Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-01-15

NAL proportion per thousand, with
fluctuations in other countries not differ
ing very widely from these figures. The
start that the male population gets IN
this way Is, to some extent, redressed by
the higher mortality OF male infants,
which is almost universal. When we
turn to marriage we fad that the mum.
Der of bridegrooms (proportionate to
the population) is appreciaoly greater
than the number OF brides, something
like Gao per 1000 OF the male lnhabit.
ants OF England being married as
against sac females. In France the pro-
portions are 6o3 and 542, In Scotland
5S7 and ASS While 1t is a tribute to
the domestic character of Englishmen,
or the superior attractions OF English
women, to find that there are a larger
number OF married men in England
than in 49, ''"r country; the number
OF me- IA in England is greater
tina e. ,...S.> else With the exception
OF France.
The average duration OF marriages is
stated to be 80 years in Russia, ~ years
in England, and less than this IN every
other country whose statistics in this
respect have been collected. The
record for long durations of marriages
is apparently held by Aggerhus, in Nor
way, where an enumeration OF the in.
habtanis showed that 100 couples had
been married for over SO years Some
people seem so fond OF married life
that they have legally contracted mar.
rage several times; one man, who died
| at Bordeaux, aged 121, was married no
fewer than 10 times; while a Scotchwo.
man, who died at the advanced age OF
1906 had survived thirteen husbands.
The medium age at which women mar
ry is about &c in England, ~ in Prussia
and Norway, IS in Belgium, Holland,
and Sweden, aud as low as 81 in Russia.
Out o! every 1000 who marry for the
first time, Ie are over fifty in England,
while only nine in Scotland exceed that
age. Russia is prominent III its liking
for younger brides, since only six out OF
1000 exceed the age of so and no fewer
than 573 per 1000 marry before
reaching the age of 30. We do
not find mentioned the greatest
age at which woman has married for
the first time, and we are not quite sure,
even If record existed, that its accur-
acy could be entirely relied upon. We
have at least one record oil bridegroom
who completed, not indeed his first, but
his tenth marriage, at the age OF So, and
attained the very respectable age OF no.
1t seems 10 be well established that
men only attain to the utmost extremes
of longevity, although more women
than men become old. 1t would almost
seem that for the first half OF mans
life, an active, even a iatiguing, life is
conductive TO length OF years, provided
that IL be followed by life that is peace
full and uniform. No instance is on rec
ord Of an idler having attained to a
remarkable age Charles Babhage, the
celebrated inventor OF the calculating
machine, made the collection OF the re
CORDS Of 1851 centenarians, OF whom
1878 died before reaching the age OF
Ito; $3.50 died between the ages OF no
aud I26; 90 between 100 and I3o; 81 be-
tween the ages OF 1870 and $40; and the
remaining II before reaching the age OF
1850. The chances OF surviving beyond
$50 are extremely remote, although a
few cases are recorded, three OF them
even being credited with having passed
the age OF 100, but too much reliance
must not be placed upon such state
ments. Some statistics complied about
generation ago show that out of 10000
persons buried in London, SO had
reached to 90 and to 100 years. In Eng
land, generally, SO were nonagenarians
and 4 passed their century; while in
Cornwall 1877 lived to be more than go,
and exceeded the 100 years; and Wales
recorded All whose age was more than
90 years and - centenarians; So that
Cornwall and Wales are evidently the
locality of the ancient Britons.