Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-09-03

1
Shell, said to be the oldest living
man in the United States, cele-
brated his 131st birthday here to-
day by taking his first automobile
ride. He told friends this is the
first birthday he had not worked
and that he is anxious to get
back to his mountain farm. He
came here to attend the fair.
"Uncle John Shell, of Leslie
county, who is said to be the old
est man in the world, is at the
Blue Grass Fair at Lexington,
and plans to celebrate his 131st
birthday Wednesday. At this time
a collection will be taken among
the fair crowd to pay off the $500
mortgage on Shells little farm.
Shell is having the time of his
life in Lexington this week. He
is the guest of the Blue Grass
Fair Association, and is daily be-
ing greeted by thousands of peo-
pie. He has laugh and hearty
handshake for every man, woman
and child that comes about him.
Shell says he was too old to enlist
in the Mexican War; that he remem-
bers to have seen Daniel Boone; that
he never had any fights with the wild
Indians that then roamed this coun-
try, but he has seen many of them;
that he was aways on good terms with
the redskins.
Shell was born Sept. 3, 1888, ten
days before Congress made New York
City the capital Of the United States,
and something like six months before
George Washington was first
inaugurated President of the United
States. Shell is the only living Ameri-
can who has lived thru the whole row
Of Presidents.
He got his first job splitting rails,
the year Ohio was admitted as State,
when the population of New York
City was 10000. Later on, the
population got too thick for hiA in
Tennessee, where often there were
neighbors within 1S miles of each
other, he blazed trail into south
ern Kentucky, where he hunted and
fished to his hearts content. He's been
here ever since.
When he married and went to work,
farming land was sold for less than a
dollar an acre. Once Shell swapped
six acres for a gun, and today those
acres are worth $1,000.
"I can remember when we burned
corn in winter to keep warm" the
oldest man told me; "it was cheaper
than cutting wood, and wood was to
be had for the cutting. I guess I
must have gone years without paying
a cent for clothes, animal skins filled
the bill. In those days the cost of
living was mainly keeping the supply
of ammunition up. I didn't know
what meat bill was until long after
l was middle age, and I never have
had an ice bill. can remember when
the only money we had was animal
skins, and when there was as big a
fuss made over the Monroe Doctrine
as there now is over the League Of
Nations"
Folks down here on Greasy Creek,
Leslie county, call the Oldest man
"Uncle john. They think he's the
grandest man in the world, and pay
far more attention to what he says
and thinks than they do to all the
other wise men put together. Uncle
John can just about tell about when
it's going to rain, and when it's best
to plant corn. He has 200 descend
ants living near him, the father of
II children, oldest born 90 years ago,
youngest just four years old, and
there are grandchildren, great grand
children and great great grandchild-
rem. They all will come to Uncle
Johns house for a grand birthday
party Sept. 8.
While there are some who believe
Uncle John is only youngster of 1T
years, he has a tax receipt showing
that he paid taxes in 1909, when he
was 81 years of age.
His eyesight is good, doesn't need
glasses when he read. His teeth are
better than mine. They ought to be
for they are his third set, and he just
recently cut them.
"Cutting teeth after one is hum
dred years DID," he smiled, "ain't no
easy matter"
He can swing an ak, and if you
have any idea that man can't work
at 131 get rid of that idea, for you
never saw younger man handle an
AK in a better fashion, He can plow,
hoe and spade with the best of them,
altho he admits, he doesn't work like
he used to.