The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1920-09-08
CELEBRATES HIS 98th
BIRTHDAY IN bayfield,.
Boston Globe)

| There may be older men in New
England than Joseph Gillett of Flor.
ence Station, Northampton, but his
friends feel certain that there is none
even approaching his age that is still
putting in from eight to eleven hours
each day in the bayfield, and woodlot
In Canton, St Lawrence County,
New York, the town records show
that Mr.. Gillett was born on August
4, 1922, making him 9s years old at
this time, but outside OF birthday
party at the lunch hour, when rela-
tives from near and far gathered to
do honor to the ancient gentleman, he
spent the day in the usual way by
being out in the bayfield, for nine
hours or more.
Mr.. Gillett's father was one of a
group of seven men who with their
families went from Vermont and set
tied in the wilderness where now is
the thriving town of Canton. A clear
ing was made near a spring and log
cabins erected for each of the seven
families. At that time they had to go
eighteen miles to get food and neces-
Sdly SuppiCS, anu tiS iOhS mp
through the woods with the pack
horses was never made with less than
three of the men going along armed
with the old hintrocks to guard the
precious food stores from the wild
animals that abounded in the woods
bear. Canada lynx and wildcats be-
ing plentiful.
Hard work and lots of it," is the
simple programme to which Mr.. Gill
lett ascribes his long life and present
sound health. He has been a farmer all
his life and up to the time he was IS
years of age his daily schedule of
hours was from dawn to or 9 o.
clock at night, but he started then to
do what he calls take things easy"
by working only from seven to nine
hours on most days. though when the
hay has to be got in he can still put
in as much as thirteen hours and show :
no effects whatever of the arduous
toll He now makes his home with
his son, William, aged 4s, who is in
the auto repair business, and another
son, Frank. lives in Easthampton.
The spry nonagenarian is deaf to all
from his sons urging him
to give up all work. Old friends say
that Mr. Gillett has not changed in
the last twenty years so far as they
can see. He now stands trif1e over
six feet and weighs 100 pounds
when 60 years of age he was six feet
two inches in height and his weight
was 20 pounds. He has used liquor
and tobacco in moderation all his life
and believes that both are not harm
ful, but are beneficial when used with :
discretion. National prohibition is be-
yond his comprehension.
In politics Mr.. Gillett, though new b
er participating himself, takes the
<eenest interest and is unswervingly
/ Demonstrating sure, he says. :
hat the country is always better off /
lnder a Democratic Administration
His first vote was cast for President
Polk iii 1914. He optimistically pre-
licts that the present high prices can
lot obtain forever.
His hearing and eyesight are per-
ect, although he cannot read for
great length of time. as the letters
eem to run together He has never
worn glasses and when asked how
lis eyesight was out of doors, he
pointed to tall maple at the end of
he garden about $50 yards away and
laid, well, now, | could pick a
out of the top of that tree
without any difficulty"