James A. Wooten Celebrates
                                      93rd Birthday and Insists
                                      Long Life Due to Hard Work

	James A. Wooten who lives with his wife, 70, at Park Avenue and
Ninth streets, today celebrates his 93rd birthday and on tomorrow will
observe his 93rd Chirstmas.
	Born in Perry county, Ill., the son of Mr, and Mrs. George Washington
Wooten, the old Civil War veteran who has traveled all over the country,
settled in Missouri during the Civil War in time to enlist under General Logan
in the 51st Missouri Infantry and took part in several battles.
	" I was with Logan when Vicksburg surrendered," said Mr. Wooten. "
It was Logan who laid the plans to blow up Vicksburg and I was right there
when she blowed." I was in several skirmishes but never did get hurt much.
	" My father was in the war too, but he was not so lucky," Wooten
continued. " He was in the cavalry and during a charge an infantryman struck
a bayonet into his horse." " He was throwed and died when he was 54 years
old."
                                                    Many Jobs
	Mr. Wooten attributes his long life to hard work.
	" I have worked at most everything-cuting timber, farming, mining-in
fact I never stopped work and never had much time for anything else," he
said.
	Meanwhile Mrs. Wooten, his fourth wife, kept interrupting. ' He owes
it to work and belief in God. Glory to God.
	" How about that belief in God ?" the interviewer asked.
	" Well, I don't know so much about that," said Mr. Wooten. " I've
exposed myself a little. I always did chew and smoke." He was smoking a
corncob pipe while talking. " And I believe in God just the same. It was
mostly hard work."
	The interviewer asked Mr. Wooten just how it felt to celebrate his
ninty-third Christmas.
	" It's just fine, it's all right," he said. " But they were all about alike.
People gave Christmas gifts if they had them to give but for two years after
the Civil War there were not many presents.
	" I never killed a wild turkey or a deer in my life although there were
lots of them. I just did not have time. It was mostly work for me."
	Mr. Wooten says he has seven children living and three dead but does
not know where they all are and has no idea how many grandchildren or great-
grandchildren he has. But he and his wife take great pride that they own their
home, a comfortable, cosy, five-room, vine covered cottage in good repair,
and do not owe a cent in the world to anyone.
	" You bet we don't owe a cent to anyone, old man. Glory be to God!"
she called from the kitchen.
	Mr. Wooten draws A Civil War pension of $100 per month.
	" Have you drawn that ever since the Civil War?" he was asked.
	" No! No!" he replied. I got that when Hoover was in. He vetoed the
bill but congress passed it right back over his head."
	Mr. Wooten and his wife came to Poplar Bluff 21 years ago. Although
suffering to some extent from the infirmities of age, he is still in fairly good
health.
	" I expect to be here next Christmas," he said.
	" Glory to God!" called Mrs. Wooten from the kitchen.

 The Grand Army of The Republic Has James A. Wootens name among
the list of Civil war veterians, from "Deem's History of Butler County"


Thomas Wooten - untimely death

Melissa (Wooten) Wynn

Ruby (Wynn)Ledbetter Oldest Daughter of Melissa Wynn

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