Cave-Dwelling Tribe Discovered

[Olden]

.
Living in NC on/under Ft. Bragg.

http://www.duffelblog.com/2014/04/fort-bragg-hermits/

I sense a new 'reality' TV show on the horizon. :silly:
"May Thunder God bang his blessings down upon you”

[OnewiththewilD]

WWWHHHAAATTT?!!!! :laugh:  :crazy:

[clovisoid]

It's not often I get to work my most famous relative into a conversation, but here this link is about an actual hermit who lived in a cave in Idaho.  Richard Zimmerman, or Dugout Dick the Salmon River caveman was my grandmothers first cousin.  When Richard's family lost their farm during the depression, he went live with my grandmothers family until he was old enough to head out on his own.
If you are fan of off the grid, Richard was cool even before there was a grid.  He passed away a couple of years back and was buried in a family plot in Illinois.
I visited him several times when I lived in Montana, he was a unique old dude who never quite fit in with modern society.
Dugout Dick

[Olden]

.
Cool story Clovis, so you got to see his works before they were filled.
Lots of good reasons for living underground I guess: price, consistent temps, bombs.
In the right place you'd only need a pick and a door, but I'd think it would be
sorta like living in a deprivation chamber in the sense of only hearin' your heart beat.

[Hoss]

This old Gal in CT never gave up either.

http://articles.latimes.com/1990-12-16/news/mn-9032_1_parking-tickets

I rented a place down on East Broadway many moons ago and silver sands was right down the rd. She had a great view of Charles Island from her trailer camp.
Charles Island is now off limits due to the State take over. Mel Fisher once tried to get permits to dig out there because Black Beard was known to have visited Milford and perhaps buried some treasure out there.
I love stories like these the people who never give up and push on and fight city hall all the way. SO many of these stories are never re told and just fall by the way side.

[Hoss]

Cool stories guys thanks for sharing

[gregszybala]

How and where do you find this stuff!?
A two day late April Fools Joke?

[clovisoid]

Olden wrote:

.
Cool story Clovis, so you got to see his works before they were filled.
Lots of good reasons for living underground I guess: price, consistent temps, bombs.
In the right place you'd only need a pick and a door, but I'd think it would be
sorta like living in a deprivation chamber in the sense of only hearin' your heart beat.

  Yes visited him pretty regularly, I camped there quite a few times as well during the summers but didn't sleep in the caves.
The caves were surprisingly bright and "clean", during the day he used reflected light and mirrors to bounce light down the tunnel.  At night a couple of candles/kerosene lamp provided a warm light.  Temps were pretty steady, 50's in the back of the cave or on a sunny day quite warm in the front even in the winter because of the sun heating the dark rock.  In the winter it could be -40 outside, and he'd be fine.  A couple of the caves tapped into springs in the mountain, so there was cold water.  One of those he'd open the front of in winter to let the cold get in, and by spring it was basically an ice cave.  It would stay frozen year around.
That part of my grandmother's family were part of the German Apostolic church (something like Amish/Conservative Mennonites) so Richard didn't have electricity, hot water, etc. growing up.  He found a certain level of comfort in simplicity.  He took his military pension, but really didn't want much help from anyone.  He asked me for papaya, which he had in the pacific during WW2 that helped settle his stomach, so I'd take him one when I'd visit (he'd dry them and make them last.)
In the 80's and 90's the river valley he lived in became more residential, with some fairly expensive vacation properties and complaints about the crazy old hermit.  The governor of Idaho at that time and the local head of the BLM were great, Richard had an old mining claim on the property and they extended his occupancy until death.  Now a days I doubt the government would have been as friendly. 
It was kind of sad the caves were filled in, but it was a full time job to keep them up and remove loose rocks from the ceilings, sooner or later some kid would have been trapped in a cave in.

[rmartin]

Clovisoid, that story is priceless!

[Ron Kelley]

Hey Joshua, Thanks for sharing your story with us.