The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-03-14
OLDEST NAN lN rMH wonLp.

TO bo One Hundred and Thirty.
Louis +. Slrah N NsV York advertiser,
There is very little room to doubt
that Joe Stoddard, living near Durrah,
in Lawrence county, S, a., is the Oldest
living man, and beyond all question no
is the oldest man in the United States.
His age Is SO great that he has no living
contemporaries, and to the Oldest in
habitant besides himself Of Lawrence
county no has always been "old Joe
Stoddard."
To the few veterans Of the Mexican
war who still live Joo Stoddard is an
antiquity. Certain it Is that his birth
antedates the Revolutionary al some
years, but Just how many neither he nor
any OF his friends know, but roughly es-
timated, and q liberal allowance made
for the natural eXagCeration OF such
dred and twenty-eight or n hundred
and thirty years OF age, Ile Is remark
able for his lucidityo! mind, and though
he can neither soc, hear nor talk much,
what little he does say is clear and to
the point. Tho following is the brief
account he gave OF himself to a recent
visitor:
~ know nothing OF my father or
mother save us has been told me.
From what they told me | believe my
mother came from Virginia, She was u
negrcss and a slave. My father was n
iull. blooded Indian, and you SEQ | look
very much moro like his race than | do
like my mothers. Just before l was
horn a negro trader, named Caleb
Hughes, bought my mother and started
south with her. While going through
South Carolina he stopped awhile in
Lawrence county, and there | was born
and have lived ever since, ! was sold
at once to u man named Stoddard and
lived with him until l was freed.
Hughes took my mother on and | have
never seen or heard OF her since. l
have never known ii | had any brothers
or sisters.
81 can remember clearly ono small
incident Of the Revolutionary wal. 1t
is this:
"a man by tho nam Of Archibald
0wings, who had been engaged in war
and was on the colonial side, came home
OH n ~furlough, as he had u terrible cough.
Three English soldiers, while passing
his house, saw him and tried to capture
him. They chased him down q creek,
and would have caught him but for a
short curve which hid Owings from
their sight q minute. lie hid under n
big rock which jutted out over the
creek. The soldiers were amazed Mt his
disappearance, and being hot and tired
with running sat down on that same
rock TO rest and talk about him. Ow-
ings didn't cough II single timo while
he was under the rock, and so was I'M
discovered and made his escape"
81 have been a former all my life, but
am too feeble to work ut all now. l
have been married twice, and my wife
takes care Of and supports inc. l am
six feet tall and weigh about l25
pounds. My hair is eight inches long
and is as white rs cotton. | can't see,
nor hear, nor talk to much account"
With this he closed his lips firmly
and pretended TO hear no other ques-
ton that was asked MIN. He refused
positively to have his photograph
taken, but no black and white sketch
could depict perfectly tho picturesque
appearance Of this venerable old Afro
Indian as he sat in his big armchair
Just within his cabin door, tho warm
sunshine pouring in on him and max
ing a halo around his snowy locks.
His vile is a negress OF some fifty
years OF age, She supports her husband
by taking in washing, and with her own
hands cultivatos a small garden and u
small patch oil tobacco. The tobacco is
for her own and her husbands use, and
she cures it herself, the raiters OF their
cabin having punches of tho dying
plant pendant from them. Though
the restraining influence Of her hus-
band, Of, whom she is palpably very
proud, but regards with a sort Of super.
s~titious awe, she is almost as reticent
us Joe is himself.
Their cabin is neat and comfortable
and Joe has many comforts supplied
him by tho white families in tho neigh
borhood, among whom are many des-
condants of Mr.. Archibald 0wings, the
hero OF Joe's revolutionary war reminis-
cence.
Joe gives promise Of adding many
years TO his already long list and is as
tenacious Of life as the most virllo Of
youths.