The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-05-20
STORY Of A HERMIT.
His Name is John Starnes and He
Lives In a Crib.
A HERO OF TWO WARS.
Generally He Does Not Like to Ac-
cept Money or Other HeIp-He Does
Not Like Company, Either.

"F. C. W." in q communication to
the Columbia State discusses the life OF
a hermit, John Starnes, near Blacks
burg, as follows:
"When Cherokee county took from
York the township containing Blacks
burg, her people were probably not
aware that they were depriving York
of what not many counties in this
civilized land can boast of--a hermit.
"About four and a half mules from
Blacksburg and two miles from the
North Carolina line, lives, or rather
subsists John Starnes. He is now an
old man, not many mile posts from his
three score years and ten. If the
reader were traveller along the road
that leads by this old mans abiding
place he would probably pass on with
out once thinking that human being
is living in such "crib, as I heard it
called. But being of the genus homo
does exc out IN existence there that
seems to satisfy his wants. II, how
ever, the occupant of this shanty were
to be in sight as you passed, you would
surely gaze in surprise and want to
stop. You would see a decrepit old
man, with his rags that he calls
clothes hanging from his body as if they
might fall off at any minute. Yet de-
spite his miserable appearance, If his
pictures are true likeness, he bears
striking resemblance 70 distinguished
living Carolinan, who is we'll known as
hero of two wars.
''But this John Sitarnes is anything
but war hero, if reports do not do
him an injustice. 1t is not known how
long he has been living as a hermit, but
for many years past he has lived q
secluded life in York county. In the
dark days of the war for southern inde-
pendence, when so many of his coun-
trymen had given their life blood for
their States and so many others were
still battling against an oyerpowerlng
enemy, the conscription officer is said
to have gotten on the track Of John
Starnes, then in his vigorous youth, but
his vigorous youth did not want to
battle for his country, and still suppos-
ing rumor does not slander him, deter
nined to outwit and escape that con-
scription officer. Luckily for him such
q thing as dry goods box was then in
his neighborhood, and under the box
John went. Who would have suspect
ed that there was q man under that
box? Not the c; inscription officer at
any rate, and job Starnes escaped the
duty of bearing rms against the in
vaders OF his country. He, of course,
was then compelled to keep himself In
hiding andit is supposed that he took
to the woods then and has lived his
lonely life ever since that time.
''He owns about two acres OF land
where he lives, but does very little to-
wards cultivating it. 1t is not known
how he lives, though occasionally he
does go to neighbor to borrow coffee
or something else when he is without
such articles.
''His hut is a miserable affair, with
an entrance so low that he has to crawl
in. He is said to sleep in box. Per.
haps he has fondness for boxes, as
one possibly saved him from Yankees
bullet.
"The hermit does not like company,
and Is quite quarrelsome when inquiries
are made about himself. He will talk,
however, if questions are asked about
general subjects as if information were
really sought of him.
"1he neighbors call him "Wild John
Starnes," but he says he is not 80 damn
wild as you might suppose. Some
years ago neighbor bought his land in
order to get him to move away. But
after the purchase money had been paid
he gave it back and refused to move.
He has been at his present home( p
what is home without q woman?) for
at least 10 years, and in the woods
probably ever since the war.
"Of recent years photographs have
been taken of him, but much against
his wish. A photographer, of Blacks
burg, has several different pictures of
him and has sold many of them in dis
tant cities and to passengers at the sta
ton here on through trains.
Generally he does not like to ac-
cept money or other help. He pos
sssses very old musket, probably one
that was used in the war. He has no
fireplace or stove in his hut, but IN very
cold weather he builds fire outside.
'He has relatives who have offered
him home, but he always refuses.
Very occasionally he hires himself out
for days work, but as rule he lives
in mysterious way"