The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-08
MAYBE THE OLDEST WOMAN.
A Native Hawaiian who Is Believed to BE
124 Years OF Age.
From ne Washington Tim,s.

From The Washington Times.
The oldest woman in tho world according to
official census reports, lives in Hawaii and Is
l2i years Of ago Her namo is Kepoolele Apau
and her claim TO advanced age has been thor
oughly Investigated by the Hon. Alatau r Akin
son, the general superintendent Of the Hawaiian
census, Mr.. Atkinson is now in Washington
receiving instructions on the new census to be
taken in Hawaii.
'Thc oldest inhabitant in Hawaii. possibly
of the world" said Mr. Atkinson to the reporter
'is Kepoolcle Apau Of Honolulu. By careful
investigation l found in this person curious
and most important historian, linking the past
with the present Hawaii.
Among the census returns received in my
Office were many which gave ages of natives
varying from 100 TO 10 years and so on These
cases | had Investigated by the district super
intendens; but when came across venerable
woman in Honolulu who claimed to be l2i years
of age, l thought IL was time to make invesi.
CATION on my own account
40 carry out this investigation requested
Prof Alexander and Mrs Nakuina to accompan y
me. Prof Alexander has a worldwide rcpu-
tation as a historian Of the islands, as q man OF
exact thought, and Of the highest culture. Mrs
Nakuina is a Hawaiian woman OF high educa.
ton, both in English and her own language
history OF tho country For myself. my tram.
ing as q newspaper editor has made me ready
TO watch for 'aCts and long period OF work as
inspector general Of schools has forced me to
value evidence and weigh IL carefully. | give
the above statement because | wish the dcduc.
tons VIC have made to bear the stamp Of exacti-
tudc. tho case being q peculiar one and likely
to be doubted
"On entering the house We found the aged wom-
an sitting upon the floor She was attended
by two women one Of whom the wife OF n
grandson She very deaf. and though
not blind could not sec very clearly. However.
out her hand for it and placed it in her pocket.
This was at the close OF the interview. but men
ton il here to show what her faculties were
prof. Alexander, aiter some preliminary re
marks, in order not to alarm the venerable woman,
suggested number Of historical questions which
were put by Mrs Nakuina From these qucs-
,ions we learned that she remembered the Aho,
lition Of idoatry and that she recollectcd the
war in that connection She stated that she
lan | when the latter descended into the crater
OF Kilanca and broke the tnbu, and that her name
sequence Of the event She then told her
ideas coming more quickly as she continued
talking that she remembered keona being
Finally Kepooiele Apau volunteered the in.
formation that she remembered the digging Of
the well in Knu and that she was a child at the
| time similar to child running about the house -
| a child Of between six and seven years This
| event occurred in 1871 and is described in For
nander's history. This would make her 1872
years old according 70 exact calculation: but
| it is quito permissible 70 allow her couple Of
years more as she claims
| Il followed up another method Of invcstign-
| ton and inquired how many children she had
tracing their descendants This | was enabled
| 70 do 10 the fifth generation. Allowing the or
binary thirty years for a generation. four gener-
| atoms would give l20 years; and We can easily
| allow four years for the fifth, bringing out her
| age at what she claims by an entirely different
method OF investigation. We were satisfied
that the aged woman had spoken the truth
| What a curious link she is with the past. She
| must have been little toddling child when Capt.
| Cook went to the Hawaiian Islands She has
| seen the monarchy Of Hawaii consolidated. and
| she has seen its fall. She remains today mon
ument OF the past but one which must soon glide
| away and pass to the great unknown.
| "Npau took in laundry until very recent years
| when the Cinnamon, having absorbed all that
business. compelled her TO conilnc herself to doing
| work for her sons family. Three years age
she slipped in a bathroom AMI dislocating a bon'
| by the fall. she has since been a cripple Apa,
| is getting purblind. but her general health |!
| good and her appetite fair. On one Of my visits
to get this history saw her pick patch to piece
| a pair Of trousers. She handled the goods un
| derStandinglv and went about her work skill
| fully and as though il was her usual occupation