The Progress., 1889-01-26
ANIMATED BARRELS.
Howa British Prlyateer Waa Captured by
the Yanlxet,s In IRA zas

Herhnps the most barren. lonesome
looking and woebegune appearing
country to be found in Southwestern
Massachusetts, not even excepting the
sandy dunes and cranberry swamps Of
Cape Cod, is to be found in that long
waste OF territory lying between the
boundaries OF Taunton, New Bedford
and Middleboro, and much the largest
part OF which is within the confines Of
the township of Freetown. But this is
just the town where people live to be
from eighty, ninety and ninety-five
years old, scores Of them. A canvass
OF the town would disclose an average
OF one person over seventy years old to
every third house. and an average of a
person Of eighty or over to every
twenty houses throughout q large por-
I ton of the town.
In a low, old-fashioned farmhouse
on the Assonet road dwells the patri-
arch Of all this community Of aged
people, Ennis Hathaway, the man who
enjoys the distinction Of being the oldest
inhabitant in town where old age
counts for q good deal. He was
born in FreetoWn, in Il house near by
where he now lives with his son, on
March 12, 1898. Gray-haired, with q
pinched and wrinkled face, the old vet
eran sits in his chimney corner by the
window and tells stories Of his younger
days, and of the changes that time
has wrought within the span Of
nearly century Of his recollec-
tions. He dwells with special liking
upon the stormy times of the war Of
1872, in which he was q private and Of
which he is a pensioner. He was att
tached to the ''coast guard stationed
at Fort Phoenix, in Fairhaven, when
his comrades sighted in the offing the
British privateer Nimrod, that was
known to have been prowling about in
neighboring waters for several days.
The guardsmen took schooner from
the dock, loaded her with empty bar
rels, covering over the decks and
matches in imitation of a vessel bound
to sea loaded with ordinary freight in
barrels. In each barrel guardsn1an
was stationed. Then, apparently
shorthanded, the schooner sailed quiet
ly out into the bay, taking course out
toward the privateer that lay at anchor
outside. Down she bore on the pri-
vateer, whose men had never a suspi-
cion of the trick, and all at once, when
close alongside, the barrels turned
over all at one time on the deck of the
schooner, and a fierce round of shot
taking the privateersman by surprise,
forced them to surrender before they
had a chance to rally.
Another experience in which Mr..
Hathaway had narrow escape in his
young manhood was when he shipped
in a schooner from Assonet for the
South, and was cast away off Cape
Hatteras. He finally reached land,
after long exposure, more dead than
alive. While in the South, at Savan-
nah, he, with several other Northern-
ers working at or near the city, was
drafted to fight the Indians, but they
had heard stories of hard usage, and
rather than waste their time and lives
to fight foe that was no particular
foe of theirs they deserted. This Mr..
Hathaway recalls with great gusto.
The old man is slightly losing his
mind, but otherwise his senses are ap-
parently unimpaired. His sight, hear
ing, sense Of smell, and touch seem to
be as good rs those of half the men Of
sixty to seventy years of age whom
one might select at random. His
strength is failing, and he can not ex-
ert himself much in walking about the
house without frequently stopping to
rest. He says that he asused tobacco
all his life, both for smoking and chew
ing and, while he does not see that it
has done him any harm, neither does
he see that it has been of any help to
him beyond the great comfort it has
been to him and its assistance in pass
ing away many dull hours He has
| used very little liquor in all his life,
except for medicine, and then rarely
and sparingly, as he has had very little
sickness. He attributes his great age
| as largely owing to his coming Of 4
long-lired race His father, Joseph
| Hathaway, lived to the age of ninety
two years, and his sister, who died last
year aged ninety-tive years, was for:
several years the Oldest resilient of the
town where she lived. Added DO the
natural hardihood Of his race he at
tributes his age to his simple mode OF
living in the country. He was engaged
in out-ofdoor labor as q carpenter and
farmer the larger portion of his years.
although he learned the cabinet-nak-
er's trade and worked at it for a nunl-
Der of years. This kind of labor,
added to temperate habits, and taking
good care of himself in general way,
he thinks has led to his diving to his
ripe old age Bestoas GleAe.
| HEADQUARTERS.