The Republican journal., 1903-10-01
ALMOST A CENTENARIAN.
ELI Cook of Belfast is in His 00th Year
Has Been Married Five Times.


ELI Cook of Belfast is in His S8th Year.
Has Been Married Five Times.
Correspondence Boston Globe.]
Eli Cook lives so quietly in his pleas
ant home some four miles out on the
Swan lake road that few people in Bel
fast know of his existence, although
he is within a few months Of the cen
tury mark, having been born IN DIX
mont, May -, 1904.
His father. Jack Cook, was a black
smith. and for him Eli began work in
the shop and on the farm at a very
early age, attending school in the win
ter until he was IS years old, when he
applied himself to learning the trade OF
blacksmith, which he was constantly
engaged in until eight years ago.
He is now living with his fifth wife.
He is her third husband.
Mr.. Cook married his first wife when
20 years old. She died year later.
He moved to Dixmont Corner soon
after. but in short time went to Fred
ericton, N. B., where he piled his voca-
ton about four years, and in the mean
time married a second wife, with whom
he moved back to DixmOnt and remain
ed several years.
From there he went to Frankfort
NOW Winterport) and for II years did
the blacksmith work in Cushing'S saw
mill There his second wife died, leav-
inc him six children, of whom four are
still living.
He took a Frankfort woman for his
! third wife. and after she died he mar
ried the fourth, and with her and the
children moved back to Dixmont, where
he carried on business some 10 years.
The fourth wife having died, Mr. COOK
| married, on Jan. l, 1858, another woman
who already had had two husbands:
| The first was Reuben Hanson, who dled
of paralysis while working In the WOODS
only year after marriage. After tnls
she became Mrs. Susan l.. Hughes by
her marriage to Elihu Hughes, VINO
| lived only year afterwards.
The union between herself ana NJ.
Cook resulted in the birth OF one chlld,
| a son, now A years of age. He learned
| the trade of his father and now WorkS
| in the ak factory.
The children are loyal and loving and
cheerfully assist in the support OF their
| elders in neat little cottage Win wei
kept grounds OH a pleasant highway.
Here they have lived but two years,
| Mr. Cook having moved from Jackson,
where the family spent eight years after
moving from DiXmOnt the last time.
| During the last eight years MI. COOK
has not worked at his trade, although
until recently he has been able to at,
| tend to the preparation of fuel wood
| and other light duties around the house.
! His hearing is remarkably good, hut
his evesight has failed greatly within
year or two, so that he cannot dlstln-
guiSh persons clearly and cannot reaq
at ALL He is also somewhat atl1lcted
with rheumatism. He is still able to
go out, and frequently makes eXcur-
sions to the nearby country store.
Mr.. Cook is one of the 80 survivors OF
| the regularly enlisted soldiers OF the
Aroostook war; and soon expects pen
sion under the law recently passed
Two sons, Eli Cook, Jr. of Jackson
| and Randolph Cook, are pensioners on
account of wounds received in the civil
war.
Mr.. Cook never belonged to any
church or society except the Good
Templars. He has not smoked for
years and was never intemperate IN
the use of liquors.
He was once worth considerable
money, but lost it through accommo-
dation to friends.
Mrs. Cook is y years old, and III gen
eral good health, but suffers greatly
from an accident which occurred two
wears ago.