The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-08
| RULES FOR LONG
LIFE DISAGREE
Story of Two Centenarians
Whose Personal Habits
Were Vastly Different.

"A year ago last summer" said a
man who writes for magazines, Il was
ordered by publication that OCCASION
any hands me money to get the ma
terlal for and fix UP an illustrated ar
tlcle about centenarians. I was living
IN New York then, and so decided to
tackle the nearest centenarians to New
YORK that l knew anything about.
They We're a couple of nimble old bows
Doth OF them living on Long Island one
at Jamaica and the other at Great
Neck. l decided to make a day of il
IN interviewing and photographing the
both of them.
found the aged individual of ia
maica engaged in wedding his garden.
he was about the busiest 106-year-
man that ever saw. His cheeks were
rosy, his eyes clear, his white hair
glossy and plentiful, his teeth first
rate, his hearing as good as mine and
ms walk firm. He had less trouble
bending over those truck and flower
pedS or his than I would have had.
ana when he came to an erect position
ne was as straight as lance. There
was, IN fact, a suggestion of great
power about him as he stood up and
raced me. There wasn't a uuayer in
MS voice when he courteously incurred
about my business.
We talked for a couple of hours. and
Photographed him in various posi-
tlons. He had lived by the book all
ms life, he told me- and had been born
IN the house in which / found him
In all of his LOG years he had never
spent more than eight nights out of his
pea IN that house. He had never been
Iurlner away from Jamaica than New
orK city, and had never wanted to get
any further away than Jamaica. He
nad never tasted cup Of coffee or tea
IN his life, and for the past thirty years
ne hadn't eaten particle of meat, sub
sls1ing aItogether on fruits, vegetables
ana cereals. He had never even smell
OF any sort of liquor and the very
thought of tobacco in any form nause-
ated him and had always nauseated
MIN. The hot roast that he gave liouor
IN particular made me feel pretty chean
over the bottle of beer I had taken at
tavern across the way from the ia
malca station on my way to the old
mans home-I was afraid that he
might have smelt my breath. Every
day OF his life for the past seventy-odd
years ne mad taken a good, brisk walk
or at least four miles, in all weathers-
not or cold, rain or snow, sleet or hail
blizzard or calm. He had made it a
nIe-long practice to be in his bed at 8
O'Clock every night, and just as regu-
iarly he climbed out of bed at 6 o'clock
in the morning. Oh! he was q GOOD
OLD man, all right, and his description
OF MS manner of living abashed me-
Il was full of meditations upon the
SUBJECT OF the aScetic life for a man
oeslrous OF attaining the one hundred
year mark when I left this ROSY old
gentleman and took the train to DIG IN
the other aged man at Great Neck.
FOUND this agile youth of one hum
dred and eight years seated in a fine.
Dig easy chair on the front porch of his
v1ne-draped and rose adorned home
he, too, had a glowing, peachy skin,
teeth as good if not better than nv
own, perfect sight and hearing and
plentiful silver hair. When he arose
from ms chair to greet me there was
not only no creaking in his joints. but
MS movements were free, supple. easv.
lie was smoking a short black CLAW
pipe of villainous eff1uvia. and he was
even then chipping off another pipeful
from black plug with penknife. He
greeted me cordially and gave me a
handclasp that was full of power. I
explained my mission to him.
All right, my son. said he, but
talk1ng's dry work. and he winked
sagely at me and led the way. We went
into the sitting-room, where there was
a sideboard. He took a four-finger
hooter Of red liquor, day was hot and
l didn't want it. Then we returned to
the porch and after he had his pipe
filled with black tobacco a-going-it
made me dizzy to see the old boy