The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-08-09

hundred or whereabouts, whose 70.
markable longevity permitted them
to witness the dawn Of the twentieth
century after have beheld most, II
not all, OF the wonders of the cen.
fury now past. A few Of these
wonderful old folks with plans all
their own for staying one hundred
years on earth, having actually liv.
ed in three centuries, having wit
messed the end Of the eighteenth,
the whole Of the nineteenth and the
beginning of the twentieth.
But for all this, no firmly estab-
lished rule for longevity has been
figured out for the guidance Of man.
kind generally. Theories Of long.
evity seem to be about as plentiful
as blackberries in June, and as vari.
GUS as the individuals who invented
them. The individual theories, Of
course, have a certain practical val
ue, for each person has proved his
rules for longevity to have been sue
cessful in one case at least.
John Fahey, OF Red Bud, Illinois,
who at last accounts was still chip
per and spry at the age Of one hun
dred, invariably told inquirers that
his long life and good health in a
great measure were due to his alb
stemious habits and his active out
door exercise on the farm. Noah
Brockway Bacon. "a child Of three
at Des Moines, Iowa,
never drank intoxicating liquor,
though he chewed tobacco very
spalingly until about twenty years
ago, when he abandoned the weed
that his years might be longer in
the land. He endured many hard
knocks as a pioneer in the Wet,
and led an active life in the open
air in his youth and early manhood.
Hon. Hoffman, who recently died
at Hazleton, Pa, aged los, was a
small farmer and wood chopper,
and after he was one-hundred he
still went out into the woods daily
and chopped wood. He never was
i'll a day in his life, never took any
medicines, and never used tobacco
or liquors. Now these old chaps,
and many others like them, were
all good boys. They stunned Ii
quor and tobacco. They were alb
stemious in their personal habits,
they avoided luxuries, excuses, in
Look on that picture then on this.
William Henderson, who recently
died near Middlesboro, KY, at the
age Of "a, had violated all traditions
regarding the use Of liquor and to-
bacco. From his youth up he
drank, chewed and smoked, and for
forty years OF bis life, ii is said, con.
sumed a gallon Of whisky q day.
He died in the same 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 whisky is the
best OF life preservers. In this he
was sustained by Captain Arch
Homer, Of vanceburg, KY, an old
timer who lately passed away. Will
liam thinner, OF Clinton, Iowa, who
last year celebrated his 1O1st birth
day, 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 10
the consultations Of the weed. An
drew McNeff, of Marion county,
Ohio, who celebrated the 10O,h an
Of his birthday last Christ.
mas, was q heavy smoker for eighty
years. The argument that smok-
ing and drinking tend to shorten
life does not apply in any Of the
foregoing cases; neither does it 10
the case Of Noah Raby, who cele-
brated his 12Sth birthday in March
last year. He was the famous old
man OF Middlesex county, New Jer.
sey, and upset many precedents
when he said he had been smoking
as long as he could remember, Ger.
tainly for one hundred and twenty
years, and had drank whisky when
ever he could get it during almost
ss long a period Of time. "Maybt
it will shorten my life," he used tc
say, "but l really don't think il
will"
More women than men seem tc
have attained The rank of centenari
ans at the opening Of the twentieth
century, aud they offer a fair variety
of recipes for keeping the inevitabl.
at bay. Mrs. Mary Bradley, O
Philadelphia, was 10l when the new
century dawned, and to the friendl
who offered CONGRATULATIONS abe be