Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-08
and with handsome share of this worlds

and with handsome share of this worlds
goods.
Colonel Tappen was 96 years old on the
5th of February, 1892, and has lived in New
York City for so years. He was born in
Hanover, Morris county, \. Y, where his
grandfather settled just before the Revolu-
tion. The ''Record Of the Tappan Family"
for the name is spelled indiscriminately
with the a and the e, shows that on his
fathers side mis- ancestors settled in New
bury, Mass, in 1857. Colonel Tappen
walks from his residence on East Sixty
eighth street, New York, down to Wall
street on any fine morning, smokes one cigar
a day, uses wine in moderation, has great
granddaughter 2I years of age, has had IL
children born to him, ard hasn't taken 60
cents worth of medicine in 60 years.
Colonel Tappen is the oldest e1-of1iceholder
of New York City, having been Commits
Eioner of Public Works from 1885 to 1858
Looked Like the Oldest Frenchman.
He is very striking looking man and his
blue eyes are as clear as 80 years since. The
resemblance between the oldest New Yorker
and NJ. Chevreuil, tie ''oldest Frenchman,"
who died several years since in Paris, was
very striking. They were both, as Mr.
Tappen is still, benevolent looking old gem
tlemen, with fine and clear-cut features,
framed by a soft curly mass of white hair
and whiskers. Colonel Tappen is the father
of Frederick d. Tappen, ior wears we'll
known figure in Wall street. He began life
and laid the foundations of his fortune as
an architect, and many of the houses which
be built 60 or 20 years since are as good as
ever.
Nothing inanimate ages so humanity and
picturesquelv as the dwelling house The
Oldest inhabited mansion in the United
States, in all probability, that is, the oldest
now standing and now inhabited. in which
men have lived continuously since its foun-
dation, and certainly the Oldest in the State
of New York, is in Rensselaer, county, near
ALBANY. 1t is the house of killian Van
Rensselaer,, in the suburbs of the New York
State canital. which is called Greenbush. 1t
is OF brick. with gam5rel roof, and looks
out over the Hudson river. In its front are
two Sits through which the early Van Rens-
Eelaers used to
shoot Biunderbusses at the Indians
One Of the walls bears plate set up by
the Albany Commemorative Society, the
inscription on which SAYS that mansion is
the Oldest in the United States and was
built in 1912. Behind it was well upon
the coping of which, according to tradition,
Yankee Doodle" was composed, during
the French and Indian war, which preceded
the war of the Revolution. This house has
been inhabited bv some of the Van Rens-
selaers until within a few years. In one Of
its Railways the Dutch Reformed Worship
ers Of the early DAYS held religious serv-
ices. The boards in the floor and some of
the walls were cut out with adzes and some
OF them are said TO be a foot thick. Nobody
seems to know who wrote Yankee Doodle"
though the tradition is that its author was a
British officer who standing by this well,
composed in mocking mood burlesuue
national anthem 10 the tune of "Rogue's
March"
The oldest wheat that ever sprouted was
the mummy wheat taken by the famous
ECyptologist, Wilkinson, from the cere-
ments OF a mummy in the year 1870 The
mummy came from tomb supposed to be
nearly 4, 900 years old. Fifteen or 20 stalks
sprang from each of the grains which were
planted, bearing remarkably long ears, some
OF them more than six inches in length.
The dryness Of the Egyptian climate is sup
posed to have contributed in some way to
the preservation OF vitality in this wheat.
Corn OF the L -yp:ians.
IN 1888 David Drew, of Plymouth, N H.,
is said TO have come into possession OF some
grains OF maize, also declared TO have been
tdheh from Il MUMMY f,UuO wears ola. Inc
stalks which grew from these grains under |
ME Drew's watchful care attained a height |
OF more than six feet and showed many of !
the characteristics of our corn. There was |
no tassel and no silk, the only thing like an /
ear being cluster of little spikes studded |
with grains, each in husk by itself, the |
whole growing at the top of the stalk.
Tie Oldest American playwright is
thought to be Charles Gayler; 13S of his
plays have been produced in this country.
lie took up the profession of play writing !
In the year lSi9, and is therefore called the
pioneer in 1t. He was friend of the
elder Jefferson, Fitz-James O'Brien, Ed
ward Wilkinson and Dion Buucicault.
During the tifties, the remarkable s. statement
Is made, one Of Mr.. Gayler's plays was run
ming at eacn one of the six frst-class thea
teTs then in existence in the CITY of New
York. "Ihe New President" from his pen,
was the first production on the boards of
Nallack's Theater on ThirteeHth street.
His "Bull Run" was the first war play, and