The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1912-12-05
BIRTHS EXCEED
DEATHS IN MICHIGAN
STATISTICS COMPILED AT LANs-
ING SHOW THAT STATE HAS
MANY LARGE FAMILIES.
At LEAST THREE MOTHERS IN
MICHIGAN WHO HAVE HAD
10 CHILDREN.
Secretary Of State Martindale Finds
Many Mistakes Made Because OF
Ignorance In Filing.

For some months past ii has been
uoted mat the number OF births in
Michigan far exceeded the number of
deaths, and Col. Roosevelt can well
be proud Of the Michigan record for
births, according to statistics COM
piled under the direction of Secretary
Of State Martindale. According to the
statistics there are several large fam
lies in the state, and, while no CON-
parisons can be made with other
3tates, thu Wolverine state must GER
tainly rank we'll with those states
whose records denote large families.
In the statement issued 1t is shown
that there arc at least three mothers
In Michigan who have given birth to
Is children, two in which the mother
was parent Of 10 children, and one in
which the mother has given birth to
20 children. This last named mother
was of native birth, 43 years of age,
and IL of the 20 children are liv-
ing.
OF the Is mothers who have given
birth to IL children four were native
and fourteen foreign born.
The table compiled by the secretary
of state is interesting, and while there
Is no apparent reason why the figures
should not be absolutely correct, Mr..
Martindale has found, on investiga-
ton, that, in some instances, errors
have been made by the parties filling
the certificates of birth, on account
of not havins fully understood just
what was required under the law.
About q per cent of the total num-
Der of births for the year was for
mothers giving birth to the first child,
distributed between the ages OF 20
end AZ. About 25 per cent, or 1896
children, wert born to mothers un-
der 20 years of age; 300 to mothers
aged 20 to Fl years of age; 1897 to
mothers % years of age; 1892 to
mothers 20 years OF age: 1.196 to
mothers "a years of age; 1,078 to
mothers Is years of age. A gradual de-
cline is shown for the ages above this
period. The table also shows that in
500 instances mothers under 20 had
two children; 10 had three children;
u had four children and two had FIVE
children, or the child born in 1910 was
the fifth child of that mother. ..
The age period showing the largest
number of births was of mothers
"a years of age. 4,062 children being
born to mothers of that age. In this
period in 1,196 instances the child born
was the first child; 1880 the second;
944 the third; 40 the fourth; 143 the
fifth; 81 the sixth; IL the seventh;
one the eight; two the ninth; one
the tenth.
Two mohers, so years old, had the
sixth child born to them. The de-
partment questioned this statement,
hut could not get any correction to
same One moher, Sc years of age,
gave birth to the third child; one
mother, aged 52, the fifth; and one
mother, aged "a. the tenth. In 337
instances the child born during the
year was the twelfth to that mother.
In 1874 instances the mothers were
parents Of 13 children.
In the table showing parents OF IA
children, there we're 112 instances.
There were So Instances in which
the mothers were parents OF Is chill
dren, % of the mothers being OF ma
tive birth and SO Of foreign birth.
There were 30 instances in which
the mothers were parents Of Is chill
dren, the Youngest mother being SO
years of age. with eight living, and
the oldest being 4S years of age, with
10 of the 16 living.