Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-14
LAST OF THE MANiSSES.
Death of 4 Block Island Indian Who Live
fer Over q Century.
providence Or. L. letter.

providence Or. L. letter.
In plain but comfortable cottage on the
south side of Block Island ON a Hill
not far from the ''Great Fresh Pond, !"
near which he was born, there has lately
died at the age of enc hundred years nine
months and nineteen days Isaac Church,
the Last full-blooded, or nearly full blooded.
descendant of the ManiSses, the original
Inhabitants of the islands and branch Of
the great tribe of the Narragansetts.
In form and features he was an Indian,
straight as an arrow to the last, with high
cheek bones, iet-black eyes and oDarse.
strai ght, black hair, which did not whiter
until he had long passed the allotted age
OF man. lie lSJored lnduStriOusly until
within a very few years, and earned and
owned the homo where he died His dress
was plain but neat, usually suit Of black,
and always a tall hat-a genuine beaver as
dong as he could obtain one bat more re-
Gently one OF silk. He paid no attention to
the prevailing style, but invariably selected
& hat with very high crown and a brim but
little narrower than that of the hat OF &
Quaker.
His invariable practice was 20 attend ev-
cry funeral on the island. If two occurred
on the same day and hour ne woWd man
age to give part of his time to each, or at
least listen TO the sermon in one case and
leave to follow the body of the other to the
grave. SO absolutely regular in attendance
was he, and always on time that the pres
ent generation Of islanders has grown up
and lived In the belief that his presence
was as necessary at a properly conducted
funeral as that of the dead. His GRANDPA
Their, Peter Church, full-blooded Indian
oh in bo Two Itch IN,
and English var. He was uncle to Aaron
Church, who, with Charles Gibbs and
Thomas J. Walmsley, killed Captain Will
lam Horribly and Mate William Roberts of
Stephen Girar1's brig Vineyard. bound
from New Orleans for Philadelphia with a
cargo of sugar and molasses and with S54.-
600 in specie on board. As Isaac's wife
was mulatto his children have LITTLE clam
10 the Indians. The ancient race OF the
NanlsSes Is extinct Their last survivor
lived and died respected by ali.
President HARRISON typewriter, Miss
Sawyer, has aroused the enthusiasm OF the
Washington correspondents She can not
whistle, ike Elijah Halford. but she can sing
with the best amateur IL the land. she has
plump, round, red cheeks, brown hair. large
gray eyes and trim little figure. She looks
about twenty years old, but is probably
older She knows more about Harrisol's
political secrets than Halfo~d himself, and
she knows how TO keep her knowledge to
herself
Mr. WISDOM is the Oldest member Of the
new cabinet, being within few months Of
sixty-three years of age Mr.. Miller, the
President. old friend and law partner, is
the youngest member. lot having reached
MS forty-elghth year yet Ar. Blame and
Mr. Rask have Just passed their ffty-rinth
birthday. Mr. Proctor is ffcy-eight years
old, aud General Tracy was born exactly
taree-SooTe years ago, Next 70 Mr.. Miller,
the youngest nan IN the Cabinet IS John
Nananazer, who is rot quite ffty-two
years cid The average % the members OF
Presidea. Harrisea's Cao.nel Is ftty-sevea
years