Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-04-12
centonniai Rir,h.Dsy oeIobratlou.


CentenniaI Birth-Day Celebration.
An interesting event Of rare occurrence,w W as
duly celebrated in Madison, Lake county, on
the I'd Of April, at the residence Of Mr. Daniel
Craudall The occasion was the Centennial
Birthday Of his Father, AMARlAH CRANpALL,
which the Methodist Episcopal Church Of Perry
honorcd with Picnic Party. About one hun.
dred and fifty persons were present, old folks,
middle aged, aud young, and the festival was
pleasant aud full Of interest The tables were
bountifully spread with the abundance of good
things for which little Lake is so fomous A
correspondent Of the Painesville Advertiser
thus happily describes the Pic mic Of the Patri-
arch:
Dinner was soon announced, when Mr. Gran
dali, 100 years of age, was seated at the head
Of the table. On his right, Elder JESSE Hart.
well, aged 80 years, on his left MIR. Rufus Call
aged 9O-beyond them were Nathan Jennings
aged 80, William Stiliman, aged 80, Eliphaet
Mills aged 80, (the latter from GenoVa,) VIM.
Potter aged n, Roswell Lowry aged &C, Cyrus
Ferry aged &C, Moses Olmsted aged So, Noah
Young aged 65, Rev Caleb Vanness aged go,
Jehial Parmly aged So Nathan Wood aged so,
Ellldu Dulllu agcu TO- JOeeph Oduy hgcu H.
Linus Lee aged SO, Dea. Green aged So, and
many others with grey heads,-lndicating age.
Also many aged ladies, most of them strangers
to me, but apparently not to each other, as they
gossipped largely Of other days.
Thanks were given and a blessing craved very
appropriately and eloquently by Elder j. Hart
well Then followed the destruction of solids
aud delicacies, each one agreeing that God had
cast their lot in a goody land.
1t was certainly a most interesting group
No one present had ever seen such another and
probably never will again. OF course Mr.
Crandall, the Centarau was the center of at.
traction, and Rufus Call, who, at the battle Of
Pattsburgh, had the skin of his forehead slight
ly cut one shot throught the lapel of his coat
the third through the breast of his coat the
fourth through the skirt of his coat, the fifth
through his cauOuch box, and his comrades
falling on every side aud now in his ninetieth
year, could converse with his fifth generation
his great-great-grand children, and who now
stands erect and converses very iuently as well
as intelligently- also lion But | must
not particularize about all who were present
There were at least a score of Military Cham
pions in the last war with England But none
were in the Revolutionary War, but he whose
Tooth birthday we had met to celebrate. The
old man described graphically a ship fight he
was engaged in, and while in the act Of bending
forward cannon ball past Just over him strik-
ing the vessel and making the splinters fly
Had he been standing erect it would have cut
tim in two. He dilated upon his prison life
and grew eloquent when describing the insults
offered to himself and comrades by their British
keepers.
After dinner Rev. Mr.. Stubbs, Of Painesvlle,
was called upon for a speech, when he respond
ed in his most happy style. l can give but the
faintest outline. He began by saying just one
hundred years ago, in Westport, r L., lay
mother with a tiny infant upon her breast
thanking God that man child was born into
the world. He carried his boy along to the
age of Ia, when he handsomely alluded to the
celebrated tea party of Boston harbor When
II years old, which occurred in l776, he en-
listed on board privateer---was engaged in a
sharp action. Their vessel was boarded by Brit
sh Man-of War and all alive taken prisoners
carried TO Halifax where they were closely con
fined in an old prison ship from June till the
following August-how he was taken with
small pOx, but mercifully preserved. The
speaker alluded to the condition of the world
at that time-spoke of the reign of terror in
France and of her Kings and Emperors since
that time; also of England and her Kings and
Queens Then of the state of the world gem
orally at that time, and compared with the
present, the modes of travel, communication,
&c. But the most eloquent and touching OF
all the scenes through which his aged friend
had pas, ed was at > years of age, when he en-
listed under King Emanuel with Jesus for his
Captai.l-thc hosts of He'll for his enemy. lie
had fought manfully for eighty years. He had
enlisted for life-but he trusted soon his aged
friend would be permitted to lay down his sword
and cast off his breast plate for that eternal rest
that remained for the righteous. Many a lip
trembled and tears started, during the speech
from the young and old. At the close Elder J.
Hartwel read a poem written by himself for
the occasion Then followed music by quar-.
tett choir, accompanied by rich toned Melo-
deOn, played by Miss Merriman. They sang "a
Hundred Years Ago" then "a Hundred Years
to Come" Suffice it to say it was rich The
occasion was one which will be long Iemem.
bered by all present. C.L.S.