The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1940-04-04
GEORGE MARLEY, PATRIARCH OF DEER PARK GARRETT
COUNTY, MARKS HIS 1O4TH BIRTHDAY APRIL FIRST
Looks Into Future And Makes
Plans About Farming For His
SOn-In-Law; Talks OF His
Eearly Life


Deer Park and believed to be the
oldest man in the State, entered
his one hundred and fifth year
on Monday in good health and in
good Democratic spirits and
looking into the future.
Mr.. Marley, although stone
deaf, and remaining in his up
stairs room, stands for no fool
ishness in politics. His inter
viewers must declare themselves
staunch Democrats before he will say
much. His deafness and the fact that
he can neither read nor write-schoo
ing when he was a child a century ago
in Stockton, Durham, England, was a
luxury-do not prevent him from hav-
ing opinions. His family said he didn't
understand much about the New Deal
but he thinks there's no other man
like Roosevelt"
Mr. Marley's celebration this year
took two days. He was born 104 years
ago on Monday, April l, but on Sun
day there were over seventy-five peo-
pie came to wish him we'll and over
200 others sent greeting cards. Sun
day also he cut his birthday cake IN
his room which contained 104 candles
Glad to see you; come again next
year." he told his many visitors.
Monday it was a family affair, with
about thirty-fve relatives present. Mr.
Marley doesn't remember just how
many brothers and sisters he had when
he was child in England but thinks
it was about ten.
Had Ten Children
He was the father of ten children
four of whom are still living He has
nineteen grandchildren and twenty
seven at-grandchildren His -four
children, Mrs. Henry Wilhelm, of
Gary, Ind; Mrs. D. R. limbaugh
with whom he makes his home in a
large yellow house in the town;
George Marley, Jr., and Mrs. Robert
Thrasher, all of Deer Park, were pres
ent with their families.
His sister, Mrs. Rebecca Cook, of
Columbus, Ohio, was present Monday
Prior to the Civil War Mr.. Marley lost
track of her and he did not see her
again until the publicity growing out
of the fact of his one hundredtn
birthday anniversary was published
in The Republican, later conveyed tc
England and back to America again
reuniting them in September, 1886
With Mrs. Cook were her daughters
Mrs. Lucy Vogel, Columbus; Mrs
Mary Sweeting, Braddock, Pa, and a
niece, Pauline Winterigg, Columbus
Mrs. Cook, the baby of the family Of
George and Elizabeth Marley's fam
lily in England, is IS.
Early Life At Sea
His attention was called Monday
to a picture of a sailing vessel on a
calendar in his ROOM Mr.. Marley un.
derstood and told of some of his early
life at sea. His daughter, Mrs. Hine,
baugh, would have to supply some OF
the missing details, for she had heard
the story when Mr.. Marley was
younger, but he spoke clearly, dis
tinctly and used excellent grammar as
he sat in his chair and related num-
Der of Incidents.
School in England, he said, was only
for the rich. Poor boys had to get rich
men to pay for their schooling one
day week. His sister interrupted to
state that Mr.. Marleys mother
couldn't even get him to go to school
that one day. Schooling not being to
his taste, he went to sea. When he
returned home his angry father bound
him to ships captain. He was II at
the time.
Bonding, it was explained, was d
sort of adoption, and the lad worked
as cabin boy on the captains sailing
vessel, a tramp freighter. He re-
called stopping at ports in England
Scotland, Ireland and Germany. Once
ne said, they transported cargo OF
brandy and it required 80 days tC
cross the ocean, being becalmed fol-
Il days in one spot. Some of the key
of brandy burst, and the sailors, ne
said, chad merry time" They were
well fed on ships in those days. He
was re-hired at every port, the crew
being tested by having the members
climb the ropes. He never failed tt
be signed as member Of the ships
company.
He followed the sea until shortly
before the Civil War broke out. By this
time he apparently had become a nat
uralized American citizen. He was
then Is years of age and with Other
sailors and soldiers was sent out from
New York to Fortress Monroe to as
sist in the capture of some enemy
men-of-war.
Enlists In Army
He enlisted in Company c, Ninety
ninth Regiment, New York Infantry