Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 173, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 July 1911 — Kansas Recluse Now Lives in Luxury [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kansas Recluse Now Lives in Luxury

GREAT BEND, KAN.—When “TJncle Jimmie" Cox, a little weazened Irishman, who lived up in the Galltia neighborhood in the northwest part of the county, came to Great Bend the other day and purchased a ticket for a little town in Ohio, Bajfon county lost one of its quaintest characters. For 35 years he had lived by himself on the "claim" he homesteaded in 1876. In all that time he neve* took a meal off his farm and the Inside of his house was never seen by more than one man. The housQ stood desolate, without a taee or shrub of any sort around it and the door was always locked. Visitors always met in the yard, and, though Jimmie was garrulous and liked company outside his house he never invited anybody inside. Although he raised fairly good crops it was always somewhat of a

mystery as to how he got them planted or tended. It vests seldom that any of his neighbors saw him in the field. When anybody called Jimmie would walk out of the back door of his house (the only one he ever used) lock it carefully behind him and meet the visitor in the yard. Only one man living in this country is known to have entered the place—J. M. Colver, formerly employed in the office of the register of deeds, who went to the place on legal business. According to his report “Jimmie” refused to light a lamp in the house, but as some papers had to be examined, he finally consented to open the back door a crack, standing guard while the examination was made. “Uncle Jimmie” came to America from Ireland when he was'twelve years old. In 1876 he came to Barton county and took up a homestead And timber claim. He proved up on both of thpse and owned them until recently. He had many friends "throughout the neighborhood, and his life as a recluse did not. make him a silent or reserved man. - He has sold his farm, saying he has more money now than he can use during the balance of his life and has decided to retire.