Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-03-18
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
Proor That the Attainment of Gentleman
amism is Not Impracticable.

aniSm IS NOT
1t has been asserted that nobody
ever lived to be hundred years Old,
reputcd centenarians having been
persons whose history was Obs ,nre,
and the date of whose birth could not
be verified. On the other hand. IL
crlchrated physician has made an ex-
t-n5ire investigation which proves that
the attainment of centenarianlsm is by
no means impracticable, not less than
seventy four persons being enumerated
who have unquestionably reached or
exceeded the age of hundred years.
Nothing, for instance, could be better
authenticated than the longevity of the
famous French savant, Chevreul, who
was more than hundred and two
years old when he died. In the case
of John Bayles, said to have been one
hundred and thirty years old when he
died i'll 1906, there is extant medical
description, with details, that satisfied
the observers of the correctness of the
reputed age. In 1875, Sir Duncan
Gibb recorded the case of great-aunt
of Mr.. Williams, who sat at the head
mas days, having beer married at the
age of fifteen. There is on the borders
of Siberia district where year seldom
passes in the course of which some
person does not die at the age of one
hundred and thirty. Then, again, from
official accounts of deaths in the Rus
sian empire in 1889, it appears that
igrht h,,r
eight persons whose ages ranged from
one hundred to one hundred and five;
one hun dred and thirty ranging from
one hundred and fifteen to one hundred
and twenty; and three from one hun
dred and fifty to one hundred and fifty
six. At Dantzic, one was said to have
lived to one hundred and eighty-four,
and in the next year, 1910, another
died in Wallachia at the last mentioned
age. In ancient times, also, there are
official records of centenariauism whose
accuracy it is not easy to impeach.
Among the distinguished persons
whose age there would be abundant
means Of verifying, may be mentioned
Fabius Maximus, who died centen-
ullulI, Iclculltt, luc NllS vi NlSClO, VIM
according to some, lived to be one
hundred and three, according to others,
one hundred and twelve; Claudia, the
wife of the Senator Aurelius, who died
at one hundred and fifteen. 1t is also
to be noted that on the tenth anniver-
5ary of the taking of the Bastile, Bona
parte, then first consul, received two
%
and six, and the other of one hundred
and seven years ; and that, in 1882,
Pietro Huel, who was then one hundred
and seventeen years old, and the only
Frenchman living who had seen Louis
XVI, assisted at the Inauguration of
the statue of the Grand Monarch.
The Protection of Aged Parents.
There is no more pathetic object in
life than an old, dependent person,
whose life is in shed; who lives from
day to day with no special purpose or
ambition to stimulate life; simply wait
ing for the grim messenger, whose GER
tain call is constantly expected by them.
Some people seem to think that the
sensibilities of such old people become
callous; that they are Indifferent to
Sights and inatteution; that they can
put up with inferior accommodations
and few comforts with much less incon-
venience than the younger members of
the family. But instead, [ think the
feeling of such ones becomes painfully
sensitive. Their dependent condition
is CALLING to the last degree. If they
10 not complain it is not from indilter-
ence, but because they know complaint
ing would be unavailing. The lessons
of patience they have learned in the
hard school OF life stand them in good
stead in this final trial. 1t lis not enough
that old persons must bear the painful
consciousness that life is about over;
that the once vigorous body has become
feeble and inactive; the quick mental
faculties darkened by cloud and the
physical beauty that charmed the eye
has withered at the touch of age? Is
it not enough that all this should he
borne, without being made to feel that
there is no welcome spot or willing care
for them in life? The protection OF
aged parents by their children is one OF
the beautiful and just claims of nature.
And the son or daughter who, through
greed and selfishness, refuses to bestow
such care when needed is an ungratcfu|
and unnatural exception in the human
family. Boston Transcript
An Interesting Question.
The London Spectator raises an inter.