Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-17
SECRET OF LONG LIVING.
Theories Advanced by Some Three
Century People.
Some Drama and Smoked. and Others Didn't
Somewhat Contradictory Rules.


recently been advanced by old-timerS
Oh 100 or Whereabouts whose remaria-
bile longevity permitted them to wit
ness the dawn of the twentieth CEN
fury after having beheld most, if not
all of the wonders of the century now
departed. A few of these wonderful
cid folks with plans all their own for
staying 100 years on earth actually
lived i'm three centuries. having Wit
messed the end of the eighteenth, the
whole of the nineteenth and the begin
ming of the twentieth.
But for all this. no firmly established
rule of longevity has been figured out
| for the guidance of mankind gener-
ally Theories of longevity seem to be
about as plentiful as blackberries in
June and as various as the individuals
who invented them. The individual
| theories. of course, have n certain
pract teal value. for each person has
proved his rules for longevity to have
been successful in one case at least.
John Fahey of Ped Bud. H.. who at
last accounts was still clipper and spry
al the age of 100, invariably told IN
Qurers that his long life and good
his abstemious habits. and his active
outdoor exercise on the farm Noah
Brockway Bacon. "a child of three
centuries" at Dcs Moines. Ia. never
drank Intoxicating liquor. though he
cEeWed tobacco very sparngly until
about twenty years ago, when he
abandoned the weed that his years
might be longer in the land. He en-
du:ed many hard knocks as n pioneer
il. the West. and led an active life in
the open air in his youth and early
manhood. Henry Hoffman, who lately
died near HaZelton, Pa, aged 105 was
y small farmer and Woodchopper, and
after he was 100 he still went out into
the woods daily and chopped several
cords of wood. He never was iii Il day
IN his life. never took any medicines,
and never used tobacco or liquors.
Now these old chaps and many others
like them, We're all good boys. They
Stunned liquor and tobacco. They
We're abstemous in their personal
habits. they avoided luxurics, ex-
cesses, indulgences.
| Look on that picture. then on this
| William Henderson who recently died
| lttI .hIltl1tSpoio n.y., 1T TIE ds,t ol
"a had violated all traditions regard
! ing the use of liquor and tobacco
From his youth up he drank, .neyred
and smoked. and for forty years of his
| life it is said. consumed half a gallon
of whiskey 4 day. He died in the
50 me house in which he was born; he
never was more than eighteen miles
away from home. and he never saw a
railroad train. His principal theory as
to longevity was that whiskey is rhe
best of life preServerS. In this he was
sustained by Capt. Arch Horner of
Nanceburg, Ky, an oldtimor who
lately passed away. William thinner
of Clinton. Ia. who last year cele-
brated his 10lst birthday and was hale
and hearty. proudly informed his
friends that he had smoked and
chewed tobacco ever since he was a
mere kid, and no doubt attributed
much virtue to the consultations of the
weed. Andrew McNeff of Marion
county Ohio, who celebrated the Tooth
anniversary of his birthday last
Christmas. was Il heavy smoker for
eighty years. The argument that
smoking and drinking tend to shorten
life does not apply in any of the fore
going cases; neither does it in the cas-
OF old Noah Raby. who celebrated his
12Sth birthday in March last year. He
was the famous old man of Middlesex
county, n. j., and upset many prcce-
dents when he said he had been Smok-
ing as long as he could remember
certainly for 12O years. and had drunk
Whiskey whenever he could get it dur
ing almost as long period of time.
Maybe il will shorten my life he
used to say. but | really don't think
it will
More women than men seem to have
attained the rank of centenaran at
the opening of the twentieth century,
and they offer fair variety of rec
ipes for keeping the inevitable at bay.
Mrs. Mary Bradley of Philadelphia
was 101 when the new century dawned.
and to the friends who offered con-
CALCULATIONS she bequeathed the magic
secret. Il attribute my good health
and long life to cold baths" she said.
"and these ! have taken daily summer
and winter ever since | was a little
girl. The cold water has always bra "ed
me and made me cheerful and bright.
If you battle with warm water you will
be cola all day. In winter TINS IS what
| tell my daughters, my grandchildren
and great grandchildren."
With the vigor of a woman Of 80.
Mrs. Anna Bentley Lewis of Saginaw.
Mich, greeted the arrival Of the
twentieth century though she was
born in the year 1897. "Cheerfulness
is the best tonic in old age she said.
Miss Eliza Works of Henrietta, n. Y,
was 105 in November, when she had
her first illness. What Are your rules
for long life?' she was asked. Il
attribute my long life" she said. ito
my temperate habits. In my child
hood | lived on a diet of bread and
milk, and all through my long life that
has been my favOrite dish. l never
ate SweetmeatS or drank tea or coffee"
Fond du Lac, Wis, recently fur
nished the world two remarkable in
stances of longevity. Mrs. Josephine
Beausau of that town was announced
last August as the oldest woman in the
Badger state, if not in the United
States. According to records vouched
for as being correct she was
120 and her death has not yet been re-
ported. She was born in Canada in
| 1850. In November, Mrs. Charity Jane
| RobinSon in her 103l wear died in the