The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-10-27

ington was yet living, apd The fact Of having
been his slave no wonder at oil Men-only
grown 90 by HE surviving him 30 long
Gen. Joseph Markle, Wing candidate for
Governor in 1874 himself now Is years OF
age, testi6es that" he has known Simon for
more than SO years. and that when he first
knew him, he was apparently an aged man."
Every on, at oil acquainted with tho char
acieristics of the negro race, especially the
native African ! kuows that they rarely ex-
hibi, marks ofage until they are beyond SO
years. Hon. James Todd, Of Greensbnrg,
formerly Secratary Of this Commonwealth,
says In an afidivit, that "the facts OF the case
as above stated, are such 40 have been cred.
tied by all his neighbors f,r the last sirty
yean, and he regards them IS indisputedly
true. r.,r - '... r.r .ru.fi d,
Andrew Luin Esq, respectable farmer
Of Westmoreland county, now nearly ninety
years Of age, testi6es that "in the years Of
l779 or 80, he went to Washington's mill.
as it was then called and that there he found
a colored man named Simon, residing-that
he was slave ofGen. Washington's and
that he has known him ever since, and can
vouch for the truth and accuracy Of bis state
ment regarding himself" With oil these
proofs It would seem the eriest in6deliiy to
disbelieve that old Simon was in reality the
slave Of Washingto ton, and that his age cannot
be short Of six score years perhaps 1t exceeds
it. ......... .......,.. ......-.- .
Old Simon has Of late yeais been bene6.
ciary Of Col. Joseph Snider, Of Westmoreland
county, who has kindly protected him in his
ago and indigence. Last year he took him to
the Agricultural Fair ut Pit,sburg, where he
was visited by thousands. II is under.
stood that he will bring him also to the great
Fair, to be held ut POwelton next week
he will no doubt be entitled to the premium
for the "oldest iuhabitant," the individ.
ual whose power ofmemory is so often pro.
yoked
In cases of extreme age such as this, the
bare numerical statement Of years conveys
no clear idea OF what 1t reallyis. It is only
by comparison that we can ever approxim.
ately gain conception oft. The Countess
Desmond who fourished in the reigns Of
Elizabeth and the FIRST James, and attained
the age l40 years greatly surprised the
Count by declaring one hundred years alter
Bosworth field, that Richard Third was one
Of the most elegant men she had ever danced
with. So old Simon, were he only OF educa'
ted intellect, might create equal amazement
by telling us that he was we'll in his "thirties
when Napoleon and Wellington were born. :"
That he was past forty when tho Declara
ton Of Independence was written that he
is older than Mr. Jefferson would be If living
although he went to his grave ripe octoge.
marian twenty eight years agc-that he re-
memberrd we'll when Philadelphia was
slave. mart and our good old great grandsires
bid Justify ut the street auctions tor !" Guinea
niggers, ,''and Pennsylvania farmers though:
themselves poorly of without their com.
pliment Of blacks-that then King Georges
name was everywhere praised, and it was
treason to say aught agaiusl his majes-
ty. 49,.
It Is by recalling these and thousand
similar associations, that we can in some
degree realize what 1t is to be q hundred and
twenty years old the age Of Funiemah the
slave OF Washington Pennsylvania Inquir-