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Prefers A Hermit Life

Prefers A Hermit Life image
Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
April
Year
1898
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Living in a hut near this place is a hermit named Elvin Barker. He was bom in Vermont, is well educated anti came west in 1852. He operated a sawmill at Four-Mile creek Lor many years. He lost his property througji business reverses. His hut is situated tipon a high knoll, with a heavy growth of jack pine and oak as a background, while at the sides and front is shown that at one time this place was cultivated and the hut occupied by a famiIy: It faces a well-traveled road, alonj; which many teams pass and repasa during the day. Very few people who travel this road or live in Grand Rapids realize that in one part of thi:; building resides an old bachelor SS, years of age, almost blind and quite poverty stricken. A recent visitor to the hut thus describes it: "The room black with smoke, an old-fashionert cook stove with the door wide open and pieces of green wood about six feet long with the ends inserted in the stove, the other ends resting upon a box beside the stove; a plain board bunk in one corner of Lhe room in which is laid some straw and old ragged blankets which serves as a bed ; a common dry goods box upon whioh rests a common, old-fashioned wagon seat, these two set in front of the stove and serve as the only chair and supboard in the place; in this box are kept the only dishes and eatables. This constitutes his entire outfit. There was no evidence of any floor, and the plaie was littered with hay, twigs and rubbish of all kinds. Priends interested themselves in this man last summer, ïtted him out with new clothing and a ticket to relatives in Illinois, sendmg i;im ihere, where they hoped he would be prcperly cared for in his remaining days. He wnas contented only a few weeks, when he returned to this locality and found solace in the old scènes and associations of better days."

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Democrat