Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-07-07

tian Examiner for the current month contains
very valuable paper on The Material Con-
dition Of the People of Massachusetts" from
which we compile the following statements,
The article occupies forty pages, and goes
over wide range of topics. The figures are
connected with shrewd observations and
quaint comments, that relieves the details of
the dizziness usual in such papers. The arti-
Gle contains an immense amount of digested
information. and reminds us somewhat of
Sydney Smiths manner of condensing quar-
tos into pamphlets, and relieving the tedium
of facts and figures by tart, indignant, or hu-
morous comments on what they teach. 1t is
an admirable article; indeed, one of that
class of papers which should be g. in every
family in the land but which, by some ia.
tality, fail in reaching more than few. We
trust that In Massachusetts, at least, it will
be extensively read and deeply pondered.
Ut the one million, one hundred and thirty
two thousand, three hundred and sixty. nine
persons in Massachusetts on the LIST of June,
1866. one million. one hundred and TWENTY
| two thousand, four hundred and srxtv- three
| were of the Caucasian race nine thousand,
seven hundred and seventy-six were of the
| African race; and one hundred and thirty
nine were red men of the whole only six
were of unmixed Indian blood. There are
1
men in the State. 3l.69 per cent. of the
whole population are of the dependent age"
from birth to fifteen 6l9l per cent. are of
the productive ags," from fifteen to sixty
and $40 per cent. Of the s'retiring age"
from sixty to the end. Out of Que hundred
persons in Massachusetts, thirty-two are I'M
der fifteen; sixty-two between fifteen and
sixty; six are over threescore.
In looking at the occupations of the peo-
pie we find that about forty one thousand
men work upon leather, either in manufac-
turing the article or moulding it into various
forms. There are one thousand eight hun
bred doctors; one thousand seven hundred
and fifty ministers, Of large anG small denom-
nations; one thousand, five hundred and
forty-hve printers; one thousand five hum
dred and eighty-four coopers; one thousand,
one hundred and sixteen lawyers; and one
thousand and eighty peddlers. Out of one
| hundred males over fifteen years old, three
work in factories; five are sailors; nine are
traders; seventeen are farmers; eighteen are
| laborers; and thirty-seven are mechanics, of
whom twelve work upon leather; every eighth
man in the State is a shoemaker
In 1856 there were twelve thousand, two
hundred and sixty-fve couples married in
Massachusetts,. The number is one thousand
four hundred and eighteen less than that of
1868. The3writer asks, is marriage diminish
ing in Massachusetts He adds, "the ex-
iravagant habits of luxurious men and wo-
men, put marriage out of the reach of many,
vanity prevailing over affection. As founces
increase in number and greater in size, wives
diminish and lessen. A woman becomes an
article of luxury"
In regard to age at the time of marriage,
the writer says, sat twenty the maiden has
escaped about one.fourth part of the risks Of
being married, but sailing is now dangerous;
at twenty-five little more than two-thrds of
the peril is gone; while at thirty there is only
about one chance in six that she will ever en-
counter that shipwreck."
Out of two hundred babies born here, about
one hundred and three are boys and ninety
seven girls this rule seems to be nearly con-
slant in our State.
In the seven years from 1850 to 1856 there
were but thirteen thousand, one hundred and
eghty-two children born in Suffolk county
to American fathers; while the foreign faith
ers rejoiced in the paternity of twenty.six
thousand, nine hundred and twenty. four
children. In one case, three Irish children
rushed at one birth into the land of promise.
Not long since true Hlbernian birth took
| place-a woman was delivered of twins, one
| Of whom was born in 1866, and the other in
| 1856. This. we take it, could happen only
in the case that both parents were Irish
Some parts of Boston are more fertile than
others. Thus, in 1866, in Ward East Bos.
ton) there was one birth for every twenty-one
persons while in Ward there was one
birth to sixty-three persons. In Ward eve
/ ~ eleventh female bore a child that year. In
| the whole city there was one birth TO 27.48
| persons. The birth Of colored children was
only one in z4.40; in 1867. it was but one in
sixty-fve. This comparative sterility Of coll
ored women in Boston is a remarkable fact
Is the climate too severe for these children of
| the tropics, or is the cause found in the aban-
| doned life Of many colored women
I, The returns show that women attain a
| greater age than men. The native males
| live ten years more than foreign males, and
their sisters from abroad. After giving o ia.
bic showing the relations Of occupations to
longevity, it is stated that
at is now quite clear that in all civilized
countries the average life Of man is lengthen-
ing yet II may be doubtful whether cases Of
extreme longevity are on the increase. We
have never found any well authenticated
case OF man reaching his two hundredth
year"
Farmers, cooperS, and lawyers show the
greatest average age at death, while painters,
machinists and printers show the lowest aver !.
age. Farmers die az sixty-four shoemakers
at forty-three; printers at thirty.nix. 80
thirty-six farmers will live as long as forty
three shoemakers or sixty.four printers. -
Boston Transcript.