Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-09-06
RecLusE OF MAINE.
Unknown Why He Chose the Life of .
Hermit, Unless It Was Love.

Hermit, Unless 1t Was Love.
George S. McIntire, philosopher,
mathematician and astronomer, one of
the most peculiar characters that New
England could produce. Diogenes of
the nineteenth century, died recently
at his room ON Green street Bidd.e-
ford.
A hermit who had no aversion to
civilization and people SO long as his
peculiar ideas We're not infringed up
on, Il recluse for the most part, yet
quite free to talk with those whom he
had confidence in, this peculiar man
with books and slate under Ii s arm
has been in and out among the people
of Biddeford and Saco, harmless and
honest and known and understood ly
almost everybody for as many years
as most of those who are now living
can recall.
In his youth, what gave promise O.
being an unusually bright mind was
warped and perverted, some say by
sickness, some by love affair, until
his relatives and others who had an
interest in him could do nothing else
than allow him to follow his own pc
culiar inclinations.
For years his companions had been
his books. arithmetical problems hay
ing chief interest for him. He was an
adept in mathematics, algebra and
geometry. The more difficult the prob
lem the more he enjoyed it. Astrono-
my was only secondary interest, yet
all that related to that science was a
delight to him. and his information
was as extensive in that line as in
mathematics.
These studies were his life. He
read the newspapers regularly and
was well informed upon current
events, but most of the happenings
of the world with which he had been
in touch so long were regarded by
him as wrongs and crimes.
His views were peculiar in the ex-
treme. He believed that marriage
was the greatest crime in the cata-
logue. Though he had not lived as
opportunities upon which to base his
estimate as Solomon had. he agreed
with the wise man that all was vanity
In this life.
He refused to eat meat or flesh OF any
| kind. He believed that nature had
| provided in fruit and vegetable form
| all that was necessary for the sus
| tenance of humans. He maintained
that the lowest of the animal order
had as good right to live as man
kind, and that to slaughter an OK tC
satisfy a carnivorous appetite was a:
great a crime as to murder a human
being.
He obtained his food by the charity
of others. his clothing was Il matter
of the utmost Indifference to him
and his garb was one of rags. If not
arrayed like the lilies of the field il
was at least true that he took NJ
thought of the morrow and tOiled not
He was n great lover of nature ant
when the weather permitted spen
most of his time in the fields ant
woods, never separated from hi
books. He had religion which wa:
of his own conclusions and he hat
little fellowship or respect for tn
more regular forms of religion.
The hermit's age was subject upor
which he was always sensitive. liz
had been sick for long time. thougl
he still kept about town.
An incident which shows sometime
of the character OF the man occurred
year or two ago, when IN
had trouble with one of his great toes
He endured it for Il while and thei
cut the toe off himself and for week
carried the severed member around II
his pocket. wrapped in paper.
Take it all around, Mr. Mclntir'
was the most remarkable of all tn
old characters of Biddeford histor!
and his death removes figure tina
was as familiar as peculiar.
He leaves several relatives and
was not their fault that he lived th'
life he did. His peculiaritles wer'
such that y" could not he Influenced
or induced to fall into the ordinar'
ways q. incn.-L,w WESTON tMe.) Jour
nal.