WORKING AT 104

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 744, 4 July 1922, Page 5

WORKING AT 104

A woman of 104, -one of 93, and another who, though noft sure of her age,, knows that she is over 94 and believes that she is 96, are three of * the domestic employees att present working in <the Hoetl Manoir at BertWJer, Quebec. Contrary to expectation* 'tradition, and picture book stories, none of the three old ladies were sitting on; 'the verandah knitting with a stick at hand ready* to help them hobble into the house, when the reporter arrived to pay them a visit. The youngest of the three, Agnes Meboeuf, who is 93 years of age, was stooping over a itubi in the courtyard, cleaning a fowl, which she had finished plucking. Octavienne Belhumeur, who 'dunks her age is 96, was peeling potatoes with all. the of a, girl' of 21. A search through the hotdl d’d not reVeal Placide Desrosieres, who is 104 years old. She had been seen going out for a, little exercise and was found at the house of a frfcend about quarter of a mile away. She walked back to the hotel, scorning any help or support on the way, and covering the ground "alt by no means a slow'- pace. So well does she carry her 104 years that anyone might be excused for doubting her age. Two years ago she said she was 100 and several people in the locality disbelieved the statement. An argument grew, belts were made, and the priest at St. Cu'thbert. where she v'as born,, w-as appealed to. He searched thejrecords and found that she was not iOO but 102. That was two yeax'S ago. She is still in good health, has good sffeht, and periect hearing. Work seems \to be her chief interest in life, and if. is a regular matter with her to carry a pail of water upstairs and scrub Ithe floors. Madame Desrosieres remembers the Franco-Pi’ussian war of 1870, the cWjef event standing out in her mind being a feast of corncakes she attended to celebrate the termination of the wai\ She does not remember the day when she changed her name from Chaput to Desrosfcres, but it is now over 40 years since her husband died, and she laughingly 'fated in answer to a question that she had never thought of marrying again. She had 11 children, five of whom are still living. Three of them aie grandfathers to-day. Not only Rlacide Desrosieres whose first name is reality Marie* but * m -« V." - +wo ap-°d women as w r * 1 ran/ on their daily work unaided. Thev are all in full possession! of thenmental faculties: they wab, talk, hear, see, slkep, and e# m a manner nearly normal, and wonderfi' «v considering that their combined acts only seven years short o' - ' • M-idame Desrosieres, older - _ either of the other two i0,0, s the younget o ■ ; She 'laughs* when fashions the modem v/om* » thinking how thing- haduring her life-