The Lincoln County herald., 1871-07-27
One uuudred aad Thirty Years Old.
DEATH or OLD rENo IN KANSAS CITX-A
LONG, LONG LIFE.
From tho Kansas CITY yovrnAi, sth.l

tFrom the Kansas City SosrnAl, sth.l
On Saturday evening lsst, che oldest
man in the State, If not the oldest any.
where, died 10 Kansas City. ....
His name was jacob Fournais, but
known TO everybody, who knew him At
all as "old Psno," Cor Pinau). Nobody
knew his exact age, not even himself, but
he was known a. an old mae when men
now fourscore we're children.
He was . Canadian freuchman BY
birth, but for more than half century
was q hunter and trapper iu the employ
Of the fur company, one Of the French
uoyageurs, as they we're called most Of
that time with Maj. Andrew Dripps, the
father Of Mr.. Charles A. Dripps, and
father.ln law Of MIR. William Mulkey, At
whose house he died, and whese he had
been kindly and affectionstsly cared fos
during the last thirty years.
He was never sick, aud only few min.
utes before he died was walking about
tho room. He said to the family 10 the
morning that he would "never SEQ the
sun 90 down again" and just before sun
set the machiue stopped-and the old
man was dead.
He was buried yesterday IN the Cath
olic burying ground, the funeral services
being conducted by tho venerable clergy
man, Father Donnclly, who had known
him for more than aquarter Of a 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 vigor.
GUS and his faculties strong and umim-
paired, and we took great interest in talk
ing with him, and in various conversations
running through many years we were
satisfied as to the fact Of his age being
over 1870 years. His own memory is
borne out by the testimony of others.
His recollection Of important events
was very good, and, as he was an illi'erate
man, his memory held to isolated occur
rcnces not of history as obtained from
reading books. This, while it made his
information fragmentary and unsatisfac =.
tory as to the history OF that early period
of his life, yet afforded the best evidence
us to his great age.
He said he was working in tho woods
on a piece Of land he had bought for him
self, near Quebec, when Wolfe was killed
on the heights Of Abraham. This was
Sept. IA, 1885. and from what no told of
his life previous to that, he must then have
been over twenty.one years Of age. Think.
ing be might have confounded Wolfe with
Montgomery-1775--we questioned him
fully, but his recollection of names and
incidents was too distinct to leave any
doubt, and the same accoun: had been
given to others long before we saw him
Another event which be remembered
we'll anu which he seemed always to look
upon as good joke, was that during the
occupation Of New Orleans by Gen.
Jackson-18l4-l5-he had been refused
enlistment because he was tCo old" "
The old man often told this with great
glee. He must then have been about
eighty years old.
Thus, taking everything into consider
alton, and We have been careful ever since
we knew him to get all the facts abou,
him we could-from Maj. Dripps, the
Chouteau family, Jim Bridger. Tim
Goodale, Bent, Jim Beckworth, and other
old mountaineers-we put his age at one
hundred and thirty. four years.
Ho went from Canada TO where Pitts
burg now is, thence down the Ohio in
keel-boats, and was in New Orleans, il
seems, in 1914.
Before this he accompanied the expe-
pitlou of Lewis and Clark, in their explo
rations Of the Missouri and discovery o.
tho Columbia river in 1S04.7. HIS expe
rience during that trip making him val
liable man to tho fur company, he wa
afterward employed as we have stated
until thirty years ago being then worr
out and too old for active service, he cam,
here to spend the evening of his life will
the family Of the man he had 80 faith
fully served so many years-a lonI
evening it proved to be.
For the past seven or eight years tn
old mans recollection of faces was Otter
at fault, but his memory Of events ant
incidents seemed as strong as ever-lik
pictures in his mind-and this retention
Of occurrences was tho great help in de
termining his age.
/ The last thirty years Of his life wa
passed iu quiet and comfort. He pre-
, ferred living by himself, and always ha
, his own house, where he kept his pip
aud tobacco pouch, aud such things n
wero articles of comfort to him, mostl
, such as he had from his residence wit
the Indians-not forgetting his rosar
! and few religious pictures which hnn,
above his bed. He was very neat in hi
0 person, clothes and housek excepting, aud u
0 to the day of his death attended iu sum
Q mer to bis tobacco plants and his cab
f bages. One Of his great desires was I
$ see a railroad, and when the 6rst loco
motive came screaming into the bottor
t which was in full view Of his home, b
was nervous as q child until he visited i
The wife of Mr.. Mulkey, who had bee
his constant attendant from her childhoo,
f took him down one day TO the depo