The Brandon news., 1908-04-16

earth mas been reduced. lfOnl
the high mark set by Methuse-I
lah, IdoWn the centuries until to-
day when 100 years seems a re-
markably long existence, many
curious and remarkable cases of
longevity are recorded. These
examples establish no rule.
Thus a mother of 81 children at
tains the age of 105, husband
and wife live happily in matri-
mony for 148 years, and a
spinster attains the age of lis.
Before Noah ruled the waves
with flagship ARK" the
peoples of the earth were so
scarce that they often remained
on this sphere to entertain one
another for 500 or 600 years. In
the next succeeding centuries
the age limit seems to have been
materially reduced, although
Shem tarried with his fellows
some 600 years. But from this
time the reduction in human at
tainment of years seems to have
been continual, broken sonly by
the bold assertion of a Portu-
guese author who alleges that in
1866 a native of Bengal, whom
he introduces as Numas Cugna,
died at the age of $40.
Climate influences seem to play
little part in pursuing the science
of longevity. Pliny records that
/ in the year 1776 in levying a tax
upon the people of sunny Italy it
appeared that there lived in the
country between the Appenines
and the River Pc 81 persons aged
100, 81 aged Ito, two 120, four
1876 and and three 140 years
each. About the same time, or
in 1853, a census of the inhabi-
tants of Aggerhus in chilly Nor
way, showed $50 couples married
80 years, 70 couples married 90
years, IL pairs married from 100
to los years, and one couple
living as man and wife for Ito
years.
Some of our venerable an
cestors were firm advocates of
the anti-race suicide doctrine.
In 1768 Mary Prescott, resident
of Sussex, England, died at the
age of los and was mourned by
I37 children. In 1902 Francis
Hongo, for many years consul
for the Venetians in Smyrna,
died at the age of 113. It is said
| he walked s miles every day and
for many years subsisted on
broth. He married but five
times and was the proud father
1of 49 children. At the age of
100 he lost all his white hair and
| the new crop was of the original
color. The historian tells us that
at the age of 112 he cut two
teeth.
/ James Gay (happily named)
died in Bordeaux, France, in 1772
at the age of only 101 and still
found time to marry Is wives.
Yet he died childless, Margaret
Mcdowell, a Scotch woman, died
in 1768 at the age of LOG after
surviving the unfortunate num-
Der of 13 husbands. In striking
contrast is the career of Mrs.
Agnes Skinner, who died in
England in 1899 at the age of 119
after a single widowhood of 90
years.
A most remarkable case is that
recorded in Poland of Margaret
Krasiowna, who died in 1853 at
the age of 108. At ga she
married her third husband, Gas
pard ERaycolt, than a Ebashful
|suitor Of los. His father had
just died at the age of 119.
During the IA years Mr.. and
Mrs. Raykolt kept house there
were born to them two boys and
one girl, all three of whom had
white Ghair in infancy and none
could ever chew solid food.
John Tice, hearing of the sud-
den death of a friend in 1774,
dropped dead from shock at the
age Of 125. When 80 he broke
both legs and at the age of 100
he was horribly burned by falling
into an open fire place, but these
shocks did not seriously affect
him.
Probably the most profitable
risk ever carried by an insurance
company was upon the life of
Jacob w. Luning, who took out
a policy in the Equitable AS
surance Society of London in
1903, when quite a young man.
He died at the age of 1O3 and