The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-09
TIE LENGTH or III U4K IN LIFE.
Intcrcsting Facts.

DIR. Edward Jarvis continues in tho Atlantic
Monthly for December his Instructive papers OH
"rhc Increase Of Human Life" with special at
icnton TO the aneoru;ion wrought by the pro-
gress Of the arts III the condition of workiilgnlcl
The facts he prcsents-sonc Of them new, but
| most OF them long fauiliar in other connections
| have peculiar Interest III the point or view from
Which lie considers them. as airording substan-
tial and cheering answer to the question, .What
| is Civilization ~
The hardest work human hands used 10 do, he
shows, Is non done mainly hy machinery. Labor
Is more productive, ana Is therefore better re-
warled. Less than three hundred years ara y
good mechanic in England had 10 work more
| than nine days 10 earn a bushei OF wheat. Two
hundred and nfiy years ago he could earn 1t in
liillc more than 1--WE days; ana ifty years ago in
:! fraction more Than one day. But in the United
States, III the summer Of 1865, such Il man earned
bushel Of wheat IN half a day. Thus the me-
quarts OF wheat III ljGg, now produces sixty -four
quarts, eighteen times as much.
The difference rcckuncd In clothing is al least as
great. Two hundred years ago, II mechanic could
earn seventeen cents dizzy IN silver money, and
Tie coarseSt shirt cost slNty-two cents, or three
food, the Improvement is, OF course, greater still
such food having been rare luxury among day
lnbOrers and even mccaanics, until quite recent
times.
The following comparison. which AR. Jarvis
draws between "the good old iiines OF Queen
Bess,r as tradition calls them, and tile present,
Is very suggestive:
"In the days Of Queen Elizabeth. the pride or
English history, when national prosperity and
personal comfort were supposed TO have attained
their highest point, the average wages OF good
mechanics were nve shiilings, about ono dollar
and twenty-five cents, u week. Wheat Was then
1865 TO 1599-nvc shings and ten pence per
hushei: tile mechanic could then earn u bushel OF
wheas IN seven days, coarse linen tdowlas) shirt
| la live days and Il half, \ common waistcoat in
seven days and four-Riths, u pair or strong shoes
In eight days AMI four-Ientiis n stun gsMn for
his wife In seven days and four-hfths, Il linSey
woolsey petticoat In five days and two
| 1flhs, u check apron in two days and Il half a
pair OF shoes in four days and half, and pair OF
stockings In one day ana four.hfths. Compar-
Ing these wages OF the workman with the cost or
Clothing AMI other ohtainablc necessarics si iife
IL Is elSy to see how small, an amount OF the COM
forts they could obtain, how mcagre must have
been the sustenance Ol their families, antl how
slight IN opportunity they enjoyed OF developing
sound constitution and Of sustaining them
selves against the causes OF disease AT the pre-
sent time good mechanic earns three or fOur
times the cost OF his honr. and has three or four
times rs large propo ttonate surplus for the sup
port OF his family, or for investment for future
nse; aud labor In al. lts varied FORMS receives
much larger reward In sustcnance, in comfort, IN
means or health and yigor, at the present, than
was paid In any OF the former ages OF the world. :,
These chalges have had an almost inconcer-
able effect on the character and life OF the pco
pie. There are fewer adventures, fewer pau
pers, fewer criminals. There Is less sickness not
only because of better knowledge OF the laws Of
health bu, because well-fcd population resists
disease OF every kind, when ono that Is poorly fed
would lie swept away by It, Moreover, abuii-
and the kindly influences Of home life and of soce-
ty. The power OF brute force and OF selfish Gull
ning has diminished. Sen;!liveness and s!mpa-
Thy with others suffering have grown, and have
destroyed or driven into dSrepuIe the passion for
brutal shows. The awful fanIincs and widc.wast-
Ing pestilcnces Of The middle ages have become
impossible. The value of human life and that OF
human enjoyment, rs they are now esteemed, are
truly modern ideas in the general mind.