The San Francisco call., 1895-07-16
NEARLY A CENTURY OLD,
A San Francisco Man Who Will
Turn the Five-SCore Mark
Next May.
ETHAN ALLEN WAS HIS UNCLE,
Time and Is Still Strong
and Active.

Goddard E. D. Diamond, who is believed
to be the Oldest resident of San Francisco,
will be hundred years old on May 1 of
next year. He is nephew of Colonel
Ethan Allen, the famous old fighter of
Americas colonial days, and he is, in him
self, a remarkable man. That little has
been seen or heard OF him of late is because
he dislikes notoriety, and has succeeded in
evading several attempts to bring him into
public prominence.
Until yesterday he made his home with
Joseph Kraker at sol Golden Gate avenue,
Mr.. Kraker having been his employer for
several years, but in the afternoon he qui-
city packed up his effects and moved to
however, and his friends have not yet dis
covered where or why he went.
81 suppose he will come back" said Mr..
Kraker last evening. ellis moving was
merely freak of his fancy, presume, and
as he is thoroughly competent to take care
of himself, though nearly hundred years
of age. we do not worry at all about him.
Nobody else was in the house when he
went away, and, as no message of any kind
was left, we are unable to form any idea OF
his present whereabouts"
Mr. Diamond was born in New England
on May l, 1896, while Washington was iv-
ing, and less than twenty years after the
signing of the Declaration of Independence.
He went westward early in life, and fol-
lowed the progress OF the country until In
the middle of his manhood he was To-
Gated at st. Louis. H was one of the first
men of his region to enlist in the civil war,
following out the patriotic spirit in which
he grew up, and about ten years after the
closing of the war he came to California.
Aside from the war experience, Mr.. Dla-
mond slife has been a quiet one. With no
relatives-for in all his century of life Mr..
Diamond has never married-he has lived
in practical seclusion almost since his
youth.
Mr.. Diamond looks like a robust man OF
rs or so years, but his age is shown by
documentary evidence, and there Is no
doubt about the truthfulness of his life
history. He gets about the City readily
and still does some work for gas-burner
company, of which Mr.. Kraker is manager.
"a remarkable thing" said Mr.. Kraker,
sis that forty years ago Mr.. Diamond was
not as well or vigorous as he is to-day.
When he was 60 years of age he was re-
garded as an old man and for q time he
was seriously sick. He got better, though,
and from that time he has been in the best
of health.
mo, don't Know any Speclal rules OF
living that he has. He doesn't take much
care of himself. All weather is alike to
him and he goes out in the rain just as well
as at any other time. He does not drink
nor does he use tobacco, but he places no
Importance on these circumstances. He
viii not say much about himself.
His regular food consists of hard
boiled eggs broken up in vinegar and
eaten without pepper or salt. He does not
eat much of anything else and that is the
only food about which he has any rule.
'It is wonderful how well-preserved be
is, and few people would think that he is
close to 100 years. He is usually taken
to be about 20, but at times he shows his
age, and he has papers to show that he
was born in 1896. Last winter he had
cold that nearly killed him, and then he
looked old enough. He seemed to be
1907
Mr. Kraker thinks that his aged en-
ploye is the most remarkable centenarian
in the world, and he expects to see him
live through the remainder of this century
and get fine start into the next. Just
now he is anxiously waiting to learn what
has become of the man.