Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-02
AGED "a, BUT IS
A BRIDEGROOM
RESIDENT OF WICHITA IS OLD
ONLY IN YEARS
Voted for Jaekson--Friend Of Grant
and chum Of President Lincoln.
Lived Long Because Of HE
Exemplary Habits
speoIal to The IIerald.

bDeclal 10 lne Heralo
WICHITA, Kas., Dec. Tine oldest
man in Wichita has added TO his dis
tinction by extending his titles to in
clude that of the "oidest bridegroom
Of the city" He IL Henry l.. Grey of
1889 North Wichita street. The bride is
Sarah Oldfeld, also of this city. They
were married at the West Side Pres
byterian church. Mr.. Grey is "a years
old and his wife 65.
A reporter called at the Grey home.
1889 North Wichita street, expecting to
see an "old" man, but he was very
much surprised, for instead the door
opened and an erect, stalwart, smiling
faced man Of apparently go years greet
ed him. It was difficult to believe this
jolly bridegroom had voted for Andrew
Jackson In 1882, cracked jokes with
Abraham Lincoln in 1853 and spent
many n pleasant evening with u. s.
Grant before his first election TO the
presidency.
Mr.. Grey is Of fine physique, five feet
nine inches tall, weighs about 200
pounds. has gray hair and eyes, and a
full, flowing, white beard.
Asked to give a few of the most in
teresting events OF his life, Mr.. Grey
said:
II was born March "a, 1912, in Win
don, Conn. A few years later my faith
er removed to New York. My school
days were few. attended few
months in primitive log school house
and was taught the rule of three.
About the only reader we had was the
New Testament.
| Voted for jackson
"I cast my first vote for Andrew Jack
son, the seventh president of the United
States. in the fall of 1889. For several
years / worked on the New York Cen
| trail railroad and made several visits
| 0Qr
aged dry goods stores. grocery stores.
owned livery stables, driven stages and
been about everything except banker
and a preacher.
Gen. Grant and 1 spent many pleas
ant hours together in the city OF st.
Louis during the civil war. remem-
Der William Fl. Harrison very we'll. In
| fact, old Tippecanoe' and myself were
the best of friends"
Mr.. Grey has been married four
times. The first three of his wives are
dead. March 23, 1882, he married Lucy
Barrows, from near New Haven, Conn.
| OF this union three children, ali girls
were born. In 1854 he married Bessie
Saulsberry in New York. OF this
union one child, boy, was born. In
1868 Mr.. Grey married Kate Anderson,
a st. Louis woman. They had no
children. She died in Wichita in Janu-
ary OF the present year.
Vi6tICu WILT LiUCOtu
Il Mr.. Grey was engaged in the retail
boot and shoe business in Chicago in
1871, and lost all his records in the dis
4 astrous fire. He says that he and Abra-
ham Lincoln were close friends and
that they visited together often at the
White House after Mr.. Lincoln was
elected president.
II Continuing the account Of his life, Mr..
Grey said:
"I accumulated fortune in Illinois
| in the general merchandise business. In
1858 sold my busintss for $4,000 and
moved to st. Louis. l would buy
hotel and hardly get acquainted with
the clerk until I would sell out again,
making few hundred dollars in the
transaction"
| Mr. Grey has lived in Kansas about
| twenty-five years. He conducted gro
Gerry store at Conway Springs in 1884.
and in the fall of that year removed
to Wichita. He remained in the city
year or two and then bought a farm
| between the Little and Big Arkansas
rivers northwest of the city, and has
since traded in farms. He has lived at
1889 North Wichita street continuously
since 1S99
! Time has been very kind to Mr.. Grey.
On his cheeks there is the ruddy glow
of robust health; in his eyes there is
yet the gleam of ambition and decis-
iveness; in his step there is an elias
ITCHY not seen in many men of 90 or
co. His voice is very good; he can read
head lines in newspapers without
glasses. He Is a great reader and takes
an active interest in current events,
and voted a mixed ticket at the last
election.
Mr.. Grey is a close student of hu-
man nature. His long and varied eX-
perience in the hotel business gave him
that keen insight into character which
is so finely developed that even at his
advanced age he is seldom deceived In
men.
He is apt at figures and makes the
most of his calculations orally. In fact
Mr. Grey says that he never used pen
ell with which to cipher until the year
1860.
Asked as to the secret of his success
full career and his good health even In
his advanced age, Mr.. Grey said
1T have always taken good care of
myself; have never used tobacco; have
eaten three meals a day, at regular
hours, and as a rule have never been
out at night later than or 8 o'clock.
do not know what Ill health Is l
have not been sick a day that can
remember within twenty years."
During the first forty-three years OF
his life he said he moved sixty-nine
times.
Mr.. Grey is said to be the oldest man
i'm the state. He is the father of five
children, the youngest being 40 and the
Oldest 65.
Mr.. and Mrs. Grey are looking for
ward to several happy years together,
and from their present robust appear
ance their hopes appear to be well
founded.
ITALY REMOVES