The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1871-08-24
THE OLDEST MAMIE DIES AT THE AGE
OF 1874 YEARS.

On Saturday evening last the oldest man in
the State, If not the oldest man anywhere, died
| in Kansas City,
His name was Jacob Journals, but known
TO everybody who knew him at all as "Old
Peno" Cor Pnan). Nobody knew his exact
age, not even himself, but he was known as an
old man when men now fourscore were chill
dren. He was Canadian Frenchman by
oirth, and for more than half century was a
hunter and trapper in the employ OF the Fur
Company-One of the French royageurs, as
they are caed-.most of that time with Major
Andrew Dripps, the father of Chas A. Dripps,
and the fatherIn,law of William 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
before he died was walking about the room
lie said to the family in the morning that he
should "never see the sun go down again."
and Just before sunset the machine stopped
the old man was dead.
lie said he was working in the woods on
piece of land he had bought for himself, near
Quebec wheh Wolfe was killed on the heights
oi Abraham This was September l3, 1850
and, from what he told of his lite previous to
that, he must then have been over twenty -one
years of age.
Thinking he might have conlounded Wolfe
with ntgOmery-l775-we questioned him
very fully, but his recollection of names and
incidents was too distinct to leave any doubt,
and the same account had been given to 9TH
ers long before we saw him.
Another event which he remembered well.
aud which be seemed always t0 look upon as
good joke, was that during the occupation of
New Orleans by General Jackson-1Si4-15-
he had been refused enlistment "because he
was too old" The old man often told this
with great glee He must then have been
about eighty years old
Thus, taking everything into consideration,
ana We have been careful ever since We knew
him tu get all the facts about him we could
from Dripps. the Chouteau family, Jim Bridgcr,
Tim Goodale. Bent. Jim Beckwith, and other
old mountalneers-we put his age at l3i years.
He Went from Canada Ia where Pittsbnrg
now is, thence down the Ohio in keel-boats,
and was ut New Orleans il seems in 1914
Before this. however, he accompanied the ex.
pcditinn of Lewis and Clark in their cxplura-
tnns ul the Missouri and the discovery of the
Columbia river, in l-0I~7. Ills experience
during that trip making him valuable man Ia
the Fur Company, he was afterwards employed.
rs We have stated. until thirty years ago; be-
ing then worn out, aud too old Tor active SER
vice, hc came here TO spend the evening Of his
life with the family of the man he had 50 faith.
fully served for 50 many years.
The last thirty years ot his life were passed
IN quiet and comfort He preferred living BY
himself, ana always had his own house. where
he kept bis pipe aud tobacco pouch, and such
things rs were articles of comf"rt 10 him,
mostly such as he had from bis residence with
the Indians, not forgetting his rosary and
few religious pictures which hung above his
bed. He was very neat IN person, clothes aud
housekeeping, and up 10 the day of his death
attended ia Summer to his tobacco plants and
his cabbagcs. One of his greatest desires was
to see Il railroad, and when the first locomotive
came screaming into the bottom, which was IN
full view OF his home, he was nervous as
child until he visited it, The wife of Mr. Null /
key. who has been his constant attendant from I
her childhood. took him down one day to the !
depot, where he had m opportunity to exam
me ia aud saw it move away with a heavy
train attached. He expressed himself as sat |
isfcd, said he could tell God he had seen
railroad and had never since expressed any
curiosity on the subject ct.--hansas City No. J |
Journal, July Is.