TURKISH DIE-HARDS.

Shannon News, 4 January 1927, Page 3

TURKISH DIE-HARDS.

A NEW JOB AT 150. The cables state that Zaro has ;■ a competitor in the race for the world's ,} longevity record in Teku Agha who. .'{ when he appeared to give evidence in a "..- court case, gave his ag-. as 147, which '" has since been verified. He is healthy, '* has full use of his mental faculties, and easily recalls events of 135 years ago. '• Zaro Agha is reputed to be 350 years 'j old. A year ago he gleefully accepted^—i an offer from the Constantinople authorities to join the staff of guards at one of the Imperial palaces, but he lost this position and secured another as beadle ro the Stamoul Council. While carrying out these duties he fell ill, a novel ,; experience for him and he could not account for it. "My head is all in a whirl," he said. "I do not know/ what's wrong. It must be a change in the weather." Zaro Agha does not eat meat or bread. He has one meal daily, , Avith milk, plenty ot ( sugar and small cakes. Agha has be?n married eleven times. His present wife is aged 30. The only member of his family living is t son, aged 93, who thinks he is too old to earn a livelihood, an opinion with which Agha is disgusted. Zaro Agha is called the world's oldest inhabitant.