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Show OLDEST MAN IN WORLD Just Dead in Kentucky l'A'.l Years Old. Eli jah Bledsoe, colored, probably proba-bly tho oldest man in the world, died at llarrodsbnrg, Ky., Nov. 17. lie claimed to be 133 years of age, and there is hardly a doubt that he was as old as stated. Capt. P. I!. Thompson, who is 87, and J. IT. Stagg, aged 85, say that when they wore little tots Eli jah was an old man. lie could recount many incidents of the war of 1812 which he could not have known in any way but by observation. When Lafayette visited llarrodsbnrg in 1824 Uncle Lige took him some water for his ablutions and was presented with some silver by the noted Frenchman, lie also met the crafty Aaron Burr when he left the paradaisical retreat of Blennerhas-sett Blennerhas-sett and came here. He often stated sta-ted that he was charmed with Lafayette, La-fayette, hut disliked Burr on general gen-eral principles. In 1820 Elijah's master flitted him against another negro whose master was snmmerinrr at Crab Orchard Springs. Tho race was for a distance of 30 miles. The master mas-ter whose darkey was swiftest was to tret both nee-roes. Elijah made the run in four hours. 1 1 is rival fell dead on the road, half way between be-tween the two points. Until a few days before he died Elijah earned a living by making and selling shuck mats. It is said that he was married thirteen times and was the father of seventy-four children, lie was born in Virginia. |