The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-12-24


colored man named John Hanning, who
says he is 118 years old; that he has in
hGbited this vale of tears
EIGHTEEN YEARS OVER CENTURY.
He was brought into the STATESMAN of
fee yesterday by Mr.. Frank Maddox and
introduced to the editor.
The old colored man is small. wiry and
alert, and seems to be in the full posses
sion of his mental faculties. The wife of
Mr.. John Hanning purchased the old man
at Gonzales from a DIR. Walker,
WHO BROUGHT HIM TO TEXAS,
from Mississippi, the doctor having mar
ried a Miss Jones, whose father was VIM.
B. Jones, who was aid Johns owner and
gave him to his daughter at her marriage.
This was in 1889, three years after the
battle oil San Jacinto. "Uncle john" as
he shall be called in the future, was origi-
nally owned and raised by
JESSIE YATES, IN NoRTA CAROLINA,
and "Uncle John" remembers when Yates
was drafted in the revolutionary war, but
did not go himself, as he procured sub
stitute He was then eight years old. He
was born in Hartford county, near the
town of Winter. He says he saw and
REMEMBERS GEN. GEO. WASHINGTON,
whom he saw at the head of his troops in
North Carolina. He also remembers see
ing the British retreat.
He says the first ship he ever saw was
the Mary Eliza Windsor, and she ran into
town of that name in Buckelsburg
county. This vessel being very DID, she
was taken to pieces, and two other small
sailing vessels were made from her tim
bers.
He says he
KNEW GEN. ANDREW JACKSON, =
even before the battle of New Orle ans.
He says Gen. Jackson was the racer of the
best horses in the United States, and his
old master got colt from Gen. Jackson
that was called Sir Archer.
He says he thinks he has lived in Au
tin about thirty years. 1t was, in his
language, "a little bit of a place" when he
came here, the main part of the town
being where the old court house,
in the present first ward,is situated.
HE HAS HAD THREE WIVES,
and had children by two, but he says
he couldn't possibly tell how many chill
dren he is the father of, as he thinks it is
wise father who knows all of his own
children. He is now living with his third
wife. sleetle wee of thing" He also
lived in Tennessee, near Memphis. This
time he specifies as latter the banks was
busted" abiding, of course, to the unfor-
tunate days of Mississippi reputation.
He says he remembers things
SWAY BACK IN THE FOUNDATION
better than he does things done of late.
He says he remembers when Major An
derson Miller was mashal of Mississippi,
and when Gen. jackson turned him out;
that the old major "cussed his lungs out,
I abus1n' Jackson" aud hA5. 70. ia 1 in g
whisper. This is a historical fact. He
says he is an old Predestination Baptist
his church taking its organization from
John, who preached the coming of Christ
That, he saws, ''was the rock and unless
we
ARE PLANTED ON THE ROCK.
we won't stand, you know"
He has had little sickness but is a:
sound now ''as fish in the water" He
says that when at Houston, he was very
strong and caught barrel of green ap
pies and threw them from the deck of the
boat on to the wharf but it rolled back on
him and he caught it Shy the chime" an6
broke the leader of his shoulder. He die
not even have the dengue fever. He claim:
to have been a greater farmer than any
man in the country. He says his
OLD MASTER OFTEN REFUSED
$4,000 for him and he had to be sold, whe1
the old master died, to divide the property
when VIM. B. Jones, whose grandsons
Jonah and Bailey Walker,li here, bought
him and gave him to DR.. Walker, as stated
who brought him to Texas. He has a
small. comfortable home and hopes TIC
live many years to enjoy it.
HOW TO OBTAIN GOOD TEA.
A Fcup of good tea is enio 7ment