The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-02-05
a S.rans Tais of a Johnstown
Flood Victim.


TACOMA. WASH. January "a hall
demented hermit, who is supposed to be
victim Of the Johnstown Hood, has been
t,ond living in a ihovel in the galcb near
tie Carbon Hill bnnkers, not far from
this plsce. His name is Jasper Milton
and he derlars that soft coal is all that
be- eats.
Tss,ars home. II such it ran he called,
!. neither house nor boie. but comoi-
nstion Of both. It is lDcaied half way up
the hillside. and is both didcult and
dangerous ;of access A narrow. wind
iag rock-strewn path, Twisting in and
out among the dwarf pines and over fai-
len LOGS. leads from the bottom OF the
,ul.h 10 Jasper'r dosr. The visible hall
Of the dwelling i bu.it Of boards, wealth
or hea,en and stained by time. A rank
growth Of grass and bright green moss
crows on the roof and in the joints on
she sides and en.i. There is no window
ar other means Of admitting light and
air exccpt 10y the doof-A rickety aiiAii
hung on l,oot-leg hinges.
In fair weather the old hermit SITS
with door open. but when the cold winds
blow in from the South be crouches over
a small FIRE OF sticks built on the earthen
door Of his Wretcbed house. One joint
of rusty pipe projecting from the roof al
lows some OF the smoke TO escape when
the wind is inlthe right direction.
Jasper is feeble old man Of seventy
or Whereabouts, with snoW-Ehite hair and
wbiskers. @Tve grown so thin since the
flood he whined, as be frightened the
.tanapoiher hole, shat can't wear sus-
penders any more. My shoulder blades
are 20 sharp they cut the susPenders in
twor
The old man made this remarkable
statement with an air Of great sincerity,
followed by bursi OF maniacal laughter.
Recovering himself, he frowned at his
follr. cursing the while like pirate
Were you with Noah p his visitor
finally asked
~No. no" he replied. "lts the 1ohns-
;oxn food Tm thinking about. The
bur.,ing Of that cursed Conemaugh dam
ruiped me for ever. was one Of the
richest men in the valley" he went on
erei,edlv. "bul now I'm beggar Folks
say am rich-got gold hidden away
bat It's lie. There's nothing here but
coal. and I've had a hard struggle to get
that. because they watch the bunkers 80
close.
AT the time Of the disaster contin-
ned old Jasper, after long pause, i
had thousands Of money in my house
when the flood came rushing down, and
before knew what was up, me and the
house went floating down on the tide.
six.eeo million tons Of water had broken
loose from the reservoir. 1t went leap
ing ana foaming down the valley, carry
ing death and ruin IN every hand. lost
NV money, family-everything then
came West II l can get what coal |
need IN stay here till die"
How much coal DO you need?'
"But very little now my teeth amt
what they used 10 be.
You don't mean 10 say that you eat
coal?7
TO be sure. Coal is what live on.
Coal for breakfast, dinner, and supper.
Coal on Thanksgiving day and on Il e
Fourth Of July. Ever eat any yourself? ?
MOP Finest kind Of diet when you get
il fresh. ] lived altogether on anthra-
site. Lehigh valley small egg being my
favorite. Sometimes clinkers foun their
,vav 10 my table But now my teeth are
zone. I'm content with soft coal. South
Prairie scre sning is what use when ]
can't get at the bunkers. There's enough
ia that can by the door there 10 last me
two days. Every sunday try to have
mess Of gashouse COKE FOR dinner, bot
the weather has been so bad Of late that
couldn't 60 after IT,
Coal and the Conemaugh flood are his
two great hobbies, and be talks Of moth
ing else. Several attempts have been
made to draw from him his history, but
without avail. IL is not exactly known
when he came 10 Tacoma, but he was
fast seen in the gulch late in the summer.
lie makes regular trips 10 the bnnkers
for provisions, and can be seen almost
any afternoon creeping stealthily about,
picking up bits Of coal and putting them
in his pocket.