The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-10-24
SAW NAP0LEON'S
ARMY RETREAT
A Centenarian Now Living in New
YORK, Whose History is Interesting

daughters marriage danced the
wild steps of two Russian dances,
performing this feat despite a
lameness which compels him to
wear one shoe with a sole an inch
thicker than that of the other.
His eyes, that watched Napoleon S
broken legions straggle westward
again in the Russian SHOWS ninety
five years ago, shone as brightly
on ffty-four of Rabbi Wolnisky 5
descendants on Sunday night. His
legs, which carried him briskly in
boyish panic from the French sold
iers in 1872, twinkled almost as
merrily in Forsyth street in 1907,
as hepranced with his great-grand-
children in the Zeide middle
Einiklach and later broke into the
wild rhpthm of the Komarishki.
The only thing that tried Rabbi
Wolnisky on Sunday night was the
length of time he had to go with
out his pipe. He smokes before he
gets up he smokes after he goes to
bed. He had plenty of tea at the
wedding, where he performed his
remarkable terpsichorean feasts,
however, and he needed it, for his
daily quota is about forty big glass
es, brewed strong, and taken with
out milk. He drinks no water and
no liquor asa rule, though he takes
both in times of emergency. One
meal daily, consisting of soapbread
and little meat, is his only food
and is set for him at noon.
Born in Kobrine, in the State of
GrodnO, Russian Poland, he NOV
ed about with his parents in his
early youth, aud so came to see
the iCebeaten regiments of the
Little Corporal falling back from
Moscow. Marrying early, he settle
ed in Antipole and traded in
liquors, most of his life in Russian
being spent in the wholesale
liquor business. He prospcred, and
twelve children came to him and
his first wife, who died before he
left his Russian home for America
about twenty-five years ago, with
two sons, the first of his family to
seek these shores.
Wolnisky's business ruin in
Antipole began when Alexander
II was assassinated in 1881. Alex
ander III, who was by nature in
clined to mild measures, fell under
the influence Of the leaders of the
old regime, and in a period of re-
preston which the activity of the
revolutionaries seemed to demand
the Russian soldiery were more
aggressive than ever.
Cossacks broke into Wolnisky' 5
establishment in 1881, drank all
they could swallow, and opened
every barrel i, / ell-flledcel-
lar, When they went on their
way he was ruined. He at once
determined to leave the country.
In the East Side here he was i'm
mediately recognized as a person
OF extraordinary learning, and he
was elected rabbi of the Eldridge
Street Synagogue, which place he
held tor many years, retiring only
two years ago upon the death of
his second wife.
Wolnisky's second wife was
twenty-five years old when, at the
age of sixty five, he married her.
They had fifteen children. He
has ninety-two living direct de-
scents, of whom ffty-four are in
this city or state, or in New
Jersey. The others are in Russia.
His descends have been increasing
at a rate of twelve a year for two
or three years. He knows the
name of every one of them and
never forgets their birthdays.
He rises every morning at a.
o'clock and has few glasses of
tea and pipeful of Mohoke to-
bacco, imported from Russia, for
breakfast. He uses three pipes,
one for the street, one for the honse