The Indianapolis journal., 1904-02-06
THE OLDEST WOMAN IN
MAINE CHOPS WOOD
Enjoys a Puff at Her Pipe Several
Times Day and Has Good
Appetite.
New York World.

New York World.
The oldest person in Maine. if not the
oldest in New England is Aunt Lovicia
Tenney Cox. of Harrington, who smokes
pipe eats beefsteak, and occasionally chops
wood, at the age of 1O5.
Aunt" Lovicia was born in the town of
Columbia, Washington county, on Jan. r.
1893. She has always lived in remote spots,
far from town, and so has attracted little
attention from the newspapers, but her
great age is perfectly authenticated by the
town records of Columbia, and is well
known to all her neighbors. She has only
one daughter, her sole living relative, with
whom she makes her home, this daughter
being Mrs. Eliza Ann Shaw, aged seventy
When a newspaper man went to call
upon the old woman the other day he found
fashioned chair and smoking her pipe, while
she read Of murders and wars in one Of the
big newspapers
Seems to me there's an awful lot of
murders and crimes and big accidents now
adays,' said she, compared with what
there used to be-" When reminded that the
world moves faster now than in the days of
her youth, and that there, are more ways of
killing people, Aunt Lovicia replied:
We'll yes; L s'pose They drink too
much ticker now. too. Why, they tell me
and smoke opium. When L was younger
most of them that was killed got shot in
the war, but they don't have any wars
wuth talking about now; That last one of
the civil war that my old man went into
He died down there, on the way from Alex
andria to New Orleans. Wasn't shot-nO;
just died. His name was James Cox. My
first husband Daniel Tenney, died a few
years after We were married. had four
children by my second husband, but they're
tn1r.
of me now Most every one else that I
ever knew is dead, too"
When asked about her health, Aunt Lo-
atthe rt reporter: % Healthy? Lor' bless YER
yesl l don't feel much, if any different now
than did twenty-five years ago. L can eat
a good. big slice of beefsteak and then go to
bed and sleep sound, and | like a good
strong cup of tea. I've smoked ever since
thirty. and I've done my share and
more of hard work, all the way from
drudging about the house to helping my
husband in the moving field, besides work.
ing out for the neighbors. I'd do more now
only Eliza Ann won't let me scarcely stir.
She watches me cat watches mice.
Says she's afraid I'll fall and break my
bones. Still, l can chop wood when she
isn't around, and l often bring in a bucket
of water from that well out at the door.
Yes, sir I've seen the cars, and rid In them,
and steamboats, too, and I've seen the
electric lights over at Machias. There's
one thing, though, that I've never seen yet,
and | want to see. and that's the Bangor
fair. / like good horse, and they have
better horses up there than you ever see
down this way
Aunt" Lovicia is twenty-one years older
that the State of Maine, which was ad-
mitted TO the Union in 1920; two years older
than the town of Harrington, where she
lives and lacks but three years of being as
old as her native town, Columbia. AS an
Illustration of her great vitality, a local
physician relates that once, about two
years ago. he was called to attend a man
who had been injured on the road near Mrs.
Shaw's house. and when he arrived, at mid
night he found Aunt Lovicia, then 1O3
years old, up and hustling, keeping hot
fire going and warming blankets for the
patient