The Globe-republican., 1894-03-23
A SIMON-PURE HERMIT.
He Dwells Alone on a Mountain
Famed in Legend.
Forty Years Awsy from Civilization In
the Mountains Of Arizoua-Anown Ev-
erywhere as the Hermit of the
Superstition.
rSDecial Phoenix (Ari) Le.rer.l

A few DAYS since a peculiar figure
was seen on the streets OF the rising
town of Mesa, an old man trniglng
behind his two burros with rifle
flung over his shoulder He halted,
sat down under the covered side
walk in front of the general store,
brought his piece to rest with the
stock within his right elbow and the
barrel upon his knee, a habit bred by
two score years of life among the
mountains in the Indian country. On
this mild winter day he was coatless,
with flannel shirt open upon his hairy
breast, clothing torn and dusty. His
hair fell tangled upon his shoulders
and his beard, matted and gray, de-
seconded upon his chest. For forty
years he had not combed or trimmed
either. It was Old Reavis, the hermit OF
the SuperstitiOus mountains. His soli-
tary existence in those mountains has
drawn uncanny lines across his fore
head and given vacant but suspicious
stare to his restless blue eyes
This old man Of the mountains, who
only once or twice year loads his
burros with garden truck and brings it
to town to exchange for supplies. holds
the rare secret Of the hills that all the
jewellers of the valley look upon with
curiosity. but cannot read. As the
hermit was seated at a table in Chi
nese restaurant taking his one square
regular .:two-bit'' meal of the year he
crustily remarked:
Newspaper man, you say? don't
like newspapers: they spoil country.
They tell great stories and bring people
into a country and when they come it's
no good after that. never read them,
no moro than 1 comb my hair. It's
against ny principles" When asked
, why the mountains on the east side OF
the Salt rivers desert valley, where ne
! lives. are called Superstitiors noun
tain she related two traditions, one OF
the Indians. the other of prospectors.
The Apache Indians tell that a long
time ago when there were many OF
their people living in the valley these
mountains opened in the form of a vast
cavern into which all their people were
drawn and then it closed upon them.
There they must remain prisoners till
some uay they will come out as white
men. Though this mysterious noun
tain is in the heart of their country
the Indians are wary of approaching
it. The prospector's tale is that at the
southern end of the long mountain are
great holes in the rocks and chasms,
chimneys and towers among which
never-ceasing winds whistle and howl
dismally. Coyotes and wolves live in
the caves and yelp more frightfully
than on the desert, making a chorus
to the accompaniment Of the weird
winds that is like thousand dogs
bowling at a tolling bell.
The mountain sides are here covered
with the giant saguara cactus, that
rises straight up in single thorny
column twenty, thirty. forty feet, OF
sends up branches that extend upward
like a mans uplifted arms. This re
gion was visited by the Apache Indi'
ans on their raids for prospectors who
have always believed it to be gold
country. The Indians would light the
cacti on Superstition mountain. which
are very infammable and would flame
like great candles-signal fires to the
marauders on distant submits. So thu
mountains came to be dreaded a:
haunted, not only by the red devils
but by spirits of murdered men VIII.
walled in its gloomy Businesses, ant
took the name of Superstitious noun
tains. For decades they were shunnet
and remained utterly unexplored
They were as desert as the barren
sun-kissed stretches that guard thei