1829 Thomas Livingston Celebrates his 85th Anniversary

Published Sept. 3, 1914 in Amsterdam, New York.
  
Thomas Livingston Tells How to Attain Ripe Old Age

Born in Scoharie, He Recalls Early History of This Section and 
Remembers Amsterdam in it's infancy --- Carpenter and Mason, He
Served Also in Journalism.

While not a resident of Amsterdam (NY), Thomas Livingston, of Windsor, 
Broome county, is a well known frequenter of the city streets during 
the summer months when he visits his daughter, Mrs. A. L. Broeffle,
of Spring street (nee his daughter, Emma Catharine Livingston).

Today Mr. Livingston is observing the 85th anniversary of his birth.

He was born September 3d, 1829 in the town of Schoharie, near the 
village, where he spent the first 16 years of his long life.  After
that time he went to Charleston to live, residing there for several 
years.

As was very commom in those days, as a young man, Mr. Livingston did 
farm work where he undoubtedly gained for himself a physique which 
has enabled him to withstand the burden of over four score years.

He lived in the Scotch Bush section for several years where he 
learned the carpenter's and mason's trade.  This has been his
occupation during life, after he left the farm, and many are the 
homesteads in the rural districts that owe their existence to Mr. 
Livingston's hammer and saw.

In 1855 the subject of this sketch went to the west, where he 
resided for 5 years.  In 1860 he returned to the home of his
young manhood, Scotch Bush.  Moving to the western part of the
state he became attached to the Susquehanna Journal of Susquehanna,
Pennsylvania, which paper he served for 15 years.

After his life as a journalist he removed to Broome county, where 
he has resided ever since. 

Mr. Livingston visited Amsterdam (NY) when it did not have even the 
appearance of a village.  As he remembers it, some 70 years ago,
our thriving and bustling city of today consisted of two or three 
buildings located on the corner of what are now East and West Main 
streets.

He has the recollection of attending a circus here in those days, 
the tents of the show being pitched in the neighborhood of the new 
Y.M.C.A. building on Division street.  That site was then considered
far removed from the seat of Amsterdam's business life.

In politics, Mr. Livingston is a staunch supporter of the G.O.P. 
of Lincoln and voted the first Republican ticket when that party 
was born.   He was then living in Illinois.

There are 29 young people who call Mr. Livingston "grandpa" and what 
is very unusual there are also 13 great-grandchildren.  To live the
Biblical three score years and ten, or even more, Mr. Livingston hands 
out this sage advice to all aspirants of old age: "Be a good Christian.
Lead a good Christian life and temperate life.  Leave liquor alone.
Have the utmost confidence in the Almightly in whose hands your 
destiny rests.   My life has been in his hands for 85 years and I 
choose to leave it there."

Mr. Livingston will return to his home in Broome county, where he 
resides with his oldest son (George), about the first of October.


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