Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-07-03
y POSITION IN PORTUGAL.

LKe0kuk Gate City,
Minister Irwin and his family have
come back home from year OF most
unusual and delightful experience. The
position OF ministers and ambassadors
to any court 10 one of the highest dis
tinction in the gift OF any government.
( The city Of lisbon is one of the most
beautiful In the world. While Portugal
10 not one Of the great countries. 1t is
OF great age, and Ate court Is one Of
great dignity anascharm. 1t is a fa-
vorite with diplomats. The station of
minister gave Governor Irwin and his
family an opportunity to see several of
the countries Of Europe under the best
social and official conditions. But the
people OF Keokuk are very glad to have
him and his home with us again be-
4 GAUGE theirs is a continuous hospitality
and SO! essential a part OF the social and
business life Of this city, that when abb
I sent they were missed.
OLDEST WOMAN IN DUBUQUE.
dubuque Times
Mrs. LYDIA Fisher, colored, il the old
ct woman In Dubuque. In this city,
containing many old characters, there is
none more interesting than che. The
y mark in LIES journey six years or more
ago. but she Gays she isn't over hun
dred.
A reporter for the Sunday Times went
70 her home to Interview Mrs. Fisher
and found her washing in the garden
adjoining her house near Linwood GEM
etery. Attic many summers have
s passed over her woolly head, she Is
sprightly and can move about with
/ greater rapidly than many younger
women who have seen less hardship
than she. Clad in an old cotton gown
and leaning UP against dilapidated
wood shed. with her arm reclining upon
her wrinkled. careworn face, she pre-
sented typical picture of an old south
ern NANNY Despite her gray hairs
she.could talk plainly and more clearly
{ thap many colQred people younger than
z ohess and the following, without the me-
q gro dialect, 10 graphic history OF her
many years:
No. ! am not over hundred years
4 old. People have told me am, and
4 maybe my wrinkled face and gray hairs
y make me look that old. don't know
how old am; few slaves remember
when they We're born. but am not a
hundred. Why, indeed, the papers have
had 1t that l am hundred and fifty
years. but nobody can live to be that
old.
Yes! I move around pretty swiftly
for an old person. have to do my
i work to live, and In that is the secret OF
4 my sprightliness. Mort people when
+ they get old Sit down and bemoan the
fact that they can't do any more work
Their limbs stiffen and they can't move
But I keep agoing all the time and my
Joints have not chance to stiffen
Winter before last. which you remem-
Der was very cold, had the rheuma-
tim. but thru the Kindness of the
neiEhbors pulled thru the winter all
right, and have not suffered from II
since.
IA short time ago I was over to the
Sisters and saw an old woman 1O3 year.
old. But declare that am child
beside her. she was not able to move
u and you can see yourself how move
labout.
y was born slave on southern
s2plantation, and lived there for some
time. Most of the time worked In the
)cotton fields and was not very harshl,
treated. Later on I was sold to achoo
Imaster, from whom slave dealer
bought me shortly afterwards. The
Il dealer took me to New Orleans and
4 there ! was bought by Mrs Dickin.
son. who left the town shortly after.
wards and came north. This was sew.
leral years before the war that freed tn.
slaves, and 20 know nothing abou,
that. A few years after living up her.
y ! went to work for myself and hav1
since lived on what earned, have
no kith or kin In the world, tho when
! left the south had a sister in Virginia
/ but haven't heard from her since be.
+ fore the war