The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-05-06
when SHALL MAN
BE DUBBED OLD?
Hard to Put a Limit to Ca
pacity for Work.

When is man old? This is
question of perennial debate. 1t has
agitated discussion since the begin
ming of recorded history. and 1t has
troubled even the most distantly re-
mote inhabited areas of the earth.
The latest contribution to the subject
comes from DR.. Carney Lands, of the
New York State Psychiatric insti-
tute, Columbia university medical CEN
ter. who has attempted a realistic
consideration of the problem.
at is grossly unfair to expect
man to retire at the age of Ga years,
or to bar an individual from a new
position because he is past 49," Doc
tor lands says. You can teach
many an old dog new tricks. Many
men of 60 or 20 could learn as well as
20-year-olds. If ability. personality
and efficiency are the desired human
qualities. then some men of so are
actually superior TO many who are
20. Since these statements are true,
why do we have such rules as COM
pulsory retirement at 65' or mo one
will be hired who is over 40'?"
Doctor Lands explained that the
psychologist roughly divides the
adult mental life into the years be-
tween 20 and 40. between 45 and 60.
and after Go. Before 49," he de-
clared, Eve know that the ability to
learn shows but little decline from its
highest peak. which the individual
reaches between Is and %"
Since Doctor Lands is but 35'years
of age. he is exempt from the pos
sible charge of having a vested in
terest in his defense of men no longer
exactly young.
The Psalmist of the Holy Scrip
lures set ''threeScore and ten" as be-
ing the normal span of the life of
man. but in modern times the aver
age presumption of life has been
rising so steadily that scientists now
are generally agreed that the Psalm
lists estimate is too low. A long list
of eminent "old persons" has been
compiled by he editors of the World
Almanac, the roster including: John
D. Rockefeller. 90; Oliver Wendell
Holmes, 90; Rev. DR.. Charles H.
Parkhurst, &c. DR.. F. l.. Patton, for
mer president of Princeton univer-
sity, IS; Maj. Gen. A. W. Greeley,
Arctic explorer, 81; Capt. Robert
CHI
Root, Sc; Katharine Breskovska,
grandmother of the Russian revolu-
ton" Sc; Annie Besant, theosophist,
"a: Field Marshal Paul Won linden
burg, president of the German reich,
"a; August Heckscher, philanthropist,
SO; Field Marshal August Won
Mackensen, German general, 50:
Adolph Lewinsohn, philanthropist,
50; DR.. l. P. Pavloff. Russian biol
ogist, 50; Cyrus n. X. Curtis, pub
Usher. 81; DIR. Thomas G. Masaryk.
president of Czechoslovakia. 81; Dan
iel c. Beard. artist and Boy Scout
executive. 81; Right Rev. William
Lawrence. bishop of Massachusetts,
81; DR.. Felix Adler. ethical culture,
leader. so; Sir Oliver Lodge. English
scientist. so; Edwin Markham. poet,
20; Rev. DR.. Henry Van Dyke. au-
thor and diplomat. 70: George Foster
Peabody. philanthropist. 70: George
Moore. author. 70; Melvil Dewey.
librarian. 70; Sir Johnston Forbes
Robertson. English actor. IS; Prof.
Fabian Franklin. publicist. IS: DR..
Robert Underwood Johnson. IS; DR..
Adolph Lorenz. surgeon. u; George
Eastman. Kodak manufacturer and
philanthropist, II; Prof. Albert Bush
nell Hart, historian. II: Sir William
Flinders Petrie. English Egyptol-
ogist. II; Lord Carson. British states
man, "a; William Nelson Cromwell.
lawyer. n; John Hayes Hammond.
mining engineer. 76; John Philip
Sousa. musician. 76: Andrew W. Mel
Ion, &c; John Barton Payne. 76: ].
]. Jusserand. ambassador of France
to the United States for % years, 76;
DR.. William T. Hornaday. zoologist.
76; Marshal Fl. p. Petain. French
soldier. IS; Prof. Sigmund Freud.
pshcheanalyst. 70; George Bernard
Shaw. rs; DR.. George F. Kunz. gem
expert. IS. and Pope Plus XI, "a
James Waldo Fawcett, in the Wash