Show MANS BEARD CAUSE OF JEERS wore hirsute adornment to show his independence among odd gravestones Is one in leominster mass which bears a por talt t alt carved in marble and the fol lowing persecuted for wearing the beard these few words gave but a faint clew to the unique personality who had this unusual memorial of himself on his monument joseph palmer died in leominster get 30 1873 at the age of 84 he 1 rot mentioned in the town directory palmers tombstone yet tradition has many interesting stories to tell of him it Is said that he gloried in escous ing the unpopular side in any controversy and posing as a martyr early in the century it was fashionable for men to go smooth 1 aven so joseph palmer determined lo 10 wear a beard not because of it beauty but to assert his right to be contrary it he wanted to be men and boys used to jeer at him much to hia gratification once a crowd of young fellows seized him in a hotel in fitchburg ana barted to cut oft his beard he at tacked his persecutors with a kite and v bounded one of them for this deed he was summoned into court and hi ever afterward felt himself a duct persecuted man for conscience s sake according to one of the older rest dents of leominster mr palmer was ruch interested in the transcendent al philosophy founded by amos bron son alcott father of louise may al cott the well known writer of stories bior children it is said that mr pal mer contributed toward the purchase of brook farm and when the corn came to an end the property cassed into mr palmers possession |