The evening times., 1898-10-17
TWO CETENARIANs.

Sir Richard Owen, after personally Wis
iting many reputed centenarians and in
vestigating all historic instances of ex-
treme age, came to the conclusion that
no human being had ever lived to be
ll0 years of age, and that there Is no au-
thentic case where person has reached
more than 103 years and a few months.
Recently there died in Great Britain
Robert Taylor. said TO be 134 years o,d
to whom Queen Victoria had sent a pho
tograph of herself last April. This re-
minds the Cincinnati Enquirer that there
is in Ohio a resident centenarian, Aunt
Mirah Davis. 1t says: She is reputed
to be l24 years old. and she lives about
four miles from Swiss Elm, Highland
county. Ohio. Mrs. Davis lives with her
great-grandson, who is himself an old
gray-haired man. The aged woman Is
coiored, and she is known to most OF the
residents of Highland county. For a wo
man who has attained such remarkable
age, Aunt Mirah is spry and manages
10 get around and do her share of house
work. According to residents of Swiss
Elm, the aged woman can still do days
washing without suffering any evil eff
fects. She was born and reared in Ala
bama, but for the last 100 years she has
lived in various parts of the North Or
the last half century she has been
resident of Highland county. She de
lights in telling stories and anecdotes OF
the cotton fields before the rebellion, and
she says that she intends 10 visit the
place of her birth before she ends her
earthly existence Aunt NJ rah appears
to be perfectly well, with the exception
or a slight attack of asthma now and
then.
IAN account of the death of Robert
Taylor was read to the aged woman Of
Highland County the other day, and she
displayed great interest in the history of
the Irish postmaster Taylor was ap-
pointed postmaster at Scarva, County
Down, just after the introduction OF the
penny postage, and ne held that office 10
within a few days Of mis- death. attending
TO tile many little details of the place Ac-
cording TO the Westminster Gazette ne
was born in 1861; others put his age at
only 1l9. At any rate, it is on record
that he served as d fifer for the British
troops during the rebellion in 1898 in
Ireland Aunt Mirah Davis is also i
Methodist, and she attends services reg
ularIy Her appetite is good. and she
thinks she will live TO a greater age tnan
that attained by Robert Taylor.
MANY strangers VINO have heard of the
great age attained by Aunt Mirah have
called on her. and she always receives
them in the most cordial manner Ine
residence of the aged woman is eight
miles from Hilsboro. on the petersburg
and Hillsboro Pike. In the case of most
aged coIored people there is no record to
show in reference to their birth In the
case of Aunt Mirah. however, there IS an
inscription in an old timewOTn Bible,
which shows chat she was born April ..
III This book is yellow with age, and
most Of the leaves are worn away until
they are now as thin as tissue paper The
relatives of the aged woman are very
careful about showing the book, as the$
do not care 10 have it handled unnecessa-
riIy. and thereby incur chances OF having
it muItilated Aunt Mirah never INDUCES
In the use of stimulants but occasionally
smokes a cob pipe. She i familiar
picture seated in front OF her little cabin.
which Is surrounded by a cluster Of shade
trees"
The adjoining state of Indiana comes
forward with an old man-of course
pauper in the county almshouse-who
claimed to be 100 years old at the time
of his death q few weeks ago A South
Bend letter says:
''Old Man Marshall an inmate of the
county infirmary. who recently diel. was
a mystery. He was an inmate of the in
firmary for many years. going there
from Olive Township. He had no rela-
lives nor friends. Marshall talked but
little concerning himself. He asserted
at different times that he was born in
Virginia. August 4. I116. and that he was
a first cousin of John Marshall. who was
born in 1755. and who afterward became
Chief Justice of the United States. He
was named in honor of his distinguished
relative. He was twenty-four years old
when Washington died. and attended
the funeral He also asserted that he
was with Aaron Burr in his expedition
which resulted IN Burr's arrest and trial
for treason After this affair he located
Mt Nashville Tenn and Joined Gen.
Jacksou's forces against the Greek In
dians and afterward accompanied Jack
son to New Orleans. participating in the
famous battle January s. 1Sl5. during
which he captured flag from the Scotch
Highlanders the flag afterward being
presented to the city of New Orleans. He
then located for a time near Cincinnati,
but VIXEN the Black Hawk war broke
out he went to Detroit. where he joined
Gen. Scott's regulars. During the great
cholera epidemic of 1S32 50 he located
on what is now the site of Marshall,
Mich. and the town was named in his
honor After many years he wandered
to this county, being then a very old
man. and he WAS sent from Olive Town
ship to the infirmary twenty-five years
ago"