Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-07
FIVE SCORE AND TWO
Julia O'Brien, Dead Now,
Smoked rs Years.
AND SHE LIKED HER DRAM
All Her Children Gone, Many Dying
of Old Age.
RETAINED HER CHEEKY SOUL
Centenarian Was Never Ill in Her
Life and Had Her Three
Pipes a Day.

NEW YORK, November Mrs. Julia
O'Brien, who had been calmly smoking
the strongest brand of long-cut tobacco In
little clay pipes for seventy-five years.
without ever knowing that she was taking
a chance of wrecking her mind and body,
died a peaceful death yesterday morning
in st. Francis Home in 9Th street.
She was 1O2 years old, but the good SIS
tiers at the home and the physicians who
attend it's inmates say that her heart aad
never lost it's lightness and its warmth,
and that her spirit was more like that of
a youthful Irish lass than that Of wom-
an who had crossed the century mark and
outlived her own children.
Liked Her Dram, Too.
Moreover, it was related of Mrs. O'Brien
yesterday, in a manner which pre:luded
any suggestion Of uncharitableness that
there were times in her life when just a
wee drap' Of something warming made
her pronounce benedictions upon the
donor.
The death of the centenarian was Of
more than passing regret to the sisters
and physicians of st. Francis. She was
about the cheeriest old soul that had
ever had shelter there.
One Ct the physicians said that he never
missed calling on her every morning, al
though she never had an ailment. Mrs.
O'Brien greeted him at every call with
Good morning to you. doctor. and how
are the babies this morn!ng? He always
assured ner that the babies were doing
well, and said she would smile at the
news.
Yesterday morning the physician paid
his usual call, and noted that the hour
of the old woman had come She moved
her lips as to greet him with her old
phrase, but he heard no sound. He leaned
over and told her that the babies were all
WELL
God bless them, DOCTOR" she whis-
pered, and in moment or two had
ceased to live.
Children Died Of Old Age.
Mrs. OBrien was brought to the home
in July, 1907. by ]. Rothkamp, a Hester
street merchant. who had taken her from
the street. Her seven sons ana daughters
had grown to old age and had died. The
grandchildren and great-grandchildren
drifted away from the East Side, and
probably few of them know they have 4
grandmother or great-grandmother dead
in the home.
Rothkamp found her SO cheerful and
kindly and spry that he made a home for
her for years, his children being very fond
of her. He had to find another home for
her, however, when his wife became Ill
and he had to move his family to the
country.
Mrs. O'Brien took her pipes and tobac-
co to the home, and the sisters at first
took them away from her. but she plead
ed that it was so hard to break her habit
of seventy-five years standing that the
sisters finally let her have them. and al
lowed her three good pipefuls a day. The
old woman gave two sons to the Union
Army in the civil war, one of whom was
a drummer boy.
When asked how she came to learn to
smoke. she replied: THE men taught
me before my husband and 1 came to this
country. They said it would cure the
seasickness coming across. That was
seventy-five years ago, and l have never
ceased to enjoy my pipe
The last of her children to die was a
son, who was buried two years ago, at
the age of seventy-five.