The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-11
What Is a Man Worth?

MOI now mucn money or properly ne
has accumulated, but his parts, his
body's members, legs, arms, fingers
and toes. You will not find them in
the quotations of the markets, for, as
yet, men are not selling them, although
they are getting prices for them where
they have been deprived Of them with
out their assent. Nor is their value
as yet accurately determined, as the
great f1uctuation in prices paid attests.
But this industry, if such it may be
termed, Is only of recent origin, and,
owing to the excessive supply and the
restricted demand, complicated with
the widely divergent views of owners
and buyers, it is not strange that pric 8
vary so widely. In fact, the industry
is coincident in its beginning with the
advent Of the railway. 1t is one Of
the by-products of those enterprises,
but one that Is counted among the
economies of railway operation. In
stead of producing income. 1t begets
outgo, and quite a formidable source
of it.
When a railway agent sells a ticket
to a passenger, he makes his company
tance designated on the pasteboard.
But the law writes into that contract
the stipulation that the COM
pany shall carry it's passenger safely
to his destination, excepting only dis
asters caused by the act of God or the
negligence of the traveller. Railways
not being automatic, having to employ
man, the ever fallible factor, accidents
result from the negligence Of employees,
and some one or more passengers lose
a limb or get otherwise injured. Hence,
out of the suits brought for breach Of
the express and implied contracts,
come these valuations of the various
members Of the bodies Of men, and
hence the possible coming Of the time
when leg or arm will have as definite
and fixed a value in this state, at least,
as a persons life now has if it is taken.
That is put by legislative enactment
at $1,000, regardless of conditions that
might make it greater or less. From
list of the many recent valuations fixed
by either judges or juries found in the
Philadelphia Times, we get the follow
ing interesting figures: Ten thousand
dollars Is about top-notch for leg,
although q New Jersey jury recently
valued one at the rousing figure Of
$4,000. Another jury priced a brake
mans leg at $4,000, which was REGARDED
even by the involuntary purchaser as
rock-bottom price, especially as two
toes of the remaining foot were thrown
in as lagniappe. A set Of toes for one
foot has been priced at $1,000.
A thumb and finger Of the right hand
have been adjudged worth $500, while
only $4,000 was the estimated value
OF whole hand, and, even more in
consistently, the supreme court Of
Texas holds an entire arm to be worth
no more than $4,000 The value of one
eye has been placed at $1,000, and the
same amount was deemed the equiva
lent Of an ear. The eccentricity of this
novel market is shown in the award
of $4,000 for the breakage of three ribs
A thigh bone has a fancy value, S15,
600 having been the value put on one,
while the mere injury to lungs has
been appraised at $1,000. AS might be
expected from this price paid for the
invisible parts of the structure, other
portions equally obscure come to get
priced, and $4,000 was recently given
for damage done to nervous system.
From this partial array Of valuations
and by applying a fair average Of the
quotations to the entire vendible por-
tons Of the body, the conclusion is
reached that the aggregate value Of a
person, taken in detail, is $152,000 But
as the market is new one and the
conditions as yet far from an equi-
librium, we would not advise any one
to attempt to close out his possessions
to any railway or other corporation
with the expectation Of realizing that
amount.