The Washington herald., 1908-01-12

Centanariah Never Worried:
Drinks and Smokes.
TELLS SECRET OF LONG LIFE
habbf Trager Says Care and Anx-
iety Cause Heart Disease and
Eariy Death-Has Had Adventurous
CaTeer--Esta bIIshed synagogues I'm
Charleston and Columbia.

mere Is great deal of truth in the
statement recently issued by the Bureau
OF Vital Statistics that worry fs in
ereasing the death rate from heart dis
ease IN New York said the Rev. Abrs.
nam Isaac Trager. JOB years old, as he
licked the ashes from a cigar Yesterday.
nave never worried in my life and 10
that attribute in great measure my Ione
life and excellent health"
Rabbi Trager laid aside oonv ~ tba
Talmud. says the New York Herald. he
had been reading. without glasses. while
he reviewed in an hours conversat,o,,
some Of the interesting events Of his Iorg
life. He lives viii. His daughter Mrs
Rachel Yisanska, at 4sS St Nicholas
avenue, and. while he has retired from
active business, this centenarian has not
by any means given up an active interest
In all that goes on in the world outside
nor IN the pastlmes and enjoyments thar
younger persons indulge in.
he smokes necessarily, reads MANY
newspapers in both English and Hebrew
continues his Talmudic studies with az
much energy as when he was studying
for the rabbinate in Russia, more than
three quarters Of a century. ago, and only
so recently as Yom Kippur he delivered
a sermon lasting an hour
Although ne probably is the Oldest per-
son IN New York. he keeps up correspond
ence with friends in America and En-
rope. and at wedding ceremonies. which
he likes to perform, he is said 10 be
witty and delightful after-dinner sneaker
Rabbi Trager is no mollycoddle He fs
a great admirer Of President Roosevelt
and believes in most Of the things the
President advocates. In his youth bs
was an athlete and famous swimmer
with record Of having dived under the
ice Of the Volga River and saved the
lives OF two peasant women who had gone
under. In his increasing years he has
kept himself in perfect physical trim bv
much walking. At the age Of one hun
dred he made daily visits 10 the Monte
hore Home. although the trip involved
walking up more than one hundred steps
leading 10 Washington Heights
Takes Alcohol and Coffee.
Throughout his life he has induIged
himself with tobacco. alcoholic drinks. and
coffee. He says. however. that he is as
temperate in their use as his system de-
mands. Now three years past the century
mark. he smokes several pipes and many
black cigars every day and often arises
AT midnight 70 soothe himself with a
smoke In former years he smoked Gig
aTettes. but he has given these Up be-
cause they do not satisfy him now.
Old residents Of New York remember
haDbi Irager as the man who founded
the first Polish orthodox congregation in
the city. This was the Congregation
Hagodol, in Chambers street.
He founded this synagogue after his ar
rival in this country from Russia, about
$50. Trager's memory for dates is a lit
tie hazy.
King David said man was meant TO
live seventy or eighty years" Rabbi Ira
ger told a visitor who asked him his age,
and IL is well for one to count his years
up 10 three score and ten, but after that
the years are gifts Of God and the recip-
lent should not count them"
Sixty-f1ve years ago this venerable
father in Israel was living in Palestine.
near the city OF Jerusalem, where he
had gone with his first wife and their
children from wilma, Russia. He was
born in wilma and was educated there
for the ministry.
Victim OF Turkish Robbers.
Like many other rabbis in Russia. he
took up business along with his priestlv
duties, and became a contractor and tav-
7rn keeper. He left Russia because OF
the prosecutions visited on his race. Dur
ing a residence Of two years in Palestine
he was engaged in missions of charity.
At one time he fell victim 10 Turkish
robbers and was robbed and almost kill
ed His first wife and children died in
Palestine
Rabbi Trager then returned to Russia,
where he married a second time. Mean
while he had Travelled in Turkey, Austria,
and Germany. learning the languages Of
those countries To-day he speaks Rus
sian. Polish. German. Turkish. Arabic.
and English, and. of course. reads He
brew His English. which he learned
when more than fifty years old. is ex-
,ellent
When Rabbi Trager first caT.3t 20 Amer
ca he lived in New York and engaged
n business. The decline Of the hOOpskirt
and CTinOline fashions ruined him fnan-
,ially, for he manufactured wire hoops.
1ut he faced ruin with the same freedom,
rom worry that always characterized
lim and set about finding new employ
nent. He moved 10 South Carolina and
became a cotton planter shortly before
he civil war. He lived near Columbia
)n his plantation until seven years ago.
One of his most precious possessions
S an army rife presented To him in per-
ION by Gen. Sherman when the victorious
Union army captured Columbia Rabbi
rrager's son, Louis. was an officer in
he Federal army under Gen. Grant and
N that account, although he was a slave
,wner, the fathers plantation was spared
he devastation visited on some of his
,eighbors. Trager was consul at Bou-
ogne, France, under President Grant
Started Southern Synagogue,
While living in Columbia Rabbi Trager
Tganized the communities OF Charleston
nd Columbia, and as the only shochet in
he district provided them with kosher
neat. At the age of ninety he Travelled
bout the South collecting funds for a
ynagOgue at Columbia. Nearly the en-
ire community Of his people IN South
'arolina can point to him as their Nobel
nd Mesader- -Kedushin.
Having tasted the sweets Of freedom
n this country" Rabbi TTager said, Z
ent for all my relatives and brought
hem here. / have taught them TO love
nd honor this country and TO respect
he great men who have made It and
reserved it."
This patriotic reference reminded the
ncient rabbi of the cruise Of the battle
hip fleet TO the Pacific. He said he was
realty interested in its mission.
Il am man of peace" he said. "War
5 abhorrent TO me. but as long as there
aust be wars l believe America should
e better prepared than any other nation.
am glad Rear Admiral Evans fleet is
oing to the Pacific. I believe il will do
Ood bor it to so TO Japan. That country
interests me very much for ! think the
apanese is the lost tribe OF Israel. This
eiief is based on philologie grounds. The
anne of the japanese ruler, Mlkado,
ave found in my Talmudic studies to be
n Iranic word meaning ..Mhn is Ike