The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-25
AN OCTOGENARIAN.
Story of the Storage Waterman
of the Zealandia.
Ups and Towns of a Man Who First Landed
Here Fcrty-six Years Age, and Still
Follows the Sea for Living


Follows the Sea for Living.
Among the crew of the Oceanic Steam
ship Company's steamer Zealandia, which
sailed yesterday for Honolulu and
Sydney. is man who is a pioneer of
pioneers of this State. and who
has quite history. Although he is 81
years OF age he is still hale and hearty, and
IS employed as steerage Waterman on board
the vessel. earning living for himself and
wife.
The Waterman is a man of medium
height and build, with clean-shaven face
and rosy cheeks, full set of teeth and q
good head Of hair just turning gray. The
attention OF CALL reporter was called to
the man yesterday by one of the officers of
the dock, who said /" | will bet any money
that you can't guess this mans age within
ten years" 1t was impossible to tell If the
man was an old-lookng young man or a
youn g-looking old one. The watchman
burst out laughing and said: "Why. I'm
81 years old. l was born in 1909" A man
who was present, who had known the
Waterman years ago, when he was we'll off,
down South, substantiated his story, and
he had documents to prove it. In answer
to queries, the old Waterman, who is very
intelligent man, told the following story of
his life:
A CURIOUS NAME.
MY name is Robert Akbab Abeauef
Wright. My father took my second name
out OF Indian history and my third name
think he cadged from the Bible. | believe
it was the name of Solomon's master me-
chanic. was born at Hanover Courthouse,
Va, twenty miles east of Richmond, on the
Littlefield plantation, the same one on
which Henry Clay was born, on August 10,
1909, SO you see l am lust over 81 years Of
age. My father was millwright
My uncle, David Eaton, who was born
in Vrg mia, Gale County, Shenandoah Val
ley, died i'll 1873 at the age of 1;SS years. He
was well known to all the Masonic fra
ternlty. He was made a royal arch in 1880
and the MasOnS held jubilee in his honor
at MartinSbuTg, Gale County, Va, i'll 1870,
to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary
OF his joining the order. My flesh is still
firm, am in frst-ciass health and | have
been examined by the doctors and they and
think that | shall live to be as old as he
My mother died q few years ago, aged 81
wears. My father was alive when | last
heard from him six years ago. He was
then over 100 years old My fathers peO-
pie came from Spain with Ponce de Icons
expedition in 1915.
COMMENCED TO TRAVEL.
Il lived where | was born until 1922,
when | went to New Orleans lived there
Tor six years and then went to PlattSburg,
Clinton County, \. Y. | got no schooling
as there were no free schools in those days
In 1881 | went to New York and went to
sea with my uncle Edgar, who was captain
OF vessel running to China was three
years on the vessel, during which time we
visited Singapore, Calcutta, Madras and
Rio de Janeiro. lu 1884 went to Liver
pool before the mast i'll the ship Garrick.
In 1886 | went rs mate of transport, Cap
tain Austin, which took portion OF the
United States Infantry, Captain Pratt,
from New Orleans to Tampa, Fla. The
vessel was wrecked on Florida Beach, near
Hlllsbro' and | was taken prisoner by the
Indians. They treated us well and took us
to st. Augustine, Fla, and turned us over
to Colonel Taylor, Acting Brigadier-Gen-
eral. for support and protection. He gave
us transportation to Savannah and thence
We got back to New York.
HE WENT sLAvE-HUNTING.
"In 1871 | went from Rio de Janero to
west coast OF Africa for slaves and came back
with 600 negroes. | went again in the fol-
lowing year in the topsail schooner Black
Hawk from New Orleans, with Captain
Gordon of Providence, r. |. That time we
brought 800 negroes and landed them at
Cape Maise, on the east end of Cuba.
IN THE MEXICAN WAR.
when James X. Polk vas President,
when the Mexican war broke out, l went
as servant with Brigadier General John E.
Wool. l went with his brigade to Point
Isabel, and thence to Monterey, Mexico.
U. S. Grant, who was Il brevet Second
Lieutenant of infantry, just fresh from
West Point, met us at Point Isabel. AT
Monterey | joined Penron's brigade, then
went to Saltea, Mexico, where l took part
in my first battle; next went to San Luis
Potosi, then to Pueblo and on to the City of
Mexico. where We connected with General
Winfield Scott, commanding the American
forces. The city surrendered TO General
Scott. and, the war being over. l returned
to New York.
CAME TO YERBA BUENA.
''In 1874 l shipped as boat-steerer In
whaling vessel from POugbkeepsie with
Captain Hedges. The vessel was named
after an Indian, but l forget the name. We
had an eight months trip, and arrived in
this haTbOr in December, 1874. 1t was then
called 1eIba Buena There were no houses
here then. There were two trading sheds
near the foot of Telegraph Hill. There
were some old shanties, in which some
SpaDiaIds were living, and an adobe build
ing near the beach. We put in to buy pro-
visions, but there was no money in circula-
ton, and we had to barter and trade for
what we got. We stayed here four weeks,
and then went to the Sandwich Islands,
aud back to New York. arriving there in
ship Comet before the mast.
IN THE GREAT STRUGGLE.
81 WAS all through the War of the Re-
bellion, being private in the First United
States Texas Regiment under Colonel Z. j.
Davies, VINO was afterward the first Cover
nor Of Texas. Since the war have been
all around | came here three years ago,
that is in 1887. and since then have been
running on vessels between here and the
islands, and on this steamer from here to
Sydney. Last year, while a sailor on the
Zealandia, | was struck by heavy sea and
had four ribs broken, as you mentioned at
the time in your paper, and when l got
better Mr.. SpreckelS gave me my present
position.
MUCHLY-MARRIED MAN.
u have been married four times, the first
time in 1927, then in 1888, 1858 and the last
time in 1850 My first wife had tripets in
1928; they were all boys and all are yet
alive, all three being 62 years of age. She
had three other children, and think all are
Yet alive. l had no children by my other
wives"
The old Waterman is an enthusiastic
naturalist, and is well known to Walter +.
Bryant and other members of the Academy
Of Sciences, for whom he gathers specimens.
Although an octogenarian, lie is still as ac-
tive as most men half his age, and bids fair,
unless accident Details him, to live to rival
the uncle he spoke of as to age, or at least
to be centenaridn. He bears a number
OF marks of bullet wounds and sabre cuts
that he received during the war, but the old
wounds do not seem to trouble him. He
says that with the exception of George
Washington and Harrison, he has seen every
President of the United States.