New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-26
4 REMIRxABAE WOMAN.
THE WORLD HAS CHANGED IN HER TINE


There lives today on Long Island a woman who
was born during the reign OF Frederic the Great She
Is in fairly good health and is in possession OF
all her faculties The mere statement that she is
moro than 1O5 years old conveys only aim impression
OF her great age but when 1t Is remembered that LOUIS
XVI was illOtined while she was going 10 schooi' ~
seems astounding that she should be Walking anu th
ing and eating and enjoying life yet In inc i''e LOW"
OF Flushing.
Her name is Mrs. David StllwagOn. She was born
on september 49, 1855, on farm at Tarytown, ~ IT,
and her fathers name was ADram van War'' ono
married in the present century, but her husband oed
more than two generations ago. When SHE ceeoratt"
the beginning OF her 1O6th year, last MONTH The IT'D
une published an account of the affair but space could
not I've spared then to give adequate idea OF me
great changes that have swept over the face OK the
earth while this remarkable woman has stood quietly
aside watching them. II the great Egyptian Sphynk
knew OF II she might experience 1echhg OF inspect
for Mrs StillwaRon being made OF stun that shower
some signs Of respectable durability like herSen. Mrs.
stwagon learned to bake bread early in her career
and continued to do So together with performing many
other OF her household duties up TO short time ago
While she has been baking bread twenty Presidents OF
the United states five POpes OF Rome, SIX sutahs OF
Turkey two Emperors three Kings and two kepuphcs
OF France six rulers of Prussia and six Cars OF Russia
have been making history have played heir paris ano
made their exits.
She had grown up to be q young woman before
Ireland was united with Great Britain The Reign OF
Terror, Napoleons advent, his wonderful campaigns
his overthrow his Punishment his meeorlc rcappe9r-
ance his second Punishment and his death were all
topics OF daily with her once, though almost
ancient history now. She getting her wedding
tousseau ready when word came the death OF Nelson
at the famous battle OF Trafalgar. "The Young IRE
tender" had not drunk himself TO death before she con
lisp Touch not taste not handle not at her mothcr
knee
She was middle aged woman when Byron died a'
Missolong and there yet no Independent Greece.
She was nearly three score when Italy achieved liberty
In her time the population Of these United states mas
from less than three to more than sixty mpos.
No doubt hundreds Of millions Of people nave been
born. lived their lives and died since she first saw
the light for the population of the whole world has
been thrice renewed in her time.
The world in which her young ideas were trained
was widely different from ours. Kings felt their
| crowns very firmly placed on their heads thel de-
mocracy generally regarded with adherence.
Wokingmen scarcely dared to dream Of combining for
their protection against capital Fast coaches
even had not been established when she was born
she had lived almost half century before the first
railroad the world for passengers opened,
and old woman before telcgraphy came into
practical Geology an embryo science in her
infancy. so was meteorolOgy. The first daguerTeo-
type, the beginning OF photography, was taken when
she fifty -four. She was seventy -four when the
Darwinan theory was preached. Rined ordnance had
not been heard Of In the that fought when
she was Young ard the earliest ironclad was then
half century In the future. She clapped her little
hands on the day that George Washington was made
| first President, though she did not know why they
told her to. 1t only lacks nine years Of century
| since Washington died and Mrs. Stillwagon was a
big schoolgirl then. Presidents Van Buren, Jackson,
Monroe and Jefferson Fox. Burke Sheridan, southey,
| Coleridge, Keats. Scott Lamb-she might have seen
and conversed with them all If she had not stayed
| quietly at home.
| What length OF days. What stores Of experience
| she must have For she IS an Intelligent woman end
has ALWAYS kept herself informed on matters Of I'm
| portance What memories of long, long ago she
must DO able to recall and though there is nothing
| melancholy lachrymose about Mrs. Sullwag0n, and
| while she enjoys the society Of her relatives who
| round her, still favOrte verso with her Is
"And the messy marbles rest
On the lips that lie has pressed
In their bloom,
And the names he loved to hear
| Have been carved for many O year
On the tomb