New-York tribune., 1900-03-01
LONGEVITY THEIR HOBBY.
IN DOUBT. THOUGH, WHOM THEIR CLUB
WILL BENEFIT.

Just why any should want to live hundred
years is of the things that not brought
out at the meeting of the Hundred Year Club last
night In fact, II has been of the questions
open to discussion since long before Juan Pom 3
de Leon the quest for the marvellous
fountain Of life that he believed he might find on
the island Of Bmini. But without having recourse
a fountain. and, indeed. without taking
due quantity of water of any kind, have lived
to be a hundred and over. and though it is not
clear that they were all glad of il there are
still some more who want to make the trial.
Methuselah. according computations. lived
TO be several times hundred years old OF course,
there are those who class the Methuselah story
with that other fshy about Jonah, but that is
due possibly rreverence for history rather than
to any we'll grounded reason
The One Hundred Year Club was organized,
cording it's circulars for the purpose OF promot-
ing longevity. Just whose longevity is, however.
the question that is bothering the members at
present For instance John De Witt Warner. with
unselfsh and philanthropic spirit that suggests
Old time herosm, said last night that the most
the club could hope to do would be TO benefit pos
terity.
Theodore Sutro. the vlce-president. arose. how
ever. and intimated that If that the policy of
the club he didn't know it, and he didn't want to
play that way, anyhow. 81 want to be 100 years
old" he said. and I'm more interested in my
own longevity than in posteritys."
The man with the hoe" who has been work
ing overtime lately. again came In for share of
ing whose paper The Causes of Natural Death
and How to Attain an Active and Useful Old Age
occasoned all of the discussion. quoted some stats
tics In which it shown that the shortest lived
the farmers. He said that an active
mentality is necessary to longevity, and that Is
why the city dwellers have advantage. Excep-
tion the statistics about farmers came from sew
eral persons. and sad Il used TO be
farmer and l wish was now" Nobody OBJ
tected to that. Then DIR. Edison said something
about much sleep being injurious. and the only
man in the who looked as II he was anywhere
near the century mark shook himself together and
woke up.
1t evident last night that longevity is another
one OF the woman questions for there were forty
odd-the last word applies to the qualifying number
and not to the obiect-women at the meeting and
less than third as many men. MIR. Sutro In the
course of his remarks said that II was cause for
congratuIation that the club was In existence at
the end OF its first year That would not seem to
be n long life for longevity club. but the vice.
president ought know. The chairman or the
Finance Committee told the members that even
century club could not live enthusiasm alone,
and he said that as trustees of posteritTy they all
had an irnportant work on hand Some interesting
remarks were made about atoms, protoplasms. IN
fusoria arnorba sOmatotroP!sm and other things
As suggested. however. the burning question at
,reson+ Is whether the members of the club are 10
a,to,, the fruits of their abors pass ii down TO
roetertv That question is unansweraoe at