The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-05-20
Supreme Span Of Human Life Is
Somewhere Between IOO-IIO Years
Census Bureaus Latest Annual Mortality Statistics Con-
tains an Interesting Chapter on Centenarians.

write. At the eleventh census, June !,
1890. Mr.. Raby's age ut nearest birth
day was given as III years. the other
particulars being the same as stated
In 1900. except that his mothers birth
place was stated as Pennsylvania No
record was found Of Mr.. Raby among
tho inmates Of the almshouse At the
tenth census. 1880. but his name APP
pears among those there enumerated
ct the ninth census, 1870. In the re-
turns for this census his age at last
birthday was stated to be 80 years
and not 90 years as 1t should have
been II the subsequent statements as
to his age were correct. and his birth
place was given as South Carolina and
not North Carolina. Birthplaces Of
parents were not reported in the ninth
census. It appears not unlikely that
the statement Of age made in 1870 was
at least approximately correct, 50 that
ut the time Of his death at an advanced
age March 1, 1904. he was over 80
years old (02 years and IL months II
the statement of age made in 1870 is
precise, and not an actual centenarian
at all, much less the oldest man in
the country"
The report later on states that 1t
would be impracticable for the bureau
of the census to determine the truth
In regard to all unusual ages
which are received upon the official
transcripts Of deaths, nor can the state
or city offices be expected to investi.
gate all such cases. Indeed the evil
dence necessary for conclusive proof OF
extreme longevity in any given case
may be extremely difficult to procure
even when the facts exists. This is
true for European countries as shown
by Thoms and Young. and 10 even more
true for the United States, for great
part Of which even at the present day
there IL no complete registration OF
births. The statements in regard to
the ages OF decedents are made by the
informants and can not as q rule be
questioned or rejected by registration
officials. Such statements are undoubt
eddy in the visit majority of cases be
lieved to be correct by the persons who
reported them, and when officially reg.
istered become like the toher state
ments upon the certificate of death
prima facie eveidence of the facts. Any
statement upon a certificate Of death
may. however, be refuted by sufficient
evidence Of its untruthfulness. It II
well known that many statements o.
exact age even in the middle period Of
life and in youth, are not strictly cor
rect. In old age, with impaired mem
ory, with possible unintentional con
fusion of what has been heard an(
what has been actually experienced By
the indicidual in regard to the event.
Of early years, after the death of con
temporaries whose testimony nigh
contradict claims to excessive longev
ity and with the well known tendency
OF many aged persons to exaggerate II
the utmost good faith, the number o
years they have lived, 1t is not at al
surprising that many unfounded claims
to extreme old age arise. The deaths
OF centenarians reported by the census
are too few to vitiate seriously the sta
tistics, even II In every case the ag
was incorrectly stated, and they ar
therefore shown just as they were re
turned