The Opelousas courier., 1903-05-16

NFS. Juuc VI. boSu, '
County. Pennsylvania, celebrated her
Tooth birthday recently. Two of her
grandchildren are missionaries IN
Egypt. Her great-grandparents were
Scotch-Irish, who came to America IN
the seventeenth century and settled in
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.
John Carnahan was her father, ana
her uncle, James Carnahan, was Presl-
dent of Princeton College from 1923
to 1858.
Among the wonderful old ladies told
Of during the year was Mrs. john
Rockwell, of Chicago, a member OF
the family of Eugene 5. Pike. She
will reach the century mark If she lives
until. next April. This woman was in
her Sos when Chicago was yet IN Its
clothes, having been born in
the year that Fort Dearborn was es-
tablished-18O3.
NEVER TOLD A LIE.
At the town of Leyden, n. Y. lives
or did live in the spring of 1904 re-
markable centenarian of the name or
James Stewart, who adduces evidence
to show that he has passed the 1O4th
milestone ON llfe's journey. A Pc
culiar distinction attaches to Stewart
despite his extreme age. He avoWs
that in all his long life he has never
told a lie, Notwithstanding the dictum
Of writer's and philosophers that all
men are liars. From his earliest youth
until he was ninety he was q free user
of alcoholic beverages, and the tobacco
habit had him tightly in it's grip. At
ninety, howeTTcc4,s-c-.sswore off" Since
then his motto has been: "Shun liquor
and tobacco as you would the devil"
1t is we'll known that many negroes
reach an extreme old age, but in most
| cases convincing proof to verify their
| claims is lacking. "Uncle Elijah" Bled-
| soc is either a liar or a miracle, for he
| put forth claims last year that he was
| born in 1911, thus being 131 years old:
He is a Southern ''darky," who still en-
| joys life, and while he may not be the
| oldest man in this country, as he as
| serts, no one doubts that he Is q GEN.
t%enarian.
John Carey, a colored mar who died
in Washington, D. c., some years ago,
had written evidence to show that he
was ia years Of age. He had papers
| to show that he was an officers SER
| want with Braddock's army when it
| was repulsed near Pittsburg, twenty
years before the Revolution. "Uncle
Benz Brown, of Richview; Ill.,, at the
age of 1O6 is growing an entirely new
crop Of wool on the top of his head of
ter being as bald as a billiard bali for
forty years. Last July, Ferry Chesney,
a colored man in Tennessee, died at the
alleged age of 126. AS a slave he had
| belonged to Jonathan Jackson, Mt
| GAINESVILLE, Va, on the Roanoke River,
and when twelve years old he saw
| George Washington. "Grandmother"
Stewart, an inmate Of the Home for
Aged Colored People, in Chicago, died
at the alleged age of 1928.
HAD LIVED lit YEARS.
Unquestionably n of the most re.
| markable centenarians who passed
away during the last year was Sonora
| Catalina Flores, who died at Pasadena,
Cal, at the age of lit. This wonder
full woman had lived in parts Of three
centuries-most Of the time under the
| shadow Of San Gabried Mission-and
was in possession Of all her faculties
almost to the end.
On a lonely island, opposite La
| Crosse, In the Mississippi River, Nuc-
SEGA, mother Of Chief Red Snake, the
famous Winnebago warrior, died at the
age of 1913. She was said to be the
oldest Indian In Wisconsin. Daniel
Smith, the oldest man In Michigan,
died at Orrville, Saginaw County, aged
Ill. He never touched liquor, neither
did he smoke, but he chewed tobacco.
Hiram Cronk, a %pensioner Of the War
of 1912, died at Dunbrook, Oneida
County, N. Y, aged 103. He was the
last Of the soldiers Of that raj on the
pension rolls.
The Oldest member Of the Polish col
ony In Chicago, Mrs. Eva Wilenska,
died IN July at the age of 103. Another
remarkable centenarian was Mrs. Kate
zielenski, who died at Coldwater,
Mich, In April, aged 112. At Montreal,
in November, Mime. Elizabeth O'Reilly,
who had lived in three centuries and
under five soyereigns of Great Britain.
died after reaching the 10th milestone
in life's pilgrimage. Mrs. Anna Doug
las died in Frankfort, Ind, after pass
ing her 101st year. Her youngest child
was ~seventy-fve years old. Mrs. Ma
hala Waters, said to be the last OF the
twenty-five girls selected by the Mayor
of Washington to assist in receiving
General Lafayette. In 1926, when he
was the Nations guest, died at the
Capital. In October, aged ninety. Mary
Jane Edwards, the oldest resident Of
Macoupin County, Illinois, died Decem.
Der ~, after being on earth 105 years.
Alexander Gum, aged ia, and his
| wife, who passed the century mark
four years ago, were still living at
Harrington, Kan, last March. They
were married seventy-seven years ago,
| and 1t was claimed that they were the
I oldest married couple in the United
States. Their record seems to be
| eclipsed by that Of Mr.. and Mrs. Valen-
tine Orlik, 500 Holt avenue, Chicago,
both being centenarians, who celebrat-
ed the geventy-ninth anniversary Of
their marriage January 20, 1902. They
are undoubtedly the oldest married.
couple In this country. MI. and Mrs.
John Iams, Of Washington County.