UNCLE JOHN PHIPPS;
HIS 1O0TH BIRTHDAY
Uncle John M. Phipps Will Celebrate
His 100th Birthday Tomorrow—To Be initiated In Elks
(By Merze Marvin)
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Almost everybody in this corner of the state knows Uncle John M. Phipps who lives between Farragut and Shenandoah, and has for many .years enjoyed distinction as the patriarch of the community. Almost everybody hereabouts has been awaiting with interest the celebration of his hundredth birthday, which will take place tomorrow. In fact, if you have not, on numerous occasions in the past, seen this white haired old man stepping briskly past on the street, or perchance driving his old white horse, and exclaimed to your less observant companion, "There, goes Uncle John Phipps! He'll be one hundred years old in February," it is because you are a stranger in Shenandoah.
And every time you have seen him you probably paused a minute unconsciously to speculate upon the remarkable history of a man who has lived a hundred years, and then, thinking of your own numerous ailments, you said to yourself, "Gee Whiz! How did he ever do it?" Uncle John himself will tell you that he has used very little medicine, has lived much in the open air and has never used tobacco, liquor, or opiates. To this abstinance from harmful habits, Mr Phipps attributes in a large measure, his great span of life. He believes in the efficacy of cold water as a curative, and all his life long has been accustomed to bathe his feet in water, fresh and cold from the well, and in winter, in the chilly snow water. To cure his rheumatism he used to cut a hole in the ice and swing his feet in the icy water underneath.
John Phipps and his twin brother, Eli, who died a little more than a year ago at his Oklahoma home, were born in Washington county,Va, away back in 1812, Feb., 14th, which was prior to the declaration of war against England, and prior to a whole lot of big events that most of us considered ancient history when we studied our history books at school. He left Virginia when he was seventeen and came to the west. He first came to Iowa in 1836. He lived for a time in Nebraska and Missouri, and then came back to Iowa and settled on a farm near Farragut, where he has resided for more than thirty years.
Phipps was one of a family of ten children, two girls and eight boys, of which he is the only surviving member. His father was Scotch and his mother English. At the time of his earliest recollection New York City was very small. There were no railroads and very few wagons. Most of of the freight was carried on horse-back. There were no schools. The young Phipps received their education from the bible, Pikes arithmetic and the speller. Even the whites were very illiterate. Only about one
out of every twenty could read or write. All news came by letters, which were transported at a cost of 25 cents postage each.
Uncle John Phipps has many thrilling recollections of childhood scenes back in old Virginia. Slavery was in its prime in that distant day. Slaves were imported and shipped to the southland as horses are now. Negroes were imported to Virginia and set to work in the mills. Later, when they were becoming civilized they were sent South, down into South Carolina, Georgia and Louisianna to work on the cane plantations. Many atrocities were committed by these uncivilized negroes even to the killing and eating of two white children on one occasion. The law required the execution of a bond before a foreign negro could be imported. When
young Phipps was about fifteen years
of age, Virginia passed a law prohibiting the importing of negroes. Many
Virginia traders raised negroes for
the southern market. A good negro,
twenty years old, capable of taking
an overseer's position, sold for about
$1,000. A good woman twenty years
old brought about $500. Boys of fifteen years were worth from $300 to
$500. Girls of fifteen were valued at
$250. The Mulattoes brought higher
prices. A good man was worth $1000
to $1500, and a woman $700 to $1000.
There were few legal marriages
among the negroes. The traders
were very unscrupulous, and treated
their slaves as mere animals. They
frequently sent their own children to
the southern market.
Sometimes a slave would make a break for the mountains, but capture was almost certain. The captors were paid liberal rewards, and the slaves were severely punished. On the large plantations there was a regular negro whipper. A whipper also furnished by the county. The culprit was tied hand and foot, and the whip, which was of cow hide, was wielded vigorously. The punishment varied from ten to seventy-five lashes according to the severity of the crime and the state of the master's temper. Sometimes a negro was whipped to death before his owner's rage was appeased. When only twelve years old young Phipps saw a slave whipped to death, and the scene has never faded from his memory. Sometimes the negro criminals were executed by hanging by the county as a warning to others.
John Phipps was married in Decatur county Feb., 27, 1842, to Miss Mary E. Long, who was a sister to O. S. Long's father. They had ten children, but only four are now living. One son Matthew, lives in Oklahoma and is very prosperous, A. S. resides on the home farm near Farragut, one daughter, Mrs. Gardner, lives in Decatur county, the other daughter, Mrs Mary Winfrey, in Richardson, Neb. He has eighteen grandchildren and forty-two grandchildren, and is proud of them all.
In Missouri, uncle John Phipps lived near the James boys, and the Younger brothers, and knew them well. The James boys, Frank and
Jesse, lived only fifteen miles away. Their raids and depradations began after Phipps moved north to Iowa.
Just before the war, Mr. Phipps says he owned 1200 acres of land east of Kansas City, and was living there when the war began. He found it impossible to live there without joining the army, on one side or the other, and not wishing to ally himself with either side, he packed up what goods he could haul with two teams and drove up to Harrison county, this state, where he staid until the war ended. A part of his land he fooled away, he said, and then traded 500 acres to Jim Kaster for 320 acres near Farragut, where he has since resided.
Mr. Phipp's fame was spread broadcast through the land some years ago, when the Chicago and other metropolitan dailies devoted considerable space to, the story of his life and sought to prove that he was the father of John D. Rockafeller. In the history of the Standard Oil company, Miss Ida M. Tarbell stated that William Rockerfeller, father of John D., was living under an alias near a small town in the middle west. Clues pointed to the Shenandoah vicinity, and star reporters for the metropolitan dailies hit the trail to Shenandoah, believing Uncle John Phipps to be the man. They sought him at all hours of the day and night, and even routed him out of bed before daylight to answer their questions. They were unable to prove their desired story. Uncle John, however, is a great admirer of John D., and emphatically states that were he the father of the illustrious magnate, he would have the best son in the world.
Uncle John Phipps is an uncle by marriage of O. S. Long, of this city, and is an occasional visitor at the Long home. Several years ago Mrs. Long looked up from her work in the store, and then rose and extended her hand to the approaching visitor. "Hello, Uncle John" said she, and invited him down to the house. He accepted the invitation, made a call or two, and then left for Farragut. A few days later Mr. and Mrs. Long were invited to the Phipps home for dinner. When they entered the dining room two "Uncle Johns" as like as two peas in a pod, greeted her astonished gaze. Her visitor of a few days before had been Uncle John's twin brother, Eli, from Oklahoma, whom she had never before seen. He died at his home in Oklahoma last year, upwards of ninty-nine years of age.
The relations are gathering home to celebrate the birthday of this famous old centenarian. At the family reunion, Wednesday, his children will all be present, and most of his grandchildren. Several nephews and nieces, children of his brother, Eli, will come from Oklahoma. Uncle John looks forward to the occasion with as much glee as a little lad in his first trousers. After the big family dinner, at the A. S. Phipps home, there will be an informal reception, and the neighbors and friends may call between 2 and 5 in the afternoon.
On Thursday Afternoon, Uncle John is to be initiated in the Elks lodge at Shenandoah, following the dedication of their new building. Thereafter the greeting "How do you do, Uucle John" must be changed to "Hello Bill." A few weeks ago, the centenarian made a trip to Shenandoah, and was shown through the Elk's Club House, and expressed great pleasure over the honor about to be conferred upon him.
[Sentinel Post, Shenandoah, Iowa, Feb 13, 1912]