Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-25
NINE SCORE YEARS OLD.
An Astounding Story that Leads One
to Think Adam and Eve May be Alive
still

An Astounding Story that Leads One
to Think Adam and Eve May be Alive
Still.
DR.. Levi E. George, says the San Fran.
cisco Chronicle, was interviewed the
other day concerning the Moqui Indians
Of Arizona, whom he recently visited
Said he II will describe the particular
tribe of the Moouis in which discovered
the most remarkable cases Of long life
They are called the Wakoyas and com.
prise about $50 people, males and females
OF these there are only about seventy
children, about sixty middle-aged per.
sons, and the rest include at least fifteen
centenarians. They do not intermingle
with the rowing bands of savages, prefer
ring a fixed habitatiOn in their little viii
wage in the valley of the Chausaka river,
one of the hundreds of small streams
tributary to the Colorado. They dwell in
stone houses or huts, engage in agricul-
tural pursuits to a limited extent and en-
Joy many of the arts of civilization. They
are, nevertheless, very secluded in their
little punch bowl of valley.
Our visit to the place was made about
six weeks ago. The chief proved to be of
an Obliging disposition and showed US all
about the village. We were followed by
a crowd Of young WakOyas, and were
preceded by the chef, while around us
barked and h0Wled a number of dogs,
with which the village abOunded. After
prOcee ling a short distance we paused
before the door of a low stone hut. covered
with a skin roof, the cracks in the walls
being filed with brown adobe. Our
leader entered without going through the
ceremony Of knocking. 'Muskee! Mus
KEEP we heard him shout repeatedly
from within. But Muskee was evidently
not at home, and the chief came
back with a disappointed look on his
dark face. We met the object OF our
search about 20 yards from his door, and
We're presented to him in Indian fashion.
He appeared to marvel at our unexpected
appearance, but his establishment was
nothing compared to ours as we gazed at
his strange and unnatural form. His
shoulders and limbs were clothed with
deerskin robes, and his face, which
seemed to be barren of flesh, was covered
with dry, wrinkled skin. His fingers were
extremely long, and his palms and wrists
We're withered and sbrunken, while his
whole body, which was much attenuated,
was bent over until his back assumed the
shape of a half-circle. l mad never seen
such a specimen of aged humanity be-
fore?''
"Did you discover his age" inquired
the interviewer.
"Our Moqui guide, who spoke English
almost perfectly and whose Veracity we
had tested on previous occasions, told us,
after making the necessary inquiry, that
the man was 175 years old, and l have
not the slightest doubt, nor would any
one have after seeing the ancient WakOya,
that such was indeed his age. After
looking at US for some few moments, dur
inc which be rested his chin heavily upon
the lOng staff which he clutched with one
OF his dried up hands, he mumbled few
words in answer to questions put by the
chief and our Interpreter, and then, rals-
ing his head and stretching out his limbs,
he shambled off towards his hut at a toll
erably smart pace for man 1l5 years
old.
But the greatest surprise was yet to
come. We were ushGred into a rudely
constructed stone building of greater di-
mansions than those before visited in the
village. 1t was almost dark inside, and
the room was ill-smelling and close.
When our eyes became accustomed to the
dim light we saw a skin-ciad figure kneel-
iny in one corner of the room and en-
gagged in breaking light sticks Of wood
into small faggOts. We were told that it
was a woman whom the chief had brought
us to see, and that she had not noticed
chief placed his hand on her shoulder,
and she slowly turned around. l could
not see quite plainly, and was at once
struck with q feeling Of responsiveness
almost akin to the horror one
feels toward visions seen in q
nightmare when her hideOus face and
blank, sunken eyes met my gaze. Her
face was of a greenish-yellOW color, and
what little there was left of flesh or skin
cIr7 To h,.r. o. oh ct
by some adhesive compound. 1t bore
parched, desiccated appearance, like the
outer flesh of a mummy. The lower jaw,
which was devoid OF teeth, Obtruded con-
sideTably beyond the angle Of her sharp,
hooked nose. Her arms appeared to be
almost bare of any fleshy tissue, and the
skin covering them was dry and hard.
She is 1S2 years old. This places her two
years beyond the reputed age Of the
patriarch Isaac at the time of his death,
and she must have first seen the light in
1902 or "A years before the signing of the
Declaration of Independence"
"Did YOU learn her name"
"The people of the village call her Wat
suma. She has only one living relative,
a great grandson, who is 81 years OF
age"
How has the record Of her years been
kept?"
tribe-by punching small round holes in
a piece of smOothly-pOlished horn at the
end of each twelve month. / expressed
desire to see the record of Watsuma's age.
At first she was very backward about pro-
ducing it, but finally directed her young
attendant in a slow, hoarse speech to go
and bring it to her, which was done, and
then, without allowing us to take it from
her bony fingers, she held itup for inspec-
ton. The 1872 holes were counted by our
wondering party, and the ancient relic
was replaced in its position in an inner
recess in the wall of the howell"