Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-10-02
PAYING TO BE LONELY.
Men Who Gave Fortunes in Order to
 Enjoy Solitude

Enjoy Solitude
 Not many people would pay $500 a year for the privilege of never seeing human being. But this is what John Barren, a notorious hermit, who re- sides on the coast of Southerland, does. He is perfecting an invention which he firmly believes will bring him. undying fame, though what the nature of his discovery Is no one knows.
 His house is entered by climbing up staircase to the second floor, and at the foot a retainer is always on duty to keep away strangers, while seven teen other servants are similarly em- ployed all the year round in various parts of the grounds.
 Many will remember the case of Dr. Bothwick, the wealthy hermit of Atherley Edge. He owned fortune Of S1OO,000 in all, but some time before his death he purchased 5000 worth or Jewels and tapestries from London merchants and then threw the whole lot into the sea off the coast of Angle sey. With the $12.0OO remaining he built himself house, sheltered by a high wall so that no one could over look him, and then engaged six watch men at handsome salaries to keep the inquisitive at a distance After pay ing several hundreds a year for the privilege of being lonely, he died seven years ago, and left the balance of his fortune to his two nephews.
 Probably no man ever went to more trouble and expense to be lonely than did Josiah West, a retired woolen manufacturer, who resided in the Mid lands. Being an extremely ugly man, he became impressed with the idea late i'm life that it was a trial to his fellow mortals to look upon him, so he laid out his fortune in cutting himself off from the world.
 The first thing he did was to pur- chase a. large area of land, in the mid dle of which he built himself a house in the shape of a square, with all the windows facing on to quadrangle in the center. Then. although he had a small army of keepers to guard him from the curiosity of strangers, he bought up a neighboring village con- slsting of sixty two houses and razed 1t to the ground to still further insure his solitude. From that time forward until the day. of his death he never again set eyes on a human being, all his food being delivered to him through trap-door, built in the side of the house for the purpose.
 Saurier, tine eminent French novelist, also laid out large sum of money in order to be lonely. He had a perfect aversion to human beings of both sexes and declared that he could not work with any one in the same house with himself. Eventually he spent $16,O00 in building room beneath the lake in his grounds, which was approached by subterranean passage and had a plate glass roof. It was in this room that he wrote several of his finest nov els, and here he lived for a number of years without hearing the sound, of a human voice.
 Love of solitude was the cause of the world losing one of the greatest ln- venttons of modern times, namely that of color photography. Five years ago Dr Herbert Franklin of Chicago was successful in taking several excellent | photographs in color on plates of his own preparation, and his discovery was considered by the scientific col leges of Chicago and Washington to be 1 of a very valuable nature. In order l to keep himself secure against spies | he decided to work in secret, and for this purpose spent $12,0o0 on labora- tory without windows and fitted with | intricate and costly locks. Beyonl this, again, was a high wall guardf 1 by keepers; in fact, his seclusion cost him an enormous sum. For six n1onths he worked without setting eyes on human being; then one day came the news that he had been asphyxiated. His plates had necessitated his using a charcoal fire, and. having omitted to open the ventilators, the result was that he perished and carried his secret to the grave with 1aim.-London Tit Bits.