Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-17
one HUNDRED and TEN.
That is the Age Of Isaac Smith. Of
Wetzel County.
He Was Born in What is Now the
Eastern Part of West Virginia,
put Has Lived Where He at
Present Resides for Seventy-Flve
Years Some Interesting Remin-
iscences-His Youngest boy" is
Sixty Years Of Age.

Sixty Years Of Age.
1,ccial to the Register.
sjstersville, w. Va, May 16.-While
west Virgi is noted for a great many
,bings in the way of natural advan-
ages and oddities, from being the
greatest petroleum and coal producing
state in the Union to having a large
number Of outlaws and the most rugged
denizens. there is still one more thing
fog which the State must be given
credit. and that is that at the present
tima there is living in one of the coun-
ties CT the State a person who is per-
haas the Oldest living in the United
States. There has been a great many
stories written OF centurians and
octigenarians at different times, and
always the writer has declared they
we're the oldest or were said to be the
Oldest persons known at that time.
In regard to the person of whom this
LICit - wa lNNSlAi II 10 bAI liSOb " say
Thai ne is not only the Oldest living
person in the Little Mountain State"
but it is confidently believed that he is
TIE OLDEST LIVING PERSON
in he United States. The age of the
person is not merely conjectured, but in
The possession of himself and family
authentic records are held which show
the age of the gentleman conclusively
and beyond all manner of doubt.
Isaac Smith was born about 10
years ago, in what was then a part OF
the State OF Virginia, but which is now
one Of the eastern counties of this
State He lived in the section where
he was born for a number of years, or
until he was enabled to look after him
self when he comenced TO migrate from
enc section to another About the time
ne was forty years Of age he settled
down in what is now WetZel county,
West Virginia and from that time until
the present he has been a resident Of
that county. Mr.. Smith lives on the
original settlement a few miles from
Proctor, Wetzel county, and to the cor
respondent who went to visit hip a few
days ago he stated that he had been
living there for a period of
ABOUT SEVENTY YEARS,
and that at this late day he did not
expect to migrate any further until
his time to go had arrived.
Isaac Smith, pioneer and one of the
Oldest persons in the United States,
was born in 1885, in what is now Poca-
h0ntas county, West Virginia, Of old
English stock and in direct way is
connected with Capt. John Smith, of
colonial days, who was saved from exc
cution by the beautiful Indian maiden,
P0cahoDtas. When he was boy, Isaac
Smith, like all others at that time. was
fond of the chase, and he has many
wonderful tale to relate of the warm
times he and his brothers and father
had, not only with the wild game
which abounded in those times, but
also
WITH THE INDIANS
which inhabited this section of the
country
Mr. Smith, in speaking of the excit-
ing times he had, told your cor
respondent that he had been in such
tight places number of times that
he believed there was only one thing
TO dO-pray for deliverance But"
he remarked, with twinkle in his
steel gray eyes, 81 did not do much
PRAYING, but just loaded up my old
rife as quickly as possible and let
the redskins have it to the best OF
my ability. Many a time I have made
run for a protected place and all
the while would be loading my gun,
while arrows and bullets were flying
about me thick and fast, but for some
unaccountable reason I always man
aged to escape with but a few slight
wounds"
The Old gentleman is
FULL OF "REMINISCENCES
OF byg0ne days, and most prominent
among the stories he tells are of the
days when the United States was
lighting with England in 1912 and later
with the Mexicans. MIR. Smith
was a volunteer in both of these wars,
and he passed through them without
q scratch Of any kind He was with
loe army that was chasing Santa Anna,
ana II speaking of the matter he
seemed to 1--we ever these exciting days
ana ne seemed to become excited and
Wil lSe story in the most excited and
sulhing manner. while his eyes would
spafMe and his whole countenance
Neuld be Illuminated with an ANNA
u9A thar could not be misunderstood.
lie IS still hale and hearty, and dur
Jug good weather there is hardly
Gay mat ne does not work for num-
pef oi hours. He claims that had it
10y 0sen for hard work and good,
,esuiar habits, he would not have been
A'Ing to-day. There is one thing in
!Fsard to this centurian which will be
sIeat detriment to the work of those
t-ople who are continually trying to
UoWA the whisky and tobacco habit,
~lu 1t IS that Mr. Smith gets his
e-ea'eSt comfort from a pipe of tobacco
ana d drink of good whisky. He re
TAXED that he had smoked and
SHe"ed tobacco ever since he could re-
%Hsmoer and when he was young all
w cnQdren at that time were given
rDSEy, and drank it the same as any
o'her beverage.
A BOTTLE OF GOOD WHISKY
routed by the correspondent was
GVolhed as one who had been absent
@4F Years, and While some machine
rNNllg tobacco was offered it was
w., yg accepted, as he stated he would
e r.ueF smoke the natural leaf than to
5sendef danger from bad lungs and
srmr lever by smoking the doctored