Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-05-15
LENGTH OF LIFE.
Influence of Occupation on Mans
Longevity.
FARMERS REACH A RIPE OLD AGE.
In Some Countries Clergymen are the
Longest Lived-Telegraphep are the
Shortest Lived.

years of age, whose occupations were
specified in the registry of their dis
ease. The average at which they died
was fifty-one years. The number is so
great and the period covered is so long
that by the study of the classification
of the employment of those dead, we
can get very fair idea of the COM
parative ages at which men in different
occupations and in an ordinarily
healthy community are swept away by
death.
1t is noticeable that of all who died,
the cultivators of the earth attained
the highest average age, about sixty
five and half years, and they made
up one-ffth of the total number. We
all know why farmers as class, not
only in this but in all countries, should
live to ripe old age. They enjoy
good air and are free from many of the
cares that beset those living in cities.
to say nothing of the constant noise
and excitement which destroy the
nerves and rack the system. 1t is rarely
that a farmer dies before his hair is
gray. Farmers, as a rule. too, do not
to any degree indulge in alcoholic bev-
erages. One important fact must be
taken into consideration concerning the
farmer and his age, which is that the
weaklings of the farmers family do
not, as a rule, remain on the farm af-
ter attaining an age fitting them for
some pursuit. Such are sent to cities
j L. H. @.ol 40 I'D
only the strong and healthy ones who
are fitted for the work are retained
upon the farm.
The class next to the farmers in the
average of life is that class called
"actiye mechanics abroad" such as
brick makers. carpenters, masons. tan
ners, millwrights, Triggers, calkers,
skaters, and stone-cutters; but the aver
age age of the 1900 of those who died
in Massachusetts, during the period
mentioned, was much below that of
the farmers. 1t was only about fifty
two and three fourths years,-a little
over year more than the average age
of all the classes together. Of all
these outdoor trades, the ship carpen-
tiers showed the highest age-more
than fifty nine, and the skaters, who
pursue dangerous calling. the lowest
about forty. The average age of all
the others of these trades, except the
about fifty one, and above the average
of all the classes.
Next to the active mechanics abroad
come the professional men, whose aver
age age at death was over fifty-one.
OF this class the longest were the
judges and justices, proverbially cele
brated for their great age. They lived
on the average sixty-four years, and led
all the trades and professions except
that of the farmer, whose average was
over sixty-fve, and those denominated
as gentlemen, who averaged sixty-eight
the highest average age attained by
any of the classes The deaths in only
six different occupations were at an age
on an average above sixty. They were
% the gentlemen, sixty eight; az the
farmers, sixty-fve; (3) the judges,
sixty-four; (4) the lighthouse keepers,
sixty three; (5) the basket.makers,
sixty -one; and co. the pilots, sixty.
In some countries clergymen are the
longest lived; but in Massachusetts
they fell below all these classes, the
average age of the 1000 of them who
died during the thirty-four years being
only little over fifty-nine. OF the
professional men, those set down as
students died at the earliest age, the
average being only about twenty three;
then came the professors, well over
fifty-seven years; then the lawyers,
fifty-six years; then the physicians,
over fifty-five years; public officers,
fifty-five. Sheriffs, constables, and
policemen died at the avearge age of
fifty three, while editors and reporters
were gathered into the tomb before
they had completed their forty seventh
year. The lives of comedians were
also short, hardly reaching thirty-nine
years ON the average, and dentists were
cut down at the average age of forty
two. The artists also died early, their
average being forty-four years. The
musicians lived only to forty-two, and
the teachers died at about the same age.
The merchants, fnanciers, agents,
and clerks came next after the profess
sional men; and one of the classes in
cluded under this head, that of gentle
men, exceeded all others in its average.
over sixty-eight years. The bankers.
who lived on the average to more than
fifty nine years, were the longest-lived
of this class, and then came bank
officers, nearly fifty-six; merchants,
over fifty-four; booksellers, about fifty
three; manufacturers, fifty-two; and
innkeepers and brokers, fifty years.
The shortest lived of this class were the
telegraphers, who died at the average
age of twenty eight Clerks and book
keepers also died early, at the age of
thirty six. Railroad agents and con.
ductors departed this life on the average
at about forty years, and druggists and
apothecaries at forty-two, while saloon
and restaurant keepers were put to final