The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-14
AGED FOLKS DOWN EAST.
Lively and Tough Old Fellows 1
the State of Maine.


the State of Maine.
Maine Correspondence New York Journal
UP in Oxford county they raise ''em
tough, and they raise 'em witty; and,
when an Oxford man reaches an age
that would elsewhere entitle him to a
seat In the chimney corner for the rest
OF his life, he's just SOLDERING down to
hard work.
Ialk about your lusty youths!
They're but weaklings to these men Of
years. In West Paris the other day I
was introduced to Benjamin Bacon, a
strapping young fellow, who will be
'nlnety-three come August
The day before I was there he had
been taking little constitutional
walked up to Bryant's pond and back
and it's good seven miles each way.
Tired?" I asked.
swered. "Tired by little tramp like
that. Why, I yum, 1t makes me feel
old to have folks speak 8 though a
fourteen-m mile trip were anything out
O common. I never used to thing no
more Of walk like that than I did
of eatin' my dinner-not bit, Sir.
| remember walking from Greenwood
into Portland when I was a young
man. forgit now what I did it for,
but 1t didn't tire me much Of any, and
I felt as spry as a kitten next morn
ing"
Mr.. Bacon has been taking things
easy this winter, beyond doing the
usual chores. Last summer he hoed
1000 head of cabbage and helped har-
vest the crop, and within year or
two he's been making a record on the
wood-pile. A year ago last fall he
used to shoulder his ak every morn
ing, walk three miles to the wood lot,
and put in the day hard at work That
fall he felled his trees, linbed them,
and cut them into four-foot lengths,
and when he measured up he had rising
five cords.
He has been married twice, and says
If he'd had any idea of living so long
he'd have led another bride to the al
tar.
Later in the day, at North Paris, I
met David Young. another Of those
impetuous young sparks who have yet
to cool down to the sobriety Of mature
years. David has been stiffening his
muscles this spring on the woodpile.
He has sawed split and wheeled into
the shed, and piled up five cords Of
wood, and now he's going to get the
garden out of the way and pitch into
the haying.
He has lived in North Paris for nigh
onto half century," and he's Just as
into town. He walks with the springy
step Of youth, and. bar slight diff
Guilty in hearing, you could not guess
within twenty years of his age. He
will be ninety-four Nov. "a.
Uncle David comes Of long-lived
stock. His father died at the age of
seventy nine, but his mother lived to
be ninety-three. Davis is one of a
family of f1fteen-"just enough for q
company" he says His brother Ma
thaniel was 100 and 1 month to a day
when he died. William, another broth
er, died in June following his ninety
third birthday in April His sister
Mary was ninety at the time of her
death, and Jared, his twin
Three meals a day and sleeps like
baby" Is what his daughter says of
him. He is a thoroughly we'll man.
Once, In his younger days, when he
was boy of seventy or seventy i've
years, he was bothered by rheumatism,
but after worrying him for seven or
eight Years the disease gave up the
fight and left him master of the situa-
ton. He outgrew it, so to speak Head
aches never visit him, apd Indigestion
to him Is unknown. Last year, in a
freak Of juvenescence, he started in to
cut new set of teeth
He is up every morning by 80 or )
o'clock, and has the fire going when
his daughter gets down stairs.
Both these old gentlemen have lived
strictly temperate lives-never using
liquor or tobacco in any form-and to
this they are inclined to attribute manv
of their years above three score and
ten.