The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-24
HERMIT or THE STONE. YARD.
John GslvIn's Queer life Under . Heap Of
stones In O Municipal Lot.

In the middle Of all the rush and hustle OF the
waterfront traffic on West street, between
| Fifteenth and sixteenth streets, deep down in
the city stone yard. Is situated the cave Of one
John Calvin, hermit. cynic and friend Of the
river rats. The average wayfarer might pass
by the big pile Of fagstones. cobbles and paving
blocks fifty times a day and never notice any
signs OF life in 1t. save for the two shanties that
serve az city offices and the Little Delmonico"
restaurant at the lower end. At 7 o'clock every
morning. however. an old grizzly-bearded man
rises, apparently out Of the very stones them
selves. and scrambles down on to the street.
He walks slowly up Fifteenth street, poking
into the garbage cans with the stick he always
carries and ransacking every odd nook and
corner OF the block in search Of food. After
this trip he returns to his home in the stones.
where, az q rule. he remains until II Is time for
the next days foraging excursion, This has
been John Galvin's life FOR over fifteen years.
Calvin $ home Is a c~ave-like hollow IN the
S sGranssd lining se 81 FAC Sp s,one ey an 4 p,e ,%se q 1Ssiy
tin. about five feet square, serves a. a roof, The
entrance Of the hole Is about two feet square,
that his head may be near the air, for there il
no room to turn around with comfort in (ialyin's
home. To sit erect would be an impossibility
have tried to befriend old John with offers Of
food and money, but he will have none OF IL.
lie long ago lost faith in human beings, and
now ms only friends are the river rats that
scamper IN and out among the stones M night.
lie, leeds these in his cave. and they have come
TO know him so that they run about him fear
lessly. and without doing him harm. He says
the king rat and the queen rat are his friends.
and that the others would not dare touch him
against their will, Several years ago some did
rebel and gave him trouble, but he SET n tran
and caught the offenders and Is now on good
terms with the whole rat kingdom.
According to persons in the neiuhborhood
there Is good reason for Galvin's lack Of faith
in mankind: Twenty years ago he was a laborer
in the employ OF the Manhattan Gas COMPANY
at Eighteenth street, and Tenth avenue liz
young wife. His. brother, whom next 10 his
wife he loved. and trusted better than any one
else. was a frequent visitor at their little home.
One night upon returning from work he found
went TO his brothers to seek advice In searching
for her, but the brother, too, was missinu
Calvin never recovered from the shock. The
next morning, he went to the gas house and
asked TO see the superintendent.
Il amt goin' to work any more" he an
nounced quietly. II you can't trust your wife
and you cant trust your brother. yoa can't
trust no one.
From that day Calvin has been n bermi,
living on nothing and trusting no one. III
pays no taxes, earns no money and accepts no
charity. He has no cares except to toss aside
a stray cobblestone occasionally that some
entrance Of hisihut, The police say that on
account OF the mans mode Of living he Is a
menace TO- public health. but that they are power
less to take any action. a. there Is no way Of
Another eccentric old man lives In a wooden
shanty In the rear Of the Little Deimonico-
restaurant, but as his home Is a wooden house"
and ne occasionally turns an odd penny at snow
respect Tor Calvin. Calvin has little respect
Ior Nun Tor tho same rees0na.