The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1892-04-23

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Jean Baptiste Dugas, the subject of
this brief sketch, was born in a small
farm house, four miles above TlIibO-
daux parish of Lafourche, in the year
1912. At the age of nineteen he moved
to T]errebOnne and engaging in farm
ing, he soon acquired considerable pro-
perty, and while on the road to pros.
perity he partially lost his reason.
The real cause of his insanity is still
unknown, but it is said that it was
brought about by the fckleness of his
lady love7a young and handsome Gre
ole gill of this parish, who Tilted him
almost at the altar in order to marry
his rival. It was a sad blow to his
brave and sensitive heart, and he
became Respondent to degree border
ing on insanity. On the day that his
tance walked to the altar to become
the wife of his rival, Dugas swore that
never more wOn(d he live in q world
where his dearest hopes had been ruin
ed and shattered to atoms by the faith
lessness OF a women whom he lOvod
aud trusted. He was true to his word.
He built himself a hut in a dense strip
of trees and briars, and wild flowers,
and there he has remained IN solitude
for the past fifty years. .
|. Though of an unbalanced mind, the
characteristic life of this lonely hermit
is exceedingly interesting. His ear
ing apparel at all seasons of the year
consisted Of a common gray blanket
UhrO wn loosely around mis- body, and
although he owned q tIunk-full of
clothing, he could never be pursua ded
to exchanged them for his blanket.
His bed consisted of gray moss heaped
up i'll a cOrne of his hut.
In the early day of his retirement
into the woods, his food consisted OF
SNAKES, wild hogs, rats, etc.
This manner of living continued un-
til persuaded by the administrators of
his estate to use more palatabIe food.
Of the meats brought to him he always
reserveda portion to distributed among
the small insects which inhabited his
hut, even going 50 far as to p~lacesyrup
in oyster shells to feed the ants, and
he allowed no one to injure OF kill his
little pets.
Two years ago his house was destroy
ed by fire, and another of similar d.
mansions of the same primitive style
of archit, cture was built by neighbOrs.
He paid very little attention to the
mosquitoes which, during the summer,
swarmed around his little home like
dark clouds on u rainy day.
To his visitors he invariably and sad
~ pointed to sold grandfather's clocks
on Thorough mantle piece. 1t was the
only ornament in his home, but it no
longer kept tho record OF time, o of
the years of its masters u~uhappiness
and misery.
The presence of visitors and their
conversation was always annoy ing to
him. and his answers to all questions
were curt and short. Children, bow
ever, wore always given a kindly well
come. He frequently joined them in
cIaw>tish parties. Unless aggrava ted
by others, he wasas harmless as q child.
but, when angry, he was dangerous, as
he was supposed to have at all times a
hunting knife concealed in the Colds of
his blanket to be used in case of neces>
sta as q weap on of defense.
He had ingeniously constructee a
press for the purpose of extracting the
juice out of his favOrite Creole cane,
Bis little cane mill was simplicity it.
self, but it answered the purpose for
it was designed.
His daily walks were confined strict.
ly to the limits of his valuable proper.
ty, and nc one remembers of ever bav-
ing seer him goa step beyound, except
once many years ago. when he was
taken before the district court, in
Houma, to answer the charge OF having
attempt to demOlishth the Catholic church
on Lower Tereebonne. At the trial it
was shown that Dugas, havin5 donat-
the site for the church, objected to
1anceing at fair given for the purpose
raising sufficient funds to complete
building, saying to those who ar
rested him while in the act of tair ng
Down the ediice, that the place was
Intended for a hOu Sc of worship. and
for the purpose of amusements.
he was acquitted.
Ha was n dacandauf oe A.