The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-11-25
A Disappointed Man.

News reached this city to-day that
Elisha John Morrison, aged "a years, the
oldest and the wealthiest hermit in the
State of New Jersey is dying alone in
little hut, situated about four miles south
of here on the road leading from Asbury
Park 10 Poplar. Morrison has lived a
hermit life for nearly half a century.
Forty.eight years ago be WAS 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 $500 cash. 1t was more mon
ey than he had ever seen before, let alone
possessing. He took it to one of the
members 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 in
four years graduated from the local school
with high honots. Then he went to
college, and after full course he put out
his shingIe in Keene, N. II. 1t read:
elisha John Morrison, Attorney at
Law" Business was dull, and for long
time it was question whether he could
keep from starving. One day about
year after he had started in business q
client came to him and asked if he could
find purchaser for lot of grain which
the man had to sell. Morrison wrote to
New York grain merchant, and by
return mail he received an order for the
goods. His commission on the transac.
ton amounted to about Sl00. The idea
of starting an exchange for the sale OF
grain for the farmers of the surrounding
country entered hi, head and he invested
the commission on the sale in renting .
store. 1t was something new and novel
to the farmers to have place to sell their
produce so near home, and as 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 devoted 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 80 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 attended him, and in short time
lie retired with fortune of 100000. A
month or so after he had been in New
York he met very beautiful young lady
named Kate Kirby, He visited her regu-
larly, and in year he became engaged to
be married to her. The wedding was
postponed, however, from time to time,
and at last the lovers 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
heart. broken, and through a lawyer he
purchased the old Kirby farm, near long
Branch, from an uncle of his old sweet
heart. He moved from the city immedi-
ately and erected a dwelling or, more
correctly speaking, a 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 loot across the threshold of his
habitation. To-day Morrison is rs years
old, of medium height, spare figure, and
has short gray stubby beard. His chief
dislike is woman, and he will never, if
be can help it, look at one. He has no
known relatives. His money he is sup
posed to keep buried on different parts of
the farm.-Long Branch letter to the Jersey
H{U Jrnus