The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-16
A6 m fOf YE-fRS.
A New Jersey Woman who saw Her Father
Return from the Revolutionary War.


In one of the plain frame cottages that
form the village Of Farmlngdalc, a handful 81
houses huddled in n clearing Of the great pine
forests Of Southern New Jersey lives Mrs Jane
A. Bingham who, as she says, and AS far as any
one knows, will he 10i years old on the fourth of
next June. She is I'm all probability the oldest
living native white person in New Jersey, and rs
she Joined the Methodist Church while in her
eighteenth year, 1t has been maintained, without
contradiction thus far that she is the Oldest lv
ing member Of that church In the United States.
The reporter and his companion saw Mrs.
Bingham seated In cushioned rocking chair.
leaning against pillow at her back, knitting
long white stocking. She leaned forward when
the visitors entered, directed toward each Of
them a keen, searching glance, and returned TO
her knitting. She had the Appearance of a re-
markahly vcll-prc-crNcds "ct"eenaren. Her
hands we're wrinAled. sallow, aud bonN. hut her
figure was plump, and ,Ncept Tor her to9thle-S;
sunken mouth. her iHre was shnpcy ana
smoother than many n woman nj hitN. Her
dark ewes were apparently uLimpared, and the
band II hair that lay between her forehead aud
her starched linen cap WAS jet black. and tlic X
enough to wholly cover the scalp.
Mother" screamed Mrs benjamin E1ing-
ham tile old lady . daughtcr-in-laW, whats the
INT thing you hin gcuembcrf
Eli. what dit YOU Sayf said the old lady,
quickly turning To- The other.
"OriW decf, Some .ine~.' said the daughter
in-law, poorly cld. cnrcworn woman whose
coat. worn uS a man would wear H. -urlul
deef She r.. and then agin she aiut 50 dcrf.
THE fu-t thing | can rcncinhcr' answered
the old lady, c"ughing painfully between her
words. "wu~ my father. a-Comin2 home from
the war and u playing ON his HE. lie wore
soldier clothes, and he playe
a white coeka lie ami peac ,ck feather,
Yaukee boys ~ hsht forever"
This coupct the Old lady essavcd to sing.
but was Obliged after several attempts I'm which
! her voice brnke and her cough increased, 50
that i brought tears to her eyes 10 repeat It IN
"Uh." she continued. II WAS 50 scared. didn't
! know who he was. was only five years Old. and
| hadn't never seen soldier clothes. Where did
| live thcnl lived to Red Lion, little nearer y
Ave miles from Forth Elizabeth. Where did
Ele the church, To Port Eli1abeth. used Il
| walk to church every sunday, and tend prayer
| meetings at ncighbors' houses, too.
Between frequent pau>es, the old lady ramhled
| ON about her present pirty, her love IL singing
! and Of prayer, and her regret that she was NJ
! longer able to attend religious services. Agar
she tried to sing-thIs time lAssaln, but hel
| cough prevented her.
II dunno who YOU arc" said the dauchter-in.
law, inquringly. The reporter informed her.
| Because. continued she Thought from
thought mehbe YOU was Moody and Sankey
Mother, she thinks you're preachers, too
Religion great comfort to me, inter
and prayin' dunno what I'd do. DO sing
tn ns M nv eyes is tired used 70 sing in ehnr"h
wherever lived. on long before was mar
rcd. and used to be the head one at IT, Reli
gion made my husband a good, Kind man"
Then the old lady recited the details Of he
husbands conversion. lie had commanded he
not to attend church, With her baby in he
arms she participated in prayer meeting scrNi
ces, and returned "full of power" but fuun,
herself locked out Of her house. Climbing I'm a
the window, she reached her husbands bed idt
held his hand and prayed until e. he got ola
power and jumped out of bed a-screaming, am
| ran out in the road" Then with a hearty laug
the old lady added, He Hllus bet he wouldu
holler II he got the power but when he got 1t Ii
just alarmed the neighbOrhood.'
From the younger Mrs. EMngham and froi
the Rev. MIR. Wilson, pastor Of the Methodi,
Church, II was Hscertaincd that the old lad
was of humble llessian Iarentage, her made
name being Springer. She was converted I
the Methodist faith at eighteen years Of az
and was married some years thereafter
John Emngham, n wood chopper. His VoCatiu
the telling Of trees and reduction Of their WOO
to charcoal, led him from place To place, unit
after having inside tour 81 nearly all New .Ie
sey, they crossed the Delaware aud Travelled /
far west rs Illinois. Their habitations wei
rude huts built 10y the husband wherever /
worked. During their welded life fifteen chi
dren were born TO them, and those OF them hi
lived were bound OUT when they reached ~
nclent years. Three Of these fifteen chill DIR,
died in their infancy, and three are In the neig
borhood Of FaTmngdae. Eight Of her chldr,
Mrs. bingham has not heard from for mo
than quarter of a century. Years ago one "
known TO be In Japan, another was I'm Bingham
and a third had written from Illinois Wheth
they are rich or poor, dead or alive, their moth
| cannot say.