The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-11
OLDEST MAN IN THE
UNITED STATES
Aged Mexican Is Still Living in
San Antonio
WARRIOR WHEN YOUNG
Juan Vargas Is Much Over One Hun
dred Years Old and Fought In
Mexican War When He Was
Very Small Boy

San Antonio, Tex, April 0-(Special.)-
There is only one wish left Juan Vargas,
ia years of age and the Oldest man in
the United States. and that is that he
may be spared to see the 18th of Sep
TENDER, the day on which Mexico will
celebrate the one hundredth anniversary
of her independence. To that date he
would like to live and smoke a few
cigarettes, for life without the weed to
the true Oaxaauena is unthinkable. After
that the old man will not care what hap
pens-there is so little, says he, that can
keep one of his age and infirmities in
terested in life and its kaleidoscope
changes.
For several years now Juan Vargas
has lived in this city and before that he
spent A years in his native Mexico--in
Oaxaca, the country to which the Aztecs
fed after they had been conquered and
dispersed by the Spanish under Her
nando Cortez. Old Juan is, of course, an
Aztec, for it is very doubtful whether he
would have reached the great age that
is his. Down in Oaxaca the mothers raise
none but pure-bloods and even the slight
est infusion of Spanish or other foreign
| blood is looked upon as a pollution The
Mayan Indian-as they are now called
are as race proved today as they were
when the Montezumas held court in the
city in the middle of the lake and when
thousands of them on the great feast days
assembled the teocalli to have their living
hearts torn from auivering bodies with
nary sound to punctuate the drama.
In the mountain of OaXaca, where Pres
ident Diaz comes from, as the old man
remarks with a great show of pride, Juan
Vargas was born on January /, 1896. In
early youth he became a warrior, al
though he did at first no more than carry
provisions for the men. The old Magyar
Indians and the Zacatecans were still
at war with the Aztecs, who had invaded
their territory, and against whom they
owed many old grudges, for on these
people the Montezumas had made war for
centuries and thousands of them had been
carried off to end their lives on the
sacrincial stone at the feet of Huitzl.
War, then, was the only training Juan
had. Schooling he did not have any for
the last thing the Spaniards would do
would be to establish a school in Oaxaca.
But Juans early training served him
and his country in good stead. To the lit
lie Oaxaean pueblo there came rumors
that the hated Spainards would be at last
driven from. the country and that the
Aztecs might once more come into power.
Juan went to Mexico City in 1903 ana in
the following year he was one of the
patriots who served to fan the fires of
revolutions and of freedom under Padre
Hidalgo. He was zone of those who
shouted .Viva Mexico! Viva Libertadn'
when Padre I1idalgo raised aloft the ban
ner of revolt in the pulpit of the little
chapel at Dolores on September Is. 1910.
After Padre Hidalgo had been shot,
Juan decided to return to his evergreen
hills in tropical Oaxaca the revolution
airy ferver in him had subsidized princi-
pally because libertad and Mexico stood
not for regime purely Aztec but for
that of race of men who had been
produced by the contact of the natives
and the Spanish conquistadores, Juan
realized that the old days of glory would
never return and for that reason there
was no special need for him to assist in
the creation of a new order of things
that might and might not benefit his
people. But on his way home he was
seized by the troops of the Spanish king
and pressed into services. AS soon as he
quent1y, escaped again and was once
more pressed into the Spanish forces.
A few years later he fought now for,
then against, Iturbide as exigencies de-
manded and returned again to his noun
tains in Oaxaca in 1921, when Iturbide
had established himself as emperor in
Mexico. Nine years later he came to
San Antonio and in $50 he heard there
the shout 'Muerte los Tejanos' death
- Oh nd wv ha 9TH daca
and the Alamo in ruins after its Texan
defenders had been put to the sword by
Santa Anna, March 8, S36. Again he
had been pressed into service, this time
to serve as mental.
Since then Juan Vargas has lived In
San Antonio. He has never travelled on
a railroad, only twice on a street car
and has always had his quota of cruel
and corn mush, the only things he has
eaten now for many years Peppery food
and fiery liquor he no longer consumes,
and the only stimulant he now takes is
coffee. He says that he has never been
abstemious In either eating, drinking or
smoking and that his long life Is due
to racial, rather than individual traits,
contention supported by the fact that
the Indians Of Oaxaca are remarkably
long lived
Juan Vargas. of course. is poor. Like
al OF MS people lie mas Dtel improvement
Had he held al the property he once
owned In this city there is no doubt that
today he might be a wealthy man. He
had owned and lost great deal of real
state now in the very heart of the city
"But, an afraid the worry would have
sent me to my grave long ago." he said
speaking of this. ."You see, the care of
wealth would not have permitted me to
live the life so free from worry which
/ have lived, have never worried about
anything, senior, and that, I think is
to a large degree responsible for the
many seasons have seem"
Physically Juan Vargas Is fast disin-
tegrating now. He has lost control OF his
limbs and for some years now he has
not been able to walk, nor eat unasssted.
But he has not suffered on that account.
His relatives. of whom there are over 100
In San Antonio, are taking the best pos
slble care OF him. He is wheeled around
in chair, fed his mush with the care
one would give to baby and his Gig
arettes are rolled for him by some of his
great-gra ndchildren or thir children
But his mind is still active and acute
Juan Vargas still remembers everything
| s IL It only happened yesterday. He can
| draw word pictures of the many events he
Witnessed that are marvels as to details
| and accuracy. He remembers the appear
| ance OF Halleys comet in 1885 and the
many conjeotures that were INDUCED In
by his kind as to the meaning OF the
| flaming sword, lie talks louder than does
| the average man, his hearing still un-
| impaired and his sight not as hakw-
like az 1t once was, Il still as good as
! that of most people.
Juan Vargas has five generations living
| In this city, Rosa Vargas, q S-year-old
| girl, being tho youngest OF the fam
| iix. Ta do la nj