The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-11-23
HE KNEW WASHINGTON.
A Man Who Claims to be One Hundred and
Seventeen Years Old.

A Reporter OF the PlttsburS Leader
has found colored man in that city
who claims to be one hundred and
seventeen years old. In long inter-
view in which the question OF age was
fully discussed, the conversation was
continued by the reporter asking:
What was your masters name, Mr..
Whett?
"Col. Zanes, sir; the same as Zanes-
vile, OHIO, is called AFTER"
Where did he liver
SAT Marlboro, Shenandoah County,
Virginia, sixteen miles from Winches-
ter, Col. Isaac Zanes, part Indian
and revolutionary Colonel under Wash
ington."
Was he part Indian?
"Well, he was half breed, sir. /
dun'o whether he was half breed alto
gether, either; but there was some In
dian in him."
What was the name OF the place where
he liyedp
"Marlboro, sir-Marlboro furnace.
Colonel Zanes owned the big furnace
there"
Did he have a large farm, tooP
"Oh, terrible; terrible large farm.
There's someLhip like three thousand
acres belongs to the Zlnes' at Marl-
boro"
Did you ever see General Washing
tonY
"Yes, SIR" answered the old man,
getting somewhat excited and talking
more rapidly. "Yes, l saw General
Wash ington on his sorrel horse, three
white feet am blaze face; called him
Beucephalus or Reducephalus, and his
servant rippo"
Where did you see Washington
SAT Colonel Zanes'."
Were you living at the time of the rev.
olutionary war?
"Wy, yes. L was young an wild, an
didn't take so much interest in 1t, opy
just what 'ud come before my eyes. An'
was great boy to take notice of
horses; a great boy. Washington's SER
want was yellow man, or a brown
skinned man. remember him WELL"
Was your master marriedf
"No; he was single man am had q
housekeeper, Mary mcfarland. mind
of her Just a. though it were yesterday.
And alter Col. Zanes died his sister got
The property. 1t was this way: He was
| in debt when he died, an his sister paid
off the debLs an took the property am
us with it. She was an old maid. Miss
Sarah Zanes, that was her name."
Do you mind much about your mas
ter?
"Oh, yes, a heap. he was a very
heavy man; an awful big man. He
weighed about three hundred pounds.
| He was about tifty-tve years old,
| guess, when he died. Washington was
a big man, too"
How muc6 would Washington weigh?
He'd weigh about three hundred
pounds, TOO, l guess. on'y he was
| I,tr tn. Ia had n "a
| corporation. He was as straight as u
| saplin, or as straight as any pole."
| Did you see any OF the lights in the
| Revolution?
| mo; l don't remember Of any,"
| Gid you see any OF the soldlersI
"Oh, used to see buuions OF en-"
| Where?
"At Marlboro an about there"
How old do you say you are, Mr..
Whett?
"One hundred and fourteen years. SIR"
How do you know you are so old?
| 81 don't know on'y what Col. John
Zanes told me. Col. John, he was a
nephew OF Col. Isaac Zanes, and lived in
Germantown, near Philadelphia, but
| he'd be often at Marlboro visiting, an
ter my master died he was one of the
| executors. He bad history with all
our names in it; there were sIxty-three
| OF u.s."
| And you don't know whether you are
one hundred and fourteen years old Oh
not.
IL on'y know what the history says.'
| What does it say?
! 1T says as | was born OH January 16
/ 1859"
| Did you ever see it?
| mo, Colonel John Zanes tole me-"
| What did he tell you?
| He tole me, 'Francis.' he says, you
| were born Oh the 10th Of January, 1853
lie tole me that nearly forty years
| go"
| How long ago?
| NEARLY iorty years ago, 'spect."
| Were you OF age wnen he told you
Yes, guess 1 war ofage; long enough
| IF age"
| Then you were free, were you?
| 'N-o, not Free"
Were you not TO be free when you was
| of agef
| Free? Yes, but-no, l warn't of age
when he tOle me this. lie said, fran
:is, you were born on the 10Th Of Janu-
Ary, 1852"
Are you sure he said 1859; might you
not have misunderstood him?
wv ell, ii he uldhG say III, I'm mi s.
aiken, that's all.'
Mistaken in what Colonel Zanes told
| ,ou?
Colonel Zanes; OBJ, l don't know, ]
| hink that's what he told me. He was
me Of the executors, and he was always
| Jurty correct"
But you might have misunderstood his
| words.
well, it's just as told you; might
| Je mistaken"
When did you get your free papers?
| II got 'em in 1902"
| Who from?
| ~ got 'em from the Recorder at Win.
chester; james Keethe, Recorder in
hem days; Tom Tldball an Henry Nc
| Ewen."
| Who were they?
"They were Recorders, too. I<lidn't
| ret my papers when was of age, for
vas busy teamin' to Baltimore an
| Washington. l was purity wild boy
lien am didn't care Tor the papers, for !
ldn't need them. | was there in the
leighbnrhood all the time on'y when I'd
Ie away teamin'. l mind'the Reporters
,sked me why didn't come to- the pa
Iers sooner, am tole 'em L didn't need
hem."
How old were you when you got the
| ,aDers?