Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-08-17
THE OLDEST iNHABITANT.
"Reminiscences of IL man One Hundred
and Thirty-four Years old.


and Thirty-foUr Years old.
On Saturday evening last, says the
Kansas City Journal, of July Is, the
Oldest man in Missouri, 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 OldPeno," Tor Pinau). Nobody
knew the exact age, not even himself,
but he was known as an old man when
men now fourscOre were children. He
was a Canadian Frenchman by birth,
but for more than half a century was a
hunter and trapper in the employ of
the fur company, one of the French
yOY0gCUFS.
Sixteen years ago, when the writer of
this first knew him, his health was Wig
orous and his faculties strong and UNI
impaired, we took great interest in
talking with him, ana in various con-
versations running through many years,
we were satisfied rs to the fact of his
age being over 1870 years. His own
memory is born ont by the testimony
of others. His reGollections of import
ant events was very good, and, as he was
anilliterate man, his memory held to is
olated occurrences, not of history as OBJ
tanned from reading books. This, while
ii made his information fragmentary
and unsatisfactory as to the history Of
that early period of his life, yet afford
cd the best evidences as to his age.
He said he was working in the woods
on piece of land bought for himself
near Quebec, when Wolfe was killed on
the nights of Abraham. This was
September "a, 1859, and from what he
told of his life previous to that, must
then have been over twenty-one years
of age. Thinking he might have con-
founded Wolfe with Montgomery-1777
I've questioned him fully, but his
recollection Of names and incidents was
too distinct to leave any doubt, and the
same account had been given to others
long before we saw him.
He went from Canada to where Pitts
burg now is, thence down the Ohio in
keel boats, and was in New Orlerns, it
seems, in 1914 Before this, however,
heaccumpanied the expeditions Lew
is Clark in their explorations of the
Missouri and the discovery Of Column
bia River, in lS04-7. His experience
during that trip making HIM a valuble
man to the fur company, he was after
wards employed as We have stated, I'M
Ill thirty years ago; being then worn
ont and too old for active service, he
came here to spend the evening of his
life with the family Of the man he had
So faithfully served for so many years
a long evening it proved to be.
For the past seven years the old
mans recollection Of faces was often at
tault, but his memory of events and in
cldents seems as strong as eyer-llke
pictures in his mind-aud this reten-
tiou of occurrences was the great help
in determining his age. The last thir-
tv years of his life were passed III quiet
and comfort. He preferred living by
himself, and always had his own house,
where he kept his pipe and Tobacco
pouch, and such things as were articles
Of comfort to him, mostly such as he
had from his residence with the Indians
not forgetting his religious pictures,
which hung above his bed. Hewas very
neat in person. clothes, and housekeep-
ing, and mp to the dayo his death attend
al iu Summer to his tobacco plants and
his cabbages. One of his great desires
was TO see a railroad, and when the
hrst locomotive came screaming into
the bottom, which was in full view OF
tbs home, he was nervous as a child un-
I'll. he visited it.
4 PROFESSIONAL Christian in Haver-