The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-28
A HUNDRED AND ONE YEARS
The Birthday Anniversary Of a Man
Who Has Lived More than a Century.
A Visit to James Hubbard, the Patriarch of
Five Generations-Hi Appearance,
and How He Passes His Time.


James Hubbard, who lives in Washington town
ship. :his county, near New Augusta, was one
hundred years old. This event was made the
occasion Of birthday party for the patriarch
and nearly two hundred persons large number
of whom were his descendants, gathered to cele-
brate It. Mr.. Hubbard. a stanch Wing when
that party was among the living things of EARTH
is q member-of course, the Oldest member-of
the Tippecanoe Club, and goodly delegation of
OF those who voted for "Tippecanoe and Tyler,
too" were or hand to greet their venerable COM
panion on the attainment of fve-score years of
life. Yesterday he touched 101. AS on the
previous occasion the Journal reporter was there,
and as time goes on will continue to attend the
anniversaries Of the centenarian, until gathered
to his fathers, when some other reporter will
continue these yearly pilgrimages. There were
few callers upon the old gentleman yesterday,
and when the reporter arrived he was sitting up
reading newspaper-The indianapolis Daily
Journal
"He is very deaf" said Mrs Jane Berry, his
daughter, with whom he lives, land, If anything,
Is worse than usual. as he has taken bad cold
don't believe can make him understand who
any one else"
Mr.. Hubbard laid the paper aside, as if per-
fectly willing to give a full and fair. trial. but
with q dubious shake of the head as though
with his mind quite made up that nothing could
possibly come of it. The granddaughter, a hand
some young lady, with great patience, and clear
and musical voice, then tried. She was aided by
fine piece OF pantomme work on the part of
the reporter, who vigorously pointed to note
book and the newspaper beside the centenarian
a InN e~4h 10 1A~s H.
veyed to the old gentleman. From the difficulty
which attended the communicating of this ex
ceedingly unimportant Internationally of val
ne as paving the way to an extended interview,
the reporter gave up all thought of proposing
the dozen or more inquiries he had in mind.
Whom visited year ago Mr.. Hubbard was in
bed, seriously Ill. The doctor thought it an at
tack of lung fever. Recovering from that sick
ness he has enjoyed good health during the
past year, until few days ago, when one raw
and gusty day, while repairing q gate lock and
overlooking man at work getting out some
boards. he took the cold which now confines
him to the house, but not to his bed. He has
lived on the farm he now lives upon for fifty
three years. having entered the land when it
was an unbroken forest and cleared of the tim
Der. His wife died twenty -one years ago. in her
seventy seventh year. They had ten children,
OF whom the five who were oldest are living.
solomon, aged seventy six years. lives at Coats
VILE la: Richard, seventy four, Mapleton, this
indianapolis; Mrs. Jane Berry, seventy, with
whom he lives on the home place, and Charles.
sixty eight, Fillmore, Neb. There are Ave gen.
erations with the patriarch at the head. Ave chill
dren. nifty grandchildren, twenty-eight great
grandchildren, and seven great great grandchil-
dren-ninety one in all. The collateral branches
are too numerous for calculation. Among his
nephews, the son of a sister who died many years
ago within year or two of 100. is the venerable
VIM. Glenn. the well-known wholesale grocer,
Of Cincinnati, who is now eighty-ssven years old,
and who, it was hoped, would be able to pay
Grandfather Hubbard visit
He took care of an acre of corn last year."
said one Of the two young ladies, his grand
daughters. He likes to walk about the farm,
and does so in pleasant weather. He doesn't
walk out much in winter, and can hardly enter
tain himself at all, rs he is so deaf, when not
reading, and SO he reads nearly all the time He
is quite impatient every day until the Journal
comes. On Sunday be takes down the Bible,
which he reads on no other day in the week, and
reads II nearly all day. Several years ago he
was blind three years and halt, and in his
eighty eighth year had an operation for
sight, since which time he has been great
reader. We took him to . sing1ng-school at
Pleasant View Church last week. and he thought
1t q fine entertainment Not that he heard
much Of the singing, but he remarked upon the
girls"
Mr. Hubbard's hair and beard, the latter worn
in Horace Greedy fashion. are both white. He
has plentiful supply Of hair, which is reached
up on his head like that of Andrew Jackson, as
pictured on the postage stamp. While his hands
are thin and knotty and the purple current, IN
its sluggish fow, shows plainly through the
skin, which is brown in patches, condition
peculiar to age, they are Arm and do not tremb1e.
Said his granddaughter: He never was at
was perfectly delighted with the place, and
spoke with special pleasure Of the beauty of q
number Of graves upon which various -colored
shells had been placed. Does he evsr talk about
deathf Oh, yes. He mentioned the subject to-
day, and said that he was ready, and that he
could not see what he was living for. as there
was little comfort in life for him. He has always
been man of simple tastes, and no bad habits
He never used whisky or tobacco, and only the
other day, when we desired him to take little
wine, he did not want to dc So"
There were number of children about The
house. among them six-year-old boy. There
was loud cry from outside, and moment later
the small boy was led IN, tears streaming down
his face.
Grandfather Hubbard
Two or three Of the visitors tried to tell him.
Il can't hear you" said the patriarch, shaking
his head.
Then his daughter tried, with no better sue
cess. and. lastly, the granddaughter
II can't hear word you say. said the old man,
with his hand over bis ear like funnel II can't
hear you"
The boy by this time had stopped crying. He
had met with his mishap while trying to feed
grass to the horse and was more frightened than
hurt The reporter, tearing off piece of his
note book, printed the desired information.
Grandfather Hubbard wears two kind of specta-
cles-one pair to look at company, and the other
for reading. Slowly and methodically he re-
moved from his eyes his company glasses and
put on the other pair. He then read the printed
words:
THE HORSE BIT HIM"
"Ho, no, no, ha, ha, HAP laughed the patriarch,
which goes to prove that the sense Of humor ex-
lists In the human animal even at the somewhat
advanced age of one hundred and one years
The Weeks Building Permits.
The aggregated values of building permits for
the past week are $26, l5o Those for 81, 900 and