The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-05-10
OLDEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD
A Negress who Has Documents Showing
That She Was Born In IT4B.


That She Was Born in 1T45.
In the northeastern portion of Dallas,
Tex, between Bryan and Live Oak
streets, and fronting the Houston and
Texas Central railway, lives Aunt July
Cole, who has but recently grown too
old to take in washing. The cabin in
which she lives is a rude hovel, and yet
it is kept as neat as a pin. 1t is sur
rounded by a dozen huts of the same
kind, though not SO well kept, all hud-
died together in an irregular colony.
The railway people have forced their
right of way with barbed wire to keep
the horde of pickaninnies off the track,
but in vain. They crawl through the
fangs of the fence and gather upon the
road in such numbers that the cautious
engineer finds it necessary on passing
through Freedmantown to use both bell
and whistle,
After the train had passed the other
day The Republic man crawled through
the wire fence, and with difficulty found
the cabin of the "Ole Furginny Aunty."
She sat in low chair and smoked blue
clay pipe, AS she raised her face slowly
and her wrinkled features were FIRST
seen the writer involuntarily asked him
self: 'Is it alive% When she spoke her
tremulous and cracked voice increased
his astonishment But it was not only
alive, but it smoked and talked.
"My name is July Cole" she said. 81
belonged to Col. Cole in Furginny, and
he fit de Britishers wild Gen, Washing
ton. Norfolk was my home, sir; right
on de sea, My nanny come from de
Cape in Afriky, and my daddy went
back dere. My nanny was named
Lucretia, and was give to Col. Cole by
Gen. Washington's lady, who had many
| servants. 1 was brought to Henry
county, Tennessee, and sold to Thomas
Waters. had great-grandchillun den.
After / helped to settle Tennessee I was
sold to William Rabb for lam, Mars
JEFF come to take me home to Tennessee,
but ole man Rabb wouldn't let me gc
wild him. Den lived on Rabb's Creek
below La Grange, Tex. was took away
from my husband and two chillun in
Tennessee, and my ole man he run away
and followed me till dey caught him wild
dogs right on de banks of de Mississippi
river. Yes, sir, right dar In de bed Of
de river, whar de hill is and de higl
trees, and right down by de boat in de
dark-fur he was runnin' to git on dt
boat wild me. But dey caught i'm and
never saw i'm any more"
On being asked her age the old woman
began to rise slowly, holding, in tn,
meantime, to the chair for support.
81 doesn't know by de fggers, but
knows by Happenings" she said, Sh,
moved to an old trunk, which was GOV
cred with rawhide with the hair on ant
tackled with big headed brass tacks
From this she drew an old letter on Blu
paper, which she says was "de paper
given to Mars Waters by Mars Cole whei
she was sold. Only the lower half of tn
sheet remains, the other having evidentl
been taken off by time, and the only leg
! BILE portion of the writing purpoFts to Civ
the date of Aunt July's birth. The onl
words are "was born Dec. 10, 1745."
The writer had heard that she was Ia
years old, but of course he believed notl
1 ing Of the kind. The appearance of tn
s old negro and the evidence produced b
AGI W jthN6 iANA tl8c WcAp elolliAAntAiilks
"Bey says is er hundred and forty
e five year ole, am honey, spec it is 50.
"What is your earliest remembrance
l. aunty? Do you remember Gen. Wasl
r tonY'
s 81 never seed him" she said, "but
e knows when he was general. and know
;, when he was president, too. / heer
's Mars Cole say when de tea was fun
d outen de Boston ship, has seed d
Tories, an my brother was wild Ma
Cole when he went into de war wild
Britishers. Dat war was seven year
u and Mars Cole he got shot In de arm.
: members when dey fit de French an Il
l. juns, too, sir"
e 1t took quite while to get all this ol
, Of the aged creature, who is very feebl
le She had only one want-smoking tobacI
u u and that was supplied, after which Il
~ writer left her at her low, hairy truI
< putting away her documents.--Co
Louis Republic,