Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-01-28
is FAR FROM BEING INFIRM
A REMARKABLY OLD MAN OF VERNON. -
SOUNDS LIKE FICTION.

SOcaNbS LINZ FtStANIN
Henry J. Essler Expects Soon to Celebrate His One
{ Hundred and Fifth Birthday.-Tells Reporter Re-
markable Story Of His Life.-very Odd charsct-
er.-Is on Visit TO Minnesota.
Emmett G.. Zook Of Minneapolis, sends
the CENSOR a copy of the Tribune of
that city dated January nth in which
] appears the following interview. Mr.
Zook says that the subject Of this inter.
vie Y, during past years has made his
home near Newton, and is we'll known
to residents of that vicinity:
An odd character was stopping at the
st. James hotel yesterday. He gave his
name as Henry J. Essler and was on his
way from Vernon county, Wisconsin, to
visit his neice, Mrs Williafa Lewis, at
st. Louis Park. He is nearly 105 years
old as he says, and still he is far from
being infirm. His hands are steadier
than the average man of 20. He has
worn out two sets of teeth, with which
nature generously supplied him. and
yesterday he said he kind of felt as
though he were going to cut some more.
| Until he was 95 he never wore glasses.
| but his eyesight was so much better then
than it had been before that he was able
| to discard them, and has been able to
| see splendidly ever since.
HAS A GREAT MEMORY.
No ear trumpets for him, and his
memory for dates and small incidents
| that happened more than half a century
| ago is marvellous. The secret of his
wonderful memory undoubtedly lies in
| the fact that he has kept a memorandum
| for the past fifty-two years of everything
| that happened each day, and he frequent
ly amuses himself by reading it over.
He is decidedly primitive. He admit
ted that people generally considered him
| the oldest man they ever knew.
Throughout his long life, filled as it was
with strange adventures, he has lived
honest and upright and in the fear of
God. He says he cannot stay in one
place long. He must keep travelling
around, and he is uneasy and nervous
in the house. He wants to be out in
the air, and frequently at home he takes
blanket in the night and goes out and
sleeps in tue barn He eats without
knife or fork simple menu of bread
and potatoes with several cups of tea.
While he talked with the reporter
yesterday he sat in a roomy arm chair
with his arms folded His eccentricity
found expression in his clothes. For
prosperous farmer his rugged vest fast
ened with a safety pin was misleading,
but he was not q nan TO care for out
ward appearances.
He was born in Herkimer county,
New York, in 1897, and is of German
parentage He enlisted in the Mexican
war in 1S45 with the First Pennsylva-
mia Dragons. In 40 he was of the
party that, led by Gen. Fremont, made
the first overland trip to California. A
party of 200 that mad proceeded them
had been killed by the Indians. The
Fremont expediti m came upon what re-
mained of the party, and while they
were taking look at what remained of
the baggage of the unfortunates, Henry
Essler became the principal in a
romance. He lifted off the top IF
double wagon-box and found in the sec
ond box a little girl about foy.r years
old, who was still alive.
Henry Essler took her with him to
San Francisco and adopted her. He
vas unable TO get any trace of Ter rela-
ives She is now the wife or one Of
the wealthiest men in Prairie Gu Chen,
Wis.
DISCOVERS GOLD LEAD
While in California Essler discovered
gold lead after digging two hours.
He sold this for $22 600 and returned
home by ship by the way of the Gulf of
Mexico Yesterday he had in his pocket
bit of gold quartz from his mine. His
was the second gold mine opened in Cal
ifornia
He enlisted as a private in the civil
war in 1862, and was with the Sixteenth
Wisconsin regiment. His first battle
was Shiloh. He marched with Sher
man from Atlanta to the sea and was
confined in Andersonville prison four
months. However. ne had little to say
of the hardships of his prison life, be-
cause hardships meant but little to him
as he was treated rather better than the
others, because both he and the COM
mander in charge belonged to the same
secret order. He was wounded twice,
| once in the side and the other time his
right hand was shattered,
In 1871 he was master of the ship
Torrent" and made regular tripe nom
Boston to China, bringing back with
him each time cargo of lea. He made
seven trips across the ocean. He also
made expeditions into the north, and
remained frozen in the ice six months,
and during this time procured furs.
| With vessel loaded with corn he went
| to Ireland during the famine, and in
| telling of it he said: II guess | have
| laughed 500 times over the way one
man got rations for six children by say
he had two, his wife had two and they
had twobetween them. They were the
same two children all the time.
| Mr.. Essler is now farmer. With
the help of one hired man he did all the
work on farm of 200 acres last sum
mer. He said yesterday: Il feel just
as good today as l did ten Years ago, ex-
cept that my back hurts 4ne where
| fell and hurt it last September.
Congregational Notes.