GRANNY GORTON'S BIRTHDAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2151, 16 May 1895, Page 16

GRANNY GORTON'S BIRTHDAY.

Saturday, January 21, was a great day fn Cenerftl Village, in the S^ate of Connecticut, in An:er'c». On that day Mrs Jonathan Gorton was 100 years old and formally received her i friende, of whom hundreds were prfs-nt. Bhd wora her best bsack silk gown, ni f h a losointho bodice. The venerable lady was-ieatwd in a comfortable arincbaic on » platform in tho fce^fc room of her hou»<?. Tnen the train of callers fi'ed through, each and all shaking hands with her. "G-anny Gorton," aa »he is called", ia a trim litfcla bedy, ax<l sexy nimble on her feet. ! Thee© w.g tit"<or an.slb.Ulg a.iJe-1 hei? 7 auo aayr, ! aud, except that har eyeeight isn't g uile si> gcod as ifc uted to be, sho is &s active as any womaa of 50. Why has Granny Gorton Kved so, long? Why ia sho $0 active now ? She fot» out the secret henelf whtn she BftV"» "There was never anything ailed me." That'n ifc, acd all of it. People who Jive 100 years are not ko very rsro. Th« deivtbs of 45 such wrre revorfcsil lt»st year in England— 22 m-n and 23 women. Yet, compare! to tbe multitudes who die, tbese are nothing— nothing. Can we not keep things from ailing v.«, and so live as long as Mrs Gorton ? Yes, if we wi'l take the trouble to do it ! 1 Men and women 100 years old, still vigorous and ckar-hoaded, thotild bo a- sight co common as not to bereonrlctfJ, and will bo yet in (me future. Why not so naw ? •• Ask yourse'f the question," as the bcatmen s»y down on Deal beach. Herb's how it is : a woman's tale. She cays »ho fell ill when a girl of fcbout 15. She lost her appetite, had paibs in the rides and cheat, fiequent headaches, and was often obl?g«;d to lie dO7>n on the couch and i\s!>. All this didn't promise long life, did it ? No ; it was a bad start. Well, shß got wors? instead of fceUer. She wag often sick, vcmitirg her f- od, and spitting up a sour fluid. For five jeara she went on thio way. Thia britgj ua lo October 188 L She w&s then in service as parlourmaid at Lraniington EUatiDgj, Warwickshire. Here eho suffered from constant sickness, retcbinaf, aud heartburn. The chest pains were so bad as bo bend h*r double. No pesitien that al:e could take relievtd her. Her stomach wta so tender aud aorß th*t everything she ato peiued and distressed her. For months and months she only took liquid food — milk and beaten c gg?, and so on. She go!; weaker and weaker every d»y, ho »he says. Of courso; to.? cl.c could ib be? A doctor at It'i^by told her fh<! bad " ulceralion of the cbeat," which she oidu't ab all. What is " ulceration of the < hest " ? He g&vo her me dicines and advice, baf; »ha grew no better on that account. Th"w young lady was now about 20 years old, witk a jjooc oullcok fer ever bring much older. She didn't expect it, ncr did her friaicU. Then acother doctor, being cor suited, laid "ulcyration of tfc cLcsV like his imdical brother a 5 Rugby. Both yrvong. "After six months' medical tceat.uent," ste say», " I gave up my situation and returned to my home at Buxtoa Lamas, Norfolk. This was in Juno, 1882. Then I was tiben so bid I had to tako to noy b.d. Hy mother thought I was in a decline." Now, the word "decline" moans consumption, as we all know ; a disease common in Eug« land, and incurable everywhere. Thousands of. bright girls and young nun " decline" into theic gr&vea every jear in tbis populous island. Sad enough it is to see. Well, at tbis point her good and wise mother iule; fered in her daughter* case. She gave the doctors tbe gc-by and sent to Norwich for acme bottles of Mother Soigel's Curative Syrnp. In two weeks the youi>g p&tiect bejan to feel better, and in three mouths the got a newsiUUtion and went to work. "Since then, 15 years ago," she says, "I have kept in better heßlth Uun evev before in my life, thauks to S-igcl'fl Syrap. Yrurs truly («sigued), (Mr>) Sarah Ei.iavor Baiceh, 8 King's Btreet, Church Road, Tottenham, near London, September 30, 1692." Adi zen words more and we're done. Mrfl Bilker's ailment was indige^t'on and dyspepsi»» nothing else, and quite enough. The " u!ceraticn " was inflammation of the inner coaticg ol the stomach, a symptom of the disease. Wa wish her a long and huppy life, and merely add that if all her sex could avoid or cure this one trouble most of them might live to be us old «S Granny Gorton,

The shop of Mrs Swallow, at Kaitangata, was burnt down last Saturday morning. Insurances : £100 in the National on the bmldrog^ and £200 on the stock and furniture m tha Qommtrcial Union. Mr W. Shore owned the PI Mr' 3 David Collins, one of the U.S.B. Company's chief fctswards, and at present relieving on the Manapouri, h»9 been appointed caxefc steward and secretary of tiiQ Wellington Wow> ing Men's Club*