Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-12-30
AN ECCENTRIC CHARACTER.
A Wealthy Illinois Farmer Who Had Many
Peculiarities.

Peculiarities.
An Edwardsville, ILL.,, CORES pondent o.
the st. Louis Globe-DemOcrat writes:
The will of Oliver HCyt, a wealthy bu
very eccentric farmer, who died at hi;
home, five miles south of Highland, or
Dec. 2, was admitted to probate here yes
| terday. The estate is valued at S100,
| O0O and consists of eight hundred acres
of very fine land in this county, together
with $40 900 worth of personal property
of which $4,000 was in bonds, and the
remainder in cash, notes and mortgages
Mr.. Hoyt was a man of many eccentric
| tiles, and while not at all a miSer had
some very peculiar ideas about money
matters. He was born in Stanford, Conn.
Dec. IA, 1903, and bagan poor man.
One popularity was to have all his fences
of willow hedge, which have grown thirty
feet high. He left very fine farm, with
a large, comfortable house, but few COM
forts, his personal chattels consisting
principally of an old safe and an old
horse and buggy.
1t is related that when he went to High
land he bought cheese and crackers and
ate them on the curbstOne, in
stead of buying a dinner. Once, about
six years ago, in very cold weather, he
walked five miles to the railway sta
ton, and rode to Troy, to which
place the fare was 20 cents. Then, in
stead of paying So more to come via East
st. Louis to this city, he walked from
Troy here and back, a distance Of Sigh
teen miles. Are there was heavy snow
on the ground, he had wrapped his shoes
and legs to the knees in red flannel. On
arriving in town he walked into J. A.
Prichett & Sons with an old wheat sack
on his shoulder, and throwing the sack
on the floor said he wanted to leave it
with them. On examination it was found
to contain 1882 in money and called
upon which interest had stopped. These
he had exchanged for Understanding
bonds, the interest on which he has not
once drawn since the time. His tenants
say that often they took grain to market,
and although he was given checks, has
not drawn the money on the same. Nine
teen years ago he loaned party several
thousand dollars, secured by mortgage,
but has never received cent of either
principal or interest. At one time cat
tleman wanted to borrow $4,000 from
him on the best security, but Mr.. Hoyt
insisted on knowing what investment he
intended making, and not considering it
judicious one, Mr.. Hoyt refused to lend
the money, on the ground that it would
break the borrower, although the lender
would be amply secured.
He would never pay the % cents charg
ed on TIE st. Louis bridge, but always got
off at East ST. Louis and walked over the
bridge. These trips to st. Louis were
not frequent, as he seldom left home for
several years at time. Some years ago
when returning from trip to ST. Louis,
where he had gone to cash a lot of cou-
pons, etc., Mr.. Hoyt, who was dressed
very roughly, was riding in the ladies'
car. The conductor came along and told
him he would have to go into the smok-
ing car, but on returning found him still
there and again ordered him to go for
ward, which he refused to do and, upon
repeated demands, became angry, and
pulling out an immense roll of bills, said,
Glow much is your d--n old car worth,
I'll just buy it," He staid where he
was.
The will was executed in 1871, and was
witnessed by Mr.. John A. Prickett and
the late Judge David Gillespie, whose
signature had to be proven. The prop
erty is divided into three equal parts;
one to his son Eugene Hoyt, with whose
family deceased has lived for a great
many years, and who is made executor,
another to the children of a deceased
daughter, Mrs. Morgan, who lives near
Highland, and the third part to an insane
daughter, who is the wife of John Riegel
a farmer, residing near Highland, but
now in an asylum near st. Louis.
At the time of his death which OCCUR
ed after a prolonged illness, for which
he refused to take medicine, saying he
was bound to die, some $3.50 in gold was
found in his bed. He never talked to
anyone about his business, and
no one knows anything about it to
this day.