The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-04-18
THE SECRET OF LONGEVITY.
Remarkable Cases Of Persons Whe Lived
TO Rare Old AGc--Why Some People
Live I,onH--InIeFcatinM sGattMtica.

Washineton's body guards, or Of some
one who had seen the father Of his
country. or had remembered something
about the trying times of revolution at
the birth Of the American Republic, and
all simply because the heroes of these
11ortuarv records manage 60 bridge over
with full use of their limbs and facul-
ties the meagre span of a hundred years
or so. In comparison with some Of the
remarkable instances of longevity which
the st. Louis EreRiRq Post has collected
for the benefit Of its readers, these poor
Cautenarans are almost mere infants.
A Cincinnati paper mentioned, re-
Gently. that one Senior Mosel was still
living in South America at the remark
able sge of one hundred and thirty-five
wears. Mosel claims that he has dis
covered the secret OF longevity, and il
consists simply in observing the laws of
nature faithfully by taking the proper
amount Of exercise required each day by
the body and mind, and conducting
ones self in accordance with the rules of
health. He eats very sparingly, taking
hat one meal a day. aud that IN the eve
nlng after he has finished his days
lsbors. satisfying himself in the morning
with a single cup of coffee. He saws he
was never sick but once in his long life /
time, and that was after he had. on one
occasion, eaten some green apples. He
Is said 10 be still comparatively strong
in limb, able to do the necessary work
that his duties require ot HIM rs we'll aS
20 give nature It's daily share ot exercise,
and still retains his faculties apparently
rs bright and sharp as If he were but in
the wears of ordinary manhood
The oldest woman in the world is sup
posed 10 be Mary Benton. now residing
az Elton, in the county Of Durham.
England. She was born ON the l2tb Of
February, ITSl, and is Of course in her
l4Sth wear. She is in possession Of all
her faculties, perfect memory, hearing
and eyesight. She cooks, washes and
irons, in the usual family avocations,
threads her needle and sewS without
SpectaclJs.
Il lisa matter oi statistical fact that in
tbe district of Geezeh, which includes
the pyramids, aud population OF 200,-
coo, there are coo persons over 100
wears Of age, or one in every SS3. Nu-
mans De Cuyan, native OF Bengal, in
India, died at the Incredible age OF $40
wears He possessed great memory
even 10 his death. OF other aged per
sons we might mention Mr.. Dobson,
aged lS9, oi Hai6eld, England, farmer.
HIS diet was princi pally fsh, fruit, vege-
tables, milk and cider. Nlnety-one
children and grandchildren attended his
funeral
John de la S'mst, of Virginia, Is l3O
wears old.
Obi Thomas Parr, Of Wilmington,
Shropshire, England, lived 10 the age Of
l52 wears. He was first married at
eiEhty-eiSht. and a second time st l2O.
tie was covered from head 70 foot all
over with thick cover Of hair.
Henry Jenkins lived 10 the extrsor-
binary age Of log years. At the age of
lGO. he walked a Journey 10 London TO
see King Charles II. The king intro
Luced Jenkins to his queen, who took
g2uch interest in him, putting numerous
questions TO the patriarch, amongst
which she asked, Well, my good man,
may l ask Of you what you have done
during the long period Of life granted to
Won, more than any other man Of shorter
longevity 2" The old man, looking the
queen in the face, with bow, nalyely
replied, &" Indeed, madam, know of
nothing greater than becoming father
when l was over hundred years old :"
He replied to the king that temperance
sad sobriety of living had been the
means. by the blessing Of God, of length
e1ing his DAYS beyond the usual time.
Edward Drinker, aged los, of Phila-
Oelphia, rarely ate any supper.
Valentine Catchy, aged ll6, at Pres
ton. near Hull, England. His diet for
the last twenty years was milk and bis
ca.t His intellect was perfect until
within two days of his death. There
died in 1910, at Kingston upon Thames,
S1rry. Mr. Warrell aged 10 years.
Iaere died, a couple of years ago, in
Philadelphia, a Mrs McElroy, native
oi Northampton county, Pennsylvania,
who had arrived at the remarkable age
oi lis years. 1t appears she inherited
the constitution of her father, who was
q German, and who lived 10 be 107
years old. She remembered the occur
renceof the principal events Of the Rev
oluun, and she frequently provided
food for the American soldiers. She had
a distinct recollection of Gen. Washing
Ton. In 1870, when thirty-two years OF
age. she was married 10 John McElroy,
= revolutionary soldier, by whom she
had seven children, four of whom are
now living, two Of them being twins.
She had q remarkably vigorous constitu-
tion. and often assisted her husband in
the mill before they went TO Philadel-
phia. She would take up bag contain
rug ll2 pounds Of -four, with all ease,
and place il on the back Of horse. She
retained much strength and activity up
- her death, and would have been taken
Tor a woman of sixty or seventy, instead
of Jos years Of age Twenty-One years
before she received what is termed
second sight, and could see as distinctly
and clearly as ever. She did all her
Homework, waited upon her youngest
daughter, ffty-one years of age, who
had been blind for three years, and At f.
tended q store or shop which they kept
in the front room
Mary Randall died recently in the
Thurles Workhouse, Ireland, at the age
ui 10 She was married before the
breaking out OF the American Revolu-
ton.
Grandmother Miller, OF Brooklyn,
who IS now 106 years old, gives the fol-
lowing account Of herself Father
Tined the rebels, as they called EN-
then. member when peace was de-
clared, though. l was about twelve
years old when mother took me over 10
New York to see Gsn1 Washington and
his army come into the city. 1t was about
November somewhere in 1883. The Gen'l
and the army came down from Harlem. /
remember he rode splendid horse, and
Gen1 Knox was with him. threw a
bouquet in front Of his horse; aud he
bowed to me and smiled. The troops
we're awful ragged, some OF EN-, and my
tther was one Of en-
in every one OF these instances the
secret Of Ion n1evity has been the same.
The laws OF nature place no particular
Init to human life, but if they are ig-
norsi the mental and material part OF
the law breaker must surely suffer for
1t. As the human machine comes from
God, it il perfect in all its pats, and
with proper warmth, food, air, light,
drink, exercise and sleep, a person
might live on almost indefinitely, or at
least TO ipe old age. Death is rather
the result q indiscretions and of ignor-
anee on mans part than of the dispense
tions OF Providence. In all the cases
given above the parties harbored their
health well. They lived as a man was
destined to i've, and partook not Of the
forbidden fruit that was daily the food