Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1900-03-08
About Longevity

/
with more profit as facts are used
for data. The editor Of a Boston
paper, unread in theory, sent blanks
to men and women Of eighty years
and more, iDquiging as to habits.
state of eyes, teeth, hes1ing, and
the like, getting over, $500 replies,
and if in these there h nothing to
refute the assertions of the theor-
lists, there is yet not anything to
sustain them.
They ate meat, save in a few
cases, adlib., and though none of
them, if we take their own word
for it, have drunk freely Of spirits,
all, or nearly all, have taken of
them on occasion. These old peo-
pie are from cities, towns, agricnl-
tural and maritime districts, in
nearly all cases leading active lives,
eating three meals a day, the din
ner being, as is the custom in Eng
land, in the middle of the day, and
very hearty. Curously enough,
though the women are of medium
height, the men are mostly tall,
above the average and so greatly
do blue and grey eyes prevail that
other shades are notable exceptions.
Badness is rare, the hair be usual
ly brown and thick, but the teeth
are very poor and entirely gone.
The report says
"These people, men aud women
alike, are early risers almost with
out exception, and nineteen out of
twenty have observed this custom
through life, except, in some short
period Of youth. -" Exercise
has been hard mp to slxtYtve or
seventy years, and after hat period
has consisted (when the regular oc-
cupation has been given up) Of walk
ing or gardening, or both. Except
in cases OF sickness, these people
are as active and as fond OF con-
slant occupation Of some sort to-
day as most men and women are at
thirty.fve. One Of the most sig
niieant facts gathered in this can
vsss is that regarding occupation.
0ut Of 900 men, throughout life,
461 have been farmers % have
been carpenters 20 shoemakers Al
manufacturers 20 clergymen 20
masons 16 blaeksmiths lG bank
ers ~ each iron workers, mill
hands. physicians and lawyers land
the rest are divided among nearly
all other trades and professions.
Eight hundred out Of twelve hum
OF the women have been farmers
wives, and all but about fifty of the
remainder have been housewives"
Tea and coffee drinking was in
dulged in by fully two.thirds Of the
5000, with some Of them to excess
and OF the men; nearly all have
smoked and chewed tobacco, the
amount daily consumed by some
having been enormous.
Their cares were a. heavy as those
which come to most Of the human
family, their work not less arduous.
Most OF them led lives which some
might call monotonous, yet with
occasional excitement to them as
great as the intenser kinds to those
more used to it.
Summing up all that the compli-
err has set down from the answers
sent to his questions, we find that
= !, sIal - Fegular ID their habits,
plenty to occupy their hands
kpds and getting plenty Of
nghis seems to be at least
sntity in the solution Of
56lem of long life. Men like
with plenty Of work and fresh
e able to eat and smoke, even
point we would call excess,
nut injury, and even to drink
es with no evil resulting. 1t
BE- of sedentary habits, who do
abor and get little exercise or
pair, who must be the most
].