The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-14
A CRANK ON LONGEVITY.
G. N. Groom, of Arkansas, Claims to
BE Able to Live Indefinitely.

c. N. Groom is a well-known man in La
vaca, Sebastian county, Ark, He has sew
ened upon him the name of crank is best
told in the following letter, which he has
written for publication:
About seventy years ago, L was told that
in olden time, and even in modern times.
the people had a way of preserving the
dead. The idea struck ne that If the dead
could be preserved by drugs, perfumes,
and chemicals, why not preserve the living?
/ told my friends and neighbors that be-
lieved that the living body could be pre-
served well as the dead but as they
had never seen it tested they were not
prepared TO give an opinion L concluded
TO try the experiment, but my neighbors
advised me to let nature take its course, as
l would die as soon as my time came.
81 began to experiment, regardless of
my friends opinions and protests, and now
i can look back and see that they are all
dead. 1 commenced preserving my body
seventy years ago, when l was thirty-four
years old. undertook the experiment for
longing my life, and L have met with sue
cess, which gives me ample satisfaction.
But even now some people say that they
don't believe the living body can be pre-
served and human life prolonged. The rea-
son that they don't believe is this: They
are still going to mill as their fathers and
granGfathers did-with corn in one end of
the sack and rock in the other.
MY efforts in preserving the body and
prolonging my life have been crowned
with success .S and now, as far as am CON on
mountain tops that they don't believe.
but in all probability. / may live long
enough to hear the clods of earth fall
over their graves, and the sound Of their
voices silenced in DEATH
DIR. Groom claims to have preserved
his own carcass for period Of seventy
years. said one of his neighbors, re-
Gently, land says he is 104 years old. If
this declaration is true. he stalked about
the universe nearly forty-four years be
fore his mother became aware of his
presence, dnd evolved his wonderful dis
covery ten years before his birth, because
he is only sixty years of age at this
time; at least, he is not much over sixty
or much under sixty. He is recognized
by all who know him as a crank, and no
heed is given anything he says or does.
Some years ago he owned a farm four
miles from Greenwood, a county seat Of
this county, and one day he came into
town with doube-barreled shotgun and
threatened to kill every man in the
city. He was promptly arrested and con-
fined in jail until his mind got right again.
These spells came over him periodically,
but the people of his neighborhood have
come to know the old man so we'll that
no attention is paid to him while the moon
is on a change.
cit is quite probable that studying over
the prolongation of longevity in early life
had much to do with unbalanceing the Doc
tors mind Years ago he was practic-
ing physician. He published a book some
come to end, some subject about as
lucid. He is a big man physically, stand
ing about six feet two inches. and weigh
ing about $50 pounds. He Is the father OF
two children, both boys, who are indus
triouS, progressive young men,"