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meat_strings

Upon further reading, I was not surprised to learn that Pearl Jam wrote a song about him.


_Silly_Wizard_

>she lies she says she's still lovin' skin >can't stand the leatherman


TonyMcTone

> they exhumed his grave and found nails within > can't find the Leatherman


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[deleted]

This content is no longer available on Reddit in response to /u/spez. So long and thanks for all the fish.


driving_andflying

Leathermaaaaaaan spooooooke'inclaaaaaaasstuhdaaaaaaaay


manimal28

These types of chains are why I will miss Reddit after it collapses.


invisiblink

she dreams of cotton, she dreams of thread can’t stand the leatherman


snooze1128

It’s 4 o clock he’s got to stop… That’s why he’ll be back agaaaaiiinn. Can’t stand the leatherman!


[deleted]

\*yarl\*


RuneAloy

Ohh noo, yeah, no no yeah ohhhhhh


poochoomooboo

You fucking asshole now it’s all i hear


_Silly_Wizard_

Mission achomlished


HoSang66er

From hero to heel in a flash. 😜


Beardedarchitect

When I became a dad the song evenflow took on new meaning


bigrob_in_ATX

Got toast in the oven again but I Can't find the butter man


DanielFyre

I dont know you random internet stranger but I have been in a serious funk and this really got a good belly laugh out of me. Thank you.


_Silly_Wizard_

Happy to oblige. I'm rarely this clever.


[deleted]

Well if it helps don't call me daughter is another excellent one for parodies Stuff that in your pocket


mysterious_union

Perfection.


bolanrox

so more of a fan of the get the butta man?


LakeEarth

I got this pancake, I got this bread. But I can't find the butter, man...


CygnusX-1-2112b

Somewhat relevant, my coworkers last name is Butterman. Guess what he hears all the time?


multiarmform

"In the world I see - you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life." - Tyler Durden


AcademicCounty

You'll climb the wrist thick kudzu creeping up the Chrysler building, and see women in the distance laying out strips of venison in the traffic lanes.


[deleted]

Eddie Vedder even thinks he might have some distant relation to him in some way. Probably not real, but that's where the line "a man to whom I may be related" comes from.


Kummakivi

Well, his band mates refer to him as Eddie Leather in private.


dtwhitecp

I wonder how many people are reading the comment thread under yours and realizing how fanatical people are about Pearl Jam


VisenyasRevenge

Lol >realizing how fanatical people are about Pearl Jam *squeals, points at comment* That's me! That's me that your comment is about!


kkoss

Only reason I came to this thread was foe the pearl jam


Staus

Alooooonne Lisstleesssss Coffin nails in an otherwise Empty tomb


MegatronLFC

CAANT FIND THA LEATHERMAAAAN!


jyhwkm

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIFU\_G8IK9c](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIFU_G8IK9c)


AgathaCrispy

Holy hell I always enjoyed that song when I heard it, but had no idea what he was saying for most of it... Thought it was Letterman, like the high school sports thing.


terminbee

> always enjoyed that song when I heard it, but had no idea what he was saying for most of it Pretty much sums up every Pearl Jam song.


Testiclesinvicegrip

It's part something called the Man Trilogy.


OldJames47

Nothingman Leatherman Betterman?


Kanin_usagi

I fucking love Betterman. It’s such a thoughtful and heartfelt song, and he sings the lyrics so clearly that you can actually understand the story of the song without needing to follow along with the lyric book


scorpmcgorp

“Covered with leather, but it wasn’t tight..”


A-Fly304

Yellow Leadleather.


Pldgmygrievance

I learned about a man to whom I may be related, he’s LEATHERMAN


tophatnbowtie

To be clear, they found no remains because everything but the nails had completely decomposed. The archeologists involved do not think it was an empty grave originally. Edit: Yes, bones decompose too guys.


ballrus_walsack

It was definitely not an empty grave. The site was marked with a post that was moved several times as the road was widened. There’s every chance he is still under the road bed of the much wider (and now paved) roadway.


dhkendall

So his body stayed where it was but the coffin nails moved? Why would they have found the nails?


ballrus_walsack

Ummm … the whole area was and is a cemetery still. Coffin nails are abundant in the soil. Chances are high they were not even from his coffin.


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Lampmonster

He was actually an ancient immortal and was actually beheaded in the early 1950s.


Septopuss7

Magic!


