Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-04-03
"A WONDERFUL CENTENARIAN.

= Complimentary Breakfast Given to
: Him on His IOIst Birthday--SOme of
the Old MANS PecuIiarities-His Inn
mense Consumption of Opium.
[From the New York Cftizen:l
On the morning of March 8, 1867, break
asst was given by General De Peyster in
lonor of the 101st birthday of Captain
frederick Lahrbush or Labouche, formerly
f the Sixteenth British Rifles, Knight of
Falaveira, &c. Among the distinguished
fficers present were Admiral Farragut,
Major Generals Warren, Butterdeld, U. S.
Volunteers; Brevet Major General CraW-
ford, United States Army; Major General
Shaler, United States Volunteers, command
ing First Division New York National
Guard; Brigadier General G. T.. Vain
wright. United States Volunteer Artillery;
Colonel Wainwright, Seventy sixth New
York Volunteers, and many others.
The centenarian, in honor of whom these
gentlemen had met together, was born on
the 9th of March, I766, in London entered
the British army on the 18th of October,
1889; fought with the Sixtieth Rifles. in
Holland, under the Duke of York, in 1893; /;
was present, 9Th of September, 1898, when
Humbert surrendered to Lord CORVALLIS,
at Ballinamuck, in Ireland; was with Nell
son at the capture of Copenhagen, in 1901 1;
was attached to the suite of Lord CASTLE
reigh, British Ambassador to Prussia, in
1S06-7; witnessed the famous interview be-
tween Napoleon and Alexander, at Telsel,
on the Niemen, 22d of June, 1907; fought
under Wellington in the Spanish PENN
sula, 1S0S-10; was promoted for special
gallantry at Busaco, 1910, and made Knight
of Talaveira for that battle; was stationed
at the Cape of Good Hope in 1911; dis.
tinguished himself in the Caffree war in
1913; assisted in guarding Napoleon at St.
Helena in 1S16-17; sold out his Captains
commission, Sixtieth Rifles, in 1918; was
shipwrecked and lost his fortune in 1926;
tendent of the Convict Station at Bathurst; !;
transferred his fortunes to Tahiti in 1887 |;
thence made voyages to different parts of
South America, the East Indies and China !;
was forcibly transported by the French
from Tahiti to France in 1912, in conse-
quence of expressions favorable to the Prot
estant missionaries, and in disparagement
fthe Papal propagandists; then travelled
extensively in Europe; took charge of
Lord Howard de Walden's estate in ia
maica, w. l., in 1S47, and came to New
York, after the emancipation of the negroes
in 1S4S, accompanied by his widowed daugh-
ter and grandson, both of whom soon after
died. Since then, childless and alone, he
has lived in this city in the enjoyment OF
wonderful health and in possession of all
his faculties and the vigorous use of his
| limbs.
Captain Lahrbush is not only remarka-
BILE as an example of longevity and as a
still rarer example of very aged survivor
tof life of extreme vicissitude and peril,
but he is likewise compeer of De Quin
cey, as a habitual deVOurer, it might be
termed, of opium, originally administered
ind remedy for rheumatic pains, occa-
stoned by military service, and, afterward,
IS an actual necessity for the support OF
! ife. Under ordinary circumstances, one
tol tn Of
majority of human beings; nevertheless,
Captain Lahrbush consumed for years
seventy-five grains day, simultaneously
taken, and. at crisis Of his life, one hun
dred and fifty grains at dose. AT no time
+ for fifty years has he taken less than twen-
/ ty-four grains day. Upon one OCCASION
7 at sea, his opium having given out, he
i drank half pint of laudanum as a sub
/ stitute, and he has more than once averred
: that, as far as any danger to himself was
concerned, he would as willingly drink a
half pint of laudanum as an equal quantity
of French red wine.
| AS his birthday falls on that of General
De Pyster, they have break kfasted together
for years; and those who were present on
\ a former swell as the present occasion.
see no symptoms of failing health Oh
| strength in the veteran soldier.
Originally the Captain stood about five
! feet ten inches in hight, but he has settled
I
any respect. His girth of chest is enor-
nous, and he presents the appearance of q
man put together to endure every Vicissi-
! tude of CLINE or labor. He seems likely to last
just as long, as no part of the machinery is
worn out by actual use. Left for dead
upon the battlefield of Busaco, in 1910
there is no token of what he suffered
but scar deep furrowed in the skull
Taken up for dead on the seashore, neal
the Cape of Good Hope, after shipwreck ir
1926, the only permanent consequences he
has experienced has been the loss of the
fortune which went down with the vessel
In the very jaws of death, more than once
from disease, the only mementoes of the
lcrisis is the necessity of feeding on th(
remedy which saved him. During the
riots of 1868, he dared singly to canfron
the raging, bloodtbirsty mob, and saved ;
life which he rescued at the risk of his own
AS he has continued to survive in def
ance of so many violations of the laws o
nature, there is no telling how long he may
live, since he exhibits no symptoms of de
cay. Finally, his habits of life are entirely
contrary to those of his fellow-men. HI
rises and>breakfasts when the gay world o
fashion is just going home from the ball
room to their beds-about 2 o'clock A. M.
dimes at noon, takes his tea in the middl
of the afternoon, and retires for the nigh
when most business men sit down to din
ner-from to o6P. M. There have been ex
amples of greater longevity, but there i
scarcely another example on record of
man who has passed through almost ever.
peril to which humanity is exposed, who
at 101, has retained the enthusiasm, elias
ITCHY of body and mind, the perfect use O
his faculties and the sociability of Captai
LahrbuSh.