The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-24
A HERMIT IN A HRRDIO.
: Mexican Veteran and His Curious
Habitation.
From az Ynshinoton stnr.

a Mexican Veteran and His Curious
HabitatiOn.
From the Washington Star
The Peggottys in their old boat-home
We're never more picturesque than is the old
veteran, Addison NJ. Copen, In bis antique
and novel residence. Men have retired to
the solitudes of the wilderness and there,
sin dens and caves of the earth" hid them
selves from the gaze of their fellows; some
have sailed to remote. isles and there built
them a shelter Of leaves and branches; while
here in this city one aspiring soul fixed its
habitat in the branches of a tree. Mankind
is peculiar and it's tastes are very varied,
but It is doubtful whether any descendant
of Adam ever before betook himself to
herdic and lived in it. The old vehicle,
still mounted on its wheels, stands some
thirty or forty feet from the north side of
Lincoln avenue, near the northeastern
boundary of Glenwood cemetery.
DESCRIPTION OF HIS HOUSE.
The rear of the carriage faces the road
way, and reveals the remains OF what was
once gaudy yellow exterior The herdic
was originally open at tae sides, but in that
condition it was too airy for a permanent
habtation, SO when it came into the old
soldiers possession he boarded uO the south
tie "lean-to" addition has been built The
herdic is the sleeping apartment and the
addition is the kitchen, divided, however,
by an imaginary line. Here the old gentle
man receive a large number of visitors,
whose curiosity cOmpels them to leave the
roadway to examine his queer little home,
and here he chatted with reporter yester-
day morning. The interior is heated very sat
isfactorily by small coOking-stove, and if
the general arrangement Of affairs was a
little more neat there ould be many less
desirable places in which TO reside. few
strips of matched lumber, supported by the
back of the herdc seats and covered with a
couple OF BLANKETS, make up the old veter
ans bed, and on that he sleeps with degree
OF soundness that millionaire might envy.
THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE.
Addison NJ Copen-for that is the old
gentlernans name-was born about sixty
five years agoin Wood county, Virginia, now
part of West rginis. He comes of good
old Virginia stock, his ancestors having dis
tinguished Themselves in the war of indie
pendenco and in the revolutionary struggle.
"OPENS mother was one Of the Lewises Of
Greeubrier also known to fame in the old
colonial days. An uncle of the old mans
built Pohick church, were Washington
used to worship. The career of the old vet
eran has been a most interesting one, and
is d cided testimony as to the truthfulness
of the proYerb, "A rolling stone gathers no
moss He was but little over 10 years of
age when he ran away from home with
q Kentucky horse-trader. Then ne ran
away from the horse-trader, and
before he was 10 years old was
engaged on a Mississippi steamboat. On
the western and southern rivers he was a
sailor until the outbreak of
THE MEXICAN WAR.
4. 1,
and when it was over he was left dis bled
by disease contracted in the service. When
he had partially recovered he tried farming
as a means Of livelihood, but his effort ended
in failure. One occupation after another
was tried with varying success, but at no
time could he accumulate wealth. When
the civil war came on it found Copen willing
to fight, but utterly unable because of the
disability contracted in Mexico. Instead of
living in his dismantled vehicle he might
now be an inmate of the Soldiers Home,
but the strict military regulations Of that
institution are too severe for his Bohemian
spirit. He has been temporary inmate of
the Soldiers Home at Dayton, Ohio; Hamp-
ton, Va. and in this city, but he never
would consent to permanent admission.
The miserable plttanCe of Sl2 month is all
he has to subsist upon, and how be succeeds
is a marvel. A short time ago his left hand
and arm were psraly zed-a consequence, he
says,of the disability contracted in Mexico
and on this ground he has applied to the
pension Office for an increase in his allow
ance. IL the pension Office fails him he will
appeal to congress.
MIGHT CLAIM BIG ESTATE
Copen seems to have always been uufor-
tunate. His rowing habits severed him from
his relatives, and to them he was entirely
lost for years at n stretch. He said yester-
4
he had seen but once in fifty years. His
father was a well-to-do speculator in wild
lands and accumulated considerable prop
erty in oil, iron, coal, and timber tracts,
some of which have since proven to be ex-
tremoly valuable. The father, however,
had been dead for twenty years when AID
Olson heard of his decease, and when he
went TO look for his share Of the estate he
found that it had been gobbled up by others.
He had no money with which to make his
rights good at law. The old man still be-
lieves that if be only had means now he
would be able to make somebody disgorge
Sc veral hundred thousand dollars for his
benefit. On more than one occasion thieves
have invaded the herdic during the owners
brief absence, aud they succeeded one tight
in getting away with about S25 worth Of
the veterans worldly goods, but trouble
seems to have no effect upon him.
WHY HE LIVES IN A HERDIc.
Chow did you come to select herdic for
a homer asked the reporter.
up 20 q year ago last September was
living in the city" replied the old man.
Rent was very high and my SIP as very
little | was trying to figure out some
cheaper way Of living and happened to
think Of the travelling houses that photo
grapners live in. Then | saw this old her
die, and l managed, with the help Of a
couple of friends, to buy it and roll it out
here. It's comfortable and warm, and |
manage to get along somehow. Several
times I've been promised place as a watch
man in one of the departments but it never
came. Maybe I'll get something under the
new administration. My family fought to
establish this country, 10 perpetusta its ex-
istence and TO increase its territory, and /
think the government might give me small
place"
The Dsdes Know 1t,
Or If they don't, they should know that
Rappum Root Liniment cured biz head in