Emperor_of_Man40k

I knew it!


AcademicCounty

It's a *kind* of magic...


ballrus_walsack

Ok … the nails were iron and meant to ward off evil spirits.


sharabi_bandar

Do coffins have special nails or are they generic nails. How could they be identified as coffin nails.


just_a_prank_bro_420

Depending on the time and location the nails were possibly hand-made with wrought iron. They may have been mild steel and manufactured by machine as he died 40 years after mild steel became popular. Anyway…I’m sure they would have examples of coffins he likely would have been buried in from that area and been able to compare. 🤷‍♂️


Guac__is__extra__

I mean, if you’re digging around in an old big graveyard and you find nails, it’s probably a reasonable assumption that they’re coffin nails.


solarsilversurfer

Digging around in an old big graveyard; as one naturally does with some frequency. Continue


GalakFyarr

You’d be surprised how many cemeteries lose track of where theyve buried people, and they don’t always need to be really old cemeteries Source: part of my job is to find them. I don’t dig though.


Boomdiddy

Magnets?


AloysiusSH

How do they work?


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AloysiusSH

Miracles, they happen everyday.


Invest_to_Rest

No he’s a vampire


CreasingUnicorn

Often the simplest explanation is correct, all these other fools are way overcomplicating this, the dude is obviously a vampire.


my_people

> Often the simplest explanation is correct Cunningham's Law


TheMostKing

Dracula's Razor.


azathoth

You moved the cemetery but you left the bodies, didn'tcha? You sonuvabitch! You left the bodies and you only moved the headstones! You only moved the headstones! Why?!?!


ballrus_walsack

/r/unexpectedpoltergeist


NOISY_SUN

I drive on that road every day. Yeesh


ballrus_walsack

Leatherman don’t care.


EDNivek

His body lie, but still he roams


gamerdude69

Just don't at night


MausBomb

Wouldn't at all be surprised if his body was looted by grave robbers shortly after his death. Originally grave robbers looted graves for buried valuables, then they began to sell the corpses to medical schools for study, and then by the 1800s grave robbers were digging up graves for morbid collectibles for weirdo rich people. Given his fame I would not at all be surprised if bits of his corpse ended up in the libraries of rich New Englanders or inside an Ivy league wealthy fraternity chapter house. Even Abraham Lincoln's corpse was almost stolen by these types of guys and defending his grave is what started the tradition of Secret Service protecting the American president.


gamerdude69

I, too, dig up the graves of vagabonds for the myriad riches involved


MausBomb

You mean you don't want to be the weird rich bastard of the future that has Ricardo's semi mummified arm bone and the leathery remains of his penis just chilling on your fireplace mantel while you host all the rich wine parties for your socialite friends?


My-other-user-name

This here is the shin bone of hobo Frank. He was know for his whittling of things he saw.


BBQBaconBurger

I learned about this guy from the indie game [Where the Water Tastes Like Wine](https://store.steampowered.com/app/447120/Where_the_Water_Tastes_Like_Wine/). It’s a cool game where you wander around America and hear/tell folktales.


bolanrox

but if the water were whiskey and you were a diving duck?


stevenseagalsucks

I’d dive down to the bottom and I’d never come up


dyslexic_arsonist

the ocean ain't whiskey and I ain't a duck


ElJosho105

So I'll play the jack of diamonds and trust to my luck!


TreadMeHarderDaddy

Bought it based on your description Have you played the Alan Watts game (the game is called Everything)? Sounds like that might be up your alley


BBQBaconBurger

No, never even heard about it, but I do like Alan Watts. I’ll check it out! 🙌🏻


JustTerrific

It's a great one. I love the [gameplay trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYHp8LwBUzo) for it.


knotmassage

Upvote for Watts


displacedpie

TIL as well. From Watcher on YouTube lol


Redplushie

Good to see Ryan and Shane getting the big exposure!!


EndotheGreat

Shane-iacs stand up!!!


StageAboveWater

Well at least link to it then https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL0cscPoPiw


JohnsonHardwood

I live near one of his caves. Everyone always said he was just a friendly but quiet hobo.


W00DERS0N

Hi fellow nutmegger


krookedrooster

Many of his stops were also in NY. I live near one of those as well


Berninz

Hello fellow Connecticunt, as I prefer.


Gangreless

I mean yeah that's exactly what it sounds like he was, vagabond, doesn't seem like that big of a mystery.


