Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-08-12

bilt at the Lower Sancon postctfice and
the large mail he constantly receives at
the Wassergass for 4 long time failed to
interest his Pennsylvania Dutch neigh
bors, who are usually reserved and unin-
quisitive and accustomed to minding
their own business. II was only when
they heard the stories of the money that
comes to him mysteriously and of the
loans he has made at good interest that
their attention was especially attracted
to him and his manner of living. 1t is not
SO much that John Vanderbilt is Van
derbilt of the Vanderbilts that interests
them as that he has money and has the
Vanderbilt faculty of making money
make money even in his secluded situ-
alton
John Vanderbilt leads a very simple
life in his hermitage on the Hexenkopf.
His furniture is of the most primitive
kind His bed is a wooden couch covered
with straw. For his fire he gathers
fagots in the woods near by. He makes
his own bread and lives principally upon
a Cruel of the manufacture of which he
alone has the secret. His home, which
is one story stone cottage, so overrun
with vines and shrubbery as to be al
most hidden from view, is in marked con-
traSt with the palaces of the other Van
derbilts
Hearing of the hermit Vanderbilt's hut
hidden among the brush on the rocky
mountain side, a correspondent of The
Times determined to pay him visit. He
drove from the lower Sancon valley to
within a quarter of mile of the her.
mit's cottage and then made his way on
foot to the cabin.
4 long, loud rap ut the door brought a
response, and man past 30 years and at
least six feet in height, broad shouldered,
well proportioned and of magnificent
physique, made his appearance. His
beard was full, brown i'll color, slightly
streaked with gray; his eyes We're keen,
bright and questioning; his forehead was
high and broad and his countenance
open, frank and intelligent. He was
neatly dressed and seemed to have just
completed his toilet His hair and beard
were nicely brushed. His demeanor and
conversation were those of n man accus-
toned to mix with the world.
He answered his visitors salutation
courteously and talked at length in re-
gard to the direction and roads to reach
South Bethlehem. He was so easy in
his manner aud appeared so ready to an
swer questions that the correspondent
thought he might venture upon what he
knew was forbidden ground. The first
hint at the hermit's lonely life wrought a
magical change in his conduct 1t was
not n very broad hint, the inquiry being
in regard to the immediate locality in
which the hermit made his home rather
than TO the hermit himself Insteai of
answering the question as he had an
swcred those that went before it, the
recluse gave his questioner Il searching
look, and, turning upon his heel. he re-
entered the hut without Il word.
The resemblance between John Van
derbilt and the old commodore is strik-
ing. 1t is this striking family likeness
as well as the identity of name that has
impressed the hermit's neighbors with
the belief that the reclusc is a near rcIa-
tive of the wealthy Vanderbilt family
William Kaufman, the only man with
whom tae hermit has ever conversed at
length and who lives only short dis
tance from his unobtrusive retreat, is
confident of the close kinship between
the Hexenkopf recluse and the Wander
bits, who are housed in the most pala
tial homes in America. Some of Mr..
kauffman's neighbors go even further