Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-04-17
THE CUB REPORTER
| AND THE AMERICAN
His Interview With the Faraily
of a Woman Who Died
/ Aged 104
A TRUE SAN ANTONIO EPISODE
What Happened When He Sought
Facts In Regard to the Ancient
pame-Found the Only Americans
Fancy WrIte-up not Wanted.

To gain the ripe old age Of 104 may
\ be said to be quite a distinction and
It was therefore natural that the city
editor should send the cub to inter
! view the family of the woman who
\ had just said farewell to this vale Of
tears in which she had spent the num-
ber of years stated. Being the first
time in his life that he was to write
up so superannuated person the cub
placed himself in very journalistic
frame of mind and proceeded to get
the story.
The old lady had lived in San An
tonio's Mexican quarter for over four
score years and had now closed her
1, eyes there. AS he came to the house
he noticed that it was rather better
| than those the so-called Mexicans
] usually live In. Instead Of the usual
abode sort Of one-room shack, he saw
little cottage showing the latest fool
notions Of an architect in the matter
! Of using lumber and giving no space
j In return. What is more the yard
was scrupulously clean; there was
little green lawn and profusion OF
flowers.
Up the steps went the cub and the
, first thing that met his gaze was
coffin decked la mode. 1t stood In
the hall Of the cottage amid up-to-date
surroundings, such as cheap wall pa
per- cheap chromos, and cheap straw
mating.
For some moments cubby was at
loss. There was no door bell and to
shout might possibly disturb the occu-
pant of the black box. But there are
the makings OF a good reporter in the
cubby so he made noise like mule
team crossing wooden bridge. The
noise had its effect. From one OF the
I doors leading into the hall issued q
tall gaunt man with complexion
4 that seemed to have undergone gen.
erations Of sunburn.
To him the cubby stated his errand.
The man was very polite. though not
profusely So Much as the cub would
4 have liked to avoid this, the man in
yited him to step into the hall and
before the embryo scribe could ask
him to desist he had uncovered the
face of the dead woman.
! Now the cubby had read good
3 deal about mummies, had even seen
some of them and here surely was
one. There was no more Elasticity in
that face than had it been prepared
for burial by the embalmers Of Khufu.
5000 and some odd B. G.
Now the man looked sixty II q
day.
"How old was your mother?" asked
the cub.
"You mean my grandmother" cor
rected the man. "One hundred and
four"
The cub studied the face some more
and then looked at that of the man.
"You are Mexicans, suppose?" he
queried.
Had the cub not had his doubts on
this Re would not have asked the ques'
ton. He knew Mexican when he
saw him, but this man evidently wai
not one of that race.
mo, we are not Mexicans," replied
sthe man with some dignity.
But the name" put in the cubby
Garcia is typically Mexican-that Is
Spanish"
1--WE are Americans" said the cut
with an asserting smile"
"Oh, no, we are not" corrected the
man with an emphasis on the pro
noun "we."
1--WE are not, eh," asked the cuf
somewhat puzzled.
mo we are not" answered the mar
drawing himself up so that every incl
of six feet showed to advantage. eve
are the only Americans known of
I My grandmother was full blood
Cherokee, born in the swamps Of the
lower Mississippi two years after they
had been ceded by the emperor o
France to the United States. Please
don't make your write-up too romantic
and fancy"