The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-07-03
Live Old Men.

1t is not little remarkable that the men
now busy at the horseshoe table in the
Berlin congress, somewhat presnmptuously
trying to make new map OF Europe for the
next generation, are all old men. Prince
Gortschakof was born In 1900, Lord
Reaconsfield in 1905, and Prince Bismarck in
1918. The youngest OF the three is 90, the
next 73, and the oldest rs. Thus all had
their birth within the present century and
although Bismarck owes to a stormy youth
and TO brandy an inconvenient cutaneous
disease and an irritable temper, and Dis
raeli's bodily condition is verv feeble, and
GortschakOf leans heavily on his cane and
stands with one foot, as it were, in the grave,
each and all are in full, active possession of
their extraordinary mental faculties. The
emperor OF Germany was born in 1897, and,
in his SD year, he is now, despite the
wounds recently inflicted on him by the as
sassin MODELLING, stronger, physically, than
either of the trio of eminent statesmen just
named.
The late Plus IX died this year at the age
OF Sc and his successor, Leo MIL, is but Is.
Lord Lyndnurst was born at Il Jston. Mass,
In 1T72, and lived to be 81. Lord Brougham
was born in 1779, and lived to be 81. Lord
Lansdowne was 80 when he died, and the
late Earl Russell was Sc. Guizot sS7, and
Theirs was 80 Count de WaIdeck. French
artist and archeologst died in 1876 at the
age of 101 All these old men were very
much alive almost up to their last breath.
So were Lord Brougham, who died at 80, and
Lord Palmerston, at 81. So are John Bright
at 81. and Mr.. Gladstone, who writes about
old Homer, and discusses domestic and for
eign politics, and cuts down trees as Justify
as ever, at "A.
So, too, were Charles Carroll, of Carrollton.
a signer of the American declaration of in
dependence, who lived to be o. and four
presidents of the continental congress-John
Jay, "a; Thomas Mexican, 81; Elias Boudi-
not, 81, and Arthur st. CLAIR, 81. The first
chief magistrate of our republic, George
Washington, died when be was but 6S. Five
other presidents of the United States lived
to be so or more-John Adams, dying in his
cd year; Thomas Jefferson at SO; James
Madison at So; John Quincy Adams when
almost 81. and Martin Van Buren, at so
Six more lived until past 70-James Monroe
who died in his I'D year; Andrew Jackson
at 7S; John Tyler, at "A; Milliard Fillmore,
at "A, and James Buchanan at II. Stephen
Girard died at 81, and John Jacob Astor at
So Chief Justice Marshall lived to so, and
Chief Justice fancy to 81, both far be-
yond the juvenile Judge Sutherland who
according 10 ex-Mayor Hall, ought already
to have retired from the bench on
account of his age, which nobody would
have guessed. Charles 0'Conor is "a George
Bancroft and Caleb Cushing are each 10
Simon Cameron, at so, is still deemed not
safe against the wiles of Widow Oliver
Thurlow Weed is 81. Peter Cooper is as
amiably visionary in politics and as active in
benefcence as ever at the age of 81. The
death of William Cullen Bryant, victim of
sunstroke, is now being every where mourned
as premature, even at 81. Richard Henry
Dana, the poet, who first introduced to the
public the author of '"ThanatOpsis" more
than go years ago. survives him at the age of
OF 81. Walt Whitman, the good gray poet"
Notwithstanding his venerable appearance,
the result not of years, but of his patriotic
toll in taking care of sick and wounded SOL
diers during the late war, is only So Oliver
Wendell Holmes is 50. Whittier and Long
fellow are each Il. Emerson is 20. Victor
Hugo is as. Charles flames Matthews is rs.
Blackstone is rs. Carlyle is SO.
III il were mot indlscreet to say anything
about the ages OF women numerous Instances
of longevity, at least equally striking as
those which precede might be cited. II will
suffice TO allude to the well attested case of
the countess of Desmond, in Ireland. who
reached her 10th year, and is said to have
renewed her teeth in extreme old age and
that OF Susan Edmonds, who, in the 95th
year OF her age had her hair change to black
and again become gray previous TO her death.
at 100 Similar mysterious changes in the
color OF the hair ar sometimes remarked
nowadays with much younger women
without adding to the many ungallant
editorial coEjectures as to the age of Miss
Anthony, the subject may be dismissed with
the consolatory scientific deductions from
statistics relating to 1t, that according to
Button, from 80 to 100 years may be allowed
as the natural life of man; that according to
Hauter, mans extreme limit of life might
be not less than two centuries; and, finally,
that according to DR.. Sweetser, the average
duration of human life has In no time, of
which we have authentic knowledge,
reached so high figure a. at the present day.