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Foreign News
April 21, 1909
The Wenatchee Daily World
Wenatchee, Chelan County, Washington
What is this article about?
London's famous 250-year-old tortoise Methuselah at the zoo was reported dead but is believed to be in a trance. Observers expect him to wake up eventually, as his hibernation started late last fall.
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TORTOISE IN A TRANCE
Is 250 Years Old, but Death Report is Denied
London was shocked by a report that Methuselah was dead. Inquiries from many sources disclosed that he was probably not dead, but in a trance.
The Daily News correspondent finds that the trance theory is held by the best posted observers, and that, therefore, no funeral or burial service will take place yet. Methuselah is the oldest citizen of London, his last birthday anniversary being the 250th he has celebrated. He is the chief tortoise in the zoo, and has been an object of curiosity since the time of Cromwell. Washington Irving may have fed him with smoking tobacco and made him foam in 1806. and Longfellow may have delighted Methuselah's soul with cabbage stalks in 1842. Methuselah draws the line at all young things. His only intimate companion is a callow tortoise of 200 years. There are plenty of elephants, parrots, pikes and rhinoceri about the armor-plated veteran, any one of which may run up to 100 or so, but Methuselah cuts them as insufferably immature. He went to sleep tardily last fall, well on in November, instead of September, as usual. He is the last riser anyway, and his keeper thinks that one of these days he will wake up. His heart does not appear to beat, but that seems to be a small affair with Methuselah.
Is 250 Years Old, but Death Report is Denied
London was shocked by a report that Methuselah was dead. Inquiries from many sources disclosed that he was probably not dead, but in a trance.
The Daily News correspondent finds that the trance theory is held by the best posted observers, and that, therefore, no funeral or burial service will take place yet. Methuselah is the oldest citizen of London, his last birthday anniversary being the 250th he has celebrated. He is the chief tortoise in the zoo, and has been an object of curiosity since the time of Cromwell. Washington Irving may have fed him with smoking tobacco and made him foam in 1806. and Longfellow may have delighted Methuselah's soul with cabbage stalks in 1842. Methuselah draws the line at all young things. His only intimate companion is a callow tortoise of 200 years. There are plenty of elephants, parrots, pikes and rhinoceri about the armor-plated veteran, any one of which may run up to 100 or so, but Methuselah cuts them as insufferably immature. He went to sleep tardily last fall, well on in November, instead of September, as usual. He is the last riser anyway, and his keeper thinks that one of these days he will wake up. His heart does not appear to beat, but that seems to be a small affair with Methuselah.
What sub-type of article is it?
Zoo Curiosity
Animal News
What keywords are associated?
Methuselah Tortoise
London Zoo
Trance State
Hibernation
Historical Animal
What entities or persons were involved?
Methuselah
Where did it happen?
London
Foreign News Details
Primary Location
London
Event Date
Last Fall
Key Persons
Methuselah
Outcome
not dead, in trance; expected to wake up
Event Details
Report of death denied; tortoise believed in trance after late hibernation in November instead of September. Oldest zoo tortoise, 250 years, companion 200 years old.