St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-12-14
LONG LIVES OF THINKERS.

lie. Il
Au1ee German Geniuses Who Rave
=, Reached Ripe Old Age.
why DO German thinkers so often
i've 70 an age well toward the CEN
fury mark? ~
That they live to be older than the
genluses Of other countries has been
proved BY statistics, says the New
p : olk World: A few days ago Prof.
Rudolf Virchow celebrated his eight
,eth birthday. Theodore Mommsen.
me historian, his eighty-fourth birth
oay Albert Traeger, the jurist and
poet, his nty-eighth birthday.
ms tho Of German geniuses had
some traits in common. They all
worked hard, seldom took vacations,
and were Of sedentary habits. They
went through all the vicissitudes Of
radical politicians in Germany, as well
Is the ups and downs Of literary and
scientific !, labor, but they were always
too busy to worry much.
Everyone Of the three has spent
% years in fighting for his opinions.
I always keep on working until my
days work is done," said Virchow at
80 years. Sometimes I go to bed
at two o'clock in the morning. some
times at five o'clock. When / am
working I eat little, but when my
work is done and my mind cleared Of
AZ problems | enjoy avery hearty meal
Of anything that tastes good.
For luncheon l have two small
sandwiches Of vegetables or easily d.
gested meat and glass Of beer"
yirchow's writings on various scien-
tiic problems would make up a score
OF volumes. Besides that, he has al
Ways been an active member of the
reichstag, in the liberal party, and was
IN jail for his opinions in the year
1850.
On his way to his wedding he was
seized BY the police as a political Of
fender, and when finally he reached
the church his bride was in tears and
the guests were leaving.
But in spite Of many episodes in his
life that have been almost as exciting
- this, Virchow says that he never
worries. q have accomplished an inn
smense amount Of work" he declares,
eby the process Of working steadily
al ofthe time. When my mind wea-
ries | rest it by passing to another
topic"
When Theodore Mommsen, the Ro-
1lan historian and Berlin professor Of
laws, was 80 years old government au-
thorities described him as "that
Mommsen well drilled in the art of
raining hades."
His life has been passed largely in
turmoil, although he has entirely the
temper Of the scholar. Inappearance
he has the "windschief look" as the
Germans say Of "Alter Fritz
Small and pale as a ghost is Momm-
zen, never weighing more than hum
1lred pounds and looking as if a breeze
would blow him away. In 1848 he was
imprisoned for his radical views, and
be has been the stormy petrol Of f.
therland politics ever since.
AT 80 he was arrested and tried
for saying Of Bismarck: ''This prince
Of darkness is dwelling now in horrible
loneliness for having smashed every
thing free in Germany"
The jury acquitted Prof. Mommsen
upon the remarkable ground that, al
though he had said the things, he
certainly did not mean any harm by
&
In the same year Mommsen brought
sut his 1,5oo-page Commentaries on
Roman Criminal Law" His great
Roman history was Of itself work
Of 40 years. His family consists Of
lii wife, himself and 16 children. His
manner Of living is irregular. He for
eets to eat luncheon, dimes from a
sideboard, rarely takes exercise, and
g often as not when he does he walks
out ii rain OF snow.
Some one asked him his secret of
living long while. He answered,
smiling shrewdly, in this paraphrase:
81 think, therefore | live"
esWhy do German thinkers live to
. qreat an age?'
When this question was put to
Theodore Sutro, the New York law
lei, who is not only Of German de-
scent, but has studied and written
considerably on the subject Of longey-
itJ, he said:
moderation is the key Of the Ger