Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-01-06
LIVING IN SOLITUDE.
STRANGE HERMlTs WHO HAVE AZ
TANNED NoToRleTN

The Singular Creature Who Frequsnts the
wiids Of Pike County. Pa--Berks coun-
ty's Female Hsrmis-Hermit coe Of the
Bowery.
"te-e have lived for 10 years, and here
hope 20 die. I want no other company
than these woods and mountains give me
All ask OF my fellows IS that they Will
leave me to followin 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
70 hia home, small and gloomy cave in
the densely wooded mountain dozen
mills or 50 from Dingman's, the sleepy
little village no we'll known TO lovers Of the
STRAIN 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
elittering and hair and long flowing beard
ns white as the midwlnter snow. Its now
o. 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 pnsthc himself
was ns silent as the grave. He had no yis-
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Intelligence, but he quietly repealed all ut
tempts 10 break in upon his solitary lie,
and at the end OF n few years sold his farm
and went to live IN q cave on the adjacent
mouutainside Here upon time party
Of hunters found him one cold winters
day stricken with fever and slowly starv-
ing. Tho good people Of Dingmans.
whence he was taken, gave him tender
care, and when no recovered he went back
10 his home on the mountainsidc
Here, after the lapse OF many years, he
was found by relatives from Connecticut,
who bad long sought for him in vain They
besought him to return 20 his old eastern
home, but without avail, and after proyld-
ing for his wants they left him 70 follow
his strange aud solitary life undiaturbcd.
Before they LEFT they told the inquirrrs tho
touching story Of sheldon'a life Married
20 q beautiful girl whom he tenderly loved,
her sudden death a few weeks after their
wedding day made him hencetorth
changed man. He grew silent and morose.
aud after few months sold his property 10
Connecticut aud disappeared
In the wiids Of Pike county he found the
solitude and lee be NO much desired, and
there. with his Bible rs his only companion.
save for one brief period he has since 70
sided. Eight years ago he again fell sick,
and. found as before by hunters, wps taken
to Diugmans lssister came from Con-
necticut 20 nurse lin, aud When his health
was restored persuaded him TO accompany
her home. But tho longing for hla cave and
the forest solitude soon proved TOO strong
10 persisted, and a few months time found
him back In his oddly chosen home. which
he said be should never leave again, and
thus far his resolution hua been faithfully
kept
Pennsylvania Ind until few years AGO
two female hermits Ono Of these VIVA
sallie Ketncr, who lived in the mountains
near Bcruyillc, Bcrks county. Shcrcachcd
the ngo ~ ~, and for * years lived the life
Of a hermit, residing nll that time In y
tumble down hovcl, the falling timhcR Of
r which Gnally produced the injuries which
caused her death. She Ind loved and been
loved in return, 20 the story goes, By a
handsome young sailor who LOFT her with
the promise that IN 1--WE years he would re-
turn and make her his bride,
Trh promise was never fulfilled. for the
sailor lover, impressed into tho service Of
another country, died In u French prison
before the time set for return. His sweet
heart kept his memory ever green, would
never have anything 20 do with men, aud
In her bosom when she was dead was found
the last letter from her lover, faded with
nge, 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 uncrfing rife She lived In the so.
oiety Of her cuts and dogs, Of which she had
q gOodly number, and often was not seen
for mouths Herrude llIumndeher healthy
and strong
-Four or five years ngo tho people OF New
York talked for Il day about the story Of
Hermit Coe Of the Bowory and then forgot
t. A dozen years before Leonard Coc TINT
being the name he was known by, had
taken up his residence Ia Bowcry lodging
house. io seonied very poor hut paid hlA
rent promptly aud spent fcw cents ench
day for food, He was moroso and taclturn,
could seldom be drawn into conversation
aud rarely left hls room. When he did. hc
always carried with him brown paper
package Finally he tell niek aud wustaken
20 hospital.
when told that he could not recover. ho
sent for John Halter, former fellow iodg
er, and informed him that his real name
was liaer and that he had relatives living
In Lancaster Pa. lie also made will,
naming Iinller rs his executor and iutrist-
ed to bis keeping the brown paper package
he had 30 long guarded with Jealous care,
Tile day following his death Hallcr opened
the package and found, 70 his nstonlsh-
ment, that II contained over $4,000 IA
grconhncks
. An examination Of the hermit's papers
showed thut he was graduate Of Yale col.
lege and had studied both law aud modl.
cine Lntor he Ind engaged Ia the publish
ing business with his brother, hut had in
slime retired with competence and had
finally drifted To New York. There, for
some unknown reason, hc had sunk his
identity under Tho name OF Coo and adopted
the squald life OF a hermit OF the slunls--
Chicago Intor Ocean.
B
poiltc TO Fault
The electoral campaign, fertile MS It isin