The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-05-05
GhelemurrM-S Star
THE OLDEST Miy IN THE WORLD.
He Lives In South Carolina, and Is Sup.
posed 10 be I3O Years Old. at Least.

There is very lille room TO
doubt that Joe Sloddard, living
near Dnraa!:, in lawrence county.
South Carolina, is the oldest living
man, and beyond all question he
is the oldest man in the United
States, says the Philadelphia
Press.
His age is SO grea, that he has
no living contemporaries, aud tn
the Oldest inhabitanl besides him.
SILT, OF Lawrence county, h. has
always been "old Joe SlOddard."
To the few veterans of the Mex
lean war who sill live Joe Stod.
dard is AN antiquity. Certain it is
that his birth antedaies the revO
lulionary wal some years, but Just
how many neither he nor any OF
his friends know, 'bul roughly es.
timated and a liberal allowance
made for the natural exaggera,ion
OF such matters, he NUT be al least
12S or 100 years of age.
lie is remarkable for his lucidi.
~ of mind, and though he can
neither SEE, hear nor talk much,
what little he does say is clear and
to the point. The following is the
brief account he gave of himself
10 a recent visitor:
II know nothing of my father
or mother, save as has been told
me. From what they told me I he.
lieve nv mother. came from Vir-
glnia. She was a negress and a
slave. My father was alull blood
ed Indian, and you see | look very
much more ike his race than | do
like my mothers.
"Just before | was born a negro
trader, named Caleb Hughes,
bought my mother and started
South with her. While going
through South Carolina he stopped
awhile in La Srence county aud
there | WAS born and have lived
ever since. ! was sold at once to
man named Stoddard, and lived
with him until | was freed.
Hughes took my mother on,
and | have never seen or heard Of
her since. | have never known If
! had any brothers or sisters.
Il a remember clearly one
small instance Of The Revolution
AIRY war. 1t is said:
"a man by The name Of Arch
bald OwiEgs, who had been engag.
ed in the war and was ON the colo.
NAL side,came home on n lurlough,
as he had a terrible cough. Three
English soldiers, while passing his
house tried to capture him.
"They chased him down a creek
and would have. caught him but
for a short curve which hid Owings
from their sight a minute. lie hid
under ii big rock which jntted out
over the creek. The soldiers were
amazed at his dis 'pperance, AID
being hot and tired with running,
sat down on that same rock to
rest and talk about him. Owin.s
did moi cough a single time while
he was under the rock, and 20 was
undiscovered and made his cs-
cape"
His wife is a negress Of some fl.
ty years OF aye. She supports her
blind husband by taking in wash
ing, and with her own hands cult
Yates a garden and "A small patch
of tobacco. The tobacco is Tor her
own and her husbands use, and
she cures 1t herself, the railers Of
their cabin having punches Of the
drying plant pendent from them.
Through the restra' nj, g in.
tluences Of her huSbanh OF whom
she is palpably very proud, but re-
CARDS with a superstitious awe, she
is almost as reticcut as joe Is HIM
self.
The cabin is neat and comfolta.
BILE, and Joe has many comforts
supplied him by The white annie,
IN the neighborhood, among whom
are many descendants of Mr.. Arch.
lbald Owings. The hero of Joe's
Revolutionary War "reminiscences.
Joe gives promise OF adding
many years TO his already long
list, and is as tenacious Of life as
the most virile of youth.