Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1885-06-25
A MODERN METHusELAH.
The Patriarch of the wakoyas of Northern
a risOua.

me ahtrch OF the Wakoyas OF Northern
Arizona.
~ AIoqu Inli1l whom we had
brought along as G ,ide and interpreter
explained TO the chief that our inten-
toms were peaceful and that we had
only come TO take look at some of his
people. among whom the Indians OF
other tribes had told us were few who
were cxtre' els old. The chief proved
to be o. qili dng disposition and
showfi ~ y about the village, We
werf c.lpwed by crowd OF young
Walo,a and were preceded by the
chisf. While around us barked and
hoe, q number of dogs, with which the
village aboundcd. After proceeding a
short distance we paused before the door
of a low stone hut, covered with a skin
roof, the cracks ia the walls being filed
up with brown adobe. Ourleader entered
without going through the ceremony of
knocking. 'Muskee! Muskee!' we heard
him shout repeatedly from within.
But Muskee was evidently not at home,
and the chief came back with disap-
pointed look upon his dark face. We
met the object OF our search about
twenty yards from his door and were
presented to him in Indian fashion. lie
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 COW
cred with dry, wrinkled skin; his fingers
were extremely long, and his palms and
wrists were witherei and shrunken,
while his whole body, which was much
attenuated, was bent over until his back
assumed the shape of half circle.
had never seen such specimen of aged
humanity before.
Did you discover his age?" inquired
the interviewer.
sour Moqui guide who spoke English
almost perfectly, and whose veracity
we had tested on previous occasions,
told us, after making the necessary in
quiry, that the man was one hundred
and sewnty-fivo years old, and 1 have
not the slightest doubJ, nor would any
one have alter receiving the ancient
Wakoya, that such was indeed his age.
After looking at us for some few mo-
ments, during which he rested his chin
heavily upon the long staff which he
clutched with one of his dried-up
hands, he mumbled few words in an
swer to questions put by the chief and
our interpreter, and then, raising his
head and stretching out his limbs, he
shambled on toward his hut at a tolera-
bly, smart pace for man one hundred
/, and seventy-five years old. The next
curiosity in this line was seen summing
himself by the side of<an adobe hut. AL
though bearing evidence of great lon
gevity and being in fact in the neigh
borhood of one hundred and ten years
of age, he was nevertheless very well
preserved in body and features, inclin-
iLg somewhat to obesity, which is
rather remarkable in an Indian, l was
told that this man was, even at his adj
vanced age, capable of great feats OF
endurance, could move about with agil-
ity and was one of the best trappers
among the people. He was related to
Muskee, whose family a,e all long
lived, especially the males Muskee'
brother had recently died ut the age OF
one hundred and thirty and his father
had been q centenarian. There were
eight persons in the family, whose com
bined ages at the dates of Their DEATH
Muskee being the sole survivor, nearly
reached one thousand years. Thess
centenarians are very proud of theil
length of days and take great care il
keeping the records of their ages. "-Ar
iona Cor. San Francisco Chronicle.