Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-05-28
STRONG MEN AT EIGHTY. !,
Senator Allison One OF Many Who
Have drown Great with
-s the Years..

Magazine, 1908, contains masterful
article on ''The Age of Mental yirillty,
an Inquiry Into the Record of Achieve
ments of the Worlds Chief Workers
and Thinkers" by DR.. w. A. Newman
Dorland.
In view of the effort to induce the
people of Iowa to retire the leader OF
the United States Senate. the work OF
DIR. Dorland may well command our
attention at the present time, as the
chief argument is based upon his age.
the contention being that he cannot
perform the duties of the office OF
United States senator.
The article, insofar as it is ger
name to the ACCESSIBILITY of retiring
Iowa's senior senator because of his
age, is quoted freely:
what shall we say OF the octogen-
arians and of those who were older?
AS is well known, Cato at this age
began the study of Greek, Plutarch
began his first lessons in Latin, and
Socrates learned to play on instru-
ments of music. Arnauld, the theolo.
gian and sage, translated JoScphus In
his eightleth year. Gladstone began
his great Midlothian campaign, which
overthrow the Conservative govern
ment, and put himself and his party
In power, at eighty years of age. He
became premier for the fourth time
at eighty-three, and held the Office for
two years. West painted admirably
until eighty years of age, and Goethe,
at Weimer, completed Faust when as
old. Hahnemann married at eighty,
aud was working at ninety-one years.
Simonides won the prize for verse
when over eighty years of age, and
Ranke at the age of eighty began his
History of the World, and lived to
complete twelve volumes, dying at the
age, of nlnety-one. His later works
show no diminution OF power, and he
wrote until within a few days Of his
death. Button, the great French nat,
urallst, until shortly before his death
at eighty one, labored uron his Nat.
ural History a work OF forty -four vol
umes Henry G.. Davis at eighty-one
was nominated for the vice presidency
OF the United States; Palmerston was
prime minister of England when he
died at that age, and John Quincy
Adams was power In the house of
representatives when stricken at
eighty-one. Bancroft published the
concluding volume of his History at
eighty-two and died at ninety-one
Charles Wilson Peale, the painter, at
eighty-two, welded his brush without
the aid of spectacles, and did some Of
his best work. Voltaire at eighty
three published n tragedy, Irene and
Tennyson, whose age was eighty.
three, gave the world in his Crossing
the Bar one of the most beautiful of
swan songs. Newton at eighty-three
worked as hard as he did In middle
life, and Herbert Spencer died at the
same age, almost with pen in hand.
Thomas Jefferson was fruitful in coun-
ell until the day of his death at eighty
three. Rennel at eighty-three read a
paper Concerning the Identity of the
Remains at Jerach, Whether They Are
Those of Gerasa or Pella,' and the next
year another Concerning the Place
Where Julius Caesar Landed In Brit.
aim Talleyrand. dying at eightyfour,
had, under successive French rulers,
been a power all his life. Lander wrote
his Imaginary Conversations when
years old, and at eighty
seven published his last volume of
Heroic Idylls.' Guizot at eighty-seven
showed unimpaired mental vigor and
activity, and Hobbies. the English phil
osopher, at the same age published his
version of the odyssey and his Iliad'
one year later few weeks before
his death, in his ninetieth year, he
wrote to his publisher, Il shall have
something in English for you shortly
Won Moltke, when eighty eight, was
still chief of staff Of the Prussian
army, and John Wesley at that age
preached almost every day and still
held the helm Of Methodism. At
eighty-nine Michel Angelo was still
painting his great canvases; Theo.
phrastus's greatest work, The Char.
acter of Man was begun on his nine
tieth birthday, and Frank Izaak Wal
ton welded ready pen at ninety.
John Adams retained all his great
mental ability up to the time Of his
death at ninety-one, and Pope Leo
XIII showed no sign Of intellectual
decreptitude when he died of old age
at ninety three. Cornara was In far
better health ut ninety-five than at
thirty, and, it is said, was as happy
as boy. Fontanelle was as light
hearted at ninety-eight as at forty
Titan at ninety-eight painted his
Battle of LepantO,' and wonder of
wonders! Cheyreul, the greatest scien-
fist, whose untlrlng labors in the
realm Of color have so enriched the
world, was busy, keen and active when
death called him at the age Of 103.
with such achievements Of the
truly aged confronting us, who so bold
as to attempt to set limit to the
usefulness of any man? 1t remains
true, as the venerable DR.. Cuyler has
indicated, that for many of the pur-
poses and achievements of lite youth
and early manhood are the most IA
vorable; but for certain others the
compacted mental fiber long expert
ence and matured judgment of old
age are the most servlceable endow-
ments. The one cannot usurp the place
Of the other, and the first only raves
he 90 thn