The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1900-08-01
DROWNED At 122 YEARS.
GOMEZ DID NOT HAVE CHANCE
TODIE OF OLD AGE.
Was the Oldest Citizen o. United
States and Lived in Florida.
His Career all Interest
ing One.

From The FORT Myers (FIa) Press.
Word reaches us from our Everglade
correspondent that old John Gomez,
the centenarian, had been drowned
while fishing. on Thursday, July 18th,
and his body had been recovered the
folIowino Saturday much decomposed,
and hurled on his island, Panther Key,
whare he had lived for so many years.
It is a strange fate that a man should
have lived to an age that is granted to
hut few. to have escaped disease and
accidents for period of 122 years, and
at last to meet his death in an unnat-
ural way, by drowning. The fact that
he was out on the waters OF the gull
fsbino at the time he met his death is
evidence that the old man was still
vigorous enough to get about, and it is
possible that he may have lived anoth-
err ten years had he not met with the
sad accident which resulted in his
death.
That he was one of the Oldest If not
the Oldest citizen of the United States
at the time of his death there can
scarcely be any doubt His story has
been known for years to our citizens,
and for over ten years he and his wife
have been wards of the county, the
county commissioners on many occa-
sions making personal investigations
about the old man, and for over ten
years have paid him the sum OF IS per
month from the county funds.
John Gomez. in telling the story OF
his life to Press representative in
May, 1896, stated that he was native
of Portugal, and went from the island
of Madeira to France while very young
Afterward he went as ca hin boy on a
vessel sailing to this country, but the
captain of the bark was so cruel to him
that he ran away when the bark ar
rived at Charleston, S. c. From there
he came to Saint Augustine, Fla, long
before the Spanish flag ceased to wave
over the fort. He said while in France
he saw Napoleon Bonaparte on dress
parade many times. He said he had
been married but once, and looking at
his aged wife ironically said, ''that
was once too often" He had never
had any children. He was member
of the Roman Catholic church, and ex-
inhibited his crucifx with pride. The
island upon which he lived was distant
about fifteen miles from the Marco
postoffice, which was his address. AT
the time of this interview with him he
was over 118 years of age, which would
have made him over 122 years old at
the slime of his death He said he had
never taken dose of medicine in his
life, and always had good health until
within the last few years, when he had
been troubled with rheumatism.
John Gomez, in physical makeup,
was a short, heavy set man, with a
head of heavy curly hair, which had
once been black, but was then silvered
all over. He had large, dark eyes,
fairly well preserved, and bore marks
of having been rather a handsome
man. He served in the Seminole war
from 1885 to 1887, under General Tay-
Tor, aud was in the famous OkeechObee
battle which was fought December %,
1897, at the edge of Lake Okeechobee.
His wife halls from Glynn county,
Georgia, and is over seventy years old.
The remarkable age attained by John
Gomez, who spent so many years of his
life on his island home on the gulf
coast, is proof that this coast is eX-
tremely healthful and the climate con-
ductive to longevity.