Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-02-01

ed with heavy locks and bars he has
concealed in a strong box. more than GO
tobacco tin boxes filed with a. trans
parent stone, resembling plate glass
only rougher. Where he finds his ''dia-
monds" in large quantities, he Will not
dlvulge. That is a secret and while the
ground Is not covered with snow he goes
searching for the stones rearing anyone
might follow him, he travels up and down
the sides Of tho mountains between Rich
mond and Jonesvile, the next town, to
msead any of the boys, who he thinks
Is following him.
Each box of the stones Is securely
wrapped up, and if one stone is miss
ing-and they are all about the size of
small pebbes-hc searches until he finds
it. TO only his closest friends does he
ever give one of his diamonds" and
then only on the promise that he will
have it set in a ring or a stick pin.
II have 81, 900, 900 worth of the stones"
he said. and I am the only man in Yer
mont who knows where to find them. I
am lucky, and when ! go to Boston or
New York this year to sell them I will
make a mint Of money. I am the luckiest
| man in the State to-day. but | think that
| If others kept their eyes open they could
| find some.
"You see that farm over there he
said pointing to a house nearby, well,
my friend Hogan paid $4,000 for the
houses and land, and the very day he
paid for it I found this stone worth
| $50. 600 on the street in front OF the place, y
he added. as he pulled large transparent
piece of quartz from his pocket.
| Upon all other matters his mind seems
TO be perfectly clear He can remember
| the day and date Of many occurrences
| which happened more than 10 years ago.
He earns enough to support himself by
repeating shoes in his shanty When
business Is dull with the OLD man he goes
| about the village visiting ms friends and
| soliciting their work. In that way ne
| completes with his son, Elmer whom mr.
| ia ught tho business AS ii sh"e repair'r
the old man cannot be oxcelIed
| During the spring. summer ana
autumn the aged rccluse Is botanlst
and he has Il happy faculty OF nndinS
ginseng roots, which he sells scores OF
other villagers in the town have traced
and retraced his steps nut nave been
unsuccessful in finding the herD'
! HAS MANY RELATIVES.
| The old man is not happy unless his
time is occupied During the winter
he confines himself to his hut, reading,
writing or mendng shoes. After he
tires of being indoors he goes around
the village visiting. lie enjoys telling
stories or listening to Others when his
friends congregate at the village store
| and gossip about their neighbors or
things that happened in tn" village
when they were young. During the
winter weather he travels through the
| forests looking for ginseng root and
has been known to cover 20 miles
through the mountains in day.
JEFF" is related To almost one fifth of
the town. He is a member of the old
Picrcc-Bates- Bryant family and through
blood as we'll as by marriage, he has
nearly 10 relatives. He is It close rela-
tive of Mrs Nancy Pierce Bates OF
iluntingtun road. who celebrates her
10th birthday next July As well ms
having many grandchildren. tn" OLD
hermit has five brothers and three
sisters who are living. They are Row
lev Bryant of Alton. Cal: Mrs. Julia
Stanley of Malone, y. y; Mrs. Elizaz-
beth Drew of Boston; Mrs. Miranda
Hodglns of Springfield, Mass. George
and Cyrus Bryant of Lowell, Mass
William Bryant of Richmond and James
Bryant of Willston, some five miles
from Richmond.