Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-09-17
A Church goer One Hundred and Two
Years OId..Au EyefitfllI Life.


Strangers visiting the Church of Ascen-
sion in New York cannot fail 10 notice the
presence Of an oil gentleman, who occcu-
pies an arm chnir Immediately in front of
the chaneel.in thh middle aisle, and who
gives the responses to the service in a very
loud and distinct manner Thisis perhaps
the oldest man of the entire million Of New
York city'smhabitahts. II isCaptain Lahr-
bush, formerly OF the British army, but
for the last twenty years q New York resi-
dent He was born in London ON the 9th
day Of March, t776. Il is perhaps not ex-
trayagant 10 say that his life had been more
remarkable, embracing more various and
extraordinary experiences than that of any
one now living in any quarter of the globe
He entered The military service Of Great
Britain ON the 18th of October, 1889, and
fought under the Duke of York with the
Goth rifles in Holland, in the campaign of
1903. Five years later he was present
when Humbert surrendered to Lord Corn
wallis at Ballnannck.i n Ireland. In 1901
he was with Lord Nelson at the taking of
Copenhagen. In l806-7, he was an aitaehe
of the suit of Lord CastIereagh at Vienna,
and ON the 22d of June Of the latter year he
witnessed the memorable interview between
Napoleon aud Alexander at Tilsit During
the succeeding two years he was with the
Duke Of Wellington in the Spanish PENN
sula, and was Enighted at Talevara, after
having received promotion for distinguish
ed gallantry at Bnsaco. In the year 1911
he was sent to Che Capeof Good Hope and
bore prominent part in the Caffre war of
1878. When Napoleon was imprisoned at
st. Helena, Captain Lahrbush was charged
with his personal custody as commander of
the guard, a delicate and responsible duty,
which he performed for the greater part of
1851 The following year wearying in
the military profession, he sold his COM
mission in the Goth rides, and retired to
private life, bQA subsequently went to Aus
tralia in the ca city Of Superintendent OF
the convict staii0nat Bathurst, ahdin 1887,
at the age OF Sc 9enty-one, removed to Ia
hiti From tbis point he made many voy-
ages to the EaSl Indies, to Chinas and to
different parts = South America. In1842,
in consequence of having taken sides with
the Protestant missionaries against the
Roman Catholic propaganda, he wins forci-
bly, removed by the French from Tahiti to
France and took occasion of this removal
to travel on the Cantinent. In 1S47 when
81 years Of age he undertook the manage
ment of Lord Howard de Welden's estate in
the Island of Jamaica, and upon the eman-
ripation ofnegroes in 1S48 came with his
widowed daughter and grandson to this
city Both mother and child died soon
after their arrival, leaving him to his ad-
vanced age, lonely indeed. But the old
man has lived on to the present moment in
the enjoyment Of Uninterrupted health,
with his mental faculties unimpaired and a
truly wonderful degree Of bodily health.
In 1867 he celebFated his l01st birthday
at breakfast in the house Of an eminent
gentleman Of New York, where many Off
GERS and citizens were invited to meet him.
His appearance is that of hale old man,
and as seen in churehhe looks the junior of
of many others in the congregation.
The most surprising fact connected with
the old gentleman prolonged life, is that
for many years he was in the daily habit of
taking seventy-dve grains of opium, and on
one occasion he took one hundred and fifty
grains in dose. Though he has long
abandoned the use,of the drug he feels GER
tain he could drink haEa pint of laudanum
with impunity.
Captain lahrbush is said to retain. with
surprising freshness the scenes and events
of some Of the grandest and most imposing
of modern history, Of which he had been
the eye witness. He speaks of Blucher as
having been very good company, but a
heavy drinker who swore dreadfullyat Nap
oleon. Louisa, the Queen Of Prussia, he
thought the handsomest woman of her
time, and Alexander of Russia, the most
elegant looking man in Europe. As for
Napoleon, whose face he had abundant OPP
portunity to study heideclares that no like
ness that ever was taken. of him conveys
the proper idea Of his features and their
expression. The closest resemblance, he
SAYS is that of the coins of the Empire, es-
pecially the profile dpon the five frnnc pie.
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