The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-11-20
AN ENGLISH TOURIST.
HE HEARS A STORY OF HOW HER
NIT MOUNTAIN WAS NAMED.

ITO tHO
of the Selkirks. under the shadow of
great bare crag, which the guide book
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 stare, and seemed
very much bored by the scenery. Near
him stood a commercial traveller of To-
ronto, who was explaining how the
mountain got its name.
"Follow 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
high. Don't you see it bears some re-
semblance to man? That is the hermit,
and it is this solitary pillar that gave
name to the mountain"
The Engli"h tourist suddenly showed
indications of interest. He edged little
nearer. and remarked:
"Beg pardon, did hear you say some
thing about hermitT
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?''
"No," said the tourist.
A DRUMMER's STORY.
"Well, I'll tell you the story" said the
drummer. cts 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
hated rival, of course, and in a few
months this rival carried off the prize,
and life became hollow mockery to tho
disappointed lover. He became not only
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 sec
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 he 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 eyes and ears. "You don't mean to
tell me-" he said. GLOW on earth does
he live now?"
"Well, once 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
he leaves his hut and retreats into the
woods. The man with the supplies
leaves the basket at the door, and the
neat fellow who comes up with provis-
ions leaves another basket and takes
back the empty one.
THE TOURIST BELIEVED 1T.
"Che hermit never speaks to anybody
Early in the winter, before there is dan
ger Of a biz fall of snow, a lot of pro-
visions is taken up to him, for fear that
heavy snowfall will prevent any one
from reaching the top"
"Why, doesn't he get sick and need a
doctor sometimesy" asked the tourist.
"Nobody knows that he ever had
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 state of wild excitement.
"There he is; near the edge of that rock
Don't you see him?"
The Englishman looked, but could see
nothing He borrowed field glass and
was adjusting the focus when the man
exclaimed:
''There, he's gone. just caught a
glimpse of him. He's up so high he
didn't look biggern u speck, any way"
Remarkable" said the Englishman,
as he lapsed into seat. He rolled it all
over in his mind for couple of hours.
Meanwhile the story of the Englisliman's
interest in the hermit had been told to a
number of choice spirits, and there had
been much hilarity. One of the men
who shared the fun was standing near
the Toronto drummer. when the English
tourist sided up to him again.
"Now, look a-here, he said, "honest, is
that really all true about the hermit"
Certainly, it's true" said the COM
mercial traveller. Most all tourists
know it, and any one who lives in this
country can tell you all about it. Ask
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 Englishman
will probably prepare an account of the
wonderful hermit for the British press
New York Sun.
Statistics of HORTICULTURE.
Aoo IN, .