The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-27
HERMIT OF OTTER PEAK.
TIE VIRGINIA LAWYER WHO soUGHT
MOUNTAIN SOLITUDE.

Disappeared After He Mnde n Great Hi
In n Moonshlne Outlaws Trial-His Pre-
tence of Keeping n Hotel and His Stroni
Opinions on the DeGenerncy OF Snakes
WARRINGTON. Nov. ga water-color arts
who is connected with the National Museum
makes IL a point In each Of his annual vacations
to get to tho top OF a mountain he has nevei
climbed before. He has done the New Eng
land. the Adirondack, and some Of the North,
western hills. and as no postpones foreign
heights until he has exhausted all under the
American flag he is delighted with the nc.
QUESTION OF Hawaii. 1t has required no little
self-restraint to delay his visit to the wonderful
upheavals OF that extraordinary region.
Il have met many isolated, lonely men," he
said. besides the weather men on Noun
Washington and Pixies Peak, but tho only real
hermit / ever found had his picturesque perch
on one OF the highest points Of the Blue Ridge.
From the Reservoir Park at Lynchbure I first
saw the Peaks Of otter. distinctly visible
twenty-five miles away. and on one Of these l
caught my specimen. He had been in the
lonely business only three years. but in winter
he was as safe from human intrusion as II he
had been at the North Pole. In summer a man
with any sense Of the beautiful In nature could
easily wander away from visitors and enjoy
himself in solitude. Although young for an
anchorite and new In the business, he was of
the religious type all right enough.
Its q wonder more Americans do not visit
the peaks" he continued. The one on which
my recluse lived is climbed with comparative
ease. but the other would satisfy the early am :
bition of an amateur and would be q good
preparation for more serious work. Ameri-
cans at home do not seem to have the ambition
even Of Tartarin OF Tarascon. / suppose whom
there Is an Otis or gravity railroad either
peak will be popular. There are taller noun
tains even in the Adirondacks. where area
counts more than height. but the twins seem
higher because Of their shape. They are per-
feet in outline. the typical cone mountain Gle
walton. like the sharpened end OF n pencil. The
foot OF the nearest Is six miles from q town
that used to be named Liberty. 1t was late in
the afternoon OF a day in May that a party 1 was
with mounted a wagon for the ascent.
Il had no knowledge OF the hermit, as such,
until l reached the summit. or indeed until the
next afternoon after a day with him. Part OF
his history l got from himself, but more from a
Richmond man who knew him and his family.
But IL there had been no such person the
journey would have been worth q sitter climb
than that Of the last half mile. A Virginia road
side In spring comes about as near the beauti-
full in nature as it can be found. at least in this
country. The earth is a deep. rich red-the
redness Of the traditional Virginia barn and,
oS'DhS NV pAtNA oiuh OuN Wv Oou SOu Cul
break into the woods and revel in wildfowers
that would puzzle the amateur botanist.
The trailing arbutus. OF course. grows luxu-
rianty and there are at least seven distinct va
rieties OF violets--a fragrant white and a yellow
among them. There Is the sassafras with its
yellow bloom, the Towering dogwood and the
sycamore, and later the sweet-smelling wild
grape. the honeysuckle and cucumber, and,
richest OF all. not excepting the crabapple, the
r,~ .,- lA.,..I IA 4
ishes at the very summit OF the mountain. In
the North it is seen as a dwarf azalea, which
gives a poor idea of its magnifcence. Along
the road are peach. cherry and apple trees, the
fruit OF which belongs to the wayfarer.
1T was 8 O'Clock at night when the driver
said he could go no further, and it was two
hours later. after clamberinG up perpendicular
rocks and squeezing between boulders, that
we covered the last half mile. Warned against
rattlesnakes. we saw many in the bright moon
light. most OF them being roots and broken
tree limbs. The guide said there was a kind of
a MOTEL at the top. but it was incredible. 1t
seemed impossible to carry up the building
materials except by balloon. so we were hardly
as surprised as vexed to see nothing when the
giant top boulder barred our way. The guide
rocks. The hermit was also a hotel keeper.
The latter was a subsidiary trade that did not
Often T interfere hei, with his principal occupa;
being uncommonly shaky because they
pieces and put tosether at The tor. 9T HE
welcome seemed, to lack, cordially, but, this
of a man who had not spoken to a white fellow
man for more than six months, He was really
away IVA + he OS was NOT only only a T"fI f but s HSInbie. wf He
seemed to be about 30 years, old and properly !
Sis toiIet . nnd heah3 by the ph nly ItttLe at att .f n to
brought out his good looks and suggested that !
he might be almost handsome after an hour
hotel, he took from a ~crevice a thin register
which, had no recent entries and which showed
There were traditions OF the visits OF great
men before there was n house orr register
Won Humboldt and. OF course. George Wash
ington. and others.
THE hermit. or rather the landlord, for he
a wbbi ia 'ae on a a lisS he Norm snaS wS Sfihaf IS thu naq pe sGus sab1
fTt rtn e for = the the 4hIfR asE m horni fr and in time it
bread. fat pork. and q kind Of coffee on a cloth
less table. 1t was bitter cold outside. the wind
a short look 1.-THE electric lights Of Lynchburg,
Lexington; Staunton, and other far away towns
high. and we learned it was not often other.
wise; It might become more violent. but
was a clear day, and never on any mountain
R hhd ! iGxp srnss % S E T9ro % 9ssIi 6nFed and sdr eS:
Alleghanies. which seemed like monster waves
81 q green sea. through a glass the houses in
the valley beneath were mere specks. One OF
the striking sights was the shadow Of this peak
THE solitary man, who had spent three
years on and near the b%oulders that made the
top Of the mountain. was the son OF a Southern
preacher Of note before the war. He was the
nephew Of a Confederate General whose name
is known 10 all readers Of civil war literature.
He was himself a graduate Of tho law depart
ment of the University Of Virginia. had been
to the bar. and had even won local
renown,. Clearly he was an educated aud a
thoughtful man and more mons than ha npuIJ
any information beyond his daily experience on
day OF climbing together over rocks and elud-
ing SNAKES brought about, a closer acIuain-
There were snakes In plenty-tre-
mendous ~rattlers and copperheads and black
but all harmless. he maintained. unless
attacked. He thought serpents I'D doRene-
rated intellectually since Bible days. He had
found no indications Of the wisdom or cunning
for which they had been noted. On the con-
trary. they were the most stupid Of All created
ffnrnGs. as iqiGapSG,e OF H iea pnsnsd anything as OF
Dn his way TO the spring; They were fond OF