The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-12

VOW mdNC III NEW LdVGn w lIn HIS
BrothS-one Hair Cut Since-He
Builds Boats, Surrounded by Thirty
Girls Dressed as Boys.
From the Minneapolis Times.
There is on the shore of Lake Mime
tonka very unique and eccentric speci-
men of humanity in the person of Capt
John B. Brooks, the veteran boat builder
Of Breezy Point.
For thirty-five years this mysterious
man has allowed his hair to grow I'M
touched by scissors until it reaches nearly
to his belt, and until last November he
wore dog collar clasped about his throat
for a quarter of a century.
The strange man has reddish blonde
hair, slightly tinged with gray, nearly
two feet in length. The popular story
concerning Capt. Brooks is as follows:
When young and prosperous man of 36.
q years ago, Capt. Brooks and a twin
brother engaged in a violent quarrel at
their home in New Haven, Conn. over a
young woman Of whom both of them were
euamOred.
Brotherly love proved stronger than all
other dictates of passion, and after their
mutual anger had subsidized and consul
tation they agreed to each clasp a dog col
lar about the others throat, throw the
keys into a river and then part with the
stipulation that neither of them was to
remove the collar or cut his hair until
they met again after the expiration OF five
years.
In accordance with this compact the
two brothers, procuring two solid silver
dog collars, placed them about their
uecks, destroyed the keys, and with a
solemn oath to maintain all the agree
meuts Of their strange resolve, shook
hands and parted, never again to meet,
although each Of them, it seems was en-
deavoring to locate the other for twenty
years.
Capt John Brooks drifted to New York.
where he employed e professional tattooar
to cover his body from head to foot with
a mass of designs in blue and red inks.a
Nine years ago he appeared at Lake
Nlunetonka and erected a boat building
establishment near Breezy Point, which
he has maintained ever since.
10 is said that Captain Brooks has care
fully avoided during all these years the
fair sex, with the exception of little
children, whom he idolizes, and who
seem to love the long-haired, gruff-
but always gentle to them old man. who
has gathered flock of thirty of them
about him.
A usual method of holding up his hirsute
adornmentis to roll it up in psyche knot,
keeping it in place with a tightly tied
peceof fish line.
Last November Capt Brooks ascer-
tanned that his brother had been dead for
several years and, as one of their agree
ments at parting was that should either
Of them die the survivor was privileged
torcmove the dog collar from his throat,
Captain Brooks filed the haSp from
the lock and destroyed the silver band
which had encircled his throat for TWEEN.
ty-ive years. His hair, however, he could
not lose.
One afternoon recently a Times repre-
sentative visited Captain Brooks at his
workshop half mile above the Breezy
Point clubhouse in pretty little seques-
tered nook upon the shore.
Long before he reached his destination
childish laughter was waited to his ears
from the direction of the captains home,
and soon little wharf running out from
the workhouse, which latter was con
cealed by luxuriant foliage came into
view, and upon the dock were, as the
writer thought at the time, some little
boys engaged in fishing, but upon near
approach he was surprised to find them
to be girls in boysh attire
AT the foot of a steep hill, with mar
row inlet half surrounding it, appeared
Captain Brooks boat building establish
mont, two stories in hight and 50xGO in
surface dimensions
Upon the bow Of sailing yacht laid up
Tor repairs was the figure of fantastic
ally Odd specimen of humanity and beside
nm was little girl of l. dressed in a red
mock half cOnCealing her bare limbs, and
about whose waist was the arm of the
peculiar man, who was the most eccentric
INDIVIDUAL of the lake, Capl. John b.
Brooks.
Picture a man of medium height, slight.
guy muscular, with large ragged face,
rudy with health ana unseamed by
wrinkles, the face covered with a luXuri-
Gus beard and mustache of reddish gold.
long, WomaniSh light hair, parted in the
MIulIe and caught up at the back of he
mead in tigh ly rolled knot tied with
Aedvy fishing line
Under the shaggy brow look into pierre
ing blue eyes set in deep sockets, a some
what large nose and wide lips The figure
was CARRIED in a thin -undershirt. hanging
open half way TO the waist, and a pair OF
snort duck trousers.
About the neck is blue wreath of
leaves tattOOed into the skin Upon
Jllher side of the ornament is dog and
non IN blue, beneath it q rose which looks
uke thistle, worked in blue and red
INKS The arms are literally covered
IL NJ
ures and animals
On one of the lower limbs is tattloed
Iue picture of tree, which extends far
ABOVE the knee; upon the other leg is a
vine worked out in blue ink Add to this
On agg 'sive appearance of countcnance
ana you nave Capt Brooks as he is to-day,
o. Years of age, but looking 10 years
younger.
nally he was drawn into conversation.
nus beloved theme the construction of
she'll
! have built about twenty good yachts
S'Hle came here. nine years ago. he
salu, swaying his tattooed legs to and fro
over the boat, land finished three last
Is 1t fact, captain. that your motive
1or allowing your hair to grow untouched
U,GIlng the past twenty-five years and
your object in wearing a dog collar about
tour neck was quarrel between your
"'oIher and YOURSELF"
rNtf Brooks frowned and then replied
nave nothing to say about that. |
N'J,G" mat people at the lake have been
ling story about quarrel. dog col
CO.,. ana all that, and ] have nothing to
ftIls ABOUT 1t. The fact of the matter is
rt+yl nave allowed my hair to grow for
.,-nlll -nVe years, only cutting it once.
q, IHat was fifteen Years ago / gath
leu IL up one day and cut it on with my
Lowing Knife close to nv head re-