Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-25
ga MOUNTAIN PINK,
A New Jersey Negress Who Is 116
Years OId-Lfvfng In Lonely Cabin
on the Top of Sourland Mountain
With her 'Baby', Daughter of 10

Philadelphia Record.
The oldest person, perhaps, now
hvlGg In the United States is Sylvia
Duboice. negress and former slave,
who in August last celebrated her
ll6tn birthday, and who lives in des-
Tuition on the bleak summit of the
Sourland mountain, IN Hunterdon
county, New Jersey, In little
frame caoln, with one room hardly
large enough for the swinging of a
cat. and which is hidden amid the
stunted underbrush and huge bound
ers that lend a rugged and barren
plcturesqueness to the lone spot, this
famous mountain pink" drags out
her burdensome life, attended by her
baby" as she calls her Youngest
daughter, Elizabeth Alexander. who
is herself 70 years of age.
When a Record reporter reached
the cabin, the other day, he found her
venerable human relic stirring nm
wash-clOthes that were in the boiler
on the stove, while the ''babyn lustv
and stout-limbed, was chopping wood
swinging her ak with the skin and
strength of an amazon. For half a
century old Sylvia has lived upon the
identical spot upon which the cabin
now stands. The structure in which
all these years We're passed had begun
to tumble in sheer decay about her.
for it was bold target fol the fierce
winds that sweep with hurricane like
fury over the top of the old gray
E1ountaiH. 1t at last became not even
fit shelter for beast. Her condition
excited the cOmmiSeratiOn of Rev. Mr..
Ferrln, mountain missionary, who
succeeded In interesting the ladies of
the Presbyterian church at Fleming
ton, ten miles away, in her behalf.
They raised the money fer the build
ing of new cabin. and into this she
has just moved. The structure is not
lathed or plastered, AM there is no
carpet on the floor Tae old lady
sleeps on cot, while her daughter
reposes on an old straw mattress In
the loft, which is without a window
and is reached by the aid of a print
tive ladder. There is not a single
article of comfort about the place and
hardly the necessarieS of life. But
the new house is palace in compari-
son with the old one.
The centenarian is remarkably
preserved for SO great an age She
says she can hear purity good" Her
eyesight is excellent, and she Rever
wore ''specs." She can boast of the
possession of one sound tooth, and
says that since she was 80 years old
she has drawn crumbs of cpmfort"
from a clay tobacco pipe. IT think
as mach of dat old clay pipe as | do of
my darter over yander." she remark
ed. The old lady is denSely ignorant,
never even having been taught to
read or wright, and this, combined
with her clouded memory, prevented
her telling much about herself. But
the daughter says that her age is fully
attested by the entry of her birth in
the family bible of Maj Bard, to
whom her father, a slave, belonged.
She was born near Rock Mills, at the
edge of the Sumerset mountain, In
Somerset county, New Jersey. When
a girl she was sold or given to man
Bend, on the north branch of the
Susquehanna river, in Pennsylvania.
She says she operated ferry for her
master, and took his name. When
she reached her 18Th year, and was
her own master, Duboice furnished
her with a paper setting forth thatshe
was a free woman. Armed with this
she returned to Jersey, which was at
that time slave state.
Her father served as a ffer in the
continental army, in command of
Mai. Baird, his master. He partici-
pated In q number of battles. She
has no memory for events, and gets
the Revolution sadly mixed with the
war of 1912 She is the mother of
three children, the eldest, Judith
Roberts, whose age is SO years, living
at Princeton, n j. She can not re-
call the ages of her father or mother
when they died, but says her son-in-
law, Francis Crazer, died in Philadel
phia during the centennial, at the age
of 104 years Old Sylvia is as ''pert
as cricket" can walk about unaided,
and is but little stopped from age.
Two years ago she made a journey to
Lambertville, and latar to New
Egypt. Her life has been published
in book form by Prof. Laricou, of
Ringoes, and has had large sale in
that section. Mrs. Alexander told
the reporter that she had to take as
tender care of her mother as though
she were baby. The doctor will not
permit her to take medicine, but
prescribes nourishing food. These old
women subsist wholly upon charity.
The daughter regretted that, owing to
the care required by her mother, she
is unable to go out to work for their
support, and the consequence is that
they are in great restitution. Old
Sylvia, needs clothes, an easy chair,
and, worse still, nourishIDg food.
Her extraordinary age and helpless
ness appeal strongly to the charita-
bic, and those who are disposed to
help her would certainly have their
contributions honestly bestowed
through Rev Dr. Mott, pastor of the
Presby terrain church at Pennington.
RaltimOre's Handsome Wemen,