Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-04-20

VERY FEW SURVIVE
THE CENTURY MARK
INSURANCE kCTuARlES PAUSE
n AT tol YEARS.
Are sksptiezi Of Ages Reported Above
That Figure. Because Cases
Are So Rare.


Stories Of extreme longevity, now
and then reported from various paris
OF the county. are ususlly received
with seant eredulity BY Insurance act
uarIes, whose calculations show the
number Of persons due TO die the ne1t
year aud contain all manner OF stats
teal data on the ensrossins subject OF
life and death.
Few OF the actuarial tables go be
yond the age of lei yesrs-not be
cause no one ever lives longer ,han
that-but because bona tide cases are
100 great rarity 10 be included in The
calculations. The aIithmeticians are
inclined TO the heli,f that most re
ports OF modern Methuselahs have =
few extra years tackled on for sood
measure. particularly when The mum
Der of birthdays gets past the Ito
mark.
Il is generally necessary 10 leave
the actuarial compilations OF insured
persons for broader tables based on
the entire population 10 find records
OF cases beyond the age Of los or lOi
years. But even those complete tabu
lations seldom pass the Ito point. Ex
animation of records based on official
census data showed that Out OF ap-
prosimately 40,000.Oe0 population in
the eastern part OF The United States
there was only one report of life until
10. and that was In the case OF ne
gro woman. 10 her own little circle
she was doubtless credited with being
al least l20. only matter OF ten years
and 90, really so important when the
century mark has been passed.
Actuarial inquiry, however. does not
bring the conclusion that all reports
Of extreme longevity are in error. In
sured persons. tor example, are TeQult
ed to prove their age, and in such
cases documentary evidence could be
obtained. But the majority of tho in
surance companies. except for annuity
policyholders. offer to wind M their
business when a client reaches the
ripe age OF 90.
II a policyholder Is still in the ring
at that age the larger companies usn-
ally call quits and pay the policy just
as II the client were dead. That is, the
companies stand ready 10 do that. al
though il must Frequently occur thai
the rolicyholder retorts with curt !.
fasal. as it would not be particularly
comforting thought to know yonr in
snrance company considered you good
as dead.
The actuaries have accepted the
general rule that women outliye men.
Their Investigations and calculations
have established this fact clearly.
Comparison OF sex mortality tables
lime and again shows the lease OF life
10 be on the woman's side. Taking
chat particular comparison the case Of
The nesress Of Ito official years led
all corners, the nearest approach on
the male side fell two years short.
tabulation OF whites reported one
case OF lo7 years and another Of JOG
Again the elder was a woman. These
TWO cases-and doubtless true ones
Of unusual longevity were the only
ones recorded in census figures deal
ing with millions OF persons. thereby
emphasizing the contention that bona
eide cases even under Ito are rarities.
Since it is the practice to wind up
all contracts, with the Obvious excep
ton of annuity policies. al The age Of
e6 the insurance Companies do not
maintain detailed record showine
The oldest policy. Since many of those
which might run into record breakers
are wound up at SO, those tahulo,ions
that are kent are necessarily incom
plete.
Mortality tables based on large
portion of population ID the northwest.
ern states showed that lQi years wa,
the greatest age. For purposes OF con.
yenionce these tables are put M in
leo,o10 form. In this particular rec
ord the age started al zero with 100.
900 persons. The first year infant
mortality, which is ordinarily high
thete were 1851 deaths, but at the
end of twenty years 7S,5t9 were still
living. The change ia the next thirty
years was moi unusual, with G1.elN
surviving. but by the time the three
ailarrer century mark was reached the
labulatlon showed that only - ,jo3 Of
The loo, 900 were still alive. From that
point on there was steady decline
until rhe last died a, the age of 1oi
While the foregoing table had 10 do
with general population figures. there
Is q considerable beiterment in ,Ac
calculations OF insured persons. In tho
Gaze OF the insured persons there IS
the general lnle OF approved physical
condition 10 start with. and the Amel.
lean experience table Of insured pei
sons. for example, shows a9,S0i our of
100000 surviving at 80 years. as
against el.9lo in the general table.
The American experience table
shows the highest mortality in the SOW.
enty.fbird year. when 2,505 deaths oc
CURED. Only three out of the 100 OoN
were lett at o. years. and thew at
dropped from tho record in Tie next
Twelve months. either through death
or otherwise closing their contract
with The company.
A British annuity experience table
show its longest life at leS years. and
thfa fnr a yarn u.bnu.. ..a...t-