West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-04-13

Tue following interesting account OF
tho lie OF William f. j. Taylor. said
to be the oldest man living in West
Virginia. IA republished from the
Cumberland News of April IL. Mr.
Taylor celebrated his lO3rd birthday
anniversary yesterday DR.. Percival
lantz, the family physician spoken of
ia the article. is an old Kingwood boy
and Is remembered by all of our older
residents.
William Firman Johnson Taylor. a
farmer residing near Springfield. w.
Va. will be lO3 years old tomorrow.
lie smilingly consented to have his
photograph taken when a newspaper
man called at his home. Seated on his
front porch in a rocking chair once
owned by his grandmother, and which
is now nearly two hundred years old,
the old gentleman seemed to enjoy the
pose and continued to smile after the
photographer had finished his work
lie had just finished hearty dinner
he was asked to relate the story of his
life. Hale and hearty and having al
ways enjoyed the best OF health. Mr.
Taylor still continues to do many
chores about the farm. He Is a lover
OF domestic animals, including sheep
and cattle. and mingles with them
almost every day.
Mr.. Taylor was born April u. 1913,
In log house which is still standing
on farm near his present home. The
two farms are only separated by the
South Branch OF the Potomac river
along which stream he has lived since
birth. He was married December 8.
1852, to Miss Elizabeth Anne Brooks,
who was born and reared on the farm
now owned by Mr.. Taylor on which he
has lived since his marriage Mrs.
Taylor died I'm March. 1914 at the age
of 90 years. The old stone house,
erected November IA. 1884, i'm which
Mr.. and Mrs. Taylor courted and were
married is still standing. 1t was built
a an additio nto a log house erected
In 1911 and which is also still stand
Ing.
To this union were born eight chill
den. tour boys and four girls, four of
yhgn are still living. william Fir
Han Taylor, n years old, the oldest
gaa, resides on the farm on which his
fHtheT was born. Brook Taylor re-
s'des on an adjoining farm, Mrs. To-
bias Sticlkley resides near Great Ca
capou, w. Va. while Mrs. David f. Po-
land, the youngest daughter. resides
with her father on the old homestead.
Al the children live I'm close proxim-
ity to each other.
NJ. Taylor has fourteen grand chill
dren and seven great grandchildren.
Mr.. Taylor was asked TO what he at
tributed his long life. to which he re-
piled: We'll, I always went to bed
early. got up early and took my dram
Of brandy before breakfast, which l
still continue to do, and attended
strictly to my own business" He re-
members we'll his boyhood DAYS and
told OF often visiting Cumberland with
his father when there was only one
slQre 10 the city. lie was unable TO
recall the name OF the merchant i'm
charge but remembers well the loca-
tion Of the store ON what is now
known AS the west side. What is now
the principal business section OF Cum
berland was the part OF large farm
and he has seen many crops OF corn
raised on the ground where the city
hall now stands.
In his boyhood days he delighted in
walking and thought nothing Of trav-
cling over land in that manner to
Washington. D. c., and Baltimore, Md
The farm on which he was reared was
very productive at that time and the
products we're taken TO market on a
keeI boat which at that time was the
oniY means of transportation. ON the
return trip il required eight men TO
pole the boat up the Potomac river
from Washington to the Taylor farm
on the South Branch The round trip
to Washington and the loading and
unloading OF the boat I'm that city re
quIred one week
Entn 9 few months ago Mr Taylor
spent much OF his time reading news
Bapers. The paper which he read
mest was the Hampshire review, pub
llshed at Romney W Va. In his home
county. Mr.. Taylor has never been a
subscriber to a daily newspaper al
though he believes the world could not
get along without them He has been
a constant chewer OF tobacco since he
was thirty years Of age At that age
pc was told that tobacco would pre-
ssrge ne teeth which he attributes To
ms acquiring that habit When about
forty years old he began to smoke a
pipe but soon auit that habit because
a gave him n stronger desire for
chewing. Until he he'd passed the
century mark he never used manufac.
turcd tobacco but always raised a
sumcient supply for himself I'm his
ssfdgn % the past year both his
Iaeth and eyesight have failed and he
now has but four teeth IN his mouth.
when lhe war was declared between
,be North and seuth in the early six
lies Mr. Taylor tried several times Il
enlist In the Confederate army buf
bo was refused enlistment on account
o,bis age. lie stli believes the Con
,.serotc states were right IN proclaim