Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-04-01
THE OLDEST MAN.
AN EX SLAVE NEAR DE-
TROIT CLAIMS THAT
DISTINCTION.
He is Said to be 1877 Years Old
and Remembers the Revo-
lutiOnary War

and Remembers the Revo
lutionary War.
When old Dad" Freeman was bur-
led across the river in Windsor short
time ago, says Il Detroit (Mich.) letter
to the New York Herald, it was believ
ed that the oldest man in the world
had been laid To rest. dad" was ~
years old, as concluslvely proved before
his death, and left 139 descendants.
Since Freeman was buried some relic
hunters have brought forward a man
whose authentic record fixes his age at
the remarkable figure of 127 years.
The proof furnished leaves no room for
doubt. Tue name OF this man is An
drew Lucas. lie is the father of Mr..
p. A. Lucas, who for nine years past
has kept barber shop in Detroit. Mr..
| Lucas was born slave under the faith
| er of General Jackson. he of "eternal"
fame, and was grown man when the
| General succeeded to the paternal es-
! tate He remembers the Revolutiona-
ry War distinctly and recalls many
very interesting incidents OF the second
war between this country and Great
Britain. He declares that it is as dis
tinct to him as yesterday when General
Jackson went to New Orleans during
that very memorable struggle, when lie
accompanied the General as his body
servant. He describes the cotton bales
piled up as temporary fortilication.
Soon after this, at a time when the
General was away, Lucas was whipped
for some reason and ran away. He re-
members very well why he WAS whipp-
ed, but does not give the reason. He
worked his way slowly north and cross
ed into Canada at Black Rock, on the
Niagara River. Andrew Kirby, then
customs collector at Fort Erie, shelter
ed him and helped him across into the
| king % domain Lucas found employ
ment in the family of General Brook
who was killed in the War of 1912 at
Queenstown Heights. Next he ran Oh
the Niagara River, under Captain John
Clinch, for whom he worked nine years
and was then discharged by his EN-
plnger because the latter considered
'''"' Ill 10 be useful. Lucas was
then siXty-two gea,. =,
Lucas soon found employment ,c,oi,
this time at Kingston, Ont, where h,
married his second wife. His slave
wife had borne him seven children
His second and free wife had borne
him seventeen. One daughter by this
union is now living at East Saginaw
Mich. Her name is Mrs. Williams
and she is seventy -one years old. Fif.
ty years ago Lucas removed to Brant-
ford, Ont. There he got work from
the father of Judge Stevenson, of Cay
uga. The Judge, though now an old
man himself, remembers Lucas as a
man about seventy years old when he,
as a boy, was going to school.
For twenty-nine years Lucas was a
driver for the express company at
BranIford and resigned the place ten
years ago for the reason that he was
getting along in years and felt the need
of rest. He has the frame of once
powerful man and stands six feet three
inches in his stockings. A year ago he
sawed and split twenty-five cords of
wood for William f. Walling, of Brant-
ford. Up to three years ago he never
wore spectacles, and during the sum-
mer of 1888, when visiting his son in
Detroit, Mr.. Lucas read the City Hall
clock from in front of the Kirkwood
House, across the Campus Martius.
He then walked without the assistance
of cane, being 124 years old
This is a most remarkable case Of
longevity. Lucas is certainly as old as
stated, and from his appearance to-day
promises to hang on for some time 10
come. This man is probably the old
est person living. He has witnessed
the development Of the most wonderful
era in the worlds history, and has per-
sonal recollection of all the many great
events in the career of this nation.