Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1914-11-13
Centenarian Celebrates.

and, interesting events in the his
tory of Highland. A Recorder
representative was among the large
number of friends and relatives
who assembled at the old Cola"
homestead to congratulate the ven
cradle old gentlepan, partake OF
his warm, abundant hospitality
and wish him still other returns OF
his natal day.
ut was an occasion no less I'M
pressive than enjoyable. To clasp
the hand and exchange greetings
with one who has rounded out
century of mundane life is rare
privilege. One feels as if he were
in the presence of a patriarch or
prophet, at whose hands he Graves
blessing, and in the case OF one
whose mental faculties are so clear
and we'll preserved, we listen with
the deepest interest to remlnlcenses
and recollections of auld lang sine.
Then, too, who does not feel
proud to do honor to centenarlan?
The century mark in longevity is a
goal which few have in view, and
fewer still attain. Nature has her
memorable laws, and if the
assumption be true that feeblesness,
premature decay and death are the
price of prodigal living, it goes
without saying that in the life OF
one who has passed the fve.score
signal post there has been but little
of the unclean, unchaste, intern
perate or gluttonous. Hence the
plaudit: Well done! All honor to
the centenarlan!
Cyrus Colaw was born Nov. 6,
1914, at the old homestead, nestled
among the Crabbottom hills, and
he was able to furnish a weather
report" for that day, his mother
having informed him that the
county was in the grasp of severe
snow storm. His grandfather was
one of three brothers who came
over with the English to subdue
the American colonies oWbelt
against his willard who cast their
Hot with the victors at the close Of
the conflict. His father, George
Colaw, came from Pennsylvania
land located in Crabbottom in 1911,
The career of the subject of this
sketch did not vary materially from
that of others in those primitive
DAYS. While sharing the glory ano
bardships of blazing a trail for those
| who were to follow, the rugged
life, the pure atmosphere OF the
! untrodden forests. the presence oil
big game all contributed to con-
tentment, happiness and the ideal
development of embryo life. He
received, what was regarded in
his day, as a good education and
spent eight years of his life in teach
ing. His first school was "held''
in a log house near the village o.
Crsbbottom and now used as q
barn. Not one of these pupils are
now living. When asked as to bis
salary he said that he received from
4 to 6 cents per pupil per day.
The curriculum did not extend
beyond the three Rs. n was never
lin a grammer school in my life ,.
About this time he made the long
est journey of his life: a horse-back
ride to Ohio, where he spent a
winter with his uncle, Abram Co.
law. He said that he found the
Ohio soil inferior to that of High
land. Anotherlong horseback ride
taken by Mr.. Colaw was to New
Market, accompanying afriendfrom
West Virginia, who went to DIR.
Hinkle for medicine.
In matters amatory and matri-
| monial be seems to have exercised
his CHARACTERISTIC prudence and de-
liberation, marrying at the age of
4s. his consort being Miss. Lucinda
White, Is, years, his junior. All
through the years they have walk
ed hand in hand, and she still sur
wives, his companion and helpmate
in the evening of life. The official
ing minister was the Rev. Mr.. Tab
Ter of the Luthern church. In the
tumble of interrogations fired at
him be was unable to recall the
name of the Methodist "circuit
rider" of his boyhood days, though