The sun., 1897-01-03
SALLY BENJAMIN'S CHEST.
.zo,v ToID ny WoMAN VINO
40 HE no rfhRS OLD.

she s,,.,,,,. 10 steal It Duriug tho
.H.a,,i,on, In which She Took Fart.
r,.,lss W, Monngton OF Passaic was partic-
~, ,a,.r.s,ed in the story published In The
c. y, lice. 27 about some very old people, Do
,,.bs slsa native Of Mt. Pleasant the Penn-
sr,.apIa mountain town where one OF them'
s.lv psniatnln. or. as she was ftmiliarly known,
n.nr pcnIamin passed the last twenty -hve or
49,, ,ear. of Lcr eyentfui life. and from his
.,,.., recollection he had personal acouaint-
... ,,,,h her. Granny Benjamin lived to DO
0years old
liz, Mrs BENJAMIN excited the most Curl
.,,,y and attention. not only for her remarkable
400 nh, also because Of her strong aud versatile
,n,alieet vIvacity OF disposition, and the facil-
,y with which she recalled the incidents OF q
,.ri.d and adventurous career. for sho was
ho-n and grew up amid the hardships OF old
days and was active In some Of the i'm
ror,au, occurrences OF the Revolutionary war.
~ .,rourly has Mrs. BenjamIn's personality
,s., impressed upon the community where she
,,y.d that the people Of Mt. Pleasant have re-
.o,,ly been celebrating upon the propriety Of
,..c,lns some Kind OF memorial for her.
"uoweyer correct tho writer In THE Sun may
h. In attributlng the death OF his old people to
,,ci,ement consequent upon great publicity,
N-. RenIamin was certainly nm exception. For
many years she was the wonder object of the
n.lshborhood: was the subject OF more than
ana newspaper sketch: was often interviewed,
for various objects and BY some who came from
.iar Indeed any person observant OF the physi-
eal frasility which was apparent In tho old
ladys appearance as she neared the end OF ner
life, would have had no difficulty In assigning
cause for her taking of: and, certainly, ll6
years OF mortal life is uflcicnt provocation for
shutting of the mortal coil.
For some years previous to her death Mrs.
B.pIsmin might have claimed to have walked
abroad In Thepes street. for she was picture OF
cid: hair SNOWY white. eyes so sunken rs to DO
nearly imperceptible. and II Is difficult 10 i'm
sgiue ANYTHING more intricate and labyrinthino
than the network OF wrinkles on tho old lady's
face; her hands were almost transparent, tho
flesh and muscle having so fallen away as to
leave but little more than the skin and integu-
nents in connection with the bony frame, while
IN the veins. which were prominent as the cord
ace OF ship. the blood seemed black and stag
nant Long absence OF teeth and shrinkage of
gums hsi nearly united her nose aG9 chin I.
and. rs nearly bent double and supported by
a stat, she crossed room, an artis.
could have desired no better model
the ghost OF antiquity. In this frall tenement
however. the tenant held strong sway; and the
Manifestations in the cobweb OF body of .
unique and powerful mental personality was
better evidence OF the distinction between flesh
aud spirit than any amount OF polemics; for. in
conversation with Mrs. benjamin, the convic-
ton was irresistible that. should the nearly
worn ont medu by which tho soul commr-
Heated with the material world suddenly fall
,way. the true personality would still remain
bvigorous a. at any time In Its history. lhavo
recently seen an old-fashioued daguerreotypo
which was likeness of Mrs. Benjamin moro
than hfty years ago: and besides the appearance
OF extreme old age. which Is represented, the
picture Is so faded by time that-to borrow sem
tnent from superstitlon-it seems like spirit
presentation about to vanish into the plastered
wall uDon which II hangs.
The old lady was the recipient OF Govern
ment pension. the amount OF which at this day
would b considered absurdly inadequate as an
expression OF national gratitude for her actual
services, for she participated in some important
events Of the struggle for Independence. Her
husband served in the patriot ranks, and fought
hthe battle OF Monmouth. where the sun killed
"''e uleh tnah the bullets During the engage
inenI Mrs. benjamin was occupied In supplying
the wounded with water, and in various ways
mlnlstering TO their necessities and 10 those
'h"' were exhausted by tho intense heat, and IL
was this battle that she replied to the ques-
uoh OF washington as TO whether she was
AFRAID OF the bullets By saving: General tho
builets will nsx.r cb.at tho galIov.,
.rl
iue ou Iady was an ADEPT In tue ancient art
OF knitting by hand, and many pairs OF woollen
hose, socks. gloves, and mIttens are probablv
-, -, - b'''
''' "ssurod IN iamlIles where they are re-
gArded as being much TOO precious for use.
Children rega,dsd her With ~. ho- ,r.a, a a,o
,---'N "si "''A awe Nst s's"e "ts
'"pe'ins them as some creature from the
depths Of antiquity, aud remem Der a youth full
computat,on ,yhIch daron.,ra,.J ~, ,l.o.
- I ""'Sn uouono'ta'eu 'nat 'h'eo
.aeh HVes as hers would reach nearly
10 the landing of ColumLus Her mem.
ory wa. n, ,i,,,. -, ,o.I ht.,. -,
80 ep''o0 VI ioe"i h''''J ""'
mhe OF tradition and old-time lore
She had q keen sense md enioyment of the
,ualc,nr, T., a,,h.s., N ~. wy
~n"ss" IL e''her "ora OF act ana somet'thes'
"neh IN particularly social mood, would re-
peat q screed of rhymes composed by some in.
dIp,neop. no., .,d .yi,,.,,I,, t,,.,a..d 90
, ooe~ anu e'luehtiS ihtehued 10 TX
press the changes caused by time and enterprise
O!this poem, the recitation of which invariably
,.e,.d ,ho r,.I,I,,.I~ ,D
'"o fis'oIlItles OF her hearers' lfemem'
Vef only tue following stanZa:
Where m. "a, Il, ,,,. z, ,, ,h, ,.,,s,.
-, - .'H"' '"|o 'ooA NAsf uo"s"s'
"aea' IT. and b eI;
now tue Inhabitants are mostly whites,
Without a red
Me- p,
'fs' benjamin claimed to have had ancestors
among those who landed at Plymouth Rock