New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-10

Georgia rcports resident centenarian who mas
taken his moonshine whskey with daily regular
itv for sixty-fve years. and In the Plaquem'ne
parish another. still older by nearly lustrum
has inst died who was wholly without tipping
record never having crooked his elbow withih TIC
memory Of the oldest inhabitant Such cases are
rather confusing to students OF longevity anu
show that II may sometimes be attained py '"e
pursuance Of widely different habits. Inc 'fi'''"
Medical Association has recently Instituted some
Investigations regarding the effect of lquor-drihK-
ing upon the duration Of life. and thinks II mas
found out that Il tends to prolong IT, VI f,1'f
cases considered, divided into classes, includihs
moderate careless and Incorporate drinkers, the
first lived slxty-three. the second hfty-nine ana
the third ffty-seyen years, while the total aD-
stainers begged out at ffty-one 1t Is pointed
ont however that the abstinence or the latter
was probably due in many cases to inhrm heaith'
or some natural condition OF weakness, ana that
tho drinkers were likely to have inherited tough
constitutions and greater resisting power giving
them an advantage In the competition no matter
what their habits. 1t Is not PRETENDED tha' '"e9e
statistics are conclusive. or that alcohoi Is con-
slant promoter Of longevity, theory repuhea W
common experience and Observation Out ia'hei
tends to show that life has power OF haih'ai"-
ing Itself against injurious forces ana acco'''ho-
dat,ro itself in some degree to them The ar
sar,o-eaters ~ styria and the opium consumers or
China and the East live out their days, sometimes
with tiresome continuance, like the cehtehhiai
Georgia topper and the exsiccous Plaquemine Tee
totaler Statistics OF medical, as OF other socie-
ties. are sometimes quite misleading. aud the ad-
vocates OF temperance have no reason 70 De as
composed by those of the British association
II is time for the Defender and the Vgant
metaphoricaly speaking. to bury the natchet ana
vow to keep the peace henceforward.
President La Oranges experience at the "eau
of the Fire Department has convinced him OF
the value Of the Civil Service rules and regula-
tons He declares that they affect the Depart
ment favorably by bringing into its service a
better class Of men than would be secured WITH
out examinations He further declares that IN
.competent men cannot be forced into the De-
"nartment by political or any other influence
This Is. of course, precisely as 1t ought to De;
but what change 1t marks from the old regime,
when Tammany influence and Tammany pulls
were all in ALL
balloon tourney to the North Pole is not ex-
actIy a new idea, having been bruited by the
IMAGINATIVE aeronaut since the days OF Montgol-
fer and Zambeecari perhaps from those Of Van
belmont and Regiomontanus. But not much
stock has been taken in the plan except by the
airy excursionists themselves, and they have done
little except to affirm its feasibility and look
around for hackers. The Geographical Congress
recently in session in London declined TO IN
dorse or abet the scheme on this line Of NJ s. An
dree which was laid before 1t in full detail and IN
the success OF which it's originator signifed the
utmost confidence. but he has a strong supporter
in the King OF Sweden, whose dominions run
nearer 70 the North Pole than those Of most SOW
ereigns and he may annex it in case 1t is reached
under his auspices NJ. Andree's balloon Is ex-
pected to float for thirty days, and ne thinks IL
will be strange If IN that time some favoring cur
rent OF air is not found to watt him to his destina-
tion But there Is no chart Of the Arctic aerial
tides. and they might carry him anywhere. leav-
ing him quilted and wrecked in Siberian solitudes |
or southwark driven to plunge in the weedy |
wastes OF the Sargossa Sea. There Is no telling |
where his thirty day balloon might be driven, but |
1t seems as If there would be small chance or Its
return to the port of departure. However, II the
King OF Sweden is willing to foot the bill, there Is
nothing to be said against the experiment. III 1t |
fails II will not be the first or last effort OF Arctic
exploration to do so, and II haply NJ. Andree and |
his companions are dropped into Symmes's Hole |
and never heard OF again they can be registered |
among the martyrs Of science and geographical |
adventure, which is something to strive for. at |
least.