Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-01-03
A WONDERFUL OLD WOMAN.

Dying Mt 1875 After Drinking Rum
and smoKin. Tobacco for 10
Years.
Sylvia Dubois the famous negress, is dead
at last, says the Philadelphia Times. Her
death was reported last spring, because the
news that came from Sourland mountain,
where Sylvia lived was to the effect that the
ancient negress had died during the blizzard,
having persisted in the STERN. This was a
mistake. She survived the great snow.storm
and lived through the spring and summer.
But that tremendous vitality that carried the
woman through a century aud quart OF ex-
istence began giving out and few days ago
she died. She had just passed her l25th BIRTH
day.
There is no doubt Sylvia Dubois was not
only the oldest woman, but the oldest person
in America Her memory aud the records
she had at hand proved this fact The story
OF her life In detail has been published sever
al times. She was born In Hun terdon county
on the very range OF bills where she evidently
died. She was the slave OF a man named
Dubois, and kept that name all her life. She
bad number OF children, but they were all
illegit mate. While "A mere child she was
taken by her master to Great Bend, Pa, here
she was reared. The tales OF her proves are
many. She was fighter all her younger days,
aud, in fact until she was 100 years Old. she
knocked out every pugiist she encountered.
From the time she was 10 years OF age she
was hard drinker, brandy being her favOrlte
beverage. Liquor never seem d 10 affect her
She always said the brandy she drank pre-
served her. Ii is certain she was never sick
until few months previous TO her death. AT
the tavern at Great Bend, of which her mas
ter was the land ord, sue was great attrac-
ton owing to her tremendous strength aud
feats OF endurance aid daring. She was as
profane as she was powerful, and her biOg-
raphy, which she dedicated some years ago 10
a school teacher Nv This state and which was
published LITERALLY, abounded with oaths.
When she was about % years of age she
got angry at her mistress and nearly killed
her. Before she could be caught she snatch
ed up her baby and rowed across the Sus-
quehanna and ran into the woods. There
she accomplished what few women In history
have ever attempted. She made her way
day anc night down through Pennsylvania
ana upper New Jersey. caring for the child
all the way until she got back to her old
home In Sourland mountain. Her mistress
recovered, but no attempt was made to arrest
or capture Sylvia. On southland mountain
she built hut, where she spent the last GEN.
fury OF her ex stence. She had, as already
related, a number of children, but only the
youngest survived. She lived with her moth
err up TO the day OF her death. Her name IL
Elizabeth, and she is over 50 years old. She
II
on the mountains that can whip her. Her
pugilistic feats are almost as numerous as
her mothers, but she never made such a
business OF prizefiighting.
In the little hut on Sourland Sylvia lived
| through all the stormy winters. She learned
| to read little and her daughter got enough
education TO enable her 10 read to her mother.
They were always Ioor, but managed TO beg
enough to keep them comfortable. Twice a
year the mother and daughter would tramp
| down the mountain aud make tour of the
| farming country below. Everybody gave
them something The two women would load
| themselves down with provisions, coal, aud
| clothing and then climb the mountain with
| their burdens. Sylvia always asked for news
| papers and books, and there were few women
better posted on the events OF the day This
| long and tiresomc tramp never seemed TO
| injure the old woman. She took her last trip
| last spring.
| Sylvia never made but two public exhibit.
billions of herself She was a witness in a
murder trial at Pennington number of years
| ago, and her opinions of lawyers, courts, and
| people generally growing out OF her ex-
| perience In court were given in her biogra.
| ply. They were decidedly sensational and
emphatic. Her second appearance was at
| the state fair at Waverly a year ago. She re-
| ceived money enough foe sitting In a tent for
| four DAYS to last her until death. Her eye
| sight grew poor toward the end, but her
tongue was as sharp and her memory as keen
40 ever. liz one could stand the string of
| oaths that were part OF her conversation, the
anecdotes that she gave and her recollectlons
OF past events were decidedly interesting.
Sylvia Dubois drank hard and smoked a
strong pipe all Der life pretty nearly. She
| said she was better for both rum and tobacco.
| She had no religion to speak OF, aud was I'M
| questionably one OF the oldest and most
| interesting characters that the nineteenth
century has produced.