A CENTENARIAN.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 470, 10 May 1890, Page 4

A CENTENARIAN.

HALF A CENTURY IN EACH HEMISPHERE. In these go-ahead days, when the years of man’s life seem to tend towards keeping well within the limit of three score and ten, anyone who has completed the cycle of a century becomes at onceanobjectofinteresband veneration. Such a one resides in O’Neilstreet, Ponsonby. It will be remembered that last August the fact was chronicled that Mr Scott had passed his hundrebh year. Hearing that the old gentleman was still—comparatively speaking—hearty, one of our staff visited him recently. He was found at the residence of his son, Mr Joseph Scott. The old man welcomed our reporter and shook hands, remarking as he did so that he felt old age beginning to press sorely upon him. He laughed heartily upon being told that if ever he meant to get old it was time to commence 1 when the century was passed. He said his eyes were causing him an amount of trouble, as they pained him so badly. A chat with Mr Scott and the members of his family elicited some facts of interest. It appears that the centenarian was born in Donegal, and has all his life been engaged in farming pursuits.

LANDING OF THE FRENCH. Mr Scott says that he remembers when a boy being taken by his grandfather to witness the landing of the French in Ireland. That was no doubt in 1798, during Lord Edward Fitzgerald’s rebellion, when a number of French landed in Donegal after the naval battle, on the 12bh of October, between Admiral Bona parte and Admiral Sir John Berlase Warren, which resulted in a victory for the latter. Or it may, perhaps, have been General Humbert's detachment of 1,000 French soldiers who landed at Kilala, and were subsequently made prisoners of war. Naturally, the old man’s memory is nob equal to being taxed as to the particulars. Of the fact, however, he is most positive. More than once Mr Scott has expressed regret that he did not enlist during the war with France, as he might then have been at Waterloo, and as he adds, “have drawn a good pension ever since.” Fate, however, ordained otherwise, and Mr Scott passed over to Scotland, and spent twelve years as a fireman in the Glasgow Gasworks. When asked if he remembered much about Glasgow, the old gentleman replied that he did not go about much, bub just attended to his work.

EMIGRATED TO NEW ZEALAND. After having spent over half a century in the Old Country, Mr Scott came out to Auckland in the §hip Jane Gifford in 1842. With him came his wife and seven children. Shortly after arriving in Auckland Mr Scott and his family went down to the Bay of Islands, where he settled on a farm. Here he remained during the whole of Hone Heke’s war. As the years rolled by the sons left the old house, and at length the old man retired from the farm and came up to Auckland to spend the evening of his days. Mr Scott has been twice married, and all his children are the offspring of the second marriage. Within the last few years the wife has passed over to the great majority, having attained the respectable age of 88 years. All the seven children are still living, after spending nearly half a century in the land of their adoption. The eldest son has now arrived at within two years of the allotted term of man’s life, and our reporter exchanged a few words with a grandson 41 years of age. Ten years ago last August, the second wife mentioned to a friend that her husband was 90 years of age that day, which corroborates Mr Scott’s own assertion that he has passed his hundredth year. The day 'after his last birthday a photograph was taken of the old man, and another picture was shown our reporter, on which were Mr Scott, his son, grandson, and great grandson. Considering his advanced years, the old man is remarkably hale in appearance. His eyes are still bright, and his hearing is scarcely impaired. He is able bo walk about the house, eats heartily, and dresses himself. In his early years, Mr Scott must have been a fine stalwart man, as he is even now a tall man. He appears to still possess all his faculties, with the exception that his memory is not quite vigorous. Until quite recently the old man has been in the habit of reading for himself, but now he has been compelled boforego this pleasure. Those who indulge in the use of the noxious weed will be glad to learn that the centenarian still enjoys his smoke, although, of course, those around cut up his tobacco and fill his pipe. Whisky-drinkers may also note the fact that the old man, although never known to be the worse for liquor, has still in his time religiously adhered to whisky whenever he has partaken of intoxicants. Latterly, however, Mr Scott has not drunk any spirits. His face is freshlooking for a man of his years, and his voice is by no means tremulous.

A LENGTHY CAREER. During his lifetime Mr Scott had been under three Kings and one Queen, starting with George the 111., continuing under George IV., William IV., and Queen Victoria. He was a boy of five when Lord Elphinstone took the Cape from the Dutch, and was eleven when the Union took place between Great Britain and Ireland. When the power of Napoleon was shattered at Waterloo Mr Scott was a young man, and had become an old man, ordinarily speaking, when the Crimean War broke out in 1854. “Auckland Star,” Mays.