Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-17

day. spend seven months of the year in
the country and five in the city. I don't
worry TO any great extent. I am Trini-
tartan Christian, and 1 believe every word
that is between the lids of the Bible. 1 be-
lieve it to be the word of God Almighty,
and don't think it isn't true lust because ]
cannot understand it"
II don't think you can lay out any rule Of
life which will produce longevity. What i:
one mans drink is another mans poison
and we inherit our bodies and souls from
our ancestors. The best looking man may
have the seed of disease lurking within the
finest physique, and a sickness like that Of
the grip, something which cannot be seen,
will take him off like fash.
Two Aged and Remarkable Brothers.
81 heard a most curious incident related
concerning trial in the Superior Court al
Philadelphia about so years ago. Two old
men were among the witnesses. The hail
of both was as white as snow, but theil
skins were clear, their ewes were bright, and
their steps steady. The Judge on the
bench, who was student of longevity,
asked the first of these how old he was. He
replied that he was SO. He then asked him
as to his habits, and the old man repliei
that he had been a smoker all his life and
he had enough money to become intoxicated.
He said he was in good physical condition
and that he knew no reason for his long life.
The second witness then took the stand, and
the Judge, in the course of the examination,
put the same questions to him. He replied
that he was just two years younger than the
other witness, who was his brother, but that
he had never used tobacco in any form and
had never touched drop of liquor in his
life.
"Now here were two men, the offsprings
of the same father and mother, who had
both lived to this age under such totally
different conditions. 1t might be that the
drinking and smoking would have killed the
younger man. The coincidence proves
nothing and goes to show that, after all, old
age is more matter of constitution than of
habit. "
Noted Expressions From Noted Men.
During the past few months 1 have re-
ceived a number of letters on longevity from
some of the bright old men away from Wash
ington. l can only give some of the more
brief REPLIES in this letter. Ny first is from
General Jubal A. Early. He is now "a years
old, but he says he sees no particular reasons
for being in the excellent health that he is.
My letter from him comes from Lynchburg,
Va, and is as follows:
''SIR-My life has been such variegated
one that cannot say to what 1 owe the
preservation Of my health, unless it be to a
naturally strong constitution. l have no
fixed habits of work, exercise, sleep or diet.
As to the effect that marriage may have on
the length of life / am unable to give any
opinion from experience, as have never ex-
perimented in that line. You must, there.
fore, look to some other quarter for the in
formation you are seeking, Respectfully,
~. A. EARLY"
Another rather unsatisfactory note comes
to me from Mr.. Porter, who was until few
years ago President of Yale College He
graduated at Yale when Andrew jackson
was President, and he is now past four score
He has been one of the leading scholars and
hardest workers of the country for more than
two generations, and now he is as healthy as
a child, with the exception that he is unable
to write. The following was penned in a
cramped hand, and it is Interesting:
A Letter From Noah Porter.
stMY DEAR SIR-It will be impossible
for me to comply with your REQUEST.
Although free from the disabilities of old
age, am disabled from using nv ben with
comfort or freedom. 1 feel hampered and
annoyed by this vexatious limitation, but L
am obliged to submit, and I must therefore
ask you to accept my excuse, and allow me
to subscribe myself, yours truly,
NOAH PORTER -
One of the brightest members of Congress
80 years ago was the Hon. Harvey Waiter
son, and one of the brightest old young men
have ever met is this same Mr. Harvey NJ.
watterson 'to-day. He is thoroughly up
with the times, and is as young in his
thoughts and actions to-day as he was when
President Harrison's grandfather was in the