Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-10-17

We copied recently a sketch Of

We copied recently sketch of
Fortune Snow, colored man near
Louisville, KY, who is said to be
one hundred and twenty-tour years
old, and was styled the oldest man
in America. The Sterling (Ky.)
Sentinel now prints the following
account of another colored man of
that state, who may with safety by
called the oldest man in the world.
1srhaps the end is not yet:
SSnm Bowles, who lives near the
foot Of that wonder of nature. Car
rington's rock, one Of the great at
fractions of that charming summer
resort, the Olymphian Springs, in
Bath county, is the Oldest darkey in
the country. Sam islso old that the
clock in his rude cabin long ceased
ticking off the hours, old Father
Time having given up in disgust
the job .of numbering the hours.
days, weeks, months and years that
stretch out that old nigger's life a
long way back toward the dying
hour of the late Mr.. Mcthuselah,
who was said to have been no spring
chicken when he passed in his
checks. Sam claims to have been
the cook on the vessel that brought
Christopher Columbus over. He
doesn't know his exact age at that
time, but thinks he was upwards of
forty. He was born in Africa, and
was presented to Queen Isabella by
a Moorish prince who courted her
favor.
He is one of the most remarkable
specimens of humanity in existence.
He doesn't remember how long he
has been blind, but distinctly recol-
lects that the last sight his eyes
ever looked upon was that great
warrior, Ponce de Leon, kissing an
Indian princess behind an angle Of
the stone fort that eminent military
General erected at San Augustine,
Fla, and which still stands as a
proof of the correctness of the old
darkey's memory. His blindness
was brought about by his being
stung in the eye by mosqueto or
An alligator or buffalo, he doesn't
know which, as he was asleep. He
lost his last tooth one hundred and
fifty years ago, and owing to chron-
ic rheumatism in the gums, he has
been compelled to subsist by smell
ing his victuals.
Taken all together, old Sam
Bowles is curiosity, and we have
no doubt Of the truth of his story,
for he proved it to us on the spot.
'Why, massa, said he, do you see
dat dornick out dar?' meaning Car
rington's rock. We assured him
that we saw it very plainly. 'Well,'
said he, 4 planted dat dornick when
it was 10 bigger than warpit (wal-
nuD de first day dat settled heah,
an you may know dat's been no lit
tie while We believed him, and
came to the conclusion that he is
really older than he claimed to be.
for, though no geologist, and never
having tended a crop Of rocks, we
are satisfied that it took substantial
old Darlington several thousand
years to reach his present imposing
proportions. When we suggested
that is was that ancient mariner,
Admiral Noah, for whom he cooked,
he emphatically insisted that it was
Columbus, whom, he maintains,
was better sailor in minute that
Noah mas in three years voyage.
Not being posted in nactual mat
ters, we gave in to the old darkey's
superior knowledge Of things per-
tanning to the sea. He thinks his
life has been prolonged by drink
ing the Olymphian waters, the only
beverage he uses, a barrel of which
Mr.. Gill has hauled to his cabin
regularly every week for about a
hu ndred years."