The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-06
RENEWING MS YOUTH.
Mnn of Eighty-Five Years Who
Now Looks Like MAN of Forty.
From the chicago Tribune.


John Adams of the village of Tucker,
Kankakee county, H., after life ex-
ceeding by number of years the three
score years and ten allotted by the Psalm
ISL as the limit Of mans age, has become
young again.
The search for the elixir of life has oc-
eupied the attention of more than one man
since Ponce de Leon invaded the fowery
businesses of Florida in the hope of find
ING fountain whose waters would re-
store his lost youth, but never before has
there gone on record the case of one who,
after reaching an advanced age, has re-
ceived the blessing of youth renewed. A
short time ago John Adams had all the
| appearance and all the pecuiarties of
man whose life race has been almost run.
He had right to the evidence of age,
for he was So years old. Now this casual
observer and even those who have known
MIN for years and have watched him grow
from manhood to old age may be pardon
ed II at times they mistake him for
man much younger than he is John
Adams of a few months ago and John
Adams of to-day are different persons.
one is man bowed beneath the weight
or years. He is bald, except for a fringe
OF gray hair, toothless and time has so
dimmed his eyes that he is almost blind
! That is the John Adams that was. To-day
ms mead IS covered with a growth of dark
brown hair and his eyes are bright and
clear, and he has cut several teeth.
How the change has been brought about
no man can say SO far as is known and
according to his own statement Mr..
Adams has done nothing to renew mis-
youth 1t seems a revolt of nature
against the laws of time which enforce a
decay of the bodily forces and a revivi-
fication of a nearly worn-out body. At
first glance Mr.. Adams looks like a man
no more than 40 years OF age.
cases have been reported in which a set
OF teeth have appeared in persons of an
| advanced age after those which have serv-
ed them through life have dropped out
But it is doubtful whether ever before the
entire appearance of an aged person has
been changed back to that of youth In
deed, the case Of MIR. Adams appears to
| be unique
As yet the change is incomplete Dark
| hair has replaced the gray locks which
| had fallen out, new teeth have taken the
place Of those worn away by seventy years
of use, and sight has returned to HIM But
his skin is still wUlnkled and has the
| parchment-like appearance which comes
with age. and his mustache and beard
which had begun to turn gray, show no
| signs of renewing their color.
Stll Mr. Adams believes that the reiuv-
! enation which has begun will be fully car
| ried out. He expects to see his skin either
! replaced by new or filed out and the
| wrinkles smoothed away. Where the re-
| newal of youth will stop he does not at
| tempt to say, but he believes that in a
great measure, at least his former powers
| have been restored, and he is confident
that under the stimulus so Unexpectedly
given his faculties he will live many years
| past the common age of man.
To certain extent, though just why is
~T.Fr 40. La,
| the return of his youth to the manner of
life which he has followed of late years.
| He has always been remarkably regular
in his habits, and temperate in all things,
| even to abstemiousness. He drinks no tea,
coffee, nor alcoholic stimulants, and, in
| deed, has hardly tasted any of these in
| his life. In spite of his age he is tall and
| straight, with no 'stoop, scarcely slope,
! to his shoulders, and weighs 1893 pounds.
| But the fact to which he attributes the
| greater part of his regeneration is that
| for the last ten years he has been accus-
| toned to rise at $50 o'clock every morn
| ing, rain or shine summer or winter, and
walk a distance of two miles to the
| house of his son for breakfast. Just how
much this has to do with the return of his
! youth Mr.. Adams cannot saye but that it
has had a decided influence he Is fully con-
| WINGED He has never surrendered to the
attacks of time; he has never given up and
| admitted that he is an old man. Instead of
| seeking sheltered hooks and sunny cor
| ners when IT became apparent to him that
the wear of his years was having its ef-
feet upon him, he has been up every morn
ing at the fixed hour ana taken his daily
walk before breakfast
! The effect of Mr.. Adams rejuyenation
upon his neighbors is various. More than
| one believes firmly that the old man has
discovered that wonderful fluid so long
| sought by the old alchemsts and by the
| credulous of all ages which is supposed
| to have the power Of making the old
young Others look upon the affair as a
| latter-day miracle, and consider the old
! gentleman especially favored by a divine
| power-perhaps for no apparent purpose;
| perhaps, because some great work Is re-
| served for him The majority. however,
regard the matter as simply a freak of
nature, as it probably is; a renewal Of
/ youth through some strange rebellion Of
| life against time.
| Certainly, whatever may be the cause,
the case is strange enough to excite COM
ment, and it has had the effect of not
! only raising the interest Of the citizens
| Of Tucker to a high point, but of bringing
| out more than one seeker into the manner
| of life and the habits Of Mr.. Adams, be-
| Heving that perhaps he had unknowningly
| happened upon some secret by which
youth may be recalled and life measur-
| ably prolonged and hopeful of discovering
| what that secret is