The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-09-12
LIVING IN SOLITUDE,
STRANGE HERMlTs WHO HAVE AT.
TANNED NoToRlETY.

The Singular Creature Who rrequents the
Wilds of Pike County, Pa.-Berks Coun.
TVS Female Hermit-Hermit Coo OF thu
Bowery. -". -
Here l have lived for 40 years, and here
hope to die. / want no other company
than these woods and mountains give me.
All / ask Of my fellows is that they will
leave me to follow in peace my own desires {"
The man who spoke in this curious way
was Austin Sheldon, the famous hermit OF
Pike county, Pa, the place, the entrance
to his home, n small and gloomy cave in
the dcnsely wooded mountain a dozen
miles or so from Dingman's, the sleepy
little village so well known to lovers of the
stream and chase.
A curious and striking figure is this old
hermit, now far past so; features sharp,
form thin and still erect, eyes keen and
glittering and hair and long flowing beard
as white as the midwinter snow. 1t Is now
"a years since he made his appearance In
Pike county and purchased a small farm
near Blooming Grove. No one knew where
he came from, and as to his past he himself
was as silent as the grave. He had no Wis.
'itors, he lived alone, and his brief visits to
Milford were few and far between.
/ Those who came In contact with him
found him man of education and superior
intelligence, but he quietly repealed all at
tempts to break in upon his solitary life
and at the end of a few years sold his farm
and went to live in cave on the adjacent
mountainside. Here upon time party
OF hunters found him one cold winters
day stricken with fever and slowly starv.
ing. The good people of Dingman's,
whence he was taken, gave him tender
care, and when he recovered he went back
to his home on the mountainside.
Here, after the lapse of many years, he
was found by relatives from Connecticut,
who had long sought for him in vain. They
besought him to return to his old eastern
home, but without avail, and after provid.
ing for his wants they left him to follow
his strange and solitary life undisturbed.
Before they left they told the inquirers the
touching story of Sheldon's life. Married
to beautiful girl whom he tenderly loved,
her sudden death q few weeks after their
wedding day made him henceforth a
changed man. He grew silent and morose
and after few months sold his property in
Connecticut and disappeared.
In the wilds of Pike county he found the
solitude and quiet he so much desired, and
there, with his Bible as his only companion
save for one brief period, he has since re
sided. Eight years ago he again fell sick,
and, found as before by hunters, was taken
to Dingman's. His sister came from Con.
necticut to nurse him, and when his health
was restored persuaded him to accompany
her home. But the longing for his cave and
the forest solitude soon proved too strong
to be resisted, and few months time found
him back in his oddly chosen home which,
he said he should never leave again, and
thus far his resolution has been faithfully
kept.
Pennsylvania had until few years ago
two female hermits. One of these was
Sallie Ketner, who lived in the mountains
near Bernville, Berks county. She reached
the age of 81, and for 4s years lived the life
of a hermit, residing all that time in a
tumble down hovel, the falling timbers OF
which finally produced the injuries which
caused her death. She had loved and been
loved in return, so the story goes, by n i
handsome young sailor who left her with
the promise that In five years lie would re-
turn and make her his bride.
This promise was never fulfilled. for the
sailor lover, impressed into the service OF
another country, died in French prison
before the time set for return. His sweet |
heart kept his memory ever green, would
never have anything to do with men, and
in her bosom when she was dead was found |
the last letter from her lover, faded with |
age, written Just before he died She was |
a fine shot, and during the winter months |
her hut hung full of game brought down |
by her unerring rifle. She lived in the so
ciety of her cats and dogs, of which she had
goodly number, and often was not seen
for months. Her rude life made her healthy
and strong.
Four or five years ago the people of New
York talked for day about the story of
Hermit Coe of the Bowery and then forgot |
It, A dozen years before Leonard Coe, that |
being the name he was known by, had
taken up his residence in a Bowery lodging
house. He seemed very poor, but paid his
rent promptly and spent few cents each |
day for food. He was morose and taciturn,
could seldom be drawn into conversation |
and rarely left his room. When he did, he |
always carried with him brown paper |
package. Finally he fell sick and was taken |
to a hospital.
When told that he could not recover, he
sent for John Halter, former fellow lodg-
err, and informed him that his real name
was Baer and that he had relatives living
In Lancaster, Pa. He also made n will,
naming lIaller as his executor, and intrust-
ed to his keeping the brown paper package
be had so long guarded with jealous care.
The day following his death Halter opened
the package and found, to his astonish-
ment, that 1t contained over s24, 900 in
greenbacks
An examination of the hermit's papers
showed that he was n graduate of Yale col
lege and had studied both law and medi-
cine. Later he had engaged in the publish
ing business with his brother, but had in
iTta ,t-ith |
finally drifted to New York. There, for
some unknown reason, he had sunk his
identity under the name of Coe and adopted
the squalid life of hermit of the slums-
Chicago Inter Ocean.