Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1883-12-07
PAST AND PRESENT.

lhere Is o good zeal OF harmless pratt
tie about the superior health, the
strength and the wisdom Of our great
grandfathers and great-grapdmothcrs.
1t is common thing to hear old people,
who ought to have better sense, talking
about the good old times and the higher
mental and physical ability Of those who
lived long ago. While we have grea;
respect for the old folks, living and
dead, We must not shut our eyes 10 Ii.
reality. The truth is that people liz,
longer now than ever they did. I'll,
medical profession knows more now thai
ever it did; and we could put into tln
field to-day bigger army Of centena
rians than our grandfathers could in ID
good old days when they were yo'inr
Moreover, old people now are muci
more vigorous than the old people q:
times past. Our people are growini
larger and stronger. 1t Is not so yer,
many years since the American Soma'.
was slight, delicate creature; now sl,-
is tall and portly. The numbers OF
singularly-tall and well-proportiqne,i
young men and women to be seen IN the
streets Of New York to-day astonisli tn,
old fellows who remember the boys and
girls Of forty GRITTY years ago. Som,
persons imagine that this, increase il
size is confined to the children Of ou'
foreign-born citizens; but this is n great
mistake for the increased growth /
general. Certainly the mixture Of race
may have something to do with it, but
whatever may be the cause, it is FAC
plainly to be seen by any observer. V
The greatest known feats Of plysic
strength AMI endurance are recorded t,
the credit Of the young men of this age
and, indeed, it Is hardly too much to as
| sert that the greatest runners, the great
est walkers, the greatest jumpers, tin
greatest swimmers, the greatest oars
men, the greatest weight filters, th'
greatest gymnasts, the greatest boxers
the greatest fencers and the heavies
men that ever lived are among the livin!
Of to-day. There seems to be univer
sal increase in the growth Of humanity
The height, the chest measurement ant
the weight Of the soldiers Of the i'm
mense armies OF Europe Of the presen
time are at least as great as they wer
among the picked men Of the mucl
smaller European armies Of fifty year
past, clearly showing that the ayerag
man of to-day is as big and US strong a
the picked man of long ago. The fac
stares us in the face that the grown.u
/ sons and daughters Of the old people Q
| this country are, as q rule, bigger an
stronger than their fathers and mother
we're. An ordinary -sized Englishma
finds considerable difficulty In squeezin
4 himself into the armor Of one Of til
Norman conquerors of his country; Blu
| what could one Of our Western farmer
do with lie Certainly he could pick
up and look at it, but that is all. "a
| We have great respect for the memor
of our grandiathers and great-grandfi
theirs, as well as for our grandmothel
and great-grandmothers, but we canne
afford to delude ourselves with ideas an
notions that facts and figures set aside
People are Inclined to overestimate tn
measure Of wisdom and ability of til
grand old fellows Of days gone by. It
an amiable fault. but still q fault; b'
cause the truth is not o. Nei0 70,
Sun.
~ p II 80 49, u