New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-29
AGED 100, HE'S AN IDOL;
ALL WILLIAMSBURG BOWS
Joseph De Long, SprightIieSt OF
Centenarians, Heads a TrI-
umphal Parade.
66 DESCENDANTS IN LINE
Dances, Music, Illuminatlons
and a Birthday Cake with
100 Candles Help to
Make Fete Joyous.

Emerging dust-covered from the Of
fee library after half-hour's earnest
;n,astieation. one is convinced that
nothing happened on october Is 1910
except the birth Of Joseph De Long
and on gazing over the afternoon
papers of yesterday one learns that
aside from Murphy, Mccall Hennessy
and Mitchell calling each other Ears'
nothing OF interest occurred on octo-
her 2S 1918, except a celebration OF the
fact that Joseph De Long had reached
the age Of 100 and had done most OF
II in Williamsburg.
This is q real nice little thing 10
accomplish, but Mr.. De Long loses TWO
marks because he never saw CABARET
show or tried to cross the street IN
front of a United States mail automo-
bile truck.
And this is a good paragraph to use
In making an apology. The reporter
who went over to No. 81 Devoe street.
Williamsburg, on this story is new
man and didn't realize that instant dis
charge follows a failure to learn
whether a centenarian has busted on
the 100 mark by drinking and smok-
Ing all his life or doing neither. 1t Is
an important point, for whenever such
story appears, detailing that great
Md age was reached by total aostl-
hence. mothers call 1t TO the attention
IF their children. And whenever one
Of the other kind is printed it encour-
sees a person Of habits TO sheer at the
water wagon and DIR. Pease.
But the reporter didn't find out any
Thing about this feature. and It is TO
be hoped that this omission won't
break you all up.
Excitement? Oceans Of II.
The old gentleman knew on Monday
night that his sixty-six lineal descend
ants were going to stick page into
Williamsburg history with all sorts OF
lights and stunts and parades yester"
DAY. so instead Of assuming horizon
tai position beneath the quilts at his
scheduled hour Of p. m, he tried to
wait I'D like a child for Santa Claus
And he had everybody in that frame
house Of his busy trying to conceal
Japanese lanterns and flags and bunt-
ing and a big birthday cake with the
success that usually attends such nerv-
BUS efforts. Realizing that he'd spoil
the whole show unless he communed
with the mattress, he went to bed at
10 o'clock.
Dawn found him wagging his pointed
beard above the sheets and wondering
when the excitement was going to be-
gin. He was as nervous as Charlie
Murphy reading a newspaper, so he
got up and looked around 10 see what
the night had brought forth. Looking
from his window he saw that japanese
lanterns blossomed on every house
front on the block and that his birth
day had brought out as many flags
and decorations as if he had reduced
the cost of living.
put doing any handsprings in his ex-
cess Of happiness and he went through
bis noon meal with fervor and inten-
pity. Then he was introduced to a cake
about the size Of a fiat wheel on a
Brooklyn Rapid Transit surface car,
which looked pleasant under the weight
pf 100 small candles with a large one In
the centre for good luck. When 1t was
lighted last night it looked like a fire
In Madison Square Garden.
Would Dance with Youngsters.
Then those Of his grandchildren who
were young enough. and his great
grandchildren and his great-great-
grandchildren, and a bunch Of young
sters from the delighted neighborhood,
got out upon the asphalt and danced
with such evident enjoyment that the
old mans feet became most undig-
nifedly active, but he checked himself.
Soon appeared a brass band with
round, jolly faced musicians, who blew
'Die Wacht am Rhein" so vigorously
1t was a question whether q watch
could remain on the Rhine or any other
river in the face Of such gale.
1t came time for the parade. 1t was
called a parade because IT couldn't be
called anything else. You can't call
stream of sixty-seven persons anything
but parade.
When the enthusiastic brass bandits
no offence. professor-had carried
themselves on their own music TO a
secure stand at Lorimer and Devoe
streets. and had begun to create
pockets in the atmosphere, Mr.. De
Long, smiling like a dental advertise
ment, stepped down the stoop into a
volume of cheering that lifted the cover
off the ice box. Then he got up-with-
out any assistance-into a victoria and
gave the order for the Mardi Gras to
begin.
Then came his descendants-his six
children, twenty-nine grandchildren.
twenty-nine REORGANIZATION and
two great-great- grandchildren. And
=