The daily Alaskan., 1909-02-10
SUICIDE.

hitting suicide Dumb beasts usually live out their allotted span regard less of all yicissimdes. It is also a well established fact that suicides are most iufreQuent among peoples living in a primitive or natural state. It is only among highly civilized na, uons that suicide is prevalent.
 Carefully collected statistics give the following number of suicides for each one thousand population among the worlds great cities: Dresden, 5I: San Francisco. 49; Paris. F; Berlin. S6; Genoa, q; Lyons, 29; Hobokeu, 29; Vienna, 2S; Stockholm, 27; Christiana, 20; London, 20; New York, %; Chicago. 2I; Brussels, I5i Amsterdam, II; Constauunople, F; Moscow. II; and Rome, g. In the file of nations Saxony is highest with 3I suicides to each thousand of popula- ton and Spain and Ireland are lowest with less than ? suicides for each thousand About | people in every thousand commit suicide in the United States. It is noticeable that the meditatiye and gloomy German peoples are the most frequent to sui. eide. while self.destrucuon is most uncommon among the light hearted Irish and Spanish. The majority Of suicides kill themselves between the ages of 10 and 49 years. Summer is the favorite season.
 The causes for suicide are many. In the statistics madness and deHrimn are credited with being the cause of IS Of every hundred deaths by self. destruction; alcoholism. II per cent; suicide to escape the consequences of crime. I7 per cent; and unknown reasons. l9 per cent
 A girl in Chicago few days back killed herself. as she stated. "be, cause Of acute disincHuatiou to live" In other words she was afflicted with the world weari- ness" Of which Goethe writes. She had lived. enjoyed. suffered. strug- gled, succeeded, and failed. Life had few new emotions She had drunk the wine of life to the lees, She was satIated Rather than drag on life when the joy of life" was gone she sought oblivion in death. Many suicides seek death from this self same cause.
 Preachers may teach the duty of living; moralists may point out the joy Of plain living and high think. ing" but despite these things and despite the instinct to live which is inherent in every man and every beast constantly increasing number Of people are seeking refuge in death from the cares and frets of life.
 The exact cause for the increase in the number of suicides is hard to de. termine. The blame cannot be placed at the door of atheism or irreHgion. The causes lie deeper. Our essen italy false and superficial method of life in the big cities is one cause for in the big cities is where man. kind gets farthest from natural mode of living Another cause is the set, ting up of wealth as standard of success in the stead of high ideals or culture or education. Many other con. tributory causes there are.
 Human events and human conduct moves pendulum swings. Just now the pendulum has reached its ex. treme swing away from sane. simple, and natural modes of living. In generation or two-possibly less-the pendulum will swing back and we win live more as our fathers did Then. and then only. will the rapidly growing ratio of suicides cease. Then win people be less afflicted with the disease of "wOrld weariness," the disinclination to live,