The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-05
BELIEVED TO iz4 YEARS OLD.
A Colored Woman Who shows a Birth
Record In support of That Assertion.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
The recent death OF Robert Taylor.
the oldest person in Great Britain or
Ireland, whose age was 1874 years, has
caused considerable comment in all
parts of America. Last April Queen
Victoria sent him a picture Of herself
as a birthday present.
The death of Taylor recalls the fact
that Ohio has a resident who has long
since passed the century mark in life.
The person referred to is Aunt Mirah
Davis. She is reputed to be 124 years
old. and she lives about four miles
from Swiss Elm, Highland county, -.
Mrs. Davis lives with her great-grand-
son, who is himself an old gray-hairei
man. The aged woman is colored, and
she is known to the most of the resi-
dents of Highland county. For a wo-
man who has attained such a emark-
able age, Aunt Mirah is spry M
manages to get round and do her share
of housework. According TO residents
of Swiss Elm, the aged woman can
still do a days washing without suf-
fering any evil effects. She was born
and reared in Alabama. but for the
past 100 years she has lived in various
parts of the North. For the last half
century she has been a resident of
Highland county. She delights i'm tell
ing stories and anecdotes of the cotton
fields before the rebellion. and she says
that she intends to visit the place Of her
birth before she ends her earthly eX-
istence. Aunt Mirah appears to he per-
fectly well, with the exception of a
slight attack OF asthma now and then.
IN 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 his
tory of the Irish postmaster. Taylor
was appointed postmaster at Scarva.
County Down, just after the introduce
ton of penny postage, N he held that
office to within a few days OF his death,
attending to the many little details of
the place. According TO the Westmin-
ster Gazette he was born in 1854; others
put his age at only 1l9. At any rate
IL is OF record that he served as a ffer
for the British troops during the rebel
lion in 179S in Ireland. He was a Meth
odist and had built a large hall back
OF his residence for religious purposes.
Aunt Mirah Davis is also a Methodist.
and she attends services regularly. Her
appetite is good and she thinks she will
live to a greater age than that attain
ed by Robert Taylor.
Many strangers who have heard of
the great age attained by Aunt Mirah
have called on her and she always re-
ceives them in the most cordial manner.
The residence of the aged woman is
eight miles from Hillsboro. on the Pc
tersburg and Hillsboro pike. In the
case of most aged colored 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. time-worn Bible which shows that
she was born on April %. IVA. This
book Is yellow with age and most OF the
leaves are worn away until they are
now as hin as tissue paper. The rel
at1ves OF the aged woman are very
careful about showing the book. as
they do not care to a W IL handled I'M
necessarily and thereby incur chances
OF having IL mutilated. Aunt Mirah
never INDUCES in the use of stimulants,
but occasionally smokes a cob pipe. She
Is a familiar picture seated in front OF
her little cabin, which is surrounded by
a cluster of shade trees.