The Jasper news., 1902-03-13
THE OLDEST MAN IN MISSOURI.
Said TO be Henry Norman, a Resi-
dent Of Barton County.
From the Liberal Enterprise.

From the Liberal Enterprise.
Here in SouthwestMssouris on the
western BORDER Of Barton County, and
some four miles north of Mindeh mines,
lives a rcmai kable old mn. His not
ability is not occasioncd by any sudden
stroke of fortune, dint of skill nor great
achievements. lie basSsimply hyed a
plain rnhoralded life, but has lived
longer than carccly any body elae. He
is Henry Dormap, who according to
authentic family records, WAS born Jant
10, 1900, md celebrated his l0Bd birth,
day the tenth of last month. lie
possesses the rare distinctioa.of haviu Z
lived in;thred oenturies,iand is hale and
hearty, moving about as sprightIy as TIE
aYorage mamof seventy. Mr.. Dorman,
is'short Of stature, rather heavy setsand
is slightly stopped, *
lIc is a natvi Of Steuben countyxsN.
Y, and was married to Miss Lucinda
Parker ip 1923. When the Civil war
oame he has rceident 81 Auraiius
Michigan, -aud in 1853 enlisted in Cam
pany "F" 7th, Michigan Cavalry. He
was then sixty four years old, lie was
in the battle Of Gettysburg and other
less notable engagements. He was
wounded. at th' battle Of Yellow Tayern,
Virginia, and was mustered out ut the
close the war.
Henry, Dorman came to Missouri
thirty years ago and settled in Verncn
County where his wife died fifteen
years latter, since then hc has liyod wi h
his Daughter in law, Hattie Dorman, in
this county. Tie most remarkable thing
about Henry DlrmJn is his wonderful
vitality, and the indomitable spirit Of
ambition, which has had over u century
in which to wane, yet will not down.
lie gets mad when the f9lhs.will not let
him work One hot August day 10 1900
when tho family liyed.in LanaS he be-
came voxed because they .hmpArtuncd
him to rem1in in at day, .anHdo no
work. He ,laudc,tinrly left the house
aud walked to tho home of his grand
son, nelr hare, distance of twenty five
mies Olr Sunday rccentiy, your cor
respondent drove TO the Dorman home, q
cold5norihwcst wind was raging sand the
/ Thermometer lurked below zero. Uncle
I Henry was not at thohouse aud a search
/ was instituted. "ilo is out choriug
/ about the barn, guess said Hatlir
/ Durman. The hired man said "fondcr
/ he is in the pasture, Getting ice to water
|the CATTLE" and surc;rnouEhhhe was
l,cr at the poLd, half mile away,
Half an hour later ihs oil man came in
Your caught with your old clothes o. =
began. lIattie''a &c want to have your
/ photograph taken. ""lt isn too late tC
chang, | guess, - sad the old man as ht
extended his lrft hand to'shake with
'he visitor. Excuse my left hand, sir
! be continued, IL nerer like to show thi.
one" holding up his right hand, two
fingers Of which were gone, 81 lost then
at, the battle of Yellow Tavern, Vir
sinia, " he remarked,
"Have vop hate ph)tograrh?" "Ne
/ [ have not had my picture taken for d
long time; mol since ! was a hundred
he added as he satT for,the.photo shown
here. ''Do yon feel wcIlYn" asked
"Most OF the time, am hardly ever sick
eat heartily, sleep well,'.an'l If it WASH
for rheumatism I'd be a 'pratty good
mau yet" ITO what do you attribute
your loucoyity?" was asked, "To thu
goodness Of Gotl, I reckon, never tool
care Of myself | was left i'm orphan ai
tae age Of four,ern, ana have gon'
through many hardships, ! always tool
th, bard side OF everything and | be
liryo work is the best kind of medicine
don't abuse yourself and just keel
doing ,onething il you want to iv'
ljng," was his reply, "Did you use
gliquors9" l asked No sir, yet ava!
with h stuff, Tben ! see man in
duIgng ia Strong drink, Ipity him, and
say, poor feilos, fyou don't qGit, YOU
avn folks won't know you soon, u
whisky or b, er for me" "Do you us
! tobqccos" "No, not now, neye
SIN, ksl, but I've chswed plenty" h
answered with grin. 81 took my first
chew Of Tobacco when was % years old
snd dscd the weed continually till Jan
mo, 1901. You see / chrwcd eighty years
it cost me $500 year. | figured it VI
last year an &c ded to quit and | did.
WAS it hard " quit?" | asked. "Well
vs. got little fieity for while, bu