The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-08-05

FOUR YEARS OLD.
Death Of Old Peno In Kansas Cisy-A Long.
Long Life.
From the Kansas City Journal July Il.
On Saturday evening last, the Oldest man in
in Kansas City.
His name was Jacob Fournais, but known to
every bady, who knew him at all. rs "Old Peno"
Tor Penaul. Nobody knew his exact age, not
even himself, but he was known as an old man
when men now fOurscore were children
He was Canadian Frenchman by birth, but
for more than half cent fury was a hunter and
trapper in the employ of the fur company, one
OF the French royageurs. as they were called
father OF Mr.. Chas. A. Dripps, and father-in.law
of MIR. VIM. Mulkey, at whose house he died,
and where he has been kindly and affectionately
cared for during the last thirty years.
He was never sick, and only few minutes be-.
fore he died was walking about the room. He
told the family in the morning that he would
never see the sun 60 down again, and just before
sunset the machine ssopped-and the old man
was dead.
ing ground, the funeral service being conducted
by the venerable clergyman, Father DonneIly,
who had known him for more than a quarter OF
q century.
His age was entered on the census roll last
year as 134 years, which is as near as from the
best evidence it could be fixed.
Sixteen years ago, when the writer of this first
knew him, his health was vigorous and his fac.
ulties strong and unimpaired and we took great
interest in talking with him, and in various
conversations running through many years we
were satisfied as to the fact of his age being
over 100 years. His own memory is borne out
by the testimony of others.
His recollection OF important events was very
good, and, as he was sn illiterate man, his me,n.
DRY held to isolated occurrences not of history
a. obtained from reading books. This, while 1t
made his information fragmentary and unsatis.
factory as to the history of that early period of
his life, yet afforded the hest evidence as to his
great age.
He said he was working in the woods on
piece of land he had bought for himself. near
Quebec, when Wolfe was killed on tho heights of
Abraham. This was Sept. IA, 1850, and from
what he told of his life previous to that must
then have been over 81 years of age. Thinking
he might have coufounded Wolff with Mont.
gomery--1775-we questioned him WE'LL but his
recollection of names aud incidents was too dis.
tinct to leave any doubt, and the same account
had been given to others long before We saw
him.
Another event which he remembered we'll, and
which he seemed always to look upon as a good
joke, was that during the occupation of New
Orleans by Gen Jackson S14-15-ne had been
| refused enlistment because he was too old
The old man often told this with great glee. He
must then have been about 80 years old.
Thus taking everything into consideration,
| and We have been careful ever since we knew
him to get all the facts about him We could
from Maj. Dripps, the Chouteau family, Jim
| Bridger, Tim Goodale, Bent Jim Beekworth,
and other old mountaineers-we rut his ago at
one hundred and thirty four years,
He went from Canada to where Pittsburg n ow
is, thence down the Ohio in keel. boats, and was
in New Orleans, it seems, in 1914.
Before this, however, he accompanied the ex.
petitions of Lewis and Clark in their explora.
| tions of the Missouri and the discovery Of the
Columbia river in 1S04-7. His experience dur.
ing that trip making him valuable man to the
| fur company, he was afterwards employed 40 VIC
have stated, until 30 years ago; being then worn
out and too old for active service, he came here
to spend the evening of his life with the family
Of The man he had faithfully served for 50
many years. long evening it proved to be.
For the past seven or eight years the old man
| recollection OF faces was -ften at fault but his
memory of events and incidents seemed as strong
as ever-like picture. in his mind-and this re.
tention of occurrences was the great help in de.
ternining his aye.
The last 30 years of his life were passed in
quiet and comfort. He preferred living by him.
self, and always had his own house, where he
kept his pipe aud tobacco pouch, ana such things
as were articles of comfort to him, mostly such
rs he had got from his residence with tho Indi.
ans-not forgetting his rosary and few relig.
ious pictures which hung above his head. He
was very neat in his person, clothes and house.
keeping. and up to the day of his death attended
in summer his tobacco plants and his cabbages.
One of his great desires was to see railroad,
and when the first locomotive came screaming
into the bottom which was in full view OF his
home he was nervous a. Q child until he visited
it. The wife of Mr.. Mulkey, who has been his
constant attendant from her childhood, took him
down one day to the depot, where he had an op.
portunity to examine it, and saw it move away
with heavy train attached. He expressed him.
self as satisfied, said he "could tell God no had
seen a railroad" and has never since expressed
any curiosity on the subject
We can truly say that Kansas City has lost
her Oldest and most noted citizen.
"A Sad Case.
We became possessed of the particulars of one
of the saddest histories it has ever been our lot
to know, this morning, It will be remembered