Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1893-04-15
THE SPAN OF LIFE.
Interesting Facts Cleaned from
Vital Statistics
Tho Throe-Score and Ton Mark OF tho
= Bible Is Frequently Overstepped
Long Distance Many
Centenarinns.


Whatever may have been the case in
past centuries the psalmist's span of
life, three-score years and ten, is
much exceeded by large numbers of
people, perhaps, in oil countries. It
has been ascertained by DR.. Ogle, who
is head OF the department of vital sta
tistics in the general register Office of
England, that out of 657, 900 males liv-
ing 1T 25 years of age .35, 900 die before
attaining 40 and 100000 die before
reaching G5. Tine expectation of rnale
life ut % is 35.68 years, or the age of 6i.
But forty-six out of 100 will not live to
that age. Centenarians are an excep-
tional class, but their number is much
greater than is suspected.
Recently there died in the southern
part of California, says the San Fran
cisco Call, IN Indian whose age was
computed from 130 to $50. In the east
there still lives the widow of n soldier
of the war of 1912 who is credited with
lis years. 1t may be assumed that
there are scores of people who have
passed their one hundrcdth year and
are still hale md we'll and anxious to
continue to grow DID," as venerable
member of the Rothschild family once
remarked to her doctor. Taking the
prepondcrancc Of our population rs q
factor, We ought to have n considerably
larger number of centenarians than the
United Kingdom.
Last year there were thirty-four per-
sons of the age of 100 and upward who
passed away in England, Scotland and
Ireland. The sexes were evenly divid-
ed-sevcntcen on each side. The
united ages of the :thirty-four give a
total of $50 years. One is said to have
been 100 years old, two 10, two 1OS,
three 106, three 105, three 104, ten 1o3,
one 102, six 10t and three 100. Out of
an obituary list advertised in q journal
containing T,T70 names no fewer than
1,151 had passed the age of 80.
1t is remarkable that many of the
ccntcnarians were in good health al
most to the day of their death. One
venerable lady owed her sudden de-
mise to a fall. Others could read with
ont spectaclcs. Not few had all their
wits about them nnd had very rctentive
memories, probably not about recent
occurrences, but about those of early
life. A few were bedriddrn, but others
could walk about as usual and even
work. A small proportion died in the
poorhousc, but did not 20 thero until
they had passed 100 years. The chill
dren of some are over so years. One Of
the group, only one, is described as
teetotalcr. lie eschcwed both beer and
tobacco. The whole of this venerable
band were born and reared before
temperance principles took shape us an
clcvating influence of domestic and So
cinl life. II SO minded they might have
been among the first to take the pledge.
In the days of their youth it was the
custom to drink immoderatcly at tho
table. But it is quite certain that
theee contenarians were innocent of
any abuse of either diet or drink.
Theirs must have been simple food,
easily digested.
They must also have had patient,
healthy work, with regular hours and
proper allowance of sleep. The ener-
getic spirits of this generation may be
inclined TO regard such life as vegeta-
tive, but in spite Of sneers it is wise to
regard it as making the best use of the
gift of life, prolong it to the utmost.
Those who burn tho candle at both
ends by excitement and indulgence do
not live, rs rule, half q century. Only
one of the thirty-four centenarians who
died in the United Kingdom last year
followed profession. He was clergy
man. d. ar.
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