The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1884-12-04

Curious Calculations In Regard to the
Limits of Human Life.
Nean York Sun.

4
at is a hard thing to tell when the
last soldier of the civil war will die,
the old actuary said. I'VE do not know
the number of men WHO enlisted, or
what portion of them died, and without
this it would be impossible to form an
exact estimate. The last signer of the
Declaration of Independence, Charles
Carroll, of CarrOlltOn, survived that
event 60 years; the last Brigadier Gen
eral of the Revolutionary war died in
1924; and the last Major General, the
Marquis Lafayette, in 1893. Follow
ing this Analogy, we may say that it is
probable that none of he general Off
GERS will be living at later date than
1916, and none of the members of CCIi-
gress at the beginning of the war, or
who were in previous Congresses, in
1918. These men, however, did not
reach the extreme limits Of human life,
and Lafayette was the 0Rly one who
was very young when he entered the
army. 1t ! commonly estimated by
the Insurance companies that life ends
at hundred years of age, and several
of the tables contain no estimate over
ninety-five. DR.. Thomas, the editor of
Notes and Queries, and other scientific
men, assert that cases Of persons reach
ing 100 years are very rare, and that
nearly all of those who claim TO have
attained that longevity are either de-
ceiVed or are deceiving others. Such
was the case of Capt. Lahrbash, an old
gentleman who posed in New York
society for q number of years as hdg-
ing been an old man at the battle of
Waterloo, but who was in reality not
far from 80 when he died. We have,
however, a number of well-authentica-
ted cases of persons reaching round
century. Sampson 5. Flowers, grad
uate of Harvard College In the last cen
tury, and who afterward became Chief
Justice of Nova Scotia, was beyond
this limit; Dr. HolyOke, who also grad
uated from that college and two others
were each 100 years old. These, be-
lieve, were all who have lived TO be so
old out of the total number Of gradu-
ates since the beginning Of that insti-
tuition, perhaps 1900. The Rev. Daniel
Waldo, who preached in this State dur
ing the late war, went to Yale College
before the Revolution, and the last two
pensioners of the struggle for independ-
ence died in 1866, each aged 102. | viii
assume, therefore, that the age of 100
is well sustained. In the latest United
states census 335 persons are enumer-
ated as 100 years of are or more, aud
7O4 as being more than 90. The ques-
ton then becomes that of how old the
Youngest men were pr the close of the
war, and how long they will live after
ward. Recruiting began in 1861, and
was continued in 1852, 1863 and 1864.
II -, IN,
comparatively insignificant, and was
stopped in April. A very large increase
was, however, made in 1854, and among
the recruits were a large number of
those who were really boys, and had
only reached Is and Is. Among them
will probably be found the survivors.
They were born in 1S49 and If they
complete their century will die in 1919,
or IS years from now. 1t may possibly
be that one or two shall survive till
1850 or 1851, the latter date being Is
years after the cessation Of hostilities.
There will, of course, be several hun
dreds living between 1910 and 1913.
"If | assume, for calculations sake,
that there were living in ordinary
health at the close of the war, Federal
and Confederate included, 2,942, 900 SOL
diers, they win not have diminished to
one-half until 1904, to One-quarter till
1913, to one-tenth till 1920. Estimating
the average age of the survivors in
1855 at 2S, they win be 81 in 1904. 10 in
1918, and SO in 1920. Ii we assume that
the average age of the veterans in 1865
was %, the following would represent
the number living at each period Of five
years, as well as a few other points: