Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-04-30
She Was Kissed by Washington.
(From the New York World. |

Mrs. Phoebe Towle, an inmate of Miss
Hattie l.. Melvin's Little Faith Home
for the Homeless. Friendless and In
durable, on Arlington Street, Newark,
will be 1O3 years old if she lives until
the 4th of July next. A record in her
old family Bible shows that she was
born at 4 o'clock in the afternoon of
July 4, 1871, in Hoboken, and that her
parents name was Seeley. She was
sitting up in bed when reporter for the
World saw her yesterday afternoon, and
the nurse said that the old lady had been
80 weak during the past five months that
she had to be lifted from the bed. Mrs.
Towle has blue-gr eyes, thin white
hair, plump cheeks, but her arms and
body are thin and worn. She said that
only one of her children, a daughter
fifty-six years old, is alive.
'My father was carpenter" Mrs.
Towle said to the reporter, sand he
built the first house on the Hoboken
hills. l remember when there was not
more than score of houses in Hoboken
and Jersey City, and over in New York
it was all swamp back of where the
City Hall now is. Near the Tombs
planks were laid for people to cross the
street and short cuts were made through
the lots up to Canal Street, where there
was big pond. We used to pluck
daisies and buttercups up there, and the
people used to meet on the Battery on
warm nights. Father often rowed me
across the river from Hoboken to New
York. Sometimes we went IN boats
worked by horses. We used to climb
down the muddy bank of the river to 90
into the boats and on the New York side
we clambered up at low tide. It was a
long time before people would venture
and pray that the Lord might let them
return safe from New York. trip.
eyes, saw Gen. Washington once"
the old lady said liz reply to question,
"but it was SO long ago, SO long, ago!
Father took me to the Battery, in New
York, where great crowd was gathered,
and he carried me in his arms, for I wss
tiny bit of girl then. When the peo-
pie all began to cheer and swing their
hats and wave their pocket-handker-
chiefs, father raised me above his head
SO [ could see Washington and his Off
GERS. [ saw in big yellow and black
coach tall man with head as white as
sheet. He was bowling and smiling
to the people, and [ remember that he
had black coat, black breeches and
black silk stockings. Father carried me
close to the tavern where Gen. Washing
ton was to stop, and when the General
stepped from the carriage father held
me up for Washington to kiss. Another
nice man who, if remember right, was
Gen. Lafayette, patted me on the head.
Gen. Washington came out on the piazza
OF the tavern, SO that all the people
conld get good look at him. My faith
er, who had seen him in the war, was so
wild with delight that he cheered until
he was hoarse. That night the people
lighted bonfres over on the Jersey City
and Hoboken hills and at Paulus HOOK.
It was SO long ago that I can't remember
everything, but know that the sky was
red from the bonfres on Brooklyn hill
and Staten Island and away back on the
Orange Mountain. saia
''I had good health until three years
ago. at one time was in comfortable
circumstances, but lost everything and
kind ladies got me in here. %