The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-09-24

however, requires the aid of glasses. His step is
vigorous, and he not infrequently walks more
than mile and half to the Episcopal church
! (of the So Incarnation" on Fifth avenue,) which
| he attends regularly. He showed some weak
ness, however, in rising from his chair, an act
which required small, though evident, efott.
The most singular physical popularity about him
is his voice. Many years ago he suffered from
an. attack of asthma, which impaired his vocal
organs. Another sufferer would have remained
speechless not SO the Captain. As persons dis
abed in the right hand learn the use of the left,
so his determined vitality found remedy for the
difficulty. Since that time the Captain has
spoken, not with the expiration, but with the
inspiration of the breath. This gives a sharp
high resonance to his voice; and when he recites
the responses in church it is clearly audible above
all the rest of the congregation. Its quality is
neither masculine nor feminine,-it is a sort of
epicene voice; as if nature did not trouble
herself TO keep up her fine distinctions beyond
the limit of century. One wonders whether
this settled habit of inspiration may not always
keep him from expiring.
But the strangest thing about him remains to
be told. Very old people are generally regarded
as being able to offer valuable testimony as to
the art Of living; but their experience is quite
regardless Of our pet theories on the subject. 1t
is common, for instance, for the " teetotal
mind to regard all forms of stimulants and mar
cotics as essentially injurious to the human
economy. Yet Captain Lahrbush takes every
day, without any injurious consequences, the
enormous quantity of sixty grains of solid opium
This dose secures him a refreshing nights rest;
and so far from Supplying him or impairing his
faculties, it actually sustains them. He has been
an opium-eater since 1916, at which time he
commenced to use the drug in doses of half-grain
He has taken as much as 200 grains of opium at
single time, with benefit, in attacks of illness.
At the age o los, the Captain concludes that
this drug, if it be poison, of his friends
have tried to persuade him, is a very slow poison
His physician, however, regards it his legiti-
mate stimulant, and as principal means of
prolonging his life. Possibly the general pro-
longation of life is to result, some day. from the
discovery of the true method of using the high
stimulants.
The Captain has used malt liquors, in modera-
ton, nearly all his life time. The habit of
smoking he formed at the age of about eighty,
but discontinued it before he was a hundred
years old, finding It's effects unpleasant, and that
he was not yet old enough to smoke. His opium
he procures in England, and takes his daily
bOluses at P. NJ, after his supper. He then
goes to bed and sleeps until l A. NJ. at which
hour he regularly rises, and sleeps no more until
the sun sets again. He finds that he requires
less sleep as he grows older. The long night
hours after A. NJ. he occupies in reading, his
principal pastime; history being the branch of
which he is especially fond In this department
Of learning he has extensive courses of study in
prospect. Life, - he said, '' seems very short
in retrospect, and very long in prospect And
surely no one, in seeing this blithe centenarian,
need dread old age. The Captain appears to
enjoy life thoroughly he is fond of society and
of conversation, he remembers names and persons
distinctly, he is sought out by cultivated people
and made much of; and doubt not that he is
far happier person than most young folks between
twenty and forty. Who would not live out his
century so comfortably this courteous old gen.
tleman has done? You would hardly call him
over eighty-fye. so wel-preserved is he; and L
could see reason why he should not live to see
the twentieth century of the Christian Era.
None of his ancestors, so far as he knows, were
remarkably long-lIved. His own age is well at
tested. 1t is to be regretted, on his account,
that he should have taken up his residence in
America, where the average of human life is
several years shorter than in his native country.
Theodore Tiltou of the Independent, familiarly
known here 80 Twaddling Tilton," recently
issued bombastic manifesto inviting all persons
in favor of woman's enfranchisement - to send
him their names and addresses, and declaring, in
true spread-eage style, '' that the day will come
when their children and children's children will
n
but the manoeuvre was apparently business
g dodge to pick up few stray subscribers to
his paper. The poet, Whittier, answered Tilton's
manifesto in a letter which has caused consider
able amusement. 81 do not think" says the
cautious Quaker, '' that 1 ought to send my
name at random into what is to me altogether
mysterious" Let us hope that to this poet and
dreamer the tinsel and twaddle and jangle of
charlatanism will ever remain ' altogether mystic
rious.'' CALAMUs.