Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-02-07
rWO RULES OF LIFE.

money to get the material and fix UP an
illustrated article about ~centenarlans. ]
1as living in New York then, and 50 / de-
cided to tackle the nearest c~enteDarians to
New York that | knew anything about.
They were a couple Of nimble old boys, both
Of them living on Long Island, one at
Jamaica and the other at Great Neck. /
decided to make one day Of it in interview
ing and photographing the both Of them.
Il found the aged individual Of Jamaica
engaged in wedding his garden. He was
about the busiest 1876 year-old man that /
ever saw. His checks were rosy, his eyes
clear, bis white hair glossy and plentiful,
his teeth first rate, hearing as good as
mine, and his walk firm. lie nad less trou-
BE bending over those truck and flower
beds Of his than ! would have had, and
wnen be came to an erect position be was
as straight as a lance. There was, il fact,
a suggestion Of great power about him as
be stood up and faced me. There wasn't
a quaver in his voice when he courteously
inquired my business.
we talked for a couple Of hours, and /
photographed him in various positions. He
mad lived by the book all his life, be told
me, and had been born in the house ia
which | found aim. In all oil his log years
he had never spent more than eight nights
out Of his bed in that house. lie had never
been farther away from Jamaica than New
York city, and had never wanted to 90 any
farther away from Jamaica. He had never
tasted a cup Of coffee or tea in his life, and
for the past 30 years hadn't eaten a
particle Of meat, subsisting altogether on
fruits, vegetables and cereals. Efe had
never even smelt Of any sort Of liquor in
his life, and the very thought Of tobacco
in any form nauseated him, and had al
ways nauseated him. The hot roast that
ne gave liquor in particular made me feel
pretty cheap over the bottle Of beer / had
taken at a tavern across the way from the
Jamaica station on my way to the old mans
home-I was afraid that be might have
smelt my breath. Every day OF his life,
for the past s~eyeuty-odd years, he had
taken a good, brisk walk cf at least four
miles, in all weathers-hot or cold, ram,
snow, SECT or hail, blizzard or calm. lie
had made it a lifelong practice to be in
his bed at eight o'clock every night, and just
as regularly he climbed out OF bed at STA
o'clock in the morning. Oil he was a
good old man, all right, and his descrip-
LApI Va LIS LAdAl4~A Va living dbISuC4 Al5s
Il was full Of meditations upon the sub
jeet Of the ascetic life for a man DESTROYS Of
attaining the l00-year mark when / left
this rosy old gentleman and took the train
to dig up the other aged man at Great
Neck.
Il found this agile youth Of los years
in a fine, big easy chair on the front
porch Of his viue-draped and rose adorned
home. He, too, had a glowing, peachy
skin, teeth as good il not better than my
own, perfect sight and hearing and plenti-
full silver hair, When he rose from his
chair to greet me there was not only no
creaking Of his joints, but his movements
were free, supple, easy. He was smoking
a short, black clay pipe Of villainous efflu-
via, and he was even then clipping off an
pipeful from a black plug with a
penknife. He greeted me cordially and
gave me a handclasp that was full of
power. l explained my mission to him.
".All right, my son. said he, but talk
ing'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-1ingered hooter of red liquor,
and l Joined MIN to be polite, although the
day was hot and / didn't want it. Then
we returned to the porch, and after he had
his pipe filed with black tobacco a-going-
it made me dizzy to see the old boy smoke
that tobacco in that pipe-he talked.
Yep he was los, and if I doubted it l
could see the entry on the register Of the
little old church down the street. He had
jammed about the country a good deal in
yosng days, but had been settled down
in Great Neck for the past 40 years or
so. Exercise? He laughed. He had never
taken 4 bit of exercise in his life when he
could get out of it. He wouldn't walk a
block for anybody if there was any way of
avoiding it. What did he eat? Any old
thing that he wanted. He laughed again
as he told me that he had partaken of a lot
of cold veal on the night before a bit pre-
vious to retiring. He had chewed tobacco
ever since his twelfth year, and had smoked
continuously, and perhaps excessively,
ever since his fifteenth year. He couldn't
remember when he hadn't drank liquor.
How many drinks Of liquor did he take a
day? Oh, he didn't count EN-, but he didn't
suppose he had been taking more than Is
20 drinks of rye a day for the past 20
or more years-when a mar was getting on
in years it was necessary for him to be a
Dlt careful IN SuCN Ildlt6IS, ne dQQEQ, naive
ly. He went to bed when ne felt like it,
often remaining up until midnight to chat
with cronies who called upon him. He
didn't believe in this early rising nonsense,
and there were consumed few s~unrises
taat he had ever seen. He had buried five
wives, and he dryly remarked that he was
just beginning to take notice again, and
that I needn't be surprised if heard of him
getting married again some time within
next few years. l photographed him,
and we took another drink-a stiff, four
finger one again for the old gentleman.
We caatted for awhile longer, and then l an
nountel my intended departure. He said
he wasn't going to sendfany man away
from his home dry, and We had another
ball-jour fingers once more for him. lie
was right clipper and cheerful and flushed
when lac waved his hand at me as I turned
the corner down the street.
SO there YOU are. You can fix it upyour-
self. 1t was too deep for me, and it still
s."-WasAiugtou Star.