The evening times., 1899-01-30
OLDEST MAN IN AMERICA.
Abraham Elmer. of Utica, L. One
Hundred and Seventeen.
(From the New York Herald.)

(From the New York Herald.)
In white painted two-story frame
dwelling in Henry Street Utica. resides
with his son and daughter -in-law Abra-
ham Elmer, who. if he lives until next
Thursday will be III years of age.
He is the Oldest person In the State
possibly in the United States. He is GER
tainIy the Oldest of the survivors OF the
war of 1872 of whom there are at present.
according TO the official records. about
eight. Hiram Cronk, a veteran OF the
war of 1912, aged ninety-eight years, lives
on a farm in the town of Lee, Oneida
county, the county in which Mr.. Elmer
lives.
When l called at the Elmer house / was
greeted by Mrs. William H. Elmer. the
daughter in-law of the centenaran. She
said: Grandpa is just getting up, ne
takes two maps a day, just like baby.
ard we have to handle him just like d
baby, too-dress and wash and feed him.
The venerable soldier has been bind
thirteen years. He had his second eye
sight some fifteen years ago. but it was
of short duration. Cataracts have caused
the blindness. He never wore glasses. The
door of the chamber opened, and, gently
led by one of the men folks of the house,
in came the aged gentleman. He was
wrapped in comfortable looking house
IODS- Tie SSditu III al idi tu1AI +,
in front of which stood small portable
oil stove. He felt cold. and after Mrs.
Elmer held his hands over the heater for
a while he said. I'm beginning 10 thaw
out"
Then Mrs. Elmer began to rub his back,
when the old man said, 'Oh, how good
that feels,'
The only aff1iction which has befailen
Mr.. Elmer is blindness. His hearing is
slightly affected. but those who are con-
stantly round him he understands quite
readily. He eats heartily, sleeps soundly,
and is cheerful and contented. His hair
is iron gray. Aside from the fact that his
| face is heavily wrinkled, he does not look
| older than so years. The picture presented
with this sketch was taken five years ago.
| AS soon as Mr.. Elmer felt warm he took
| from his pocket a tobacco box and put a
| big chew in his mouth. His daughter in
| law said he chews 3 cents worth of to-
bacco a day; he has used tobacco all his
! life.
Mrs. Elmer told me that the family rec
! ords show that Abraham Elmer was born
! in the town of Warren. Herkimer county
| January 26, 1882. He was born and
brought up on a farm. though he learned
| the trade of shoemaker. He lived in
| Warren about eight years. Here Mr.. Ell
| mer took a hand in the conversation and
|
| He said, in answer to questions:
when / was thirty years old l went tc
| Sackett's Harbor to enlist for the War OF
| 1872. l Joined the Fourth regiment un-
der Colonel Bellinger. l served two years
| But / wasn't the only-one of my family
to go to war. My brothers Thomas and
Martin went, too;- my brother Solomon
wanted to go, but he was rejected because
| the doctors discovered that Soils toes were
1 nff Ha In
before and the AK SHE'D and cut some OF
his toes Off l spoke to Sol at the time
| about holding the ak, but he didn't lister
| to me. Well, they wouldn't let him &c
along"
| Here the daughter-in-law took up tn,
narrative. After grandpa came back from
| the war he worked at his trade, and wheI
he was thirty-six years old he married Mis-
| Eva Cluss, aged seventeen of Black River
N. Y. The ceremony was performed b,
Squire Ackert, of Cranes Corners, Her
kimer county. She bore him eleven chill
! dren, eight boys and three girls She die,
! soon after the last child was born. OF tn
children six boys and one girl are still
| living.
1.-THE oldest son is sc years old and tn
| youngest Al. Two sons were killed in tn
| war of 81. They were David and Chris
tian. They were fighting side by side
| During skirmish Christian stood directl
| behind his brother. when a Confederat
! bullet struck and killed David, and passin
| through him, lodged in Christian, who fel
and was captured and was thrown int
| Libby Prison.
Mr.. Elmer's people have tried for year
| to obtain pension for him. but so far al
efforts have been in vain. He believes h
y is the only soldier of the war 1872 VIII
does not draw pension. He is in need
| circumstances.
Mr.. Elmer has always voted the Demo
cratic ticket He had never lost vote un
til Mckinley was elected, when he was to
weak to venture out of the house. A
present Mr.. Elmer bids fair to celebrat
his 117th birthday, the 26th of this montl