The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-10-03
AN ENGLISH TOURIST.
he HEARS A STORY OF HOW HER
NIT MOUNTAIN WAS NAMED.


9 Strange Yarn About the Lonely
LovesIck Miner OF the selkirks-Ths
Mountain Was Named for Him.
The train had stopped near the heart
of the Selkirks, under the shadow of q
great bare crag, which the guide boob
said was the Hermit mountain The
rock rose almost precipitously, culminat
ing in crest extending for hundreds OF
feet to the north, and the top of the crest
seemed almost as sharp as razor. With
arms akimbo on the rail of the observa-
ton car was an English tourist, who
wore a monocle and a stare, and seemed
very much bored by the scenery. Near
him stood IA commercial traveller Of To
ronto, who was explaining how the
mountain got its name.
"T'ollow the edge of the mountain
from its front to the rear" he said.
Right where the edge breaks off you
see solitary pyramid. From here it
seems to be only about six feet tall,
though in reality it is about thirty feet
semblance to a man? That is the hermit,
and it is this solitary pillar that gave
name to the mountain"
The English tourist suddenly showed
indications of interest. He edged little
nearer, and remarked:
BEG pardon, did hear you say some
thing about hermit
The commercial traveller gave his COM
rade a dig in the ribs. "Why, yes" he
said to the tourist; didn't you ever hear
the remarkable facts about the hermit
here?''
mo" said the tourist.
"Well. I'll tell you the story" said the
drummer Its a remarkable one, and
every traveller ought to know it. You
see, about the time of the gold excite
ment in the Frazer river country way
back in 1856 man came here to make
his fortune. One of the miners had
brought into this wild region his little
family, and among them was his daugh
ter, very pretty girl, with whom this
other fellow fell madly in love. He had
a hated rival, of course, and in few
months this rival carried off the prize,
and life became hollow mockery to the
disappointed lover. He became not only
a woman hater, but hater Of his kind,
and he made up his mind he would spend
the rest of his life as hermit.
$50 he came to this mountain, and
he clambered up that brush that you see
alongside, and he built him hut of
stones and branches, and there he began
his new life. He had gun and lived on
what he could shoot, little -four he got
from the settlement and the berries and
roots he gathered. He lived that way
good many years, bringing down from
the mountain an occasional fur or bear
skin, which ne sold for provisions. For
years now he has been old and unable to
hunt well, but nothing has ever induced
him to give up his queer life"
By this time the English tourist was
all eye9 and ears. You don't mean to
tell me" he said How on earth does
he live now?"
''Well, once a week the people who
live in this little hamlet you see here fill
basket with provisions and one Of them
takes it up to the top of the mountain
When the hermit hears anybody coming
nC lCdf CD lid nQL anu IcUICdGS uGO Uu0
woods. The man with the supplies
leaves the basket at the door, and the
next fellow who comes up with provis-
ions leaves another basket and takes
back the empty one.
The hermit never speaks to anybody
Early in the winter, before there is dan
ger of big fall of snow, lot of pro-
visions is taken up to him, for fear that
a heavy snowfall will prevent any one
from reaching the top"
why. doesn't he get sick and need a
doctor sometimes? asked the tourist.
Nobody knows that he ever had a
sick day He is old, but he's well. You
see the air up there is magnificent, and
there's no reason he should be sick
There he is now" continued the drum
mer. in "a state of wild excitement.
"There be is: near the edge of that rock
Don't you see himY'
Thc Englishman looked, but could see
nothing. He borrowed a field glass and
was adjusting the focus when the man
exclaimed:
''There. he's gone. just caught q
glimpse of him. He's up 80 high he
didn't look bigger'n a spsck, any way"
Remarkable" said the Englishman,
as he Ia sed into seat. He rolled it all
over in his mind for a couple of hours
Meanwhile the story Of the Englishman'i
interest in the hermit had been told to 9
number Of choice spirits, and there had
been much hilarity. One Of the meI
who shared the fun was standing near
the Toronto drummer, when the English
tourist sided up to him again.
Nov. look a-here," he said. "honest, Il
that really all true about the hermit
Certainly. it's true" said the com
mercial traveller. Most all tourist.
know it. and any one who lives in thi,
country can tell you all about it. Ash
this man here"
The Englishman turned to the Other
man. who told the story Of the hermit
over again. with some graphic and cir
cumstantial additions. The Englishmar
will probably prepare an account Of thu
wonderful hermit for the British press
New York Sun.