DUNEDIN CENTENARIAN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 3 January 1931, Page 3

DUNEDIN CENTENARIAN

WORKING AT 104 YEARS I OWN COOKING AND WASHING HEADING WITHOUT GLASSES Instances of people in various parts of New Zealand who have reached 100 years and upwards have been recorded to a somewhat surprising extent in the last few years, and now another one has been brought under notice. Mr Gustav Smith, of North-East Valley, Dunedin, has attained the age of 104 years. The “Otago Daily Times” publishes some interesting particulars obtained in the course of a call upon Mr Smith. The weather on the day selected for the visit was typical of what has been experienced in Dunedin generally lately —dull and cold enough to make the use of an overcoat quite tolerable for most people. The visitor got a surprise when he saw Mr Smith come to the gate at the side of his house in his shirt sleeves. The fact that he was not wearing a coat was not the only surprising feature of the meeting. His activity in walking and his healthy appearance in general at once attracted attention. He is a man of rather less than medium height and of light build. His moustache is certainly snow white, but his features generally bear little impress of the ravages of time and he would easily pass muster with most people who are 30 years younger. Another remarkable fact was that when Mr Smith was shown a newspaper clipping which interested him ho was able to read it without the aid of glasses. NEARLY FIFTY YEARS AT SEA Sir Smith stated that he was born in Spitzbergen, Norway, on 14th April, 1826, so that he is within four months of reaching the age of 105 years. _ After receiving a good education in his native country he developed a great fondness for a seafaring life, and, in opposition to the wishes of his father, who was a very wealthy man, he went to sea when he was 14 years old. “Many obstacles were put in my way,” said Mr Smith, “but I was so determined to get away

that 1 succeeded in achieving my object. 1 have never been homo since. Mr Smith., who followed the occupation of ship’s cook and steward, spent nearly 50 years at sea but eventually settled down to a life on land in Dunedin about 1888. In his younger days the conditions on board ship were nothing like what they are to-dav. and he had several experiences of the hard times that had to be put up with. One of his most exciting adventures was a collision in the Mediterranean, one of the vessels involved being an Italian ship. Desertion from a ship was not, altogether unknown in those days, and Mr Smith admits that ho ran away from both of the only two Nova Scotian ships on which he was employed. On one occasion Mr Smith was put in irons because there was a suspicion that he was going to run away, but he got away all the same. On another occasion lie “borrowed” a ship’s boat and sculled ashore in a heavy storm. The next morning the captain was after him but did not secure him. “He would have got a lot of money if he had got me back,” said Mr Smith. “I had to keep in close confinement in a hotel for a week in order to evade the captain, but eventually I succeeded in securing a passage on a ship which was going to San Francisco.”

STILL A POULTRY FARMER When ho was quite a lad Mr Smith read about New Zealand and he said to his mother then that he would visit the country some day. His wish was eventually gratified, but not until many long years had passed by. Mr Smith made his first acquaintance with New Zealand when he arrived in Wellington from Calcutta. A little later he went to Dunedin, and then to Central Otago, where he worked for a while for 3s 6d a day. He soon returned to Dunedin, however, and took up his residence in North-East Valley, where he has lived ever since, following the occupation of poultry farming, in which he is still engaged in a small way. At present, says Mr Smith, he rises at 4 a.m. and goes to bed at 8 p.m. regularly- With the exception of an attack of influenza within the last year or so he has never been sick in his life. He is a great believer in drinking plenty of cold water. Ho was married shortly after he arrived in Dunedin, but Mrs Smith died in 1928, on the day before her eightieth birthday. He has no family but apparently he is quite happy in

looking after himsolf, doing his own cooking and washing. As long as the light is good he can read print without the use of glasses. When the reporter took his departure Mr Smith was looking forward to keeping a business appointment in the city in the afternoon.