Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-09-24
WILSON THE HERMIT. !"
Strange Story Of Nan VI no Lived
Among Indians.
BURIED HIS WEALTH.
Home On Madeline Island UadistuTbed,
as Reds Feared His Strange
Ways.

Tgv peopi. WHO visit Bayfield,, WIS.
afe familiar with the history that
connects it wish Fia Indian Tribe OF CHIP
r.sga. and the Gur traders that once con-
GaetrI q station 9n ihr isle IF Madeline,
thar Is now a widely known SKINNER re-
sost. Thine is story arising from early
dates. coate,ni.,g Wilson siaHl. in winch
toe visitor Ga this section wiz be greatly
Interested owing % the fact That. the
scene ct the story remains unchanged.
The soeuy j. picture OF deeoiaiioh.
framed in evergreen. Back Of and all
4rouHd lie the great pine forests, stretch
ing away inland until il meets the dull
ieaden horizon Before us lies the great
inland urraT OK the north. covered with
sH0T-cappcd ice rs far as the eye can
reach
When the summers sun lights mp this
picture ii is different The white-capueG
waees elisten and Sparkle as though they
bore upon tIeir bosom, clusters Of dia-
uiondS and pearls. Then the islands are
tmeraliS casting rayjshingly beautiful
shadows upon the wayclets. The chan
rels and inlets are peaceful and Charm
Tag vistas. dotted with the white sails
of the hshcrmlu'S boats, and pleasure
Yachts. Dat upon the WIDE sea there
j. 10 be seen the long trail Of smoke from
the passing steamer or the white wings
OF the ships that are bearing the golden
grain of the new northwest TO the east
NeH grancIieS.
As you gaze upon the scene below. Won
can hardly imagine that there ever lived
q human being who could find in tho
deatlilike silence o. lie frozen sea IN
asylum. where. shut out from all the
world. he could remain content. in per-
feet solitude. undistnrbcd by man. Bur
q. Ia. l.
log cabin. surrounded and hidden by the /
signing pines, winter and summer, for
sixteen Yeas.
Wilson, the Hermit"
Wilson. the Hermit" he was called
by the people who lived at ancient La
Fontc and Bayfield,. Strange stories
were told Of him. and of a wild and adj
venturOuS carcer. before he built his
cabin and retired. Once or twice a year
he took his rudely built boat or birch
canoe and visited the settlements TO re
plenish his exhausted stores. aud then
silently stole away to his island home.
The Indians were afraid of him and
seldom visited his island. They called
him "Muii Mnnto' tthc Evil Onel lie
was terror to The boldest Of their war
rors and upon one or two occasions
when intfuded upon by adycnurous /
braves he punished them severely
iilS cabin was built of pine logs and
contained but one room. Two large
lfonb0und chests, Il rude homemade
easy chair. rough board bunk. Il broken
looking glass. one or two cheap, c0lured
prints taxed Oh the mud-lined walls.
few books. and pegs for his rifle and shot
gun. completed the furnishings \ rude
mud and c0bhie stone chimney and fire.
place furnished him warmth in winter
anu chance to cook his plain and sean
~ meals This was the "Hermit's"
home.
Hermit Wilson was man OF me.
dinm height. powerfully built, with
Keen. black eyes and heavy iron gray
beard and hair He seldom held CONVEX
Satlon with any one, when on his semi
annual visits to the settlements. except
with one or two Ct his old friends
Was Born in Canada.
He was born of Scotch parents in
Canada, aud in 1910, when but Is years
81 age. he ran away from home aud was
shipped 10y John Jacob Astor around
cape Horn To Astoria. the then famous
trading post on the Pacific coast. Bur
he could not forget his Canadian home.
has aged parents and n dark-eyed French
iaSSie, and he longrd TO return To ciyii-
eaton once more. His term of service
expired in 1917 and he joined Il party Of
SIX ana started for Columbia overland.
1cFoSS the Rocky muutans, and after
fearful Journey. occupying nearly three
years. lac and his companions managed
to reach i.akr Superior alive but terribly
worn and weary. After short rest he
Joined an expedition bound for Sault Ste.
Marie and finally, aftcr IA long and tc-
HtoaS Journey, reached his old home
again after an absence of nearly twenty
years, But there were none to greet him
there Ills parents were dead and his
aWPethoari the mother of a large family
anu tlle wife of a wcll-t0-do farmer His
parents had left him a large amount of
properly and neat sum in gold but
ne toNid not down the adventurous shirt /
nat arose within him. and soon he was
haeE /" wild life on The border
Returned to Wisconsin in 1921.
lie returned to Lake Superior in 1897
and enlisted in the service af The Hind.
@pn hay Fur company. and then entered
we employ OF the American Fur com
pauE and was stationed nj La pointe /
lie remained in this service until tbe /
aharS were wound up in 1S47 and then t
retired g. has island home aud began his
lonely life. 80" ''H
Late in October, 1865 Articho. a Chin. ,
F"Na thef, returning from the fshin, /
grounds in his birch bark canoe decido5 +
10 stop al the hrrmir~ homo opd nro'
P.jaje t''m with II mess Of fresh fsh
re went io the cabin and knocknd ~
i.'' do"i. ko'cNu@ uu answer. no. EftrJ ,
~, ''t'., 'h'rreI cautiously and L
It3ltt4'd ior room. He tptoed to th. ,
bedside ut the Uutr3 lrrnrir a1ti tl,nr,, IL
stretched upou hi, back with hiS r'4n l., 4,
M haRb~ lay Wilson. dead nn,s :
Hiea vain sold ANA silver coin rr,. /,
l4"'d ti' one "i The iron chests mis- Vs. :,
'' "'"\ VlH!G oi value discovered. hnr "
@'',I H'"rNrd 10y many 81 the old s
"'t'le'~ mat q large amount af money i
"As iadd,u beneath The uIl l3,l. ,.",,croI
cottage Wilson's body was t,lsnn ~
III fomtc, Madeline island. and thero