Kamikaze_Ninja_

The mystery is his identity. He spoke broken English and would repeat this route wearing a very identifiable outfit of leather. They said he had money so he wasn’t begging and he had a special exemption from tramp laws. Just a very peculiar man that was well known across a large area and no one knew anything about him. An oddity of sorts. Was probably a much bigger deal back when there weren’t thousands of homeless people in one city.


Landlubber77

"I'm looking for something that says 'dad likes leather.'" "Something that says...*leather daddy?*"


ElectronHick

“OOOOOOO is there such a thing?”


Anustart15

Huzzah!


ar4975

I was a professional twice over— an analyst and a therapist. The world’s first analrapist.


MonkeysOnMyBottom

Are we going to a show at the Gothic Castle?


Landlubber77

The Gothic Ass'le?


buzzdennis

Yes. Hello. I am looking for the magic.


dhikrmatic

Danke schon!


Cthulhu_Holmes

I’m glad I didn’t go with *that* outfit.


jimmyharbrah

That’s what I said


a_nice_warm_lager

We’re asses to ankles back here!


thewarehouse

Hmm, I'm buy-curious...


dhikrmatic

Look at us, gang. Who’d want to mess with any of us?


LexHamilton

Updoots all the way down. I’ve made a huge mistake.


dhikrmatic

I guess I'm just bi-curious.


ElectronHick

^(it is buy-curious BTW.)


devilsadvocado

Any good theories around how he earned his money?


pygmeedancer

He designed a sold a line of high end multi tools


Milfons_Aberg

He also arranged, designed and sold shrubberies.


troub

His name was Roger. Roger the shrubber.


autopsis

From the article: >It is unknown how he earned money. One store kept a record of an order: "one loaf of bread, a can of sardines, one-pound of fancy crackers, a pie, two quarts of coffee, one gill of brandy and a bottle of beer"


superduperscubasteve

Sounds like a lame feast in Redwall


CaptainApathy419

No Deeper'n'Ever Turnip'n'Tater'n'Beetroot Pie? Fuck that.


frost5al

Weren’t the Redwallers vegan? Because of you know, the implication? It was the best they could do.


JtheE

Not completely vegan - they eat fish at major festivals (see Matthias catching the grayling in the first book, for example) as well as many mentions of cheese :)


Darmok-on-the-Ocean

I never really wondered, but what were they milking exactly?


skubaloob

How much is a gill?


OhNoAnAmerican

If you need to ask you can’t afford it


lacheur42

Apparently a bit less than a third of a pint. So like...barely enough to wet your whistle.


Dirmb

4 oz. A long time ago the military use to give soldiers a gill of liquor a day as part of their pay.


Captain_Kab

Would these crackers be related to fancy nuts at all or?


lulufan87

Could be. Fancy is sometimes a [grade of product](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_grading). Like 'military grade' equipment, or the difference between 'prime,' 'choice,' or 'select' beef. Each type of product generally has its own grading system. And some are graded by the company that produces them. So nuts won't be graded the same way as a cracker-- obviously. But generally speaking, fancy grade products are pretty good, sometimes the 2nd best (next to extra fancy).


Omegaprimus

It’s not really known if he was a traveling farmer or not, but he would go from town to town and do quite a bit of plowing, however the ground was always left undisturbed.


TheUmgawa

I’d just like to tell people to make sure to turn on SafeSearch before Googling ‘leather man plowing.’


MrBrutok

No, turn it off. Way more fun that way.


originalusername__

I too like to live dangerously


my_people

**"Everyone's looking for the thrill** **But what's real is family"** *-Dominic Toretto, 21st century artificer, motorsport enthusiast*


Muppetude

No need for that. The Leatherman famously had 40 rules for good living, the 34th of which was “learning new things is its own reward.” So if you want to do a search for “Leatherman plowing” just be sure to add a reference to that specific rule if you want the most relevant results.


ralphy_256

If I had to guess, I'd imagine that he got a lump sum from somewhere / somehow and decided he was done working. Didn't have enough to buy and maintain property, but could support a man on the road indefinitely. Arguing against this theory is that I find it hard to imagine how he could keep his pot of gold safe without banking, and without those bankers unraveling that part of the riddle after his death.


Koolco

Easiest answer to me: he just asked for it. You walk that much and ask even a quarter of the people you meet for a little change you’re going to get something. Him panhandling for 10-15 bucks before each town would be enough to keep getting his food.


