The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-12-27

l write Of 1t had all the requisites Of q
thriving town, including q. population
which dripped with self satisfaction.
This very comfortable commodity was
so dense and universal that it fairly coy-
cred the place like fog. 3. =, Z a
Hillsfori's S most remarkable citizen was
hermit. an unkempt and eccentric Ei-
dividual, who lived in q cabin high up
on the North mountain, and was known
as "Old Weaver" In wintcr; when the
foliage was less abundant, his small
dwelling could be- seen from the village,
little speek Of crude architecture, the
smoke from which curled sometimes into
the very sky. 1t was pointed out to vis-
itors, who were told, without loss Of
time, Of tho hermit, his civilization defy
ing habits and unspsakable appearance.
But it was difficult to exhibit the man
himself. He came down. to the village
at infrequcnt intervals and then tarriod
only long enough to procure some simple
necessities and, departed without holding
speech with any one. The townspeopie
had tried to break into the privacy of his
home without avail. They had been re-
pulsed with looks and gestures which
inspired fear and helped to confirm the
| opinion that ''Old Weaver was crazy and
| had better be let alone"
And surely no man in his right Eai,d
could live tho iifo ho lived. His hair aud
| whislcrs showed no respect for the pre-
vaiing fashion In hirsute trimming. a.,d
his clothes were slap at all decent taf.
ments. Hc rarely Spokc at al, but when
he did his words were briefness Itself. .
LII summer they who went near Lis
/ cabin sometimes found him sitting out
sidc reading the Bible, an occupation
| from which they could not easily divert
him. z p, it.,.5 a.
This caused some to decide that he
was "a religious crank" and helped to
dissipato tho theory that he had, corp.
,nittel some terrible crime, HillsfoTd
was full of wonder about tho hermIt'l
past lifo and anteccdents, but as there
was absolutely no way Of finding out IL
wns obliged to remain in cruel ignorance,
All it knew about him was that several
years before the time speak Of he had
arrived in the village. p,lrchascd piece
! of Land OH tho top of the mountain
reared cabin and begun life OF solitude
perfectly incomprehensible to the people
81 the valley.
AT last they mostly settled down te
| tho belief that ''Old Weaver had beer
crossed In love-" Everybody knew thai
love, II it did not run smoothly. could
upset people cnraI,letely. This gave hin
exceptional interest Ia the eyes Of the
young and sentimental, although the
most Imaginative among them could MOI
picture him as having ever been Per
sonage capable OF. Inspiring the divine
lunacy. - e-....s.7 Z. -
Mover were thcy fully sensible Of Ids
value rs romantic figure until after he
had been 'written up" for q New Yorl
Journal. A newspaper correspondent
Oh Ills summer vacation, wandered into
Hillsford, and, Of course, soon heard
about the hermit. since he was all there
was outside of the usual and uninterest
ing in the place. He at once spun out 8
| column and half of solid nonparel
mostly speculation, tinged with senii
ment. about the curious recluse: FAl. =
This had good result. IL dignifod
tho old man in the minds Of the Milford
ians 1t lifted him from the rank OF 1
crazy old mountainecr TO- an eccentric
hermit. with extraordinary sentimenta
possibilities behind him.
It was often said that Weaver woult
be found starved or frozen to death som;
time So every winter there was talk q
looking after him." by those IN author
ity, but it ended In talk, as he was nc
exactly the kind Of man to dictate to