The morning call., 1891-03-08
BASSETT THE HERMIT.
A Man Who Has a Romance That " No Pellah
Can Find Out"

Dick Bassett, the hermit, has Just re-
turned from Grand Rapids, where he had
been visiting and seeing the sights for
month, and is now scaling logs in lumber
camp waiting tor the fishing season to open
before retu rning to his island home for the
summer, says a special from Traverse City.
Mich, to the Tribune of Chicago His
recent trip to Grand Rapids is the first time
in many years that he has been more than
twenty miles from home, unless with gun
on his shoulder on a hunting expedition, and
his friends scarcely understand this radical
departure from long established custom.
Dick Bassett is about 30 years old, wears
full beard tinged with gray, is quiet and I'M
assuming, well read and intelligent, and has
a romance somewhere in his career. just
where the romance comes in and the par
tic ulars of it are profound secret. He will
talk freely on almost any subject that may
be brought up, but when the conversation
| turns 10 his own personal history he shuts
up like clam. a pensive look comes into
| his mild gray eyes, and unless fresh topic
| is introduced he soon quietly retires from
| the circle. He arrived in this city about
| fourteen years ago, ard took up his resi-
dence in u deserted fi>hing-cabin on the
beach far from the abode OF men. lie occa-
|
| plies or to sell the fish he caught. and never
| 'lOunged about the bai-rOOms or corner gro
| ceTltS. be built boat aud most OF his days
were spent on the waters of the bay with
| fish-line in hand. He was mystery then
| and is almost as much OF a mystery to-day,
| although, through casual remarks and occa-
| sional observations he has dropred within
! the hearing of friends, some linking oil his
| career has become known.
Bassett remained 4 year in his fishing
nnl.i in nm hnup hAn q
| session Of a little island eight miles out in
| the bay. lying between Marion Island and
| the mainland, so near to either that but
| narrow strip of water separates him from
| the large island on one side and the main
land on the other. The island comprises
but single acre Of land. a1d when lie took
| possession was covered with heavy growth
! of virgin for st trees, appearing from dis
| lance like little Tut OF green rl-lng out OF
| the water. He cleared the land Without as
| sIstance, leaving low OF large trees as
! border to his plantation. lie erected cot
| tage Of boards which lie hewed out of the
| trees he chopped down, and since then lie
| has lived alone on the island, quietly and to
| all appearances happy and conten!ed. he
| has planted fruit trees and vines, and the
| land produces enough vegetables aud fruits
| to supply his simple wants. In summer lie
! fishes on the bay, both with line and net,
| and realizes Il substantial income from the
| sale OF the fish in this city and at the sum-
| mer resorts near by. He is said to have ac-
| cumulated competency, but oil his worldly
| affairs Dick Bassett is as retcent as OF his
early life. He has n good-sized ice-house.
which he fills every winter, takes several
daily papers and magazines. has well
| selected library, mainly OF travel and his
| tory. and has a queer collection Of old pipes,
| chiefly cOrncobs and briers.
| He is an inveterate smoker, bat rarely
| drinks, and has never been known TO
gamble. He frequently spends the winter
alone on the island, with an occasional
| hunting expedition 10 vary the mon0tOny,
while sonic winters he seeks employment in
the lumber camps. His recent visit to
| Grand Rapids is the first time since coming
here he has sought recreation in city The
| only pets he has are monster Thomas cat
| and a few dozen choice hens. He does not
take kindly TO dogs, and has never had one
| en- the island. In summer his house is
never locked, and he goes away leaving
money and food on tie liable in plain view,
| confident that any visitors who may come
in his absence will not rob him. Many sum-
mer resOrters have visited his islaud 6otn
| while he was at home and wien he was
away. The Indians never think of passing
in their canoes without making call, and
| yet his confidence has never been betrayed.
IL the visitors are hungry they help them
selves TO tie food spread on the table, but
as near as lie can calculate BasSett has never
missed dollar in money.
But there is a strange circumstance in re-
| gard 10 the island. 1t is so small and lnSig-
! nIlicant that it has never been surveyed, and
| Bassett has not been able to secure a legal
title to it from the Government. 70 his in
Quries he has been Informed from Wash
| iBgtUn that such in island cannot be found
| Oh tie charts and maps, and therefore has
| 10 legal existence. In conSt quence of this
decision from Washington the authorities of
Grand Traverse County hold that Bassett is
not a resident OF the UNITED States
| and not citizen, and that lie cannot vote.
Living within stones throw of Marion
Island and the main land both on the Gov
| ermment charts, he is declared an alien and
| DISTINGUISHED. He accepts the decision
wi. commendable philosophy, finding con-
! ISOLATION III the fact that he Is exempt from
! all misunderstanding, county and State
| alike. He does not own very much, it is
| true, but if he were worth n million he
would escape the Assessor. Yet there are
J Inconvenience in his situation. He is prac-
ticaily an independent monarch, all by
| himself, and can exercise all the
+ privileges and rights OF one of Gods
Amounted. He can declare war or treat for
| peace can levy tariff for revenue only or for
| protection to his infant industry of raising
| potatoes and eggs; can possibly coin his
own money and enter into offensive and
| defensive alliances with other nations. He
| is as mllsh of monarch as the King of any
| of the Cannibal Islands, and under the pres
| ent Interpretation of the laws could eat
! few summer resorters of wandering mission
aries without fear of the United States or
|
In regard to Bassetts past life all that is
| known is that he was born in the South,
that his parents were well to do, and that
! he received a good education. When the
war broke out he ran away to join the
Northern army. while his father and brothers,
I mother AID sisters SympathlZed with the
| South. lie enlisted in the Filth Iowa In
| fantry and served throughout the war, see
| ing extremely hard servi-e. He was wounded
| eight times in battle, and carries several
| bul Sti in Hp has
OF his old comrades and has been unable to
get pension, and has not, since becoming
an independent power, applied for one.
| After the war he returned to his old home,
but the family had disappeared. and he has
| not heard from any of mis- relatives since.
He went West, was q cowboy for several
| years, and served as guide and scout on the
| plains, and then he came here and settled
| down. There is love story where in
| his history, at least he has so minated, but
| the particulars OF it have never been learned,
and probably never will be.