The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-14
lNtLE HENPi NEARLY 100.
"a the tOiOrrd Cooks Of IakeW God Arc
Going 10 GIVE Him Q Dinner.

LAKEWOOD. \. j., Dec. -. The cclored
people of Lakewood are makir K prepara-
ticis g. celebrate Trce Henry Roses
Oh 'iithdsv Two weeks from Eext
Tuesday. There viii he dirrer at
the home of his son. John G. Rose which
his six children, forty grandchildren and
xix great grandchildren will attend.
From "A culir airy viewpoint this dinner
will ic work Of art. for nearly all the
colored cooks employed in the smaller
hotels ard boarding houses here are to
have hand in its preparation. The birth
day cake will bc n fnof sirous affair.
Uncle Henry base. his statement, Of his
age uron a document dated 1864. which
exempted him from further work on this
roads If Amberr county, Va. because he
had pai -.d the age limit OF 90 He has
two other pi.,,'rs OF evidence. The first il
that he was 10 when the War Of 1919 broke
olt al d the OIL ~, thai he was q when the
stars fcii In 1899
He remembers the outbreak Of the Var
Of 1872 very we'll indeed, for he narrowly
ESCAPED death while bearing a message
from his master. Col. Dick" Harrison,
10 an American officer. He was captured
ard because he refused to divulge the mes
sage, he was lour d har a and foot. a rope
was placed around his neck and the other
end vas thrown over the limb of a tree.
They were About IL string him up when he
gave in and told his errand, He was
sol ndiy thrashed for this when he returned
to the plar tation,
Irce Henry Was born on a plantation in
Ambers county, Va His first master was
Col Dick" Harrison. He remained
with him until I've was well along in years
ard then he was cold TO Ambsrs Wood
ward Of Federal Mills for 1925 He vas
a blacksmith by trade
His wife end their four year-old daughter
We're auClioned on AT the same time and they
fetched $2lOO They were bought by
planter who was a neighbor OF the man
who had bought Uncle Henry, 30 that hus-
band aud wife were separat Ell only by
short distance.
1T was easy gettin' married then said
Uncle Henry in a talk with THE Sun re-
porter Yesterday When | made I'D my
mind wanted a wife, picked out . good.
likely girl and kept company with her.
Then when We got ready, / went TO my
master and told him that wanted TO marry
Liza and he said all right. Then I went
To 'L2a's master and told him the same
thing and he sent for Liza and asked her
and she said yes.
Then the master told her what she'd
have To do and told me what I'd have TO do
end then he says tina, if he heard Of any
fuss atween us he'd give us each hundred
lashes. And that's the way We was married.
| was married twice and had fourteen chill
dren. Six Of them is alive now"
Uncle Henry doesn't look to be within
twenty years Of the century mark. He
won a wager OF a quarter the other day
10y jumping two feet and cracking his heels
tog,' her twi a before touching the hoor.
His eyesighi IL so good that he can thread
a needle quicker than his dauGhter.in-law.
lie shaves himself every morning.
He has Chewed tobacco since he was 10.
He drinks q little whiskey each day
I'm going to live few years vet said
incl" Henry yesterday, and I'd like to get
married gain II could find a woman that
would have me- I'd marry her TO morrow.