Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1877-10-12
The Oldest Man..

A merchant Of this city. who recently
returned from q tour Of South America.
has given a reporter OF the Globe. Demo.
crat an account Of q remarkable old man
he saw In the city OF Tulca, Chill. whose
name Is Felix Rojas. and who has nm.
douhtedly reached the age OF l36 yoars.
Rojas wal born In l740, and at an early
age entered the army. holding the posi-.
ton OF Sergeant Major in a Spanish line
regiment. When Carlos the Third IL.
sued the historic mandate expellinr the
Jesuits, Rojas took In charge two men,
bsrs OF the order and carried them from
Linares TO Santiago. He served forty.
eight years In the Gillian armies, and is
thoroughly conversant with the mimi.
test detail Of Gillian history for the last
century and a half. Up to ons year ago
Rojas was remarkably vigorous for one
Of his venerable age. though for ten
years he has been carried about In a
portable chair. In charge Of two servants.
For q year he has been failing rapidly
and now seldom leaves his house,
his physicians prescribing almost abso.
Lutte quiet as the only means Of prolong.
ing life. Occasionally he may DO seen
In his chair In front OF his residence,
and passsrs by pay him the greatest 70.
spsct. He smokes q pipe, and has used
tobacco steadily for ons hundred and
twenty years. His eyes are quite weak
now, but he has never used spectacles
and Is generally able to read large print.
He Is not o large man, being scarcely
Ave feet FIVE in hight. and never weigh.
ing over $50. He il remarkably well
proportional. his head being unusually
large and finely shaped. Singular TO
relate, Rojas has lived to this ripe old
age In defiance Of many vi~cissitudes and
habits that are universally believed to
a~bbreviats o mans term Of life. FROM
the age OF twenty till he was seventy he
was an habitual drinker. and for u long
part Of that time he was such o con.
firmed tippler that his health was seri-
ously affected. and II was believed that
he could not survive long. For sixty
six years he has not tasted intoxicating
drinks, except On medicine. In 1850 no
fought q bloodless duel with o brother
soldier, and ten years later. In u
similar encounter with another
antagonist, he wa 40 desperately
wounded that Il was two years
before he fully recovered. At ono
time he suffered o double fracture Of
his right leg by o caisson wagon running
over 1t. He was also wounded twice
while fighting in battle. He has had the
yellow fever, and has been repeatedly
prostratsd by the other malarial fsvers
that prevail in all parts Of South
America. II seems 80 remarkable that
one should be preserved to such m sx-
traordinary age. after passing through
80 many exciting adventures and acct.
dents by fold and flood. Rojas Is the
son OF a-Spanish nobleman who lied his
country for O political offence, and set.
tied In Chilli under IN assumed name.
The son lived almost half o century
before he found out the true history OF
his father. and upon the discovery he
made q trip to Spain. aud succeeded in
obtaining from the government the title
and possession Of valuable property
which had been confiscated. This was
the only voyage Rojas ever made away
from his native country. The venerable
old man has ample means, and is u =
rounded by q numerous line Of descend.
ants. consisting OF children, grand.
children. great-grandchildren, great.
great and great-great-grsat.grandchil
dren.-&. Louis Globe.