The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-03-21
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN.
That is the age of Patrick CLARK, an
Inmate Of the County Poor House.

Bozeman lays claims to having the
oldest man living in the Northwest
This person is Patrick Clark who for TIE
past two years has been an inmate of the
county poor house and has been all the
time able to do light work around the
house and garden. In fact has insisted
that he should be allowed to work more
than Mr.. Holmes, who is in charge of
the farm, would permit him to do.
He also practices the most rigid econo
my and the suit of clothes and many
other articles Mr.. Holmes has purchased
for him for the services he has rendered
lie untouched. while his old clothes he
keeps scrupulously clean and mends
whenever the slightest rent appears.
Mr.. Holmes informed us that Clark nev-
er fails to reprimand his associates when
they are wasteful, in his opinion, and
if they complain of their surroundings,
as many are inclined to do and would
not do otherwise if they were furnished
the best in the land, Clark is not slow to
speak his mind, and generally informs
them that they are getting more than
they deserve.
There are number of old settlers who
know Clark, and we have never heard a
doubt expressed as to the truth of his
assertions regarding his age. He is small
of stature and, although it is apparent
that he is man of great age, the fact
that he last year knocked man down
for fancied insult proves that he has
not lost all of his physical strength yet.
He can see quite plainly and from ap-
pearances looks as if he might live sew
eral years. He is, of course, very feeble
at times, when he sits in his chair and
ants as possible. He is adverse to talk
ing much about himself, and has a hor-
ror, born of ignorance, Of having his
name appear in print, which makes it
extremely difficult for a reporter to get
any facts from him, and as he regards
every stranger as reporter in disguise
very little Of the details of his life have
ever been gained from him.
Mr.. Clark was born in County Galway,
Ireland, on the 10th of August 1880, and
is therefore over 107 years ofage.
Mr.. Clark came to the United States
in 1851. and first settled with two sisters
in Lowell, Mass, and fiom thence re-
moved 10 Missouri, whence he removed
to Nebraska, and finally settling in Mon
| tana about 1864. He was first engaged
| in the freighting business, and then for
a time was at Bannock City in the mer-
camille business, from which place he
removed to the Gallatin valley about
1870, and has renamed here ever since.
Feeling his age al last, he concluded to
hnd quiet, comfortable place in which
to pass the remainder of his life, and 80
came to Charley Holmes, who takes the
tenderest care of the centeuarian, and he
wants for nothing.
Mr.. Clark was in The Daniel O'Connell
uprising of 1s45-4s, and both he and his
father were sentenced to transportation
to Botany Bay. The sentence of tho
elder Clark was carried out, and he
served seven years-his full term. His
son, however, was more fortunate, being
saved from similar fate by Miss
O'Flaherty, daughter of a captain in the
| British army, and an attendant upon the
| queen, who interceded in his behalf, be.
| cause the elder Clark had once saved
her fathers life. Mr.. Clark was never
| in the army, being considered too old at
| the commencement Of the war to enlist,
but his son John, the only child he has
who is now an inmate of the insane
asylum of this territory, was drafted
while living i'll Missouri. He succeeded
| in getting away howeverand in company
with his father fled westward.
Wehave talked with many people who
have known Clark ever since he has
been in this territory and none have
ever doubted but that he has attained
the lipe old age he has always claimed
for himself.
| For man who has passed through
exciting troubles of Ireland in his Young
er days and has braved and experienced
the hardships and tolls of frontier life
during old age, he bears his age remark
ably we'll. The secret of this seems to
be in the fact that he has always been
temperate in his habits and possesses a
constitution OF remarkable strength.
Mr.. Clark, we believe, is the oldest
man in the United States and certainly