Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-02-12
PHlPPS BROTHERS MEET NEAR
SHENANDOAH TO CELEBRATE
.NINETY-ElGHTH BIRTHDAY.
ONE JOURNEYS FAR TO
SPEND DAY WITH BROTHER
John N. Phipps, of Shenandoah, and
Eli Phipps, of Oklahoma, Remark
able Pair-John Phipps Once Taken
for John D. Rockefeller's Father
Real Pioneer of Iowa.
Special to Times Republican.

Shenandoah Feb. 12.-The oldest liv-
ing twins in the world met at a coun-
try home near here today and on Mon
Gay will celebrate their ninety eighth
anniversaries. One OF these remark
able men journeyed all the way from
Oklahoma to spend his birthday with
his venerable brother, Eli Phiops, OF
Hennessey. Okla. arriving here today
The brother is John n. Fhipps who re-
sides on farm between Shenandoah
and Farragut
Some weeks 100 Chicago newspapers
published an account Of the lives of
twins ninety-one years old and claimed
for them the distinction OF biting the
oldest twins III she world but Shenan-
doah can beat that by seven years.
John and Eli Philips were born in
Washington county, Virginia Feb. IA,
1872
The life of john NJ Phipps has been
remarkable in some VANS, chiefly in
the temperate manner of his life which
no doubt has been the Chief cause of
his longevity. and also that of his
brother, for TO doubt the manner OF
life Of the one is the story of the other
also.
John NJ. married late in life at 80.
but even thus his marriage dates back
TO three years before the Mexican war.
He married Mary Z. Long, Fe-o. %,
1872. and thru this marriage is shown
the relation snip TO O. S. Long. the
of this city. Mrs. Fhipps
died Oct. Is 1907. after welded life
of sixty-five years.
A Real Pioneer.
Mr.. Phipps came to Iowa about 1896,
ten years before its admission to the
union and when The only population
was fringe of settlements along the
navigable rivers. He has been a farm
er all his life. but living for time in
and Nebraska and then COM
ing back to Iowa and settling near Far
ragut about thirty years ago where he
has since resided. He came here from
near Independence, Mo.
Mr.. Phipps never used tobacco, Opt
ates or liquor. He used plain food and
loved corn bread, buttermilk and cider.
He nearly always took nap at noon.
and spent a great deal Of time out of
doors. He loved the open air and exer-
else, and even now a his great age
it is hard to keep him in the house as
much as necessary for his health. In
all his long life he has had but few
spells of sickness and has taken but
little medicine. He never had but one
spell of fever, and that was when a
young man. He used to cure himself
Of rheumatic attacks by cutting hole
in the ice and sitting with his feet
hanging ii the icy water beneath.
A Rem arkab!e Man.
Mr.. Phipps is a remarkably vigorous
nan for his age insisting upon doing
lard work, until recently and even |
low doing more work than many men |
orty years younger. He travels alone i
o visit relatives in Nebras ska and a |
eW days ago made q trip 70 Leon, |
owa. The train from Farragut to
Shenandoah was late and when he
cached Shenandoah the *. & w. train /
lad pulled out to the a half mile I
'way. but Uncle John started off on |
DOT TO catch the train, caught it and |
vent on his way rejoicing.
Mr.. Phipps has been a great man
o ask questions, but always reticent |
o talk about himself Regarding his
,arly life he will seldom talk, altho |
le could no doubt tell incidents and |
enough to make an inter-
sting book. This reticence, or mod |
SLY, brought MIN nOtorlety q few years
go that proved amusing after it was
ver. Miss Ida Tarbell, magazine
writer, stated that William Rockefeller.
ather of John D. Rockefeller, was liv-
ng under an assumed name in obscur-
ty in Iowa. and the Chicago papers
Undertook to find him. They got a
lue that the old man was living near
and reporters were sent
ere from Chicago to hunt him up
here was no one here of the right age
0 fill the description except Uncle
ohm Phipps, and for two or three days
hey labored with the problem of prov
lg that Phipps and Rockefeller were
he same person. They drove to his
ONE before daylight and pestered the
Id gentleman with questions by the
trying to get him to admit
nat ne was william Rockefeller, but
be clue was false one. There has
ever been any reason to think that
IT. Phipps is other than he represents
imself 10 be.