The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-08-29
Safe in His Mountain Retreat.

The wilds of California are filled with
all sorts of strange habitations occupied
by strange people. Some of the people
have good reasons for living the lives of
hermits and some are most likely, lit
tie insane There is one man, though,
who is not insane, yet has about as strange
q home in as lonesome locality as ever
man occupied His name is Peter Stiffel,,
and he lives far up toward the peak of
Mount Whitney, where for six months of
the year 1t could not be reached by anoth-l
er human being without the aid of wings,
and during the other six months it is a
matter of toll and hardship to reach his
abode. Just exactly what Stiffel's story
is cannot be ascertained, but he is q Rus
sian nobleman by birth who, in an un-
fortunate moment several years ago, said
something that offended the car Having
too much sense to stay at home and stand
trial, knowing that he would have no
show to escape Siberia he fled at once,
taking as mucA money with him as he
could carry. He had difficulty in getting
out of Russia, but after many adventures
reached this country. His escape was due
to the fact that he went across Siberia in
stead of going east. At Vladivostok he
took ship for Alaska, but did not feel
safe there, as he was too near the ennis
saries of his Russian tyrant master. Stitfel
tried many places to make his home, but
somehow did not feel safe until he found
his present abode. He did not want to live
in big cities, because in such locations
there was no more pleasure in life for him
as long as his country is in its present con-
dition. He knows he is perfectly safe from
arrest in America, but the car has other
o,,f,,
portant object to Stitfel was to conceal his
identity, and he went to work in the lum
Der mills in the mountains, but there was
recognized by a man who had also escaped
from Russia The man was convict,
however, and Stffel would have nothing
to do with him. After his identity was
known Stiffel WAS surprised to find that
his fellow workmen sympathized with
him and kindly offered to kill any one
from Russia who molested him. Never
theless he concluded to bury himself from
the world, and buying couple of burros
started out.
The spot he selected for his cabin is
about -, 900 feet above sea level, and since
he has been living there only five people
have called on him. The house is built of
heavy logs and placed close up against a
group of enormous granite powders. The
roof slopes toward the front door, so that
the snow will slide off without endanger-
ing the structure The interior consists
of three rooms, the middle one containing
an enormous fireplace, wood pile and
chair and a table. The other rooms are,
with the exception of large number Of
books, rs bare of furniture as it is posi-
BILE to imagine "a human habitation. 1t is
here that Stitfel spends his time. Twice
year he goes to Visalia to mail letters
and get supplies and see that his money
Is all right. In summer he wanders over
the mountains after game, but in winter
he is showed in most of the time. One
year snow covered his house to such
depth that he could not get out, and the
only way he got air was through the
chimney. By looking up he could see
walls Of snow on both sides, where the
heat from the fire had melted passage
way. For IA weeks he only saw a patch
Of sky over the chimney and the walls of
his rooms. Fortunately he had plenty Of
frewood and provisions, or he would have
starved to death. But In this place Stiffel
seems contented to live and die in what he
calls freedom. That he belongs to the up
per class of Russians there can be no
doubt, as he is well educated and refined.
San Francisco Call.