The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-06
Methusaleh in Nittineaguc.


The village of Springfield, Mass. the
capital Of pastoral song and site of Gen.
SAMBO BowLEs, is four miles from Aga
wan and three miles from Mittneague
The Meads of Agawam are famous
around the world. And who knows not
the eologue called The Crocus and the
Cotton Mill, beginning thus:
"westws ard westward, walked lovely league.
To thy closes and thy poses.
Ny own sweet M,tineague'"
Technically Mittineague Ia a part Of
West Springfield, we believe, and West
Springfield is town interesting to the
actuary and dear TO the student Of lon
gevity. Near as it is to the dolorous anti
imperialist hymns Of the Springfield
Republican, West Springfield declines to
worry, Everything is going TO the devil
screeches the Springfield kecner seven
days in a week. Let everything go
to the devil" reply West Springfield folks
cheerily; We are going to live long and
be merry and Gen. SAMBo BowLEs shall
not have the satisfaction Of writing our
obituaries
SO Gen. SAMBo BowLEs is grown tired
of waiting and really takes almost a
pleasure in seeing the West Spring.
fieldians pile up the years. He cannot
conceal his wonder that persons should
want or be able to live long within sound
of his dole-and-dirge factory; but he
admits that notwithstanding is an old
habit Of West Springfield. habit that
resists his settled woe For the benefit
of our Hundred-Year Seniors and Two
HundredYea Post Graduates, we pluck
these flowers Of viability:
Oct, 81, ISL the Rev. Dr. JOSEPH LArHaop.
who lived to be So observed his cightieth birthday
by preaching TO the people OF the First parish a
sermon from the text am this day fourscore
years old III. Samuel XIX, 49, Dr. LArHpop
observed that scarcely one In twelve reached the
age OF so OF 40 people who died In the parish
in the nfty 1--we years previous to ISL about sixty
passed their eightieth year At that time there
had been eleven deacons OF whom nine were dead
and their longevity was remarkable JonS BAR.
Der died at tbe age OF 10 EsESEzRR PARSONS at "a:
JOSEPH ELY at 90; JOIN ELYat So SAMrEL DAY ats
%; JONATHAN WHITE at o5. and JONI BAoo at 10"
Good old deacons, Out of the dark
backward and abysm OF time the good
old deacons Of our own boyhood rise to
the eye Of memory, fine old chaps hoarv
and healthy, who had conquered the
copous flip and n. Z. and W. |. rum of
the wet times before 1890; been TO many
q raisin' and muster and trainin' day;
fought in that once famous and now for
gotten sham battle the Corvallis"
perhaps; sat In the Gineral Court and on
a hundred juries; eaten lection cake at
scores Of town meetin's and punished
many mug Of cider harder than PHA-
RAoH's heart. Their blue dress coats
with brass buttons, their high stocks and
dickeys, and their boots-why did mon
30 ACQUIRED have TO die2 They weren't
all Wings There were deacons in blue
and buff who worshipped FRANK"
PIERCE and BUCHANAN. Well, they
lived as long as they could and there
are excellent deacons now, no doubt:
but we can never have that generation
for a modern deacon that we had for
his predecessor in blue or even black
dress coat, worn In the day time; and
something of virtue went out with long
legged boots.
But back to West Springfield. Dying
hasn't been abolished in that happy
spot, but people take their time about it.
Here is partial list Of West Springfield
decedents since 1906:
Mrs. OlKEs As; ANDREW WORT, In his elshtle,h
year JOSEPH MkRRrck, rs; Mrs. PAoLr LArHsop.
81 Mrs fYrSER. II; LOUIS LEONARD 10: GEoRoE
BoARDMAs %; MARY II. MosELRY, sl JOHN
DONALDSON, 81: JOIN d. SMITH, es: MARIA NJ
c, BURNETT, ~; ANDREW HucH Al; CATHERINE
RICHARDSON. ~; EnELIsE NJ. d. Scorr, 49, DELLA
LOOMS BAoo, 81; SUSAN D. DpaaARIs, ~; wxALrgr
o. WILLIAMS 81; JEREMIAH EASTMAN, a5; ELIZA
PERKINS. s.. CHAKLEs BALL, 70. GEORGE W. HENRY,