The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-01-17
EULALIA PEREZ.
The Oldest Woman in the World.

While in San Francisco we had been |
shown the photograph of Eulalia Per
reg; of Los Angeles-the Oldest woman
in the world-and now finding ourselves
in the close vicinity we resolved on pay
ing her visit. Mr.. Baldwin according
ly drove us to her house, quaint old
brown adobe structure, with project
ing roof sloping steeply from the center,
and two or three old wine-vats built
against the walls. 9j
We mounted to a piazza, where we
were met by very pretty and very typ
ical Spanish girl, wearing high comb
and speaking English with very charm
ing accent. She showed us into a sit
ting room, and, having sent to call the
old lady, entertained us to the best of
her ability, informing us that she was
Sonora Eulalia's great granddaughter,
her grandmother, the youngest grand
child, being IS years old her own father
is an American named Michael White
her great-grandmother's age, she said,
was about 40; but, old as she is, she
cannot speak word Of English" added
she, with conscious pride in her own
proficiency. She said the old lady was
always cheerful and sweet-tempered,
although growing a trifie childish.
Presently she went out and returned
with her great grandmother upon her
arm, short, shrunken figure, dressed
in dark calico shirt and sacque, with
gray shawl and gay carpet-slippers, her
head queerly covered by close fitting
black merino hood with white 'kerchief
inside, and no hair visible even upon
the forehead; her skin was almost as
dark as o mulatto's, and scanned with
million fine wrinkles. Her eyes were
shrunken to such degree as to give the
impression of having disappeared alto
gether, leaving only two narrow loop
holes, red as fire, and uncanny to look
upon.
When asked her age, she counted on
her fingers ten, twenty, thisty, and SO
on, up to one hundred and forty and it
is certain, and on record, that when the
present church of the Mission of San
Gabriel was built, in 1771, she was
married woman with three children.
She has three daughters and two sons
alive, and grandchildren 80 years old,
all settled around the Mission, and she
lives with all of them alternately, going
to church regularly every Sunday.
Two years ago she executed piece of
fine embroidery for sale at a fair, and
still uses her needle constantly. It was
proposed to take her to the Centennial
Exposition in Philadelphia, and she
actually went as far as the cars, when
some of her relatives, to whom she is a
revenue, interfered and brought her
home again. Perhaps it was as well,
for she has never been in all her long
lite further than eight miles from Loret-
to, her birthplace, and the fatigue and
excitement would, no doubt, have been
a risk. By the time she had told all
this, we feared that the dear old lady,
who, by the way, was most exquisitely
neat, might be tired, although she gave
no signs of fatigue, and so rose to take
our leave. She appeared really sorry
to have us go, and followed us quite out
to the carriage, bidding the spokes-
woman an especial good-by with pref
tily turned Spanish compliment, not
only upon my appearance, but what she
called my amiability in visiting and talk
ing to and cheering poor old woman.
Pressing my hand in firm, almost
virile manner, she gently uttered in
sweet, pure Spanish the blessing which
comes with such authority and sanctity
from aged lips, and we parted with mu-
tual regret. Frank Lesl6e's Ulats-
t7.1ted NeaDs910Der.