The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-30
SHE HAS LIVED
OVER A CENTURY
Mary Brown Comes TO St.
Francis TO Close a Long Life
WITH HOSPITAL SISTERS
Had Been Neglected With the
Friends She Was With.
SHE TALKS CHEERILY
Tells of Early Days When She
Walked Through Kansas.
SHE TALKS CHEERILY

In a small room on the top floor Of
St. Francis hospital. the window Of which
looks down upon the large plot of ground
to the west of the building, Mrs Mary
A. Brown is spending the closing days
of life which has covered more than
= century, contented and cheerful.
The only exit from the room leads to
4 larger room with windows facing the
north and west and in which patient is
convalescing. With this patient whom
she has only known a little over two
weeks, Grandma Brown spends her
time in conversation and in telling tales
of her blessed ould country" Ireland
For thirty years Mrs. Brown lived at
Arkansas City, and for the last three
years her surroundings were not the
most pleasant. Accordingly she well
coined q chance to find a home in the St
Francis hospital, and about two weeks
age came here. She is not an object Of
charity. for she receives a pension Of
80 a month with which she can compen-
safe the hospital authorities for giving
her a home.
When a reporter for the Eagle entered
her room yesterday afternoon and intro
duced himself, she said;
And did you come to find out how
young I am On the 18th day Of next
August I will be 1O years old. I was
born in 1901 Look at my hair"
She then removed a white cap from her
i'll y,afrs
equally black and gray.
"A woman asked me what did TO
keep my hair from turning graz" she
said I said that I did nothing except
TO comb it about once in two weeks. A
year agoI was sick and all me hair came
out Now / have second growth
Mrs. Brown was in a talkative mood
and she freely told the story OF her life,
her misfortunes and her sorrows. In all
she referred to the will of God and her
submission TO it. Her wrinkled old face
was frightened with a cheerful smile.
which disclosed the fact that her head
was void Of teeth Her left eye had the
brightness of that of a woman of 50,
but her right eye was sighuess.
when I came from the 0uld country"
she said in explanation Of her blindness.
"some frying bacon grease was spilled
o. me cheek Whether a man did it in
tentionally or whether it was caused by
the tossing of the ship ! do not know.
And when William cher husband) went
T. the war I had TO work in a pickle
factory and Injured me eye more. A
scum came over it. I thought of having
Il removed. but a doctor told me to leave
e al,
and might endanger it If tried to cure
the other. So 1 left me eyes as God left |
them.
u came to this blessed country in 1910 |
and lived in New York. William enlisted |
in the seventy-third New York volun-
teers and was killed at the battle of the |
Wilderness, the seven days fight Me |
son enlisted in the army. too. but he /
was only IA years old and I got him out. |
When William had enlisted and told me |
about H. he said I VIII never see you |
again.
me son, John William, whom I took /
from the army. came west to Illinois |
and then to Arkansas City. He sent for
me TO come and Mary wanted me 10 go
west"
who was Nary"
THAT was me daughter I had four
seeH children, buried ten in New York |
and three IN Kansas and God has left
me one.
u came to Kansas thirty years ago. II
cost S25 TO go TO Kansas City, No. After
reaching Kansas City I went to Cherry
vale, where the railroad then ended. /
walked all the way from CherryvaIe to
Arkansas City. I spent one night on tho
river bank"
why did you walk?"
1T cost Sc a day 90 hire wagon and
j could not afford #. l thought I was
going to city. but when I reached Ar
kansas City / found about four houses.
i said to me son and his wife: And do
you cali this a city? I've seen New York
and Dublin and London John William
Is now in Oklahoma City IN business.
IN Arkansas City I lived in a little
house. had chickens which I sold for
fl4, bird and a cat and those were nv
companions, About three years ago
man came 10 me and said: Grandma.
you might die in here alone some nisht.
You ought 70 find some one to live With
so I found a woman who said / conla
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