The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1905-01-18
Hale and Hearty al Ill.

RINERsBUBG. PA, Jan. l6, 1905.
EDITOR REPUBLICAN:
There lives within six miles of Rimers- |
burg, or thereabouts, an old lady said TO |
be 100 years old and more. II was my
privilege, in company with somewhat
removed relative of hers, to visit her on
the afternoon Of Christmas day this win
ter. She lives with her daughter and a
son and grandson. The family is sup
ported by the grandson. We found the
old lady sitting by the window when we
entered the house. We were greeted
kindly by the old lady and her daughter.
She seemed glad to see US, especially as
it was Christmas day and we had taken
with US Just trifie as reminder in the
way Of a mince pie, can ofjelly, etc.
As TO her age there snems to be no clear
record. She says she is i07. Some peo-
pie who know her say she is l03 or lO4.
Your scribe thinks she may be and quite
likely is, Ill, from data which we OBJ
tanned from her and from others who
have known her all their lives. She told
us she was married on the day she was 29
years of age. She is the mother of IL
children. Your depouent ssyeth that he
was told by a person well acquainted
with the family for a number of years
that between the tenth child and the
eleventh child there is an interval OF l6
Sc
old. There were no twins or triplets in
the family; all single births. These data
can furnish a basis for an easy belief that
the old lady is not less than Ill. or
course this is not conclusive. The family
records that could solve the question have
been lost or destroyed. One Bible that
would possibly settle the matter if in ex-
istence was lost in the noted Oil City
flood. gentleman living within two
miles Of the place where the old lady re-
sides told your informant that she is Ill,
aud found that figure for her age byi the
fact of certain circumstances connected
with her birth which were we'll known in
the neighborhood and afterward related
10 him in later years when the old lady's
age was the subject of of discussion. The
old lsdy's cheeks have dropped in quite
a bit ss the result of the disappearance of
her teeth, and cause her some inconveni-
ence in talking. Otherwise she talks
quite we'll. Her mind shows signs of
age apparently, but she did not seem
childish. She spoke of the trial of Mike
Rissinger Tor the murder of his wife at
the last court in Clarion county, and
spoke intelligently and expressed herself
sensibly. Outside OF her sunken cheeks
she did not look nearly so old as one
would be lead to expect before seeing her.
Her daughter says she shows decided
signs of falling this fall and winter.
When she walked about the room size
moved quite brisk but stopped oyer quite
bit. On the day we were there one OF
her sons with his wife had been TO see
her. Her daughter told US that besides
entertaining these visitors she had hem
med "hap" or "comfort" or "comfor-
ter" if you'd rather. She can see to
thread common needle when the sun
shines bright. She told us she had made
garden the last summer and expected to
do so the coming summer. She gathered
huckleberries the past summer, herded
two COWS and gathered, picked and
cleaned enough wild cotton TO fill TWO
bed com forts. She said she had a good
appetite and slept well. She is quite a
tobacco smoker. She is not able TO read
or write. She says that IN the days when
she grew up aud in the days when she
raised her family times we're hard and
there was little room for anything but
hard work. And there is nothing in his
tory, by the way, TO controvert tie old
lady's analysis OF conditions then exist
ing.
She has two great-great-grandchildren.
In fact, inside two miles in a straight
line, may be- found five generations Of
her family, herself included. She told
US that once, great many years back,
she belonged TO the church, but had
withdrawn from it on account ofa crime
committed by the man who preached for
them at that time in that place. The
story is story we'll known TO old people
in this part of Pennsylvania. 1t is the
story the murder of Ruben Giles by
William Monks. Your correspondent
has heard the story more than once, and
thinks the old lady is mistaken as to
Monks being preacher. Her mother,
she told us. was Shouting Methodist.
One hundred and eleven years is a long
time. Without education, living in what
one might call out of the way places,
confronted constantly by the demands a
large family made upon her time, atten-
ton and strength, she may easily be ex-
cused for not being acquainted with the
stirring events of national character
that were contemporaneous with her life.
What a strong heart she must have had
What brave spirit! Planning to make
garden next summer! Think oft, at ~
years of age! Ye broken down folks at
50 and 60 adjust your spectacles and get a
glimpse of grit that will revive you.