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

write of it had all the requisites of
thriving town, including a population
which dripped with self satisfaction.
This very comfortable commodity was
so dense and universal that it fairly COW
cred the place like fog.
Hillsford's most remarkable citizen was
a hermit, an unkempt and eccentric in
dividual, who lived in cabin high up
on the North mountain, and was known
as "Old Weaver" In winter, when the
foliage was less abundant, his small
dwelling could be seen from the village,
a little speck of crude architecture the
smoke from which curled sometimes into
the very sky. 1t was pointed out to Wis
itors, who were told. without loss of
time, of the hermit, IBIS civilization defy
ing habits and unspeakable appearance.
! But it was difficult to exhibit the man
himself. He came down to the village
at infreouent intervals and then tarried
only long enough to procure some simple
necessities and departed without holding
/ speech with any one. The townspeople
I 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 mind
could live the life he lived. His hair and
whiskcrs showed no respect for the pre-
vailing fashion in hirsute trimming, and
his clothes were slap at all decent gar
ments. He rarely spoke at all, but when
he did his words were briefnoss itself.
In summer they who went near his
cabin sometimes found him sitting out
side reading the Bible, an occupation
/ from which they could not easily divert
him.
j This caused some to decide that he
was "a religious crank, and helped to
dissipate the theory that he had com
mitted some terrible crime Hlllsford
was full of wonder about the hermit
past life and antecedentS. but as lhere
was absolutely no way OF finding out IL
was obliged to remain in cruel ignorance;
All it knew about him was that several
years before the time | speak OF he haa
arrived in the village, purchased piece
of land on the top of tins mountain
reared a cabin and begun life OF solitude
nerfoctlv incomprehensible to the people
of the valley. -, l..
At last they mostly settled down tc
the belief that "Old Weaver had been
crossed in love" Everybody ine" thai
love, if it did not run smoothly, couie
upset people completely. This gave nm mn,
exceptional interest in the eyes OF the the
Young and sentimental. although, the
most imaginative among them couia ho'
picture him as having ever been per.
sonage capable of inspiring the DIVINE
i llOnnv
Never were they fully sensible OF ms
value as a romantic figure until after hs
had been written up" for New or
journal. \ newspaper corfesPol,oeuut
on his summer vacation, wandered lnsS
Hillsford, and, of course, soon >, neai arc
about the hermit, since he was 9ll lieI'
was outside Of the usual and unlnterest
inc in the place He ct once spun OUT !;
column and a half of solid nonparelii
mostly speculation, tinged with seh'i
mont about the curious recluse'
This had good result, IL 9 n;:I9ln3
tho old man in the minds of the MIL
inns. 1t lifted him from the rank OF !
cray Graz old mountaineer to an eccentt ~
hermit. with extraordinary sentimental
possibilities behind him.