Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-11-03
Dying Alone.
THE END or HALF CENTURY OF SBcLUsioS
FROM HIS K1xD.

Long Branch Letter to the Jersey City
August
News reached this city to-day that Elisha
John Morrison, aged IS years, the oldest and
wealthiest hermit 10 the State of New jersey,
il dying alone in his little hut, situated about
four mile. south of here on the road leading
from Asbury Park to Poplar Morrison has
lived hermit life for nearly half century.
He was at one time q well-known produce
merchant in New York. The story of his
life, his disappointment in love. and conse'
quent life of exclusion from the outside
world is an interesting one.
Fifty-eight years ago he was a farm boy,
apprenticed to an old New England farmer
named Syker. He disliked the work,
but stuck manfully to it for six years,
when his master died leaving him IN his
will 800 cash. 1t was more money
than he had ever seen before, let alone
possessing. He took it TO one OF the mem
bers Of the Town Directors and asked him
what he should do with it. The reply was,
go to school and learn something" He
took the advice and 10 four years graduated
from the local school with high honors Then
he went to college. and after full course he
put out his single in Keene, n. H 1t read:
Elisha John Morrison, Attorney at Law"
Business was dull, and for a long time it was
question whether he could keep from starv-
ing. One day about year after he had
started 10 business a client came to him and
asked if he could find purchaser for lot of
grain which the man had to sell. Morrison
wrote to a New York grain merchant and by
return mail he received an order for the
goods. His commission on the transaction
amounted to about 500. The idea of start
ing an exchange for the sale of grain for the
farmers of the surrounding country entered
his head and he invested the COM
mission on the sale in renting a
store. 1t WIS something new and
novel to the farmers to have place to sell
their produce near home, and 40 they got
as good prices for it as they could in Boston
or any of the big markets, they patronized
him. His business grew to such proportions
that he soon gave up his practice and devot-
ed his whole time to his exchange. In
couple of years he started branch store in
Boston. Business increased so rapidly that
he was unable to attend to it himself, and so
sold one-half his interest to Joseph Coyle.
Coyle was left in charge of the Keene and
Boston stores while Morrison went to New
York and opened another. Good fortune at
tended him. and in short time he retired
with fortune of S500,0 month or so
after he had been in New York he met . very
beautiful young lady named Kate Kirby. He
visited her regularly and in year he became
engaged to be married to her. The wedding
was postponed, however, from time to time,
and at last the love quarreled over
some trivial matter and parted. Hardly
week had passed after the quarrel before
Miss Kirby was married to an intimate friend
of Morrison. The latter seemed eart-broken,
and through a lawyer he purchased the old
Kirby farm, near Long Branch, from an un-
Gle of his old sweetheart. He moved from
the city Immediately and erected a dwelling
or, more correctly speaking q hut. near the
centre of the farm. and settled down to live
in seclusion. From that day to this no other
human being has ever been known to set foot
across the threshold of his habtation. To-
day Morrison is 70 years old, of medium
height, spare figure, and has short gray
stubble beard His chief dislike is a woman,
and he will never, if he can help it, look at
one. He has no known relatives His mon
ey he is supposed to keep buried on different
parts of the farm.