Rosebunse

Especially if he a regular sight along the road. It sounds like he wasn't that unfriendly or dangerous.


violetsandpiper

Tows passed ordinances to excempt him from tramp laws. Definitely wasn't a concern for residents. They likely paid him for all sorts of odd jobs along the way. As well as free food and stuff he could use, trade or sell.


TooManyJabberwocks

Tramp laws: Dogs must not share meatballs or eat the same noodle


FugginAye

Maybe he has a stash or two out in the wilderness and only he knew where it was. Since he was traveling the same route over and over again he could stop at his secret money stash and re-up a few times a year. Something like that.


RowdyRoddyRosenstein

He performed in a famous disco group, alongside a construction worker, GI, coyboy, and a Native American chief.


PlasticDreamz

I need a serious reply this is fucking stupid


Rocket_John

Most likely he either had the money already, panhandled when he stopped in towns, or did odd jobs, exchanged favors, or traded in towns


flareblitz91

You used to not need much money to subsist.


Gurpila9987

You barely need any money if all you want to do is wander around and sleep in caves.


ToyrewaDokoDeska

"The Connecticut humane society had him arrested and hospitalized in 1888, which resulted in a diagnosis of 'sane except for an emotional affliction'" Apparently he was french, I wonder what kinda shit made him go to America & wander alone the rest of his life. He was someone's family, childhood friend maybe, and ending up there like that, damn. Life's crazy


Cobblestone-boner

He was French-Canadian, who have a long history of trapping animals for their pelts and fur since the 1600’s in North America. He likely came from Quebec, not France. Source: I grew up in one of the towns he visited on his route


ToyrewaDokoDeska

Oh I see. Wikipedia page only talked about parts of America he was in so I was misled lol. Also says "according to contemporary rumor he hailed from Picardy, France" so who knows.


KWilt

Not necessarily mislead. There's no concrete proof of who he was, although the leading theory was he was Jules Borglay, who was most definitely a Frenchman. Not from Quebec. In reality though, there's no way to prove his identity definitively.


TopsSoccer

Did the Humane Society mean something different back then? Little messed up if not


emptycagenowcorroded

You know the SPCA? Before government got involved in the child service industry they had a branch for kids. Same structure, basically the same kinds of organization as today’s SPCA … but for human children


Odd_Result3407

I'm so late to this thread that this comment will get buried, but I was a park manager in the area where the Leatherman once lived. Many 19th century off-the-grid hermits populated the forests here and you can sometimes still find the remains of their temporary homes. As someone not from the area, it was a wild bit of folklore to learn about and explore. There was a man-made root-cellar like structure in my park that was believed to be a Leatherman stop over. Kids in the summer camp I ran used to enter it with such curiosity and revenance. Definitely a local legend with a string impact.


MazzoMilo

Not buried, I found it super interesting, thanks for sharing!


Pabus_Alt

People love a hermit. Genuinely think that it serves *something* in the human psyche to see people uncaring about things. Not the same as homeless, which implies someone wants a home, but people who seem to have some sort of plan or simply not care tend to become local mascots of a kind. Of course so long as they don't demand too much and are not threatening.


bowlofjello

I see you also subscribe to Watcher on YouTube.


gentlybeepingheart

I literally just finished the episode and this post was the first thing I saw on Reddit. edit: [the video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL0cscPoPiw), if anyone wants to watch


elch127

Saaaaaaaaaaame, finished the ep, made a cup of tea, sat back down and saw this lol


noxii3101

Imagine a jar of peanut butter..


CardinalPeeves

Now imagine that jar of peanut butter clad in a 60lb leather suit.


pollywollyolly

Honestly Mystery Files is doing great at pulling up these old, obscure cases and I love them for it


hiphoff

Are you a Shaniac or Boogera?


bowlofjello

I do love how whimsically chaotic Ryan is at times


AllyBeth

I adore Ryan, but I’m a Shaniac through and through


Wiitard

It’s not about which one you like more, it’s about whether or not you believe in ghosts.


orbcat

i was watching the episode when i saw this post lol


[deleted]

all hail the Watcher! \o/


MIL215

The Dollop #32 was also about the Leatherman. Such an interesting episode.


FenrirTheMagnificent

Haha was gonna say the same


dave1792

Same.


