New-York tribune., 1902-06-15
SINGULAR YANK EE.
LIVES IN COMFORT BUT NEVER WORKS
IS WE'LL INFORMED ABOUT CITIES
HE HAS NEVER SEEN-HAS A
MOST INTERESTING Curl
OSITY IN HIS HOUSE.

Every once in a while a comes into Puplic
notice who has never ridden railroad TRAM
but not every once in a while does a man cohi0
into public notice who possesses not only tiiis pc
culia ritv but also has never been more thdh III
teen miles from home and yet is familiar-ln theory
with New-York Brooklyn. Boston and Chleaso'
wbo owns the house in which he lives and in whlch
his father and grandfather and great graholdlnei
lived before him. house where "ashiiis. s.oii 81
several davs and which, for reason other than
This is A point visited every summer bV hu'oieus
of neople who spend the season in the village near
os, 70 u and who come from even more distant
no;nts to talk to the and see the curiosity In
the cellar. 49,, ,.,,o
The man is George Washington Gilbert; the mouse
n 4, rooner two miles from Ridgefeld, conn. Inc
t, CURIOSITY, Is a large rock in the cellar Whlch
forns foundation for the old fashioned chlihheH'
1ts eastern extremity is profile of queen Hlc'oI,l
which was carved by the Master Hama before TIC
kingdom of Great Britain was ever hearo 'i'
Mr. Gilbert himself is an interesting clIai
Although he received no education fur'hei ,.@ n"aa
.hot furnished by the village school, he mas taiheo
and read but. he says never stuoleu' . ~ s,1
information on general subJects Is "iue =, 80
IIa has a farm on which the house was ouii' ~
wears ago which he never works: ne heeps nv
80, .h,cLeps dog or cat-nothing that mas hie-
ne never works anything. never pegs nor 49,, aoeep
sratutfes from any of his many Nlsi'oi' . "
ob,a In the extreme, and yet never lacks ioi ii.'
q. nov for whatever he may desire to purchase.
o,1y when there is heavy snow on lhe slouiiu
so,s ba wear shoes-unless he should aftena the
f,neral Of a nefghbor; he usually dresses IN si
end a pair of overalls, has never worn ~ ~ -
ing and notwithstanding that he never 4"OA
,no,ev has never had a bank account nc nae
,o,,,I ,oe,oorv and is an able mathematician
a,+boupb he does not rank with some VINO h".e
attracted attention because oil 'he I,e &c
so,v,ne problems by unknown hie'ii' . -
looked upon as an infallible pfoshosU." -
corning seasons weather. and MS heisN
= ,,;sees his forecast of the general "ed'H
- +ba, would prevail during a winter OF d SUNNI
The house in which Mr. Gloerl was ~
IN which he still lves-and to "hlch he N"7 - -
hrougbt wife, although he is ffty-1onr years
". g. h,,,1t nv his great grandfather. Ebenezer
c.i1bert Fbenezer Gilbert afterward served IN t'e
4th Connecticut Hussars in the War OF 'he ~
luton The house. Mr.. Gilbert says was u1e0
bv General Washington while the commandeF-H'-
chief was on his way to the camp OF uoHei
Putnam which sixteen miles distant anu
-,ained there three days, his wants being caieu
for by Mrs. Gilbert. who was the oaueh'ei "
Candetoah q chief of the Pequod tribe OF Iho'aiis'
which once owned all the surrounding counStE
She was called by the Pequods Inaquah (the bro
With a White Feather). but when baptized into tfe
christian faith adopted the name of Rebecca- her
marriage and death are recorded In the ai'h'e'
of what is now the town of Ridgefeld-
In Mr. Gilbert appear no facial traits that "ouiu
indicate Indian ancestry. His SKIN Is Ian ~
torabead high and his hair is OF faxen nue.
soft and silky. but worn short ana wen 'ii
He wears no beard or mustache' out TINS 10 ~ 80.
choice not from necessity. His walk H'"'
which is long ard swinging ana WIZ" ~
him 10 cover the ground almost as fast as an
ordinary man would trot, may have come TO hiIii
with his blood. In his youth he exceheo III al
athletic sports and even now Is hearty anu We
orous He is tall and erect. his eyes are C'e"
and have never known glasses. and ne mas All h'
teeth which are in good conditlon ana Oh a N
zlinp white although he has never known the use
Of toothbrush He has never been sick single
day he says and he ascribes his excellent meant"
10 s,nple diet regular hours and total abstinence
from the use of tobacco ana AqU0t' ''S
Near the house in which Mr. Gilbert lives are
fnIIt FOR mis- Indian bride but which he deserted
when he constructed the more preleIInlouis She
which one of their descendants now occupies; tt,
brought a dowrY 10 her young HuSpaitt t I'll
acres OF land, the greater part 2I whieh maS S'a,
before the present owner came lhto posseSsio4i '
Where MI Gilbert gets his money is a mystery
TO mis- nefghbors When his mother died, thrty
years ago, he abandoned the iaborious WORK OF
only because she wished him do Since then
he has sold hundred acres OF land Tor n price
that would not pay even f MS tTes s o te farm but
h eery neie6bnr Who wishes to avail himself of
% py eoTrg enerosty Long ago Mr. Gilbert
would loan a neighbor almost any reasonable
sum of money taking for the debt no acknowledg
ment. Twenty years since, however, neghb9rr
repudiated debt, and Mr.. Gilbert said he would
The summer boarders OF Ridgefeld who visit him
from different cities Of course e. and nj Gil
belt invariably talks to them about the streets ana
the points of interest in their homes. In this
especially about New-York and Brooklyn. that he
can describe more thoroughfares than can usually
he had actuaiIv visited them He has an assort-
rnent OF catalogues OF museums in New York Bos-
ton and Chicago that he has read again and again.
acter besides These and his conversations with
his numerous visitors keep him well informed. He
aims. he says, TO gain at least one piece of informa