EXTRAORDINARY LONGEVITY.

Inangahua Times, Issue 19, 30 September 1878, Page 2

EXTRAORDINARY LONGEVITY.

Another instance of extraordinary longovily is roportod from Spain, whoro a man is said to havo just dopartod this hfo at Iho ripo ago of 120 years; tho longost duration of human existence (if correctly roportod) that lms oceurrod sinco tho famous and perfcotly authenticated caso of •' Old Purr," who died at tho ago of HO. This Spanish pntrinroh is vopor'od to havo loft behind him 30a descendants of four generation;), Another onso of lon/; life-, pcrfootly nvtbeulieatoj, is reported from Donmark, over a century of tho history of that kingdom being sumniod up in tho lifo timo of Mr Johan Joseph Konge, n glass dealer aui outtor by trader, long recognised as ' Iho oldest inhabitant' of Copenhagen, who died thero on tho 21st March, at tho ago of 102 yours,. H days. Ho wns born on tho lOih Docombor, 1774; not early .enough to havo soon Queen Cnroliin* Matildn, boforo sho was convoyod to CVonborg Onsllo, atijl sont as an e.vilo to Colic, but still at a timo n-hen ho could as a boy, havo hoard from rjc-witnesscu tho roport of tho public o^ocutio-n of that Queen's unhappy favourite, the onco oil poworful Minister, Struonsee. Ho was n youth of 18 when Louis XVI was beheaded •, a man of 40 at tho liino of Watorloo, and tho downfall of Naj,o!oon I, Till ho was 100 years old Mr Kongo inanngod his business himself mid attended v his ■ shop, though ho had boon obliged some years previously, to givo up working al tho gluss-outtor's wheel. On tho 10th Dooombcr, 1871, ho received from Iho King a docoratiou, not for having livod ' so long but as an acknowledgement of an aotivo and houourablo lifo of no common length, even aftor having completed his contury tho old man was to bo Been crory day sitting at tho samn tublo in ouo of tho most frcqucntod onfes in Copenhagen, sipping his tumbler of toddy, and glanc* ing ovor tho papers, withored ani wrinlc* led as an ovor-lcopt winter apple, but with all hale and hoalthy with his mental power* unimpaired, and pcrfootly ablo to holp himself and oven to walk without tho help of a stick. His death, which was very sudden, was occasioned not by any daolino of strength but by a seroro ©old.