Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-01-24
WORKING AT NINETY-THREE.
Many Years Cut Little Figure in
Actual Age.

I'm just the age of that half dol
lar" said S. N Hendricks to a Los
Angeles Times representative as he
held out worn 50-cent piece bearing
the date 1907 Ninety-three years of
age and laying bricks as fast as
man OF half his years! How many
men are there in Los Angeles who are
SO years old, and how many of them
are working eight hours a day at such
back business as bricklay-
ing?
Mr.. Hendricks was found at work
laying a brick wall on Boyle Heights.
The old gentleman smiled when asked
his age
Yes" he remarked. that piece Of
money was given me by my father
when was born. and have carried it
ever since | became of age
Then the old man got down on his
hands and knees again and resumed
his work as swiftly and dexterously as
though he We're but 25 instead of SO.
No, hard work don't bother me
any, he remarked as he deity finish
ed off corner. Il believe more
people are killed by worry than by
hard work. am pretty old, that's A
fact. but don't let anything worry me
in the least. | don't have to run for
iob-possibly that's got something to
do about it. I'm pretty well known
here, and have all the work can pos
sible do"
And at SO years of age!
Il was born in Pulaski county, Ken
lucky. April 2s, 1907" continued the
old gentleman as he drew a jack-knife
and plug of tobacco from the depths
of his overalls and cut off generous
! chew, and | lived on my fathers
farm until after 1928, when started
fiatboating on the Mississippi river.
There was an immense business done
between Louisville and New Orleans
in that line of work. and we used to
build big tatboats about l25 feet
long, load them with sophisticated
fruits. hams, bacon and the like, and
run them down to New Orleans.
/ This was before the days OF the
steamboat. 1t used to take us about
three weeks to make trip. Indians?
No. we never had any bother with
them. We used to stand guard nights
and keep mighty sharp lookout for
them. More than one boat was COB
bled up, run to New Orleans and sold
by these chaps"
What was done with the boats
when you arrived there"
oh, we always used to sell them at
big profit. The timbers. especially
the gunwales, We're made from wood
which commanded high price. and
were cut up into ioists etc. for build.
ing material.
Kentucky in those days" said Mr..
Hendricks. as he deftly threw
trowelful of mortar along the wall.
was place where We didn't have
much use for money. Everybody
had fine farm. raised big crops,
plenty of cattle and hogs-and made
their own whisky. too" he added, with
la laugh. Whenever we wanted a
little whiskey we would take a bushel
oI corn 10 the distiiiery ami get our
liquor We always calculated that a
bushel OF corn would make a gallon OF |
whisky. AMI that the refuse from the |
'cisuliing process would pay for the
run. Everybody had whisky in those |
days, as well as peach brandy. and rye
seen peach brandy as thick and heavy /
as strained honey which would tickle
any mans palate. whoever he was.
All up and down the AIississipui
river was some OF the finest land |
ever laid eyes on. and we never had
TO suffer for anything to eat. We
raised our own cotton and fax and
made our own clothing.