The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-03
is I0WA'S OLDEST
a Woman Said to Be Six Score
Years and Four Of Age.
hrs. Lucy Alexander, a Veracious Coiored
Lady, Says Many Things That I'm
press One as Coming Gut CT
the Remote Past.

IN soap SIceh HOLLOW, heOkuk, Ia,
Yves Mrs. Lucy Alexander. 124 wears
of age, and, according 70 the census
returns. the oldest person in Iowa. On
Concert street, in the same city, resides
Mrs. Mahaia Robbins, who. tradition
says, Is over 100. Both the old women
are colored.
Get married?" said Mrs. Robbins,
the other day, when asked her views
on matrimony. Course I wouldn'.
Got 'nuff TO do to s'poht myself 'thout
sphotin' no man. : gifts a pension Of
Twelve doilahs a month, count my son
who was killed long de wah, an lives
ON dat. Man 'ud eat up de pension an
I'D hev TO wuk. No, sab, Use all right
Es is"
Mrs. Alexander, OF Soap Creek Eol-
low, entertains similar views, and the
old women are to all appearances am
ply able to get along alone in the
world, and are good for many more
years of life.
Mrs. Alexander makes her home with
Mrs. Lizzie Thomas, and here she sits
in the sunshine and tells stories of
past age. Notwithstanding her ad-
vanced age she is quite well preserved
and has full possession of all her fac
ulties. She can thread a needle with
out glasses-neveru uses glasses, indeed,
for any purpose. Her hearing is good,
mind bright and active and health I'M
impaired. Within the past year she
walked across the river to lakewood, a
distance of nearly five miles. At times
her memory is better than others, and
she then speaks freely of old-time
events, recounting the names of prom
snent generals of the revolutionary war
md the early presidents.
Away back before the revolution
Mrs. Alexander was born, a slave, in
Winchester, Va. Her maiden name
was Page, and her master name Miller
Alexander. Her master served in the
revolution, and when he returned home
at its close she met him at the gate and
carried his knapsack and accoutre-
ments into the house.
Her earliest recollection goes back to
the home of her master in Prince Ed
wards county, Va. While living there
Gen. Washington stopped at her mas
tiers house, but whether it was during
or after the revolutionary war she can
not remember. Later the family re-
moved to Richmond. That was then
quite small place. In 1888 her master
removed to Kentucky, taking his slaves
with him. After some years he died
there, and the interest of the other
heirs in the estate was purchased by
Miller Alexander, Jr., who brought the
slaves-ten in numbcr-to Hamilton,
I'LL, and set them all free. This was
about five years before the commence
ment of the civil war. Miller Alex
ander remained in Hamilton till the |
close of the war and then removed to |
st. Louis, where he now resides He !
was model master, as was his father |
also. None OF her family were ever
sold from the plantation, and all were
kindly treated.
Mrs. Alcxander's husband, Robert,
died in Hamilton, Ia, in 1885, at the
age of 1o4 years. The couple had lived I
in Iowa 10 ears at that time. Many |
years ago Mrs. Alexander saved $50
and bought her husband from slavery. |
Mrs Robbins, of Concert street, saws |
her mother died a few years ago in |
keollulk at the ago of $50 years. She /
loves TO talk about the old plantation
days, and the time when the negroes
found themselves free.
Day was ignorant as a cat" she
Bald. "Day jist went wild with joy.
Day danced an day sung, an day had
a joyful time. OF mahrster, he fee4
awful bad, lie couldn't eat an he
couldn't sleep, an he jis up an he died.
Men some NV de niegers day got shot,
ease de white people day not LAX sich
GA. We all 'fraid at night.
Many &c time" she added, Il wuked
IN de house ia de mornin' an in de fiel'
all day for p or 80 cents, an sleep out
doahs all night, ease feared To sleep
in dc cabin. Feared / got shot and
killed. Some de niggers day didn't
have nothin' to eat, and the gubner he
sot up a shop aud guy 'em provisions.
Dem what had money, day slip to dc
Store by night time and buy what day
need
Visiting Clergyman suppose your
career of crime began with playing
:ruant from school?
Convict (silently)-It did not
Visiting Clergyman-Gan you look
fne in the face and declare that you
never played hockey?
Convict reckon ! can. There
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