The Detroit times., 1914-07-28
OLDEST Man in
WORLD LIVES IN
NEBRASKA TOWN
Thomas Morris, 100. Has seen
All or Part of Every Presl-
dents Administration
is STILL VERY STRONG
AND CAN SEE VERY WELL
He Was Born In Wales In 1894
and Now Lives In Village
of Westeryille

\ Thomas Morris hAs '.ved through
tthe terms of cNgr president ot me
United states, q ho..aoneu or more
kings and Must~c lgt- big historic
events OF the last l-u years and Is
vigorous, today ON a Nebraska farm
Ia slN months ho Wit %. i-l years
old and is believed Oh He tae oldest
man "a Doe United States aud up all
probability the oldest uan M the
world
\ Thomas Morris Hives q. Westeryille.
/ Aeo., custer county
! He Is the only man Is believed,
who has lived IN three ,rWr,es lie
was three years old WH.u Washing
I ton IS term as president .o-ed, lhis
connects ham with tle aamlnIstra-
I ton. ot every president oi Tie Ouited
states
/ Mr. Morris was one year old when
1.-The famous trial Of WarEHn Hastings
closed, and was 20 years old when
Nelson won Trafalgar Iie lived in
tie period OF the Napoleon wars ana
I reached his majority SIS months be-
( fore Waterloo was fought He was
seven years old when ireland and
England were united aU1--has seen
4 tire reigns OF George iIE George IN.
I William ~, Victoria Edward VII and
the present king Iie was 3S years
7 ola when the reform bin MAS signed.
and 20 years old when james h Watt
IdIed He was 80 years old when the
FIRST Atlantic cable 4as laid So when
FORT Sumter surrendered and more
than three score and ten when Lin,
fColn was assassinateG,
Thomas Morris was horn Jan 10,
1894. al Bellew Montgomery shire,
Wales His ancestors were Welsh
( His fathers name was Thomas Nor
+ riS He was laborer. and died when
Thomas was three years old tits
mothers name was Elizabeth Davis
Morris, and she lived until 1868.
Thomas had no sisters bat one broth
Ter. named Charles who died in 1861.
He never attended school and never
married In his hoyhood he was APP
prenlced 20 a butcher and worked at
This trade eight or 10 years But on
.aecount OF crippled foot he had 10
change his work and was apprentieed
20 "A shoemaker He has Cobbled shoes
for persons OF two continents Until
comparatively recent years Mr. Nor
ris cohbled continuously but few
years ago did only occasional shoe
making jobs.
\ About 1--WE years ago he gave up
work altogether Up 20 six years ago
I he made almost daily walks Of one and
Ia halt miles 10 Clear Greek In Gus
ter county. 20 FISH This sport was
his principal diversion from daily toll
Mr. Morris still has the use OF his
faculties HIS eyesight is remarkable
He never bought a pair OF glasses
but a few years ago a friend loaned
him a pair which he used for close
work only lie walks around the ward
uuaided except by a cane.
tie never had any serious Illness.
+ but suffered a slight sunstroke on one
occasion
Mr. Morris has always smoked to-
bacco and used liquor in moderate
degree He takes tea or coffee az all
meals and upon retiring takes 20 his
bedroom quart OF tea or coffee
which be drinks during the night
Forty-seven years ago a lad named
Charles Mython went 90 live with Mr.
Morris then 73 and from that time
the two have been inseparable com.
panions
In 1871 they left Wales and emf
! grated 20 America arriving IN chi
cago the Sunday following the great
Are They located in Blackstone. LIZ
ingston county ILL.,, whore they resid-
cd until 1872 when they moved 10
New Hampton Harrison county, Mo.
Here they lived until $50 when they
moved 70 a farm four miles southeast
|of Westervllc. and a few years later
moved on am adjoining farm, where
they now ike
Mr. Morris recalls the time when
he and his neighbOrs had 10 pay 80
per bushel for wheat.
I The Bristol Times and Mirror, OF
Bristol Eng. recently published the
following regarding Mr., Norris
America claims the oldest Welsh
man and surely the oldest man OF any
nationality I'm the world namely
Thomas Morris, who now lives az
western he. Neb re is said 20 be
100 years Of age He Is an American
citizen and declares he was born al
the village OF Bellew. Eng in Mont
comeryshirc on the 18th OF January,
/ 1924
His father was an agricultural la.
borer and died when Thomas was only
three years old Morris is confirm
ed woman batter. though in his young
or days he fe'l in love with and was
engaged to a Welsh Girl who died the
day before the wedding day"
Henry Dorman, probably next 10
Thomas Morris the oldest man In
America died az Liberal Mo- in
, March, al the age at % years.