Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-05-20
Subject II i Chspta ii
MoItsIi'J Statistics.
Extreme Span Of Life SCI Al
Between roo and ITO.
cen.u. Buts1s Doubt. h iio
Years nss Been Rssek1d.


ter concerning. reported centenarians
is contained in the Census Bureau s
latest annual mortality statistics re-
port prepared by chief statistician DR..
Cresey l.. Wilbur. of the division of
vital statistics
The report affir1ns that it is I'M
doubtedly true that the age of 100
years is occasionally attained. 1t sug-
gests that 1t is perhaps doubtful
whether. as shown by incontrovertible
evidence, the age of no has ever been
reached or exceeded. This would, it
is stated. set the possible longevity of
man or the extreme span of human
life somewhere between 100 and 10
years.
DR.. Wilbur declares that it would
be fact of vast interest to humanity
II it were true that a human being
could live $50, or 49, or 1870 years, or
even 120. or ITO years, as established
by exact observation. The capability
of the bodily mechanism would be
tested and it might be inferred that,
with better hygiene, superior eugenics,
and proper methods of living the ex-
IRENE limit of life might more fire.
many generations the average age of
humanity might perhaps approximate
to this limit
The report goes on to show that up
to very recent times the most incred-
lille reports, the most inaccurate state
ments, and the most uncritical meth
DDS of study, have been believed.
Since Thoms' Investigations in 1873
great skepticism has arisen in the
minds of many in regard to the re-
puted ages of centenarians and, the
report declares, some have even stated
that there we're no actual cases of cen
tenarians on record in spite of the Of
fetal returns of population and deaths
to that effect.
AS an example of the uncertainty
attaching to individual statements of
extreme longevity. the case of the old
est reported decedant is cited. The
death was that of Noah Raby. known
as 1.-The Oldest man in the country"
and it occurred in the year 1904. Ref
erence to the census Office transcript,
which was returned by the state reg
iStTar of New Jersey, shows that the
original death certificate related to
the death of Noah Raby, stated to
have occurred in Middlesex county on
March I, 1904, at the age of 1871 years
and II months. The conjugal condi-
ton of the decedant was not stated;
the birthplace Of the decedant and the
birthplace of his mother were given as
TT. S"-the birthplace of father was
not stated; and the cause of death was
given as "senility''-an entirely sat
;cc tot in fhic
DR.. Wilbur then observes that in the
index catalogue of the library of the
Surgeon Generals Office. United
States Army, second series, Volume
TX. under the title of Longevity"
may be found the following reference:
"Centenarians and more: (Sophia
Cab. aged l2a: Noah Raby. 1871 years
II months Med Rec, n. Y, 1904. Ky.
1884," The issue of the New York Med
cal Record of March S. 1904. contained
the following item:
"Centenarians and more.-S6phia
Cab, probably the oldest woman in
Chicago. died there last week. She
was supposed to be l29 years old.
Born a slave, she snent most Of her
life on a plantation near Richmond.
Va. When released from slavery dur
| ing the Civil war she was 81 years old
| A still more remarkable story of long
evity is contained in the notice of the
death of Noah Raby. ir New Bruins
wick, N. j., on March l. 1t is asserted,
with much circumstantiality. that ne
| was born in Gates county. n. C., or
| April /. (signifcant datel l112. so thai
had he lived one month longer ne
would have been 132 years old. He en-
tered the United states Navy about a.
soon as the United States had navy
and after serving for number o
years was .honorably discharged il
. 1909. He never married, but hat
smoked and chewed tobacco for II
year and had at one time been
heavy drinker.''
Search was made of the records o
the Navy Department and repor
was made by Surg. F. l.. Pleadwell
OF the Bureau Of Medicine and Sur
gerry, that "a Noah Baby has beef
found on the rolls of the Constitutio
in 1889. when that ship was under tn
command Of Captain Bolton, so 1t i
POSSIBLE that the report OF his dis
charge from the navy as being of tn
II year 1909 is pure legend. There ma,
| nave UeeII. vi COutst, tWO ->ooi
Rabys.' ...t.
The census report then goes on t
state that the enumerators' return
of the Twelfth Census (June l. 1900
| show that Mr. Raby was then an in
mate OF the Piscataway township
almshouse. and his ..age at last birth
day" (1ss years. and the month am
year OF birth April 1772. as given il
these returns correspond with the ag
subsequently stated upon his certificat
of death. His birthplace. as we'll a
that Of his father and of his mother
is given as North Carolina: his con
iugal condition as single: and unde
the head Of education 1t is stated tina
he could read but could not write. A
the Eleventh Census Dune !. 1SaM MI
Raby's age at nearest birth''a'-" "a
given as ~ years, the other part'"''''
lars being the same as stated in 1"ef
except that his mothers bIrt piac
was stated as Pennsylvania. No re-
ord was found OF Mr.. Raby a'''ong T.
inmates of the aimshouse at tiie Tent
Census usS0l. but his name aprea-
among those there enumerated at N
Ninth Census (1STO). In the r-'."'7-'T