The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-04-04
THE SECRET OF LONGEVITY.
Remarkable Gases of Persons Who Lived
TO Rare Old Ase.-Why Some People
Live LcDs--InterestinR sstatistics.

Remarkable Gases of Persons who Lived
to n Rare Old Ase.-why Some People
Live Lcns--Interestink Statistics.
Every now and then the telegraph
heralds the news of the death. of one of
Washington'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
mortuary records manage to bridge over
with q full use of their limbs and facul-
ties the meagre span of hundred years
or SO. In comparison with some of the
remarkable instances of longevity which
the st. Louis Euening Post has collected
for the benefit of its readers, these poor
centenarians are almost mere infants.
A Cincinnati paper mentioned, re-
Gently, that one Senior Mosel was still
living in South America at the remark
able age of one hundred and thirty-five
years. Mosel claims that he has dis
covered the secret of longevity, and it
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
but one meal day, and that in the eve
ming after he has finished his days
lahors, satisfying himself in the morning
with a single cup of coffee. He says 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 to be still comparatively strong
in limb, able to do the necessary work
that his duties require of him as we'll as
to give nature it's daily share of exercise.
and still retains his faculties apparently
as bright and sharp as if he were but in
the years of ordinary manhood.
The Oldest woman in the world is sup
posed to be Mary Benton, now residing
at Elton, in the county of Durham,
England. She was born on the 10Th of
February, 1871, and is of course in her
148th year. 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
spectacles.
1t is matter of statistical fact that in
the district of Geezeh, which includes
the pyramids, and population of 2OO,-
600, there are 900 persons over 100
years of age, or one in every 1888. Nu-
maus de Cuyan, a native of Bengal, in
India, died at the incredible age of $40
years He possessed great memory
even to his death. Of other aged per-
sons we might mention Mr.. Dobson,
aged 139, of Hadfeld, England, farmer.
His diet was principally fish, fruit, vege-
tables, milk and cider. Ninety-one
children and grandchildren attended his
funeral.
John de la Sonnet, of Virginia, is 13O
years old.
Old Thomas Parr, of Wilmington,
Shropshire, England, lived to the age of
l52 years. He was first married at
eighty-eight, and second time at 12O.
He was covered from head to foot all
over with thick cover of hair.
Henry Jenkins lived to the extraor-
dinary age of 1859 years. At the age of
16O, he walked q journey to London to
see King Charles II. The king intro
duced Jenkins to his queen, who took
much interest in him, putting numerous
questions to the patriarch, amongst
which she asked, "Well, my good man,
may ask of you what you have done
during the long period of life granted to
you, more than any other man of shorter
longevity? ?" The old man, looking the
queen in the face, with bow, naively
replied, " Indeed, madam, I know of
nothing greater than becoming father
when was over hundred years old 2"
He replied to the king that temperance
aud sobriety of living had been the
means, by the blessing of God, of length
ening his days beyond the usual time.
Edward Drinker, aged 103, of Phila-
delphia, rarely ate any supper.
Valentine Catchy, aged 116, at Pres
ton, near Hull, England. His diet for
the last twenty years was milk and bis
cult. His intellect was perfect until
within two days of his death. There
died in 1910, at Kingston upon Thames,
Surry, Mr.. Warrell agel 100 years.
There died, couple of years ago, in
Philadelphia, Mrs. McElroy, a native
of Northampton county, Pennsylvania,
who had arrived at the remarkable age
of 1l8 years. 1t appears she inherited
the constitution of her father, who was
a German, and who lived to be 1O7
years old. She remembered the occur
renee of the principal events of the Rev.
olution, 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 to John McElrov.
a revolutionary soldier, by whom she
had seven children, four of whom are
now living, two of them being twins.
She had a remarkably vigorous constitu-
tion, and often assisted her husband in
the mill before they went to Philadel-
phia. She would take up bag contain
ing 112 pounds of -four, with all ease,
and place it on the back of horse. She
retained much strength and activity up
to her death, and would have been taken
for woman of sixty or seventy, instead
of 1OS 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
housework, waited upon her youngest
fifty-one years of age, who
had been blind for three years, and at
tended store or shop which they kept
in the front room.
Mary Randall died recently in the
Thurles Workhouse, Ireland, at the age
of 122. She was married before the
breaking out of the American Revolu-
ton.
Grandmother Miller, of Brooklyn,
who is now LOG years old, gives the fol-
lowing account of herself "Father
ined the rebels, as they called 'em
then. I member when peace was de-