The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-06-23
Dead nj Two Hundred Vars.

There died a few days ago at Colombo,
in Ceylon, famous resident who had
reached the very great age Of at least
at two hundred. because nobody knows
exactly what IL is. He himself was
never heard TO say a word about It, or
indeed about anything else, but during
the whole Of his long life contented HIM
self with a wild hiss now and then at
people and things that did not suit him.
ms was a rare example Of total alb
Stlnence because he heard three or four
languages spoken nearly every day of
his life. There is. first. the language OF
the natives of Ceylon. who are kinsmen
or the Malays, Then there are the many
Dptch. who live at Colombo because
their ancestors once ruled in the island
Tor a century or more. Finally there are
the English, who now own Ceylon and
pretty nearly evrything in it including
al that is left OF this oldest resident.
He was already old when the English
TOOK Ceyion from the Dutch In 1896, and
he has ever since been sort Of pen
sOner on the British government.
His silence of two hundred years was
rot the only curious thing about this
eyed resident of Colombo. His skeleton
after his death. and is now one Of the
principal attractions in the museum OF
the city whore he was so well known.
As YOU have already guessed. this old
fellow was a turtle He seems to have
been conscious all along Of the dignity
Of his name. which was Testudo elephan-
tOOxis the second half Of 1t being given
in honor Of the fact that he was an
elephant among turtles. his immediate
family is very small-so small that few
Of his relatives survive him, and 1t Is
thought that these will die out In com
Daratively short time. Even now the
family lives in only one spot on the
globe-Aldabra Island. north Of NADIA
gascar. Formerly there were great
vessels ia the Indian Ocean used to lay
in n stock Of them In order that the
crew. might be sure Of having fresh meat
should sCuivy break out on beard.
The turtle that has just died was one
Of the largest Of his family. and his
shell was four and a half feet long. but
when his head and tail were unfolded
from his shell he was fully six feet long.
as a present to a Dutch Governor of
CeylOn something like a hundred and
fifty years ago. Anyhow. the English
took good care OF him when they came
into possession Of him and the island,
and most Of the time since then he has
had a park to live In. He was a pet
OF the children. and half a dozen OF
them used TO ride at a time on his huge
back He was not to be trihed with,
however. and seven men who once tried
10 persuade him 10 visit a show in
Colombo found that compared to him,
a piano is an easy thing to move. In
fact. they gave up trying TO move him
at all. after tussle in which the turtle
came out best
MOI long ago the D11USN government
concluded to use for dock the park In
which the old fellow had lived for
century, and II was decided to remove
him TO another park a mile away from
the shore. lie was carried to his new
residence. but he was evidently home
sick. and after a short Illness he died.
This is a pity. because people had begun
to think he would live forever. The age
of turtles is an interesting problem. Some
people have a mania for turning every
turtle they see upon his back and cary
ing their initials and the date on its
under side The writer once knew of a
turtle which crawled about wearing this
inscriptions "Pontius PLATE, 3 II. C."
That seemed a very remarkable turtle.
until somebody called attention to the
fact that time was not reckoned "B. C."
Probably the unfortunate turtle is still
wearing that lie on his belly, for it
takes a turtle almost as long as a tree
TO outerOw a cash from a knife.-Har-
pers Young People.
In view Of Miss Frances Wizards ex-
pected return the people of Evanston in
terpret w. c. T. L. as Wel-Come-To-U.-