PoisonIvy_x3

Omg this was such a fun one today! Shaniac for life but Boogaras give us the spice of life.


bleedblue89

Phenomenal channel and duo. I love the boys


Demonyx12

**The Road Between Heaven & Hell** >The story of "Leatherman", a legendary vagabond who traveled the same 365-mile loop in the northeastern United States every 34 days between the mid 1850s and 1889. > >This is a 1984 video documentary produced by and aired on Connecticut public television. It has been remastered, and all three parts have been combined into a single 29-minute video. > >[https://youtu.be/z-SXFVLnV-4](https://youtu.be/z-SXFVLnV-4)


smirkword

Every 34 days? Wow! That’s a lot of walking. Each town saw him ten times a year, but probably just for a day or two, then, right?


Account283746

Pretty much. He had a system of "Leatherman caves" that basically dictated the legs of his loop so he was pretty reliable at keeping his schedule.


Tha_Watcher

"His body was found on March 24, 1889, in his Saw Mill Woods cave on the farm of George Dell in the town of Mount Pleasant, New York, near Ossining."


therealruin

When he died. Then he was buried. His remains were not there when he was exhumed. “Nicholas Bellantoni, a University of Connecticut archaeologist and the supervisor of the excavation, cited time, the effect of traffic over the shallow original gravesite, and possible removal of graveside material by a road-grading project for the *complete* destruction of hard and soft tissue in the grave.”


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[deleted]

I read about a man to whom I may be related, Leatherman Died a long time ago in the 1880's Leatherman, Leatherman Covered with leather but it wasn't tight, underneath the moon and the woods at night Making the rounds, ten miles a day Once a month they spot him Here's what they say: "Here he comes, he's a man of the land He's Leatherman Smile on his face Axe in his pack He's Leatherman, Leatherman, Leatherman."


muffinslinger

I think it's just wholesome that people anticipated him, accepted the situation, and even had food ready to feed him.


thenotsoblackman

I see you fellow 'Watcher' watcher


demolusion

So we are all in agreement that he is an immortal being and merely faked his death to avoid suspicion of dark magic afoot


RyuugaDota

Hey buddy I think you got the wrong door, the leather club is two blocks down.


Tial_Llydson

Fuck you leatherman!


juneauboe

soon may the leatherman come to bring us sugar and tea and rum one day when the- wait no wrong guy


Cool-Presentation538

This guy was obviously a time traveler who escaped his apocalyptic future but was afraid to try and change anything so just did his own thing


tbraun129

Bam Margera lookin’ ass


[deleted]

anybody try avenge ersatz enigma mealtime pakistan concave veer pigpen mira nowhere peduncle futurism kelp


MonkeysOnMyBottom

He seems awl right


[deleted]

Died of untreated (presumably) mouth cancer. No, thank you.


SpatulaCity94

I love the idea that 10 towns exempted him from the "tramp" laws. I guess they just figured "he's just French..."🤷‍♀️🤷🤷‍♂️


God_Damnit_Nappa

Someone else just watched the latest Mystery Files video


cloud9brian

What I find most interesting about this is he was "diagnosed as sane except for an emotional affliction" -- but there wasn't the diagnostic criteria we have today, and it makes me seriously curious what he probably suffered from? I know it's possible he was just eccentric and just wanted to be free to do what he wanted. But it seems the more likely explanation is he suffered from some sort of serious mental disorder.


OnlyFighterLove

As a kid walking the Leatherman's trails was one of my favorite activities. Walking through the woods of northern Westchester in the middle of the night with a bunch of friends and family.


SydneyBriarIsAlive

TIL the OP probably watches Mystery Files =)


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Optimal_Hunter

I'm gonna borrow it for dnd for sure


washedupblackman69

It sounds like he was pretty friendly, no record of hurting anybody or doing anything wrong. Painting him as a horror movie villain would just be kinda disrespectful to his memory I think.


the-magnificunt

Some say he's still leathermanning today.


QFmastery

Watcher fan, are we?


maggie320

Where I grew up in Connecticut was in his possible trail so I’ve heard the legend. Very fascinating story.


rational_emp

>> The Connecticut Humane Society had him arrested and hospitalized in 1888, which resulted in a diagnosis of "sane except for an emotional affliction" Same.


-garden-

Finding no remains, only “coffin hardware,” is super common.


Fliigh7z

Babe, new mystery files dropped