Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-12-21

49, VI e7h ediu tfidJ weaver would
~ ioiiid starved or frozen todeath some
s sii 90 every winter there was talk of
;. looking after him" by those in author
ity but it ended in talk. as he yvas ,9l,t
exactly the kind Of man 10 dictate ~,
In the vernacular of Simpsons grocery.
ne was "a hard one to tackle"
In the beginning of the hernit's last
wiiiter on the mountain some hunters.
erlVen by cold to his cabin. entered and
i lotlnd hirn moaning on his rude couch.
iney spread the news in Milford. and
the authorities conferred together and
decided tiiat 1t was time to act. But
"iiat should they do with him? Nobody
couid go up to his lodge on the mountain
10 take care Of him. his wretched dwell
ing contained no comforts. And nohodv
wanted to take him into his home
There was the county house. where ali
paupers were sent. but that was near
the county seat, seven miles away.
Ihey who were most outspoken in the
matter OF having him looked after and
who owned the largest and most com
Portable houses, ''hemmed and hawedn
when 1t came to question of taking
MN IN. Some one, in a moment of hui
name feeling, suggested that the seven
miles Journey to the poorhouse might
/ prove dangerous to the sick man, and
might even throw serious blame ON those
4 who became responsible for it.
However, after much thought and
more talk had been put upon the subject,
1 the'poorhouse faction prevailed, and the
nat went forth that Old Weaver must be
taken charge of by the county, willing or
unwilling.
I The expedition set forth the next
morning. 1t was principally composed
/ OF 1.-THE authorities" otherwise hard
headed and dictatorial percentages, with
that degree Of heartlessness peculiar to
the class known as prominent citizens"
/ heavy snow lay upon the ground, and
the mountain roads were unbroken. A
big sled, generously supplied with straw
and lunch baskets, was made ready.
The departure Of this hermit capturing
! expedition was an event. The postoffice
loafers gazed upon the imposing specta-
Gle with envy in their hearts, though
they oheered the noble philanthropists
roundly. The people at the corner drug
store were all outside waving their hats
and making other demonstrations of
good will and interest. The yarn
/ spinners at Simpsons grocery held
their tobacco firmly between their teeth
as the sled went by This was their
manner of expressing very warm in
terest. Women watched from doors.
windows ar porches, as women always
do, and a swarm of enthusiastic small
boys hung on to the sled until driven
back when hall a mile out of town.
The philanthropists reached Weaver's
cabin late in the day, after digging their
way through great snowdTifts. All this
heroic exertion made them feel more
dominant in spirit than ever. The very
first rap on the hermits door had the
sound of authority in it. delivered Us it
was by the formidable fist of the town
marshal, backed by the appreciation of
the other prominent citizens who accom-
panied him.
There was no response.
The expression OF decision on the mar
slal's face deepened as he began to beat
upon the door with both fists and kick
it with the thick soles of his tremendous
boots.
Still there was no answer.
While they were parleying about
whether it was time to use the ak cr
not the closed shutter of the hermit's
single window opened, revealing his
haggard face in which blazed a pair of
eyes whose wrathful lightning fairly an
initiated the prominent citizens.
What DO you want lie asked, after
a moment of discomfting silence, as
, they stood. wordless, under the spell of
! his unspoken anger.
/, I'VE heard you were sick, said the
; marshal.
"Wcll?"
I'VE knew you would need help said
the Justice of the peace, land SO came
to try to do something for YOU.
You have put yourselves TO unneces-
! sarv trouble. | want nothing.
but our duty as citizens will not
, allow us to let q fellow being suffer,
! said Deacon White.
Your first duty is to mind your OWL
business said the hermit.
Here is DIR. Horsetiy, who will help
YOU right off, if you will lot lis III, SAID
Mr.. Snollett. also prominent citizen
The doctor stood silent, medicine ease II
hand. the rigidity of the regular code
/, preventing his doing any truuipe'1ng Oh
: his own account
"When | am weary Of life l shall senc
for DR.. Horsetly. Until then he mus
excuse me" returned the hermit. WIFE
something like merriment dancing IN hi
! wild eyes, IN
i The doctor colored under this deadly
insult. feeling it the more because th(
e earth was vet fresh over his two las
l patients. This offensive defiance Of thell
:; authority was the taeitly understood
! signal for concerted rally of the reSeu
ers Instinctively they drew ne2rer to
pnthrr and one said: