Show pr i qa 1 17 1 1 azzi mi r 9 or F mf p E 1 X aj 4 i rf AN AM OLD TIME 1 4 LIVED AND DIED ALONE AND SLEEPS At ALONE ONIL 4 abc acc account aunt of rA mentrie topi I 1 auti puti s syl sylvan M benr and a characteristics ZU ma aust and oaly in the 1 fair vaney valley ba neath beneath I 1 I 1 the domes of the v e r d dure ure crowned sanbornton San bornton mountains bains in the picturesque tur esque W whit h I 1 t 10 hills of NOW new H hampshire apshire stands W I 1 the remains of an I 1 old hermas cabin H how 0 w shall I 1 describe the place and its once noted owner let us ua fly back upon the wings of time to the historic town of londonderry same state where in the year 1774 october the was born joseph sixth child of jesse and sally plummer soon after his birth his parents moved to and later to meredith but subsequently returned to sanbornton San bornton from amm birth hermit joe as he be was familiarly known was r person of tr ide ideas as and actions preferring to live the life of a recluse rather than associate with his fellow beings let us oer hills and deus dells leave the beaten track of travel and plunge into the forest where those monarchs of the woods the pine and the hemlock once held undisputed sovereignty let us tar far into the depth of one of these dark woods where the murmur ofa of a tiny brooklet is heard softly tuning its song when the summer holds sway or dashing and roaring amid its rocky bed when the win winter snows are rapidly melting under the warming influence of the rains of inconstant april into such a spot amongst the mountainous region of the r I 1 I 1 I 1 11 0 1 I 1 tt t t I 1 I 1 r I 1 1 11 or f t I 1 I 1 1 L L HERMITS HOME TODAY old granite state had bad joseph plummer penetrated at the age of 21 when he purchased seven acres of land in a vast forest at the toot foot of meredith hill bill it was a desolate spot for a home a small cabin erected on a mere knoll of scrubby pines and sandy poverty stricken land in the large forest of towering trees which struggled tor for existence along the rocky banks of a lim pled pied mountain broo brooklet kleL in the writers mind this small rivulet must have been the one thing that attracted the hermits attention and decided him to select this unfavorable spot for a home doubtless the hermits weary thoughts I 1 were soothed to rest many a night by the lullaby this brooklet sang in those far distant days when the hermit founded his woodland home it was vas away from the villages in the midst of a forest where the only sounds that could have disturbed his lonely life were the singing of the birds the sweep of the wind through the he lofty tree tops and the murmuring of the mountain stream seeking its level in the distant lakes but gradually a change came cam e settlers became more plentiful highways were laid out and visitors hoping to see the now noted hermit encroached upon his domains Doubt doubtless lesis realizing that in view of the changing time he could not be as solitary as in his earlier years he became more sociable and entertained his visitors in the style of the times treating them to apples and cider although when anyone was near him he watched him with eyes made sharp with distrust in his later years he made a conquerable su sum m of money by selling baskets and other small articles of his own manufacture the hermit could read and write and some verses of his composition denouncing the building of 0 railroads and turnpikes are as fol follows lowa iron stoves and wooden clocks awful storms and dismal shocks railroads and turnpikes through tho the land foreboder forebodes Jore Fore bodes destruction near at hand but who can make the people see if f blind as bats they choose to be deaf as the adder they appear the truth they cannot hear I 1 dahll a lies they I 1 much esteem because it suits their wicked scheme his hook Is batted baited with deceit and they no doubt will bite the balt bait then off to fly in vain they try uke jake that froh the hook would fly the barbed hook will not I 1 let go Sit Buta draws raws them dow down to endless woe the kerm hermits lVa cabin contained no windows although there V wasa a aola in the garret f closed io sa with ivitts a hoard board one I 1 door with wl th dim dimensions by br three 9 feet was the only entrance just dinst inside this I 1 door dai was vias a strap trap door so the that any I 1 onie one emering his ear migg blon would tumble anto the cenac JR IK 4 s 4 ahls al ae I 1 constructing chimney 41 y two 1 41 edo i 4 u p ir t to 0 1 prevent anyone ia d doii ia im kim maillac A wa I 1 s I 1 1 I log 06 L 3 i 1 I 1 thili bennu r t atle lv s m f ij joe swa I 1 ner um I 1 I 1 vae bcd 3 0 o amons ahem th mua scales violins 10 U I 1 U an andrasa and debasa basa v viola 16 xiii 1 l on chi 1 alg jiin ilia P luj er 7 k i itt 6 composed m t mainly of vow pota 41 acol alti trellah 1 K babo 1 I 1 1 6 i I 1 W alm U 8 5 1 ne vz papers 1 I ii a great waif of ic 1 ahe bible in UW a axy 64 gf aj H V 5 t it t WR A tv 14 7 ta r t sy V s V s sa 4 si sa t 1 1 li I 1 lu maw 1 to his home to engage journey ja ft a a lb va onule on ule the doe doctrines asiz bla of f the bible lil tradition tram tf says eay that resulted dis dl courting experience single hla bla for hians himself ell two of brothers brot herx imd had married ared d daughters augh of ordea dea hm hill j cd con U rox fox taho wh 0 resided j on meredith to woo the desand deacons and joseph determined deft remaining dau daughter ahter one ona ren even ng be went to ili his lady lovea es hou noose and quietly took himself to the daughters sitting on calmly room and was as her bed aten sh ahe e opened the bedroom i door to lb retire tor for th the e night sho she began screaming and rushed downstairs to inform her fa father ther the worthy deacon on hearing the facts of the case called the hermit down find and said lu in a solemn tone joseph the parlor Is the proper place to court thaes where I 1 would do it the hermit replied perhaps you would deacon but you ought to know by this tine time that I 1 dont do anything like any other first and last josephs man this was attempt to do any sparking 9 1 on dec 3 ISO 0 his niece mrs MM freeman freeh plummer went to t the h e cabin and found him dead upon his bed his EUs piro property perty real estate and personal amounted in value to about 2200 I 1 and was divided among his nieces and nephews of whom there were fully thirty just over the San boruton line in the to town wu of M meredith sta stands nd s the h hermits home as it now appears a photograph of which is here reproduced in a field a short distance from his onetime one time home is a grave whose moss covered headstone bears the following in inscription tion I 1 the grave of a I 1 hermit joseph plummer of meredith I 1 died dec 3 1862 aged 88 content with seeking happiness mi co himself only he lived in seclusion he died alone 19 peace to his ashes rest to his sold so this gi grave ave is enclosed by a so solid id stone wall with no gateway gateka y made in accordance with his instructions thus shutting out all mankind he died as hp had bad lived tor for three score years and ten alone and even after death he wanted to be alone the only thing that Is unchanged near joseph plum mers old retreat is the mountain broo brooklet kleL the hermit ah came and the hermit went but still the brook flows on and the tumble down hut in the midst of the forest la is all that now remains to remind us of this very eccentric man |