The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-10-19

time MIR. Crouk was very Ill and II was
thought that he could not recover He
got well. however and there was a family
fight and a lot Of litigation over his prop
erty. with the result that mort gage for
81 200 was put on il.
For several years Mrs. Rowley worked
hard to secure a pension for her father.
and through the efforts Of Congressman
James $. Sherman, the old man OBJ aimed
about twoyear5 ago pension of a month.
which was Just enough To pay the Interest
on the mort gage not leaving single dollar
to 60 toward securing comforts for him.
Last April tho pension was increased TO
s25 a month.
Since boyhood Mr. Cronk has been a
greaL tobacco chewer, using at this tims
from five TO ten cents worth Of the weed
daily. He also CONSUMES gallon Of wine
every two weeks. for II il necessary that
he should have a stImulart Of some kind,
the tobacco and win, and mll being prac-
ticallv all the old man viii take
Hiram CrOuk l. the last Of a family of
nine children, bong q son of James Cronk.
He was born At FrauRfort, Harkimor county.
y. ! , April -. 1900 The family orr xinaiiy
came from Holland and its rnemier are
the claimants for the Crouk or tTonkit.
estates which ar" supposed TO exist III
Holland and 20 bc worth MANY millions.
In his fifteenth wear. near the close of
IN" War Of 1872, Hiram enlisted IN the
United State, Army with his father and
two brothers, john and J,phtha serving
AZ Sackctts HarlOr about 100 days lie
wa 80 Young and ot 80 slight build that he
wa made IN" butt of JOKES by the other
soldiers Bul IN a ,kirmi-h With the British,
Hiram trOnk behaved in such "A soldierly
manner a. 10 elicit the remark from Cape.
Davis, who was then in command:
Il wish | had regiment OF soldiers like
Hiram. for then | could go right up into
upper Canada and fight the British Oh their
own grounds
Mr. Cronk always possessed n iovial
disposition and he was ever fond Of telling
stories of his early life, Now, when he
can bc caught in the right mood, his mind
l. clear concerning events of over seventy
five years ago.
A. tho time of the excavations for the
Fri" Canal Mr.. tronk was employed on the
work. He remembers seeing Gov. De Witt
Clinton fail into the ditch in consequence
of a trick played hy misChevuuS boy,
and he also remembers Gen, I.afayette's
"trip through the state ON a barge at the
time Of the completion of the Erie Canal
I'm 1925, when Mr., Cyonk was IS, 10 mar
ried Mary Thornton Of III" town uf West rn
and they lived happily together for sixty
years Seven children were born to them,
Ave uf whom are now living one son lost
hi- life in the Civil War and another died
few wears ago. The living are William
and John Cronk of this city, Philander
Cronk and Mrs. Rowlcy of Dunn Brook
and G. ,orgc r. Cronk of oklahoma There
are fourteen grandchildren aud eight
great grandchildren.
After the War Of 1872 Hiram took up the
trade Of an intinerant shoemaker, He
cast his first vote for Andrew jackson
and through all the long years following
hp ntiUIipI In NDtp he Democratic ticket
his la7t vote for President being cast for
Grover Cleveland. lie Is a dcvout Metho-
Ii-t and can read his family Bible without
the aid OF glasses Mh;lc he lies in bed
one may often hear him strike up IA note
Of an old Methodist hymn.
When he was 100 there was family re-
Union al the home Of the old man and none
there enjoyed it more than he did, He
objects 10 being photographed nowadays
because camera Geuds have bothered him
30 much. The picture here presented
is the last one that any one has been able
to secure of him
Mr.. Moore of Roonvilc last summer
made three trips to the Cronk homo before
he wds able To secure II for the National
Society Of the Sons of the American Rcvo.
luton, Mrs. Rowley had her father take
chair out on the porch, the camera having
previously been made ready, but Mr.. Cronk
would not look no so that the picture might
be taken. Finally Mrs. Rowley said:
"Oh, father, look at that pretty bird up
in the tree,
The old gentleman. forgot himself for the
instant and looked up and az he did so the
bulb was pressed and the last picture of
Hiram Cronll was taken. In consequence
OF this experience he will not venture out on
tho piazza when he knows there are any
strangers about
Mr. Crcnk il an honorary member of the
Fort StanwiX Chapter, Sons of the Ameli-
can Revolution and also OF the State and
National chapters and each chapter has
sent souvenirs to him
Mr. Cronk p age appears 10 be not unusual
in his fathers family, for his sister. Mrs
Betsy Fuller, lived to he 9s, his brother
Casper OF, another brother IS, and two
brothers. Eber Of Omro, Wis. and the Rev,
Jarvi, Cronk of Housewife, n. Y. os and
o. respectively
Mr.. Cronk is now quito deaf and his hair
and whiskers are snowy white