The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-08-22
CRAZYMAN'S CASTLE.
rovEL STRUCTURE ERECTED
EY CIVIL WAR VETERAN
Fcr Fsrry-Two Years the Builder
Lab1rea ~ Il Daily. But
Never Completsd His
Task

Task
T1r - years pzzsengerB o. ne steam
Eaztz plying rhe Mississippi river ~
rrsea 81 pau and s. Louis have risen
zt daylight. stayed - III DARK, q
rzsszd % their nezls that they night
- ths fzr-fzmed -crzzyman's castle.
"a toe rfzht bank a fhe MisslasiDgl riF-
r. alo11 - mlIes soufh q s.. Paul.
ear she village u Ninneista- AlHn-
There IS somefhing intensely interest
Ing sboar The castle that exeitea ~
v01der and zcmirzfi0n d All beaold-
ers. f0r Il rzs the work d ore Han- ooF-
ering q period q more than f0years and
hat nan . nan q mystery. without
eauczti0a a. an architect Or bliider-
though q polished accomplished geniieT
man-
The castle vas erected o. plateau
of rock near the river bank under the
shadows Of a towering blua. and stands
out prominsntly ike The home q SONS.
fsadaI lord
There came 20 Minneiska - years
ago. Putnam Gray. straight from ths
bztrie6elds Of The civil var Why be
came here nobody knows Whether he
came 70 seek secluslon from the worid
and bury himself from friends and reia-
lives 10 one has ever been able % dis
cover. When he arrived he Eas sim ill
from a wound in his head. caused ~ The
bursting shell on The field d battle At
shiloh.
For 4z years Putnam Gray has iabore3
daily 70 complete his novel structure.
The only ambition Of his life. and Tor
which he was often heard to say that
he wished his life would be spared
He began collecting logs. drifivood
and wreckage Of which his castle" i
Constructed. a Circumstance which
makes bis achievement in building all
the more remarkable.
During the arst year Of his residence
here he earned few dollars By tending
the government lights on the river Al
that point. but aside from this period
he has never sought employment. other
than that Of building his castle
He accomplished his work without
nails or other building material save
that which he obtained from floating
wrecks, broken lumber. and logs that
came down TO him on the current of the
Mississippi river The main part Of the
castle Is three stories high.
The lower story and foundation Is
built Of logs. carefully dressed. The sec
end story Is constructed from the hulls
OF three wrecked steamboats,. while the
upper part Is made Of lighter materi-
al. such as the upper decks of steam
boats. Several frowning towers are seen
rising 10 twice or three times the heigh.
Of the main structure. while at each cor
ner Is a watch tower Bubbling up In ths
center OF the ground floor il a spring of
pure ice-cold water which has bubbled
necessarily as the old man toiied 20
complete his life work.
Putnam Gray is not insane when he
first began TO erect his castle. the
steamboat men called It a crazy affair.
and this term has been applied 70 him
and his home. though since the steam
boat men have been compelled 20 ac-
knowledge that his work. with scant
tools and raw material. would DO credit
to many frst-class mechanics. He Is
now IS years old. and the first mishap
which came 20 him. after veathering the
storms OF 40 years. occurred last sum-
mer. when a terrific storm swept the
river and partially demolished his siill
incompleted castle"
4 can't finish II row. he cried. lam
too old and feeble. and It was almost
completed" The tears came to the old
mans eyes and his voice trembled a. be
gave vent 70 his feelings. but he did
something he never did before. The 81
lent man became talkative and 90 the
few sightseers who ever came 70 view
the storms work. be told where the vari-
Gus parts OF the building had come
from-the stairways. moldings. and win
dows from this or that steamboat which
had noated ashore after being wrecked.
But he gave the curious visitors no fur
ther information concerning himself
Thousands Of passengers on the pass
ing steamboats, and as many visitors
have admired "Crazyman's Castle for
more than a quarter OF a century. and
none will forget It or the strange old
man who built H.