The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-09-01


last ten years, in the style Of modern Mount
Auburns, Greenwood Cemeteries. &C. j had
the curiosity, the other day, to take a regular
inventory Of all the tenements in. these two
dwelling places Of the dead. counted seven
hundred and ifty-nine graves in the ancient
burying ground, and sixty-four in the Genes
terry. Now, when we deduct from this silent
company Of sound sleepers the eighty or
ninety transient strangers who, from time to
time, have, unexpectedly encountered the
grim monster, in this town, while temporarily
sojouruing here, and therefore, not to be
enumerated in view Of our present object, We
find that the town shows for an entire CEN
fury, bill Of mortality that cannot muster
seven hundred and fifty. .ls-
But still more striking fact, in this con-
nection, is exhibited By the roll call Of death
in the Female Academy of this town, Out
of five thousand young ladies', who have been
educated in this institution in the sixty-two
years elapsing from its commencement in
1904, up to the present year, there have been,
from all causes, but twenty-one deaths, in
clud ng the, to them, unusually fatal year
1865, when, in that period alone, five deaths
took place in the institution from an epidemic
appearing among the pupils in the shape of
measles As that disease is peculiar to no re-
gion, and goeth where it listeth. among all
the habitations of man, striking down its vic
Tins Unfortunately and without regard to
locality, of course its advent here in that year
is not to be attributed to any local causes,
and therefore, not to be counted against the
peculiar and general healthfulness of the
town Even including the deaths from that
cause in 1866, we find that in the sixty-two
years referred to, the institution lost by death
but one pupil ont of five thousand in every
three years.
Discarding that year and its two hundred
pupils from the count and we shall find that
the average loss for the other sixty-one years
was only one pupil out of four thousand eight
hundred, for every three years and nine and
a half months,
Surely, there cannot be, | think, another
educational institution in the country, which
can exhibit such favorable statistics in this
respect. 'ta-
in rejecting on what conceive to be the
great deficiency of deaths in this town since
its foundation, and knowing that every hui
man being is destined to have an ending at
some day or other, could not account for
what consider the paucity of graves in the
cemeteries of the place, except on the theory,
(you know | am great on theories that
very considerable portion of this community
are, for some reason or other, overlooked and
forgotten by the great reaper, and are, there
fore, left to gradually dry up and be blown
away on windy days. In support of this
theory can state as fact, that l have seen
from time to time. moving about OF the
streets here several individuals of very aged
appearance, and most plainly in different
stages of dessication.
You know it is a firm belief entertained by
many in Norfolk that mules and old French
men disappear in this way. l have not yet
asked any questions here on the subject, but,
when / get time, intend to institute most
searching investigation ON this interesting,
and at present little known point, in the
natural history of man.
say when get time, Notwithstanding
the insinuation, which Just now heard you
throw out, that as | am up here on a rusti-
eating expedition. | ought therefore to have
an abundance of time on my hands. In re-
ply to this inl mutation | cannot truthfully
give you the Spanish beggar's answer to one
who wondered why so hearty and sound a
man should not 90 to work. and which
answer was, n
"Ah, Senior; if you only knew how lazy !
am"
| cannot, repeat, give this answer to you
simply because | am not lazy; for
does not every body in this town know that l
am intensely occupied every day in doing
great deal of nothing?
You yourself would be astonished if you
we're to personally witness the vast amount of
that kind of business which daily accomp-
lish; and can attribute my continuous abili-
ty and efforts in this direction, without feel
ing WEAKNESS or exhaustion, to the invigorat-
ing influences only of the air of this place,
In proof of these efforts, can | not cite the
execution of this very letter as an instance Of
my extraordinary industry in the line of
business referred to ? Of course can Do
you not see here piled up in these sheets, page
upon page of my manuscript, and what does
it all amount to-
Didn't hear you, just this moment whis-
per nothing to that devil there behind your
back who is calling for more copy9 Do you
not therefore, by that very whisper, acknow-
ledge my great industry in the line of busl-
ness referred to, and consequently BY lmpli-
cation, admit that l have no time to spare?
Of course you do; and thereby enable me tri-
to exclaim, in the words OF old
Euclid, "Quod erat demonstrandum."
When / sat down to indite this letter,
intended that it should embrace an account
of several interesting particulars connected
with this town, but perceiving that my letter
has already exceeded the limits which you
generally accord to single communication,
must therefore reserve for future epistle, to
be written in few days, what may have to
say farther respecting the affairs Of Salem;
and, in the meantime,
| remain yours, very truly,
LIE BAcHEIIER ITINERAlRE.
BoARp OF HEATH.-Tbe Sanitary Sinner