The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-11-24
GOOD OLD DAVE PORTER.
The Naval Hero Who Bids Fair to See His
S0th Year.

S0th Year.
Admiral Porter, of the navy, who is
about n years of age, but who would
easily pass for man of 65, bids fair to
live many years yet, says the New
York Graphic. Not long ago he said
that he felt as strong apparently now
rs he did fifteen or twenty years ago.
More than fifty years ago Admiral
Porter helped TO make a survey OF
New York harbor. The secret of his
wonderful preservation is that all his
life he has lived plainly. II eat only
the plainest sort of food" the admiral
remarked. liam fond of mutton chops,
| beef, ham, and l must have corn bread,
hominy, and such things. / enjoy
meals prepared at home, and do not
relish the food that is prepared for
| formal dinners at the clubs, hotels, ETC.
! have to 60 to many dinners to which
| am invited, of course, but | am COM
PEELED to eat sparingly when the food
is not TO my taste. / seldom drink
tea or coffee, but am excessively fond
of cocoa, which / have served at
breakfast. l have also aimed all my
life to touch wines and liquors very
lightly
The admiral is a steady but not an
excessive smoker. He keeps always at
hand n box of cigars, and while at
work in his Office adjoining his resi-
dence on | street he enjoys smoke.
He smokes as n rule cigars of medium
grade of strength, and they are not OF
the finest variety by any means, but OF
average quality for a gentleman, how
ever. Many men of wealth like cigar
that will draw well and keep lit with
out vigorous putting. and that is the
kind that the admiral likes.
Never get Wet is one of Admiral
Porters rules for preserving the health.
de is always careful to be provided
with clothing that will protect the skin.
When at sea, even, and while on the
deck of his ship in an engagementd dur
ing the war he was so fixed that he
never got wet no matter how hard il
rained. Even here in Washington the
admiral wouldn't think of going out
in winter without his overshoes being
handy, so that he could put them on
if he needed them. He SAYS that many
fine constitution is wrecked because
people are not careful to keep their
feet dry.
Some eight or ten years ago an ad.
Eairer of the admiral in New Orleans
sent him picture, which he requested
him to accept and to hang up where he
could see it often. 1t was picture oi
the admiral himself. The donor wrote
that he had had presentiment that il
the admiral kept the picture until he
was IS years of age the good Lord
would prolong his life until an even
century was rounded out. He will
keep the picture, and as his health con.
tinues to be good it would really not
surprise him, he admits, if the New
Orleans mans prediction were TO come
true. AT any rate, he is hoping strong.
~ that the Crescent City admirer may
be right.
Three times in his life the admiral
has been badly hurt, bnt never has an
accident caused him the loss of blood
strange to say. Once on n ship he
was Knocked senseless by the prema,
ture discharge of gun. He was sup
posed to have been dangerously in.
iured, but revived. No blood was
drawn. At another time he fell down
the elevator shaft of big business
house in Washington and had one oi
his legs broken SO that he was in bed
many months, but there was no loss
of blood. A few years later n heavy
carriage in which he was riding was
overturned. He was thrown out and
| got such lick on the head that he
was unconscious for hours, but even
then he lost no blood. While lying
| fiat on his back in bed, as the result oi
one of these injuries, he wrote a large
| portion of his naval history of the civil
war. All through this work he speaks
of that conflict as 1.-The civil war;" and
not 1.-The rebellion" rs most northern
writers put it, He is the author of Q
great many books, and has also writ
ten a play. He employs the services
of a stenographer in his official duties,
but in his strictly literary efforts every
page has been written by his own
hand, and usually with lead pencil.
He doesn't write the most legible hand,
either. that was ever seen, and it is
not easy for him to write. But what n
worker he is when he gets at it.
No man of the present day has con-
tributed more interesting and valuable
information on the subject of coast de-
fense than Admiral Porter, and it is
gratifying to the statesmen of sense
and judgment to know that he is op-
posed TO the propositions that have
been made in congress and elsewhere
looking to the building of big forts.
The admiral contends that swift-run-
ming vessels are what this government
needs, and that we should construct
boats which, like the turtle, will carry
their defense on their backs.