Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-13
DOES MENTAL ACTIVITY sHOKTEN
LIFE.

Some Examples Oitsd from Literature, Sci
enoe, the Church, Etc.
To the Editor of the Gazette.
In q conversation not long since, the
question was sprung concerning the effect
Of intense mental labor upon longevity.
The general impression WAS that it short
ened life, and that history would prove
the assertion. Investigation reveals the
following, which encourages US to use
our brains to the utmost:
In the field of literature George Ban
croft is still writing on his history at the
age Of eighty seven, and retains the full
vigor OF bis talents. Whittier is eighty
anu still composing, Lowell is sixty-elght,
o. W. Holmes seVenty-eight, and stands
at the head of American authors. TennY-
son is sixty-eight, and last year pro-
duced one OF his best prices. Browning
is preparing complete list Of his works
at seventy-fve. Upper believe is still
living at the age Of seventy-seven, which
is remarkable when we consider his
"Proverbisl Philosophy" Ranke the
historian of the Papacy was living short
time since and writing at the age Of
ninety-two. Richard Henry Dana died
at the age OF 80, Bryant at 81, Chambers
at SO, G P. Marshall at 80. George Tick
nor at 80, Carlyle at sc, HAlleck at II,
and Longfellow st IS. james Wat on
Webb lived to be 80, John Payne
Collier died at "a, ThurloW Weed was
nearly So, Bennett to be II, and Henry
C. Carey died at Sc. Chevslier, the
Economist, died at 70, Hayward at 80,
Walter Savage Lsndor at SO, Grote at ~,
Sir Henry Holland at So, Littre at 80,
Charles K might at SO, Samuel Lover at
II, and Victor Hugo at "a. But Dickens
died at So, Thsckeray at 50, while Kings
ley lived to be Sc.
Passing to the church we find the same
remarkable list Of figures. Mr.. Beecher
reached the sge Of 70. DR.. McCosh is rs,
DR.. Pussy lived to be 80, John of Tusm,
Archbishop McHale, SOC lied, died at
80, Cumming at Il; james Freeman
Clark at II, Lyman Beecher at 88, and
GaVAzzi, the eloquent anti Catholic ora
tor, We believe, is still living at 7S Car
dinal Newman is Sc, Cardinal Manning
| rs, and the vigorous Archdeacon Denison
still lives, we believe, at 50. Father
Beckx administered the effairs OF the
great Jesuit order at 81; DolIiuger, the
head Of the once formidable Old Catholic
movement, was living not long since
st 81, and Father Curci
Is 81. Among philanthropists
and reformers the venerable Sir Moses
! MontefOre WIS living not long since OF
the age Of 100, Lo,d Shsftesbury is IS,
Garrison died at 70, Cough at 60, Robert
Dsle Owen at rs, George Peabody at "a,
and Lydia Maria Child ct II.
In the department of diplomacy for
midable list could be prepared. Glad
stone is 70. Mignet died ct So, Isaac
Cremieux st So, Guiz0t st II, LAmsrtine
st 70, Emperor Willism, now dead, at
nearly 81, Bismarck is 70, Beust his rival
rs, GortschGkoff died after attaining the
age of 81, Kossuth was living in his 81 h
year, Palmerston died st 81, Earl
Russell at Sc, Grevy is by some
authorities Is, while Theirs was en-
gagged in the srduous duties of an cleo
toral campaign when he died at the age
of so. Garibaldi died sged 10, Espsrtero
st 81, Lersnno at "A. OF our own states
men, Thadeus Stevens died st IS, EVrett
st II, ReVerdy Johnson at 20, Seward st
IL, Seymour at rs, and John A. Dix at 81.
Jefferson Davis is 10, Cameron was living
in his seth year; Caleb Gushing died at
| 70, Preston Blair at So, Buchanan at II,
Cl&Se 81 90, anu w AQe hI 20,
In the sciences, CheVreul, the French
chemist was living in his ninety-ninth
year. M. de Lssseps still lives at eighty
one. Oven is eigaty-three; Tyndall,
sixty-seven. Darwin died at seventy
three; Babbage lived to be seventy-nine,
and FaradsY to be seventV-six. John
Ericsson, inventor of the iron-clad Moni-
tor, died at eighty three; j. W. Draper
at seventy-one; Agassiz at si1'y-six;
while Joseph Henry and Samuel F. b
Morse each reached the age Of eighty
one.
In the studio, Miessonier is seventy
four, and Ruskin is sixty-eight and Story
the same age. George Cruikshank, the
clever and cranky, died st eighty-siX;
seventY-one; John Linnell lived to be
ninety, while Hiram Powers died at sixty
eight.
On the stage, Ben Webster died at
eighty five; Macready at eighty; Buck
stone at seventy seven; Samuel Phelps at
seventy-four; Charles Kean died st sixty
seven, and his wife at seventy -four;
Fanny Kemble Is seventy Eight; Baron
Taylor died at ninety, snd Francis Maria
Kelly st ninety-two. Kitty Stephens
lived to be lightweight; Mario seventy
eight. and Anna Bishop, seventy.
| Out of the almost countless number that
could be given from the commercial
world only few will be given: Cornelius
Vanderbilt lived to be eighty three, A. T.
Steward died at seventy-four, Peter Coop
er, distinguished as an inventor and phi
lsnthropist, died at ninety-two, and Cyrus
W. Field, the protector in part and the
solver of ocesn telegraphy, lived to be
sixty-fiVe, and Ezra Cornell TO be sixty
seven.
These figures are of interest only TO
show to what age the lesders in thought
and action hsve attained. And we c1n
regard with allowance the old maxim,
"The active mind rarely burns to the
socket; the good die young" W. NJ.
Fort Worth, March 8, 1888.
NWy--n