit life of the first prominent priest and
the fact that 1t is bit of the work of Ned Bunt-
line. who so lately lay down his pen forever,
work that Ned Buntline dashed of to a friendly
Observation-Disclosures in undress, if you
please. This is the way the letter
A"His tract of land is densely wooded
and covers little more than a mile
square, but Hardenbergh land, according to the
Ulster county tax-roll, is not the costlest in the
world Tits average value being 63 cents an acrel.
and this tract would not have been over-cheap
at the price of dozen trade dollars. A beauti-
full lake of good size occupies q portion OF the
property. and there is in all the Catskill range
no scenery more pleasingly picturesque. Beech
er's lake the natives call it; and one of the
mountain cliffs commanding view of it the
preacher built for himself home. doing all the
work himself. 1t lisa story and-a half structure,
plain, neat, and comfortable At the time
of its erection there was no wagon road
within half dozen miles; the nearest hamlet
and postoffice were ten miles distant, while 1t
was about three times the latter distance to the
first railroad station He finished his house be-
fore winter really set In. and there till spring he
lived life of thorough solitude He had no
neighbors, and, aside from his faith and his
thoughts, knew no companionshiD but such as
WAS given by, the winter storms and the night
CRIES OF The mountain Wllu OeaSLs. his vile anu
daughter were not with him yet They were not
to come till spring-time. though meanwhile they
were faithful correspondents, and when the
little hamlet Of Turnwood received its weekly
budget of mail matter James Beecher was al
ways among the fortunates Every Friday he
tramped ten miles through the snow for this ia
With June came Mrs Beecher and the
little daughter to the Beecher Lake home. There
ali three have since remained-there the elder
ones are likely to remain as long they shall
last. They have cut clear from the world and
for good. They Seem content and even happy
in the forest, and there is every reason to be-
Iieve that there is no earthly inducement which
could induce James Beecher TO enter again on
his oldtime career.
"The few neighbors who have gathered about
his lake fully appreciate him." so Ned Bunt-
lines letter raE on. HE Is queer they admit,
but for all that they love him. They are hardy.
rough. unlearned mountaneers-bigh hearted as
they are uncouth. Mrs. Beecher they almost
worship. She enlisted herself for their advance
ment and established what had hitherto been
unknown, a school. 1t is free school in spirit
and In truth. Mrs. Beecher teaches, and is al
lowed each year for the service about $50 from
the State fund; to this amount she annually adds
800 on ner own account, money sacredfy set
apart for books and clothes for the boys and girls
of her backwoods friends"