The Washington herald., 1907-12-26
DR.. William Starr Celebrates
His Tooth Christmas.
OLDEST CITIZEN OF THE CITY
GIadness and FestIyify Marx the
Yuletide Event of the Venerable
Physician, Whose Longevity He
Attributes to n Systematic Mode
OF Living-Never Usea Tobacco.

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District-Dr. William Starr. who cele-
brated his one-hundredth Christmas-it
was day of gladness and festivity.
At his home, 100 G street northwest.
the venerable physician received mis-
friends. who called TO wish him a Merry
Christmas" and at the Queen Cafe
where the aged man regularly occupies
a table at meal time, there was a small
Christmas tree with appropriate gifts.
The tree was not one which nature ere
ated. but was wrought by the hand OF
man out OF steel. colored in imitation OF
spruce foliage. 1t was presented TO Dr.
Starr ten years ago in New York. and
each Christmas the veteran of many hoI-
idays gives direction 70 have II clothed
and lighted for his own special delecta-
ton.
Typifes n Rugged Life.
It's imperishable leaves and branches
seem to be typical Of his own rugged life.
and the object seems to aid the old mans
memories. as he quietly eats his Christ
mas dinner and thinks Of the century
that is gone
A few months ago. on October IA. to be
exact. DR.. Starr invited the members Of
the Oldest Inhabitants Association 70
luncheon with him at the Queen Cafe, in
celebration Of his centennial birthday. On
that occasion DR.. Starr was the oldest
young man present, and gave rein 20 his
emotions, and great was the merrinaent
OF the feast, as the aged doctor told his
friends Of the many humorous and inter
] QS hr of ffrf nd
happy life.
Hoary men sat at the board that day.
| and an observer. looking over the throng.
would scarcely have picked out DIT. Starr
as the centenarian. by ten or twenty years
older than any man present So kindly
have the passing years dealt with him.
and so vigorous his health. that in ap-
/ pearance he does not seem 10 carry a
century upon his shoulders.
Major I'm the Civil War.
Besides being physician. the inventor
and for several years the purveyor Of sew
! eral curative medicines. which were of in
1 estmable value TO his fellow-men, DR..
Starr is by right of enlistment and serv-
ice in The civil war. major. he was
born near Manassas, Va. October Il, 1857.
He has a sister living who is ninety-six
years Of age. Mrs. Hanna Hull. Of Kent
/ County, Mich She is ike her venerable
/ brother, hale and active, and superintends
large farm and IN summer works in her
flower garden daily as she did upon the
same farm more than seventy years ago.
Dr. Starr also has a yoanger brother, OF
whom he sometimes speaks as his baby
brother" who is eighty-hve years old, and
Ts,-r- -, r-o,@ fo-rrsr- Nff~N
d.. Starr was one Of the forty-niners
who went to California in search Of gold
His quest was partially successful. He
returned TO Virginia several years after
ward with 81. 900 in gold and married Miss
Lizzie Gleason. who bore him two daugh-
ters. The wife and daughters died IN the
civil war period. from the effects OF hard
ships bravely endured while he was away
from home, fighting in the Confederate
army.
Dr. Starr comes OF a lOng-Iived race
His father died at the age Of ninety-six.
and his grandfather was nearly IA years
old on the day Of his death. He traces his
ancestry back 10 the Wesleys. and says
that for six generations his family. from
father TO son. have been what are some
times called botanical physicians-that is.
men VINO give simple herbs as medicines
In time OF sickness.
His Simple DecOctiOns.
For many years DR.. Starr made these
simple decoctions from herbs and sold
them throughout the country. thereby
amassing a comfortable competence which
supports him in the afternoon of life
II would be interesting to follow the
workings OF this aged mans reminis-
cences on such an occasion as yesterday.
when he recalls the past. He boasts OF |
having seen every President OF the United /
States. except George Washington. and
with the majority of them he has talked |
IN the White House. He has passed !
through the troubled period of war in |
which this country was involved four |
times. and has accurate memories Of them |
all. The political turmoil of the country
for seventy-ive years is an open book 10 /
him.
He has seen the States grow from a l
narrow fringe Of settlements in the East |
ern part of the country to the vast do /
main which it now occupies. Following /
the excitement which came after the |
Mexican war, he saw the Western coun-
try in its infancy, and became for several /
years a part of the movement which has I
conquered the Northwest territory 10 /
civilization.
DR.. Starr has been for eighty years a /
close observer of the inventions and in
dustries Of the nation. He remembers the |
first beginnings of the railroad and the |
Morse telegraph. He says there was 4
nothing like the interest which developed /
in the South when the cotton gin was in
vented, and he saw it applied In the cot
ton fields. He has watched the growth
of his native State from its baptism of
fire and sword in the civil war He was
part OF Lees army which fought for
the rights Of that State, and now ne Is as
ardent a Unionist as he was then a Sc
cessiOnist The progress Of the later days.
he says, the world was better prepared
for, and the coming Of the wonders Of
electricity and the mechanical car. he
thinks, made less noise than some Of the
other inventions mentioned.
Some Quaint Expressions.
DR.. Starr uses many quaint expressions
belonging TO the early days of the country
when describing some of the things
which riveted his attention. and some of
his descriptions OF the changes in the
modes Of life, between his boyhood ana
the present, have their equal nowhere in
the literature Of the country. He is a
firm believer in the onward march OF the
United States. until 1t shall in large
measure dominate the earth, at least with
THE HOME OF PURE WHISKY
80 a n TaM