Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-30
REACHED HOARY AGE.
1O5th Birthday of Hiram Cronk Cele-
brated.
Special Dispatch to The Stnr.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
UTICA, N. Y, April 29.-Up on one of the
great hills in Oneida county today honors
We're conferred upon a man who was pass
ing through his 105th birthday without
Knowing that such an event had come or
without realizing that he was the object of
no small attention. 1t had been intended
to observe the birthday of Hiram Cronk
with considerable ceremony, but the diff
Guilty of reaching the. place where the last
survivor of the war of 1872 is passing
through days which he does not realize
made it impossible for any large number
of people to make the trip to Dunn Brook.
The party was headed by G. II. Richards
of Orange, N. j., who carried with him a
number of congratulatory letters among
them being messages from Admiral George
Dewey; Hiram L. beats, secretary of the
New Jersey Society War of 1872; V. II.
Warner, commissioner of pensions Depart
ment of the Interior. Washington; John
Cadwallader, president -of the Sons of
America of Philadelphia and of the General
Society National War of 1872; E. w. Gray,
secretary of Gov. Stokes of New Jersey,
and many others.
Mr.. Richards presented Mr.. Cronk a GER
tihcate of membership in the New Jersey
society.
The members of this party saw Hiram
Cronk as he is; not the strong, vigorous old
man who trots children on his knee and
tells them wonderful stories that have been
pictured in the metropolitan journals, but a
very old-looking man, who did not know
them or their business and who is as help
less as child.
His head is covered with abundant
growth of fine white hair and his snow
white beard is full, excepting around the
chin, from which he has pulled the hair
with his fingers, an operation which he per-
forms at frequent intervals during his wax
ing hours. His eyes are sunken in their
sockets, but he sees without the aid of
glasses.
Mr.. Cronk is nearly totally deaf, and
though he talks, it is seldom in relation to
anything that has occurred to him, but
some simple sentences about his physical
ailments of which he imagnes he has
many. He will complain by the hour, al
though he really appears to have no pain.
His mind is more active and clear at night,
and those who care for him say that some
times he speaks of things which happened
almost a hundred years ago.
His daughter, Mrs. Sarah Rowley who
has cared for him for years, says that he
knows nothing of what has been done in his
honor or to make him comfortable, and all
of the CONGRATULATIONS which have been
rendered him of late have no effect upon
him whatever. as he does not know that
they have been extended.
The exercises at the house were very in
formal Mrs Morehouse made a short
patriotic address, and remarks were made
by Mr.. Richards and other gentlemen or
the party. Several times the old man in
whose honor the long, tiresome trip had
been made aroused from his seeming
lethargy and looked at those about him
with something of inquiry in his eyes, but
1t meant nothing to him, and in a moment
he would relapse into the very peacefui
sleep which characterizes his life.
Cronk saw service at Sacketts Harbor.
His enlistment papers are on record In
Washington.