The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1888-11-17
CESfESARILNs.


Mr.. Emile Levasseur has recently |
presented to the Academy of Sciences
a very interesting communication
apropos Of the @Centensrisns in
France, according to the Census Of
1882 The number of such persons
is much less than is generally supposed.
Young women have the affeetatien to
remain young. while the old men that
are cited for their great age have the
vanity to grow old in order to be
admired.
In Bavaria, according to the census
of 1871, there were 81 eentenarians +;
but, when the fact came to be verified,
only one authentic case was found.
In Canada, 42l were cited. Out of
this number, the social state of 50 was
ascertained by the aid of bona tide
documents, and there remained after
the examination but genuine centen-
arians-5 men and women.
In France, the same delusion exists
In regard TO centenarians, as is proved
by the reports emanating from the
bureau Of statistics.
After the reception of documents
relative to 1874 centenarians, 1t was
found by reference to authentic
records, such as registrations of bap-
tism, half-pay lists, etc, that the num-
ber dwindled down considerably, say
about sixty. Among these there was
person named Joseph Ribas, who
was born at San Estevan de Litera, in
Spain, on August 20, 177O, and who
lived at Tsrbes.
We add to these details two little
known documents on examples Of ex-
traordinary human longevity. The
first of these consists of an engraving.
1t was made by Chas. Levesque, in
1872, and is very well executed. 1t Ia
accompanied with the following
legend: "Jean Causeur, butcher by
trade, aged 1870 years, born in the vii
lago ofPloumoguer, in Lower Brittany
Painted in August, III, by Chas
Caffieri, sculptor, by commission, tc
the king, for the navy, at Brest."
The second document is relative tt
M. Noel Des Quersonnieres, from
lithograph made in 1s45. At thi'
epoch, NJ. Des Quersonnieres was III
years of age. He was still living thu
following year, as is proved by
biographical sketch published on hi
account. Francois Marie Joseph Noe
des Quersonnieres was born on Feb
ruary 2S, 1928, at Valenciennes, wher'
his father was kings counselor. Ill
went to live at London, where he mar
ried. At the age of III he was still
vigorous. His face Is pleasant, say
his biography, his hearing and sigh
have preserved an astonishing delicac,
of perception, and his head is no
entirely devoid Of hair.--La Nature.
A CONNECTICUT cENTENARIAN.
It is not often that one sees a hal
and hearty hundred.years-old man o
woman, in the full possession Of tn
normal faculties, and filling responsible
positions in life, but such an opportu
nifty was afforded in the case of tn
late Col. Perkins, who died at MOI
wich, Conn, September 5. Col. PEI
kins celebrated his Tooth birthday O
August 8, just one month precedin
the date of his death, and at that tim
the New York Tribune and othe
papers in noticing his long life, Dor
particular testimony to the remarkabl
preservation of his faculties.
Col. Perkins was native of Norwicl
but as lad was rather weakly, a
though he was able, in his nineteent
year, to walk to Poughkeepsie to en-
bark on the Clermont the pionee
Hudson river steamer, when she mad
her first trip to New York. Durin
= the war of 1872 IA he was paymastt
for Connecticut, Rhode Island an
Massachusetts,. He was present at Il
battle of Stonington, and was aboar
Commodore Decatur's fleet when
y was blockaded at New London. Il
: was one of the 1ncorporators OF Il
Norwich and Worcester railroad, Il
second or third road of the kind bui
in the United States, and from lo'
until his death was its treasurer, CO.
tinuing actiye in the performance
!, his duties until three or four weel
before his death, when he left town fl
. vacation. He had not missed
!, election in his town for seventy-s
: years. Instead of being robbed
half his faculties in his old age, al
:. SO helpless from physical ,infirmity
:. to be a burden to his friends--as
/. often the case with those who o
- spared for SO long life-he engag
= actively in business up to the last
- conspicuous figure in the streets,
:, regular attendant at church, and
:, well preserved and alert as man,
:. man of sixty. Ii was his habit, un
: recently, to walk from his home to
- company's Office, over half a mile, 10
1o times daily, and he carried hlms
i, with an erect be aring, wrote a beau
II fully lcgible hand, and attended to
= duties with an assiduity which ma
Young mon might COPY with pro