Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-05-27
A CENTENARTAN PAIR.
The Husband, Agei ll2, and tie
Wife ll5.
Old Ben Wickline and his Older Wife
Darkies Whose Memories Date Back
TO the Revolutionary War.


TO the Revolutionary War.
Typical old-times negroes are Ben
Wicklifle and his centenarian wife,
Charlotte. The old man is little
squatty negro with an extremely
bald head, whose only covering is
two little tufts of white wool over
each ear that contrast with the dark
background of the scalp. His beam
ing face that is continually lighted
up with an expression of content and
innate good humor, is typical of the
simple nature of the old time slave.
Charlotte, his older but better half
is in perfect keeping with the Old
man, and has been his companion for
seventy years,
But these ordinary traits are the
least striking in this interesting old
couple. Both date their birth back
in the eighteenth century. The old
man fixes his age at ll2, while his
wif1 stands pat, and goes him three
better At llj.
This morning Post reporter, hear
ing of this extraordinary old couple,
called on them at their home with
their son at No. S0S Twelfth steet,
near Walnut. When the reporter
entered the old people were snugly
stored away in u cozy little room on
the second floor. The old man was
seated in an armchair looking stead
fastly into the fire, while his wife lay
upon a bed near by, resting her
shriveled hand lovingly upon the
barest part of his head.
understand, Uncle, that you are
over a hundred years old, began the
reporter.
Yes sonny; dc ole man is pretty
ole. Use seen generations of men die
and not soul lives now that was
young in my days. l guess even the
old plantation wouldn't know me
now for everything has changed since
was boy.
How do you arrive at your age?
jest by reck'ning. 1t has 10 be cal
ulatcd like everything else that lives
beyond the recollection of man.
! How old are YOU?
Well, its been calculated different
ways, and has not been fixed lower
than ll2 years. After long counting
the white folks at Bardstown, whcr,
comes from, fixed il at desc fig.
gers?
How far back can you remember
l can 90 way back TO the first war
when General Washington whipped
the English.
Did YOU see any of the fighting?
No, but | remember the soldiers
coming back from dc wah dressed il
buckskin coats, l was quite u BIZ
boy :hen, | rcken twelve years ole
When was young the country wa
all woods and Injins. There was on
ly one house in Bardstown when
was boy, and this place was no lar
ger than Dardstown is now when
was pretty near grown. When olC
Master Wicklific died he was a whit
headed old man, and 1 was just few
years younger than him. lie dic(
too long ago to think about. 1t mus
be nigh forty years.
DO you remember any or the Pres
!. idents?
Inever seed any of 'em, but hear'
tell of the whole lot.
How did you come to marry tn
old moman'
This caught the ear of the old wo
, man, and rising up in the bed, teen
ing all over with laughter, she de
manded the woman's right to inform
on all questions relating to so tende
/. Il subject.
Sonny you see rs Virginhy mig
! ger and they can't grow pretty mig
y gers nowhere but in ole Virginny
When | moved to Bardstown l jes
caught de eyes of all the darkies anC
set dem crazy. One day as | wa
knocking through the fields with
: bundle of cotton on my head, Be
looked up from the hoe and tiXin
his eye on me watched till l was on
Of sight. De next day Ben come I
dc cabin and tole me that l was d
prettiest thing he ebbcr seed. Des
little feet and dat ole cotton dre>
which was so short dat Inebber like
ed it, was what dc ole mans ey,
There We're seven other niggers aite
me at the time, but liked Ben d
best, even though l was three year
older.
How do you account for your liN
ing to such an extreme age.
Well | doesn't know 'Lactly ho'
It's, unles il was dat old fare oh as
cakes, hoe cakes, hominy and goo
fat bacon.
How many children had you.
Sixteen, sharply answered the ol
lady, affecting conquetish modest!
Only five of dem are alive now an
theyoungest is fifty years old. Des
five aie all living in dis city with thi
ty two children, and all of desc al
! married and got children and the
got children again.
How many great grandchildr(