"James Dandy is a Century Old"
Very few people have the distinction of living 100 years, but this distinction comes to James Dandy of the Adna district, who will celebrate his 100th birthday anniversary next Tuesday, September 25. In spite of his years, Mr. Dandy is as spry as most men around 60, can see and hear well, converse clearly, and demonstrates on occasions that he has plenty of "pep."
On the occasion of a recent visit to the pretty country home of Mr. and Mrs. John W. McCutcheon, seven miles west of Chehalis, near Adna, a sprightly, erect gentleman of the old school extended greetings at the gate. He wore a neat suit of gray, with cap to match. His grizzled hair and neatly trimmed short beard added distinction to his general appearance. His greeting was most courteous, his step spry and his manner most cordial. From his general appearance and general demeanor one could hardly believe that the man who met the company at the gate had lived to the ripe age of 100 years. The man was James Dandy, father of Mrs. McCutcheon. Mr. Dandy was born at Hawkesbury, Ontario, September 25, 1828. For the past seven years he has made his home in Lewis county at the home of his daughter. Previous to coming to the Pacific Northwest, Mr. Dandy lived from 1828 to 1885 at and near Hawkesbury. For 35 years he was postmaster at Medora. Eleven years ago he came to the northwest and for some time made his home at Kamloops, B. C., following the death of his wife.
Mr. Dandy has two daughters, Mrs. McCutcheon of route 1, Chehalis, and Mrs. Edith Esther Jarvis of LaJolla, Calif. A son, William Dandy, lives near Eugene, Ore.; two other sons, John Ferguson Dandy and James Dandy, at Abbotsford, B. C. A brother, Samuel Dandy, aged 88, lives at Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Mr. Dandy is of Irish parentage, his father being John Dandy of county Caven, in the northern part of Ireland. Ancestors on the father's side are said to have migrated to the British Isles with King William from Holland. On the mother's side Mr. Dandy's ancestry is of Scotch descent.
Mr. Dandy is a member of the Episcopal church. During his lifetime which is now nearing the century mark, he has never smoked to any great extent, having discarded a clay pipe which he had begun to enjoy shortly after he had noted the tendency while just a young man. He decided that when he had come to grow fond of the pipe it would be a good time to forsake it and he has never since taken to tobacco in any form. Jokingly, Mr. Dandy says that he has never used more than a gallon of intoxicating liquor in his life. Mrs. McCutcheon says that a single quart would cover the extent of his drinking.
Another feature of Mr. Dandy's daily life which he greatly enjoys is his regular meals. He avers that he never misses one and he relishes his food on all occasions. During the daytime he enjoys walks about the place and finds much pleasure in reading and visiting with his friends. A good argument finds him always ready to go and he holds his own with his son-in-law, Mr. McCutcheon and his daughter, both of whom are well equipped in scholarly attainments, each having formerly been engaged in teaching.
Mr. Dandy relates a highly interesting story of having received a letter some years ago from a William Dandy of Glasgow, Scotland, it developing later that the man was a distant relative in the cousin class. A Washington apple grower at Wenatchee uses a label on his apple boxes, which he calls the "Jim Dandy" brand. A box of these apples with this label found its way to Scotland, where it fell under the eyes of William Dandy. Knowing that he had a relative in America somewhere by the name of Jim Dandy, William Dandy wrote a letter that found its way to Wenatchee to the apple grower. The latter had never heard of anybody named Jim Dandy, but gave the story to the local press. Later a daughter of State Insurance Commissioner H. O. Fishback at her home near Walla Walla clipped the item and sent it to Mrs. McCutcheon, she having met Mr. Dandy while visiting the Fishback home near the McCutcheon's at Adna. Mr. Dandy replied to William Dandy with the result that some highly interesting correspondence followed and James Dandy learned a lot about a number of relatives of whom he had never heard before.
This week Mr. Dandy enjoyed many visits with friends, and comported himself like the youngster he is, in a visit to the Chehalis air field, and hobnobbing with the air pilots there.
What changes and history have passed through his span of life!
Source: The Chehalis Bee-Nugget, 21 Sep 1928.
Transcribed by Diana Smith. She has no further information on this individual.
[Editor's note: according to the Washington State Death Records, James Dandy died in Adna, Lewis Co., WA on 23 Jul 1930, age 101.]