The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-11-29
70 no LONGER AGE LIMIT
Persons Of Advanced Age Becoming
More Active az Class-Statisticians
Look Askance At Claims Of
Ages Over 100.


census examiners. Many circum.
stances surrounding the lives of cen
tenarlans will be available to the cen
sus officials, including place as well as
date Of birth, number Of times mar
ried, occupation and general habits
This data is included in the regular
census report for each resident Of the
------ United States. But In the cases of
some persons who are reputed to be
5n1more than 100 years of age special
information will be collected If the
? II examination Is conducted as In the
Slspast.
Longevity Increasing.
The question of whether women or
men live longer Is one on which the
~. census officials will be able to speak
WI uthoritatively when their examination
of the age statistics is complete. They
will also be In position to make an
M analysis Of the effect Of marriage and
celibacy on longevity.
The average length of life throughout
the United States Is increasing daily,
CN official reports show In some sections
the death rate Is the lowest In the
world. Twenty-Five was the average
, 6 length of life some decades ago The
average now is well above 80.
AZ; Persons Of advanced age are becom-
Ing more and more active as group
euthan ever before, according to official
and semi-official reports received by
several branches Of the government
activity is especially noticed In
connection with the reports on mar
riage and divorce which reach Wash
ington.
4 One New York man of SO recently ]
obtained a divorce, although he had
merely been separated from his wife
for years, because, he explained. he
had decided to remarry. He denied he |
had slected the woman to whom he |
f,,Vished to extend this honor, but said |
he was certain that sooner or later he |
would wish to remarry. He already
Mas three marriages to his credit
Government officials are interested
I'm a sixty-six-yea resident of De I
Funiak Springs, Fla, who recently took
out a license to wed a thirteen-year-
1lold girl with the consent Of the girls
parents.
From Atlantic. Iowa, came the re-
port Of farmer of 80 who engaged a
few days ago in his seventh march to
the altar, the bride being rs. The first
Fix wives of the farmer died. all of
them being sisters. The present wife
rs the sister Of the farmers first six
wives. She was twice married before
taking her farmer husband.
Marriages at so or More.
Records of the Census Bureau indi-
cate that marriages of persons beyond
80 years are becoming increasingly
frequent Although so per cent Of men I
and women who reach the age of As
ARE married, 10 per cent, do not take
the matrimonial leap until after that
age. Less than 10 per cent of all per- .
sons who live to be more than As re-
main unmarried.
Divorces are becoming more and
more frequent between men and
women of As and so years Of age The n
records show that a majority of d. +
vorced persons attempt matrimony at +
least second time. The number who a
seek happiness In welded life three f
and four times Is large. y
The police court records of big
cities furnish material for q study of "
longevity as well as public homes g
maintained for paupers. h
A woman who said she was ITO f
years old recently was arraigned be- b,
fore a police Judge in an Iowa city
on the charge of intoxication. AL sc
though she spent a night in jail await VI
ing arraignment, the aged woman had in
to have her case continued two days OF
until she recovered from the effects of of
the liquor. Physicians who treated
her reported her as hardy
The study of persons claiming adj q
vanced age Is regarded as one Of the &
most interesting of the many examina- =
lions Of material made each ten years &
by, the census bureau. Examiners are &
somewhat inclined to cynicism concern 4
ing claims Of more than 100 years be- 3
cause many prove to be without founda-
ton, they say. According to, one inter &
probation Of the reports of previous old g
age counts, the number of persons &
claiming 100 years is constantly dimin- &
fishing in proportion to the total popu- =
lation. That may be because of &
more careful examination of claims &
rather than decrease in the number =
Of centenarians officials admit The 3
absence in the United States of &
uniform system of birth registration &
makes 1t often difficult to investigate 3
he statements of persons claiming to &
~ ,nora fhon 100 uoo re of a 90 On tha 81