The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-05
120 YEARS OLD.
Noah Raby, n Famous Old Man of
New Jersey.
From the New York World.

New Jersey.
From the New York World.
There are grave differences between
William Mckinley of Washington and
Noah Raby of Metuchen, N. ]. The first
of these is in birthdays, for while Mr..
Raby celebrated his 126th, Mr.. Mckinley
has not had one for several months.
Again-Mr William Mckinley Of Wash
ington lives in the White House. while
Noah Raby of Metuchen merely resides
in the poor house. Mr.. Raby however, in
his humber quarters. has advantages. He
is contented and happy. He is able to
smile blithely at things and pass the hours
in pleasant converse.
Mr.. Mckinley. however does not smile
these days. Also 1t is unsafe to ascribe
10 him any unusual gayety of demeanor,
| wherefore Mr.. Raby is in certain respects
| some what ahead of Mr.. Mckinley.
Mr.. Raby's 126th birthday yesterday was
| not the occasion of any special fete at
| the poor house. 1t nearly came and went
| like the 1854 other days among the inmates
Mr.. Raby confined his celebration to two
oranges and an extra pipeful of tobacco,
and to the handwriting of those attracted
| by greatness.
! Mr.. Mckinley, of course, also had some
| handshaking, but his differed somewhat
| from Mr.. Raby's. Mr.. McKinley's hand
shaking was of the type with motives;
Mr.. Raby's next to the heart.
Feeling his greatness-although it was
but of years-Mr Raby was moved to re-
marks about other enthusiastically
| that of George Washington of former
years, and Mr.. Mckinley of Washington.
Mr.. Raby has had the pleasure of seeing
| Mr.. Washington, but he never saw Mr..
| Mckinley.
About the time that the old gentleman
] saw the Father of the Country, neither
| Mr. Mckinley nor his home town of Can
| ton, o., had appeared upon the earth.
1t was in Yorktown that Mr. Raby had
the privilege and he was much impressed
! thereby. Moreover, he heard Mr.. Wash
| ington make remarks upon occasion ana
to the point, and these self-same remarks
Mr. Raby is now able to hand down to
posterity through the World.
| He said" declared Mr.. Raby LET all
men stand by the republic and avoid the
guiles of the politicians. That was the
| most he said and never have forgotten
l stand by the republic, for / am a good
! Democrat to this day. George Washing
| ton was a great man-yes, the greatest
general that his country ever saw. But
Grant was good. too-yes, Grant was a
pretty good general.
"And Mckinley, Ell? Well I dunno
| about Mckinley Having seen and heard
| George Washington, 1 can't think much
| about Mckinley. guess, though, that he
| is about as good a man as any politician
can be these days. There are no more
great men nowadays in Americana men
| like Washington
"War-well now, now! When speak OF
war, I'm in mind that Mr.. Mckinley is a
| It111x
Mr.. Mckinley is a dead duck We should
have had war. Whip Spain! Well!''
The old man clinched both hands on the
arms of his chair, and arose with a sud
den fury.
"Whip Spain! Well, there amt a nation
on the face of the earth that can whir
the United States. They would have tried
It long ago If they could. Spain can't med
die with our ships, she can't blow up our
men o war 'thout we do something, car
she? No. well, then, let's have war.
Yes, I've always been a Democrat
brought up to 1t like a mailer. Never
changed my ticket, and took the Apostles
advice, BE of one mind, one word"
Fiercely plucking his beard, the old
man leaned forward in his chair
Young man." said he, when you're as
old as 1 am you'll know that William
| mckinley ought to have declared war
days ago. The longer he puts IL off. the
worse it'll be for us.
| A cheerful middle-aged lady in a butter.
nut gown shook her head wildly at this
Then is the TRUTH said She with en-.
phasized conviction; you hear of him
say it"
Run away, little GIRL" said Mr.. Rabv
70 tne innocent child of ffty-three, and
away she ran. mo, I don't think Nc.
Kinley has done right There was onlv
one other worse President and that was
Buchanan-drat him!'
Here Mr.. Raby turned to more pacific
subjects, being asked to speak of his
family ms
Family" said he, "wen-te-he-famb,v
My young man, I'm old bacheldery
never was married, amt got any great.
great-grandsons or -ereatorard
daughters All l had was three hsIf-sts.
tiers and half-brother. 1 used to write
TO EN-, but I've stopped. What? Oh.
guess 1t was bout a hundred years ago.
where was I born, Ell? Why. down on
Mills Fields plantation in Gates county
North Carolina. Fust l was prenticed out
but when was 81 hired out to the Wildly
Penelope for overseer. 1 was rich in those
days-got $500 year wages
They say at the poorhouse that Noah
loves the widow to this day. If So he
ned from his hopeless passion, enlistine
in the marines
when l was a young feller-bout
forty-two, as near as 1 can recollect-I
enlisted for the war of 1912. Didn't do uny
lighting. though. was just in the home
guards. After that come to New JERSEY
and growed up. So you can see I'm a
regular Jersey Rube-that's what, a regu-
lar RUDE. I've been hereabouts ever
since. I've been here at the farm for
thirty-one year"
"rhirty-five," corrected the Oversesr.
"Thirty-one, SIR" said Mr.. Raby. firmly.
George Drake was overseer them
He's right" said the overseer
How much longer, Ell. young man?
Well, L expect 10 see another century. 1
amt ready to go yet. I'll live as long as
Providence let's me. Guess 1 wouldn',
have lived so long if I'd married. took
ST. Pauls advice bout marriage"
One might suspect that citizen of Mr..
Raby's age would forget some of the
things of this life. MIR. Raby doesn't He
remembers time and things to a dot and
frequently complains about the quality
Of his tobacco.
In the matter of tobacco and whisky
he is an .expert, smoking the best tobacco
he can buy for cents the package, and
rfnlrt f,u .ap1xr 4Ia Ii