The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1899-06-24
SO YEA RS In ONE ROOM
NEVER AGAIN TO SET
b. FOOT ON THE GROUND.
Sees Only His Manage In Spite Of His
Retirement He Owns . Fine Farm
u and Raises Stock Unsurpassed in
D, Kentucky. 81.

The men who are still letting their
hair and Whiskers grow because Henry
Clay was moi. elected president find
their counterpart in various eccentric
characters scattered throughout the
country. On fine bluegrass farm
Is miles north Of Harrodsburg, KY,
there lives a man, in the possession of
unimpaired physical and mental at
tributes, who has not left the four
walls Of his room for 80 years on ac-
count Of a foolish vow. His name is
Basil Haden, and the girl to whom he
was to have been married eloped with
another man on the day President Lin
coin took his seat in the white house.
In a fit Of discontinue he entered his
room in the second story OF his house
and declared he would never set foot
on earth again as long as he lived, and
so far as is known he has kept his
word and has never entered even an
other room Of his own dwelling. He is
the sole owner of fine homestead and
a farm of 500 acres left him by his
parents before the calamity of his life,
and permits no one to see him except
one man of the name of Turner, who
has been manager of his farm for rs
years, and even this man is permitted
to come only to his door. However,
through his manager, several hands
are employed on the farm and stock
is raised equal to any in Kentucky.
He does his own cooking, and Turner
delivers such articles as he needs at:
his door. A character of similar de-
termination resides in Urbana, Ohio,
where his many eccentricities are we'll
known. For nearly 20 years John
John Glenn never wore a coat or over
coat, winter or summer, appearing at
all times in his shirt-sleeves and an or
binary vest. This, too, was the re-
suit OF a hasty VOW faithfully kept. His
father kept lanyard in Urbana. He
was one of the early settlers, and his
sons were employed by him IN various
departments of his leather business.
John seems early to have developed a
peculiar disposition, for it is said that
even in those early days he would only
perform such work as was left silently
at his bench, and would on no account
take even the simplest orders or
directions from his father or brothers.
The coat incident came about through
decision of the elder Glenn to send
one Of his sons to West Liberty, Ohio,
to learn the tinsmithing trade. In
the execution of this plan he bought
this son full suit of clothes, at the
same time purchasing only trousers
and vest for John, who took offense at
the fancied slight and declared he
would never wear coat again so long
as his father lived. This oath he kept
until his fathers death, 20 years after,
when he appeared at the funeral in
complete suit of broadcloth as good as
money could buy. - During all these
years he was practically recluse and
spent all his time, when not engaged at
work in the tannery adjoining, in his
room reading, never appearing on the
streets or in public places. In short
time after his fathers death he again
took offense at some trivial affront and
retired to his room, in which he lived
alone for years. His peculiar;ttes seem
never to have introduced any dlscord
into his daily relation, VIII Win the other
members OF n r.s family, and until the
a7A -.4 of his brothers they all lived to-
gether in apparent harmony. He is now
the sole survivor of his immediate kin.
and possessor of all their wealth,
which is considerable. A cousin OF
his father, of the name OF Edward
Glenn, was the founder of Glendale,
one of Cincinnati's well-known sub