The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-09-21
OLDEST MAN IN THE WORLD,

A merchant who recently returned
from tour Of South America has given
an account OF a remarkable old man he
saw in the City Of Tulca, Chill, whose
name is Felix Roils, and who. has un-
douGtedly reached the age Of one hum
dred and thlrty-siX years. Rojas was
born in 1740, and at an early age entered
the army, holding the position of Ser
geant-Major in a Spanish line regiment.
When Carlos the Third issued I1e his.
ioric mandate eXpelling the Jesuits,
II Djas took in cha, ge two members OF
lHe Order and carried them from Lima
res TO Santiago.
lie served forty-4ight years in the
Gillian armies, and is thoroughly col.
yersamt with the minutest details OF
Gillian history Tor the last century ana
a half. Up 10 one year ago RUjas wa
| remarkably vigorous for one Of his ven.
cradle age, though for ten years he has
been earned ABOUT in portable chair.
! IN charge of two servants. For wear
ne has been failing rapidly, and now sell
dom leaves his house, his physicians
prescribing almost absolute Qu.et as the
only means OF prolonging lite. Occa-
sionally he may be seen lii his chair iu
'front.' Of his residence, and passers-by
nay him the greatest respect. H.
| smokes a pipe, and has used tobacco
| -teaQIly IQr one hundred and twenty
years.
uls eyes are quite weak now, but h
has never used epeCtacles, and is gener.
ally abb Z to read large prln'. He is nol
large man, being scarcely five leet five
in height, and never weighed over one
hundred and fifty. He is remarkably
well-propOrLloned his head being ur.
usually large and t1nely-shaped. SIN.
gular to relate, ROjas has lived to this
ripe old age in defiance of many vicissi-
tudes anu habits that are universally
believed to ahbreViate mans term o,
life. From the age of twenIy till he was
seventy he was an habituQl drinker, anU
for long part Of that time such a con
tirmed tlppler that his health was seri
ously affected, and it was believed tna1
he could not survive long. For sixty
six years he mas not tasted intoxicating
drinks, except as medicine.
In I1S) he fought Il bluouless Gu.l with
a brother. soldier, and ten years later
IN similar encounter with another
antagonist, he was so desperateIy
wounded that it was two years before
ne fully recovered. AT one time b,
suffered a double lracLure of his righl
reg by a calsson wagon running over il
de was also wounded twice while tipJt.
| IHR lu DulIlc' A4C lluo uau lu6 yellow
fever, and has been repeatedly pros.
| trated by the other maiarlal levers
That prevail in all parts OF South
| America. II seems 50 remarkable
l.unat one should be preserved /,
such an eXu uaoruinary age, alter pass
ing through SO many adventures and ac
cldents by field and flood. Rojas is The
SON of Spanish nobleman who fled hn
country Ior polltlcal otfense, anC
settled in Chill under an assumed name
The son lived almost halt century be
lore he found out The true history OF his
father, and upon the discovery he made
"trip to SPAN, and succeeded in obtain
ing from the Government the title ant
posses sion OF valuable property whici
had been nfscated. This is the onl,
voyage Rojas mas ever made away from
his native cvuntry. The venerable oil,
man has ample means, and Is surrounded
by numerous line OF descendants, con
sisting OF children, grandchildren, greaI
grand children, great-great, aud great
great-Sr reat-granuchildren.