Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-02-28
A YOUNG MAN At 96.

brates His Doth Birthday.
Well Known i'll Worcester.
Learned Trade in Snow
Hill. Lived Many Years
in Berlin.
Everyone who has resided i'll Berlin
for any length of time remembers Squire
Birmingham, who had his office and
shoe shop next to DIR. Hudson's drug
store in Berlin for so many years The
site of his building is now occupied by
the new bank of l.. l.. Dirickson.
Several wears ago esquire Brit"
moved from Berlin to Mt Vernon, New
York. TO reside with his son Frank On
Wednesday of last week he celebrated
his 96th birthday, and the Mt Vernon
Dddy NewS prints the following sketch
of Mr. Birmingham in connection with
the celebrations:
within four years of the century
mark. Mr.. James Brittingham. of 1873
+. Lincoln avenue. this city,is certainly
the best preserved and by far the nim-
blest of the nonagenarians of this
vicinity, even if there should be a few
who lead him few days, months or
years in the matter of longevity. Scarce
ly fair day passes that his familiar
form is not seen on the streets and who
will not saw that the sight of this
staunch old citizen, enjoying his morn
ing walk has not acted as inspiration TO
many, years yonger, who hardly felt
caplble of an equal exertion until
buoyed up by the thought that it was
the regular daily exercise which had
made it possible for this worthy veteran
to enjoy his later years in full health
and vigor:
La Rochefoucauld. in one of his fa
nous French Maximes puts it aptly,
when he says Few persons know how
to he old" but he leaves the reader in
doubt whether it is that few persons
know how to attain old age or how to
enjoy the autumn of life Whichever
construction may be put upon the
maxim, Mr. Brittingham certainly fig
ures conspicuously in the excepted few.
That he learned the secret of long life
is not open for argument, for to-day he
is celebrating his ninety sixth birthday.
That he does not know how to be old is
perhaps true. Who would suspect the
tall erect old man walking with the firm
and even tread of man of fifty of
being old: "We're just as old as we
think we are has been said. and by
that standard Mr.. Birmingham will
never he old His chief delight is in
that feeling of youth, his ability to take
his daily exercise. to read the papers. to
discuss with his friends, both young
and old, the topics of the day.
None of the important matters of the
day escape his attention and he has
theories and plans more vigorous than
many a younger man which he would
put in execution were he called upon to
act His memory is simply wonderful
and in the occurrences of the day which
have had parallel during his active
manhood days he will recount what the
outcome was in each instance. Only
recently he gave an illustration of his
wonderful memory, which would seem
almost Incredible He was reading i'll
one of the papers of the bombardment
of Venezuela by the powers and there
took him back to his early childhood.
He was born at Sinnapuxant. Worcester
County, Maryland, where the first dozen
years of his life was spent. Those were
7 the years during which America and
the Mother Country had their second
bloody encounter for the supremacy.
and as lad of only five the sight
of English frigates anchored off Sin
napuxant Beach. and the booming
of the guns when Lewiston was BON
barded, as the English proceeded up
| CHeSu pedhc IpiN, pItNlOus W tHO Jul
ins of the capitol at Washington, left
an impression upon his young mind
which time has not diminished.
There was something in the Vene-
Zuelan account which flashed back up
on him the stirring thoughts which had
been awakened in his infancy. the pic
ture was frightened in his minds eve
and the account he gave tn a number of
his old associates. would have charmed
a larger audience 1t seems as if he re-
members everything from that historic
time of his early childhood up to the
present and he is rich in "reminiscences
which he portrays so naturally and
tempers with such breadth of expert
ence that he is a most delightful con.
versationalist. when he is in mood TO
be reminiscent.
Many times this wonderful old man
takes delight in renewing his youth by
recounting the experiences through
which he has passed Born and reared
by the sea, he longed for an ocean voy
age and at the age of thirteen shipped
before the mast. Two years of the life
was enough and on his return from his
first sea trip, it was easy for him tc