Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-05-03
AN ENGLISH TOURIST.
HE HEARS A STORY or HOW HER
NIT MOUNTAIN WAS NAMED.

NIT MOUNTAINS WAS NAMED.
An American Commercial Traveller Tells
Strange Yarn About the Lonely.
Lovestek Miner Of the seikirks--rhs
Mountain was Named for Him
The train had stopped near the heart
Of the Selkirks. under the shadow Of !
great bare crag, which the guide book
said was the Hermit mountain. The
rock rose almost precipitousIy. cuIminat-
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 rnonocie and stare, and seemed
very much bored by the scenery. Near
him stood commercial traveler 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 Oh you
Ger solitary pyramid. From here it
seems to be only about six feet tall,
though in reality 1t is about thirty feet
high. Don't You see it bears some re-
semblance to mani 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 hermity
The commercial traveller gave his COM
rade a dig in the ribs. .Why, yes,r he
said to the tourist: didn't you ever hear
the remarkable facts about the hermit
here
''No," said the tourist.
A DRUNMER's STORY.
well, I'll tell you the story said the
drummer. ''It's 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 few
| months this rival carried off the prize,
and life became hollow mockery to the
disappointed lover. He became not only
, woman halter. but hater Of his kind,
and he made up his mind he would spend
the rest of his life as hermit
so he came to this mountain, and
he clambered up that brush that you see
alongside. and he built him hat Of
stones and branches, and there he began
his new life He had gun and lived ON
what he could shoot, little -four ne got
from the settlement and the berries and
| roots he gathered He lived that way a
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 mp his queer life
By this time the English tourist was
all eyes and ears You don't mean to
| tell me- he said. How on earth does
he live now?"
well. once week the people who
live in this little hamlet you see here fill
I a 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
next fellow who comes up with provis-
/ ions leaves another basket and takes
back the empty one.
| THE TOURIST BELIEVED IT.
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 g
doctor sometimes" asked the tourist.
| Nobody knows that he ever had d
sick day. He is old. but he's we'll 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 SET
nothing. He borrowed field glass and
was adjusting the focus when the mar
exclaimed;
There, he's gone. just caught {
glimpse of him He's up so high hi
didn't look bigger'n a speck. any way"
Remarkable" said the Englishman
as he lapsed into a seat. He rolled it all
over in his mind for couple of hours
Meanwhile the story of the Englishman,
| interest in the hermit had been told to
number of choice spirits, and there hat
been much hiIarity. One of the incl
who shared the fun was standing neal
the Toronto drummer. when the Englisi
tourist sidled up to him again
Now, 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 THU
country can tell you all about it Ash
this man here"
The Englishman turned to the othel
man, who told the story of the hermit
over again, with some graphic and cir
cumstantiai additions. The Englishmar
will probably prepare an account of tn,
wonderful hermit for the British press
| New York sun.