Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1874-06-29
A TALK WITH CENTENARIAS,

TALK WITH CENTENARlAS,
On last Tuesday afternoon, says the Wheel
ing STANDARD, understanding that Mr. Mchae
Edwards, ST., Of Moundsville. was in town, WI
stroled up Main street 10 the residence of h
son to see If if the old gentleman would gran
us an interview, and tell something about The
century he has lived in the world. There wa.
something especially attractive in III. thought.
of talking to q man over ne-hundred years OF
age, but as We approached the house and spied
the old gentleman sitting On the porch in silent
meditation. We felt n lilt. nervous about ap
preaching him and especially on such an errand
! However, We opened the lattice gates, and be-
lere we had time 10 utter Il word, he had plii
ont his hand of welcome.
Drawing up a chair aud feeling perfectly ut
home by the kind reception rendered, we eX-
planned our errand. His personal appearance
was that CT a man about seventy years OF age.
With u full head of hair which was not very
gray eyes OF mild gray, ami beginning to be
dun; Il face which shows al a glance that the
owner has had strong mental powers, ,---physiuue
is good, and indicated considerable remaining
vitality.
Drawing the old genllemau's mind buck To
the days Of childhood, he told us many persou-
al "reminiscences, which were exceedingly inter-
esting as they fell from his lips. From ram
bling talks about himself we gathered The fol.
lowing:
81 was horn in Little York. in the state OF
Pennsylvania, August II, l7G7; and am conse-
quently in my one hundred and seventh year
My parents We're descendants of German emf
grants and had been living at York long
while before | was born. 1t seems that they
are a long lived lace, as my mother lived
TO over one hundred and three years of age"
"lhe days of my youth were spent III the
town of York, which was then quite a small
village of huts and had but a few good houses
in the place, the population Of the entire bor-
nugh not being over tJD souls, although that
was noted point in those days.
lwent TO the district school and tell YOU
was pretty bad boy; why chewed tobacco
and smoked when was thirteen years of age
| and still continue the habit (llere the old gem
, tleman removed "chaw' and replaced it with
fresh one)
went to school until was sixteen years Of
age, when my father sent me to learn trade
with a gunsmitlI by the name of Conrad Wei
shaus. was only two years with him though
| until we had a fall ont and ran off, but my
father made me go back and bound me over to
| him. | didn't stay my time out though, as lie
broke up before | was ofage, which gave me
my liberty.
When l was about twenty three years of age
the fellows were excited around town about a
,, fire company that was organized, OF course
| Joined, and we took great pride in our clumsy
hand engines.
The company was called the Laurel Fire
Company and was composed of about 90 OF the
| young men of the town of which | am the old
est survivor. suppose am the Oldest fire.
man in the United States. We used to meet
in the engine rooms every evening and there
tell tales about the Indians who were swarm.
ing around the outskirts of the town, or else
talk politics or the social events of the day. II
| may interest you to know that have seen Gen
George Washington in York, and heard him
make speeches there, and when he was running
| for President | voted for him, and though not
| of age at the time. remember, too, many oil
the incidents Of the revolutionary war, and in
| our town saw six American soldiers shot by
the British.
think twas in the yearl1500 that left Lit
tie. York and wandered over. the, country for
several years, spending part of my time in wag-
| ontng goods, with six horse team through the
forest Of Pennsylvania from Philadelphia to
| Pittsburgh.
| Ii paid well, as got from eight TO nine dol
lars per hundred pound freight between the two
points. The villages of Harrisburg and Lam
caster were the principal points, although they
consisted OF but a few scattering log nuts and a
meagre population. >
! In 1905 got to Little Washington aud there
but few years, and was nineteen years my ju-
nior.
| Icontinued gunsmlthng In washington uh-
til removed from there TO Moundsville in
1870. .
The first great sorrow of my life was the
death of my wife, which occurred In 1853, after
| fifty-thIee years of happy married life. BY her
] had fsur children, all of whom are living, the
oldest is seventy years of age. now have
sixteen grandchildren and nine great grand
| Children the oldest being about fifteen years of
age.
bly recollection of the looks of Moundsyille
or Wheeling,when first came here is not gone.
but the places have grown wonderfully, and
changes hard 10 realize nave come about that
makes me confused and iorgetful."
My appetite is moderately good only, although
! | eat enough 10 keep mp my strength. The on
| ly trouble have Is with my limbs, which pain
/ me very much with rheumatic twinges otl o.
wise don't feel myself growing old.
A little observation on our part convinced
us that the condition of his physical eonsiitu-
lion Is really wonderful for one OF his age, and
| when we arose and thanked him for his kind
! ness, the firm grasp of the hand which hs Of
fered, seemed to promise that for years to come
1t would retain Its life and strength.
A large stone grist mill at the Branch, a VII
| lage fifteen miles from Mount Sinai, N. Y,
was blown down during a severe gale on We'd
| nesday evening. The roof was first carried of,
! and fell on a horse and wagon twenty feet from
| ihe building the rest of the mill then tlmbled
down, burying In It's ruins five men out of eles-
i an who were yorkinp In In at the time. 1t Ia