Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-18
VETERAN $50 YEARS OLD.
An Alleged yirginian Who Takes the
Palm for Longevity.
(Dcnvor News.l

Denver il curious place, and IS often
v,sited bv remarkable people and phenOm-
ena OF all descriptions, but previous re-
cords we're knocked completely out yester-
day when Jonas Carpenter. OF west Nlr,
ginia. took stroll around the city. and
surveyed the mighty proportions Oh It's
blocks.
dian wars IN Pennsylvania and George
Washington crossing the Delaware, and IN
st,nctiyely turn to the pages OF bancroft,
starting at the first chapters OF American
history 10 learn the details of these ott-re-
heated tales. But Mr. Carpenter does
not have To do that, but merely close his
ewes and exercises his memory and the
pIctures come back to him again as he him.
self saw them in the infant days OF the
nations growth.
Jonas Carpenter was born IN Loudoun
county. Va, in tho year lIi2, oelhg now
14g wears old. He is now en- r0u'e for Cali
fnrnia ON visit TO his son-in-law, who Is
over eighty years old, and Is stopping over
as the guest of ". L. Sawyer, native OF
his own state.
10 reporter Mr. Carpenter SAID re-
member George Washington well. saw
b;m only once, when they brought the
load body of General Braddock back from
his defeat. He was fine, sprlghtly young
fellow then" -,
The family Bible gives the date of Mr..
Carpenters birth as 1852. but at that time
ne states, he was driving an oA-teain IN
General BraddOcks army during the In,
dian wars Of that period. He has an old
$40 Continental bill, which he received
during the war for services as teamster
and he has kept il ever since. After the
wars he went back to Virginia. lie wa.
we'll acquainted, he says, with Daniel
Roone. Simon Kent, and other famous men
of their time. and when he hrst returned
70 his native State after the wars he hauled
mill-stones around the country, getting
living that way. He was the nrst TO dis-
cover the Salt Sulphur Springs, W. va III
1856. 1.,;,
Tho only battle he remembers having
participated in was that at Point Pleasant
AGAINST the Sheshone Indians. lie knew
tbe NIingo Chief Logan, the chimney OF
of whose old cabin is still standing to-day
near the old mans place back in Virginia
Mr. Carpenter was also we'll acquainted
with Sammy Linch, and helped him &c
bring the first whiskey across the AiIeghe'
| MES. ,.,t.
His principal business in those troublou;
times was to supply food to the nghters
! and although he was pioneer ana hunter
he does not remember having been IN any
| other battles, except many WIN W. az.
mals. He has in his possession discharg'
receipt from Braddock's army IN his ca
nacitv as "A driver, an old tlint-lock musket
and the type even before that In the shape
| OF giant matchbox gun.
His wife died some four-score years ago
and he has now q daughter living IN Maine
eighty years old and son-in-law III Can
fornis about the same age. son, wh'
died some fifteen years ago. was KNOW
nnder the title of i" Devil Saul, being quit
a good violinist, and having been IN Aaroi
Rnrr's famous expedition. This was hi
nldest son. and was over one hundre'
years old when he died.
Mr.. Carpenter has mover used either 10
bacco or whiskey, and has never been -
nick as 10 be unable To walk. lie has takel
coffee all his lite with milk. but no sugar
except during the civil war for time
when the coffee supply wac cut oil.