Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1889-10-19
OLDEST MAN ALIVE.


Au hungarian FgAsaut VINO was morn w
the Year i76s.
The Oldest man Ia the civilized world. |
Il may be said with reasonable safety. |
|, Macy Ferencx a peasant in Barcs.
Hungary. He was born In Helrahely.
i2i years ago lie passed his boyhood
ON the little farm OF h 5 parents He
Was not an especially robust child. He
could not haul and split wood. pitch
hay. and tame colts. as could his three
strapping brothers. who died half a
century ago. Hs father regarded him
with disfHvor because hc was too weak
10 do more than pc SAINT woman
work. and did not earn enough to pay
for his food ~ the age Of min teen.
however. Macy sn denly developed in
IT, "a phenom.nally muscular man. His
Ghost sidened. his arms and legs hard
cned and his girth increased. He be-
came famous local wrestler, and did
more WORK In day than most peasants
near Hedrshely did in two.
just one hundred years ago last May
he fell in love with the daughter OF an
inn-keeper She promised to marry
him on July 81. 1883. Two days before
the wedding day she Tilted him for his
best friend. Since then Macy has been
woman-hater He never loved an
other woman.
Four years later he went TO the wa
of the first coalition. For the twenty
succeeding years he WAS almost con-
stantly under arms. in camp or on the
battlefield He was one OF the victor-
under Archduke Carl of Austria M
Wetzlar. and one OF the vanquished al
Marengo and Hohenlinden. Ho helped
the Archduke win the victory OF As.
perm, and he did his best to save tn,
AustriaEs from defeat at Wagram. Oh
the second day OF tho battle at l.eipsi,
he got bullet in his leg and threl
! more In his hat lie saw the Archduk'
Carl many times Ho saw Napoleol
! once and Blucher once.
A Mays boyhood was lived long be
: fore the days Of compulsory education
Y so he never teamed To keep diary o
I write memoirs. He hs. an immens
a fund OF anecdote however. which is q
r the service Of any one with half hou
Q TO spa % tat Barcs- The children OF til
y town have heard from him every wee
Q for many years the stories OF the 4
, nous charges. retreats, sieges az
h campaigns in which he has partic
h pated. The great eve of his life.
> thinks. was his attendance of the funer
o of his dead Queen. Maria Theresa. Il
, years ago. Although but twelve yea
It old then. he has treasured up for mo
$ than century every detail of tho pr
o cession and burial.
Q Nagy Ference is penniless, but he
> not a beggar nor public charge.
score or more OF families In Barcs n
o ready to give him {, od. clothing al
y shelter He takes all his meals wi
d seven families. whom he has known I
o fifty years. Each one entertains hi
n one day In the week Between mes
A he walks from house to house. chattiI
J. with all the men and children whom
= meets. He rarely talks with wome
1 for ne has not forgotten that one your
woman who Tilted him one century a.
h this month. After each meal he smok
$ pipefal Of strong tobacco. He h
, been smoking three pipefuls OF stror
!. tobacco every day for the last i
: years He Is fond OF his wine and /
!; occasional beer. The friends with who
e he dimes give him every day 10 cen
y with which to buy tobacco and liquo
: Altogether Nagy Ference Is a sturd
e contented. amiable old man II
It health is good His mind Is fair
n clear. lie has plenty OF friends and .
q the money he wants for smoking ai
y drinking. He looks as we'll and hapI
d as he is. He has clear. dark eye
clean-cuL regular features. and
smooth bronze skin. Ia has busl
head OF white hair and heavy whi
4. musiache. He is erect and quick In h
movements. He Is scrupulously ne
l. In his person. He looks TO be 20 or
it years old. N Y. Herald.
4