Evening star., 1937-02-07

The world would have suffered an
irreparable loss had some of its great
men been forced to cease work at 70,
the age at which President Roosevelt
would like to have justices retire. ac-
cording to Dr. w. A. Newman Dor
land, noted physician and author Of
The Triumph of Maturity" published
in 1927 by the Illinois Department of
Public Welfare.
The loss would have been felt espe-
cially in the fields of Jurisprudence,
of the careers Of 400 of the worlds
most distinguished men.
Savigny, the great German jurist,
sometimes called the founder of mod
ern jurisprudence, did not publish his
famous treatise on "Obligations" until
he was "a, DR.. Dorland pointed out
in his work. copy Of which is in the
Library of Congress.
Master Work" Average Is 50.
The average age of mans master
work." he learned from his extensive
studies. is about So Dividing the 400
lllGO "OI hCIS anu GIl1iihCIS, 1lC
found the best work of the workers"
was done at Al. on an average. while
that of the thinkers" was done at So.
Jurists and naturalists. he discov-
cred, have made their greatest
achievements later in life than any
other class of thinkers" Their aver
age age for master work" was found
to be 58
DR.. Dorland said he was prompted
to study 'the age of the acme of
mental activity by "the tenden y,
then visibly increasing in this coun-
try, of relegating the older and mid
dle-aged men to the oblivion of an
innocuouS desuetude' in order that
the supposedly more progressive and
aggressive young men might be
given clear track in the rush to the
front"
Jurists Grouped as Thinkers"
Among the thinkers" Dr. Dorland
grouped, in addition to jurists and
naturalists, astronomers and math-
ematicians, clergymen, dramatists. his
torians. novelists, political economists,
poets and statesmen.
The workers" included actors, ar
lists, chemists, explorers, inventors,
physicians and warriors.
DR.. Dorlands researches revealed
that 35 per cent of the great men"
ceased their mental activity" between
the years of so and 70, 22a per cent
between 10 and 80, 20A per cent be-
tween so and so, 10A per cent be-
tween 40 and so, 6 per cent between
80 and 80 and per cent between 80
and 40.
Seventy-e eight and q quarter per
cent Of the men CLOSED their life
work" between the ages of so and 80
and IS per cent after the 50th year.
while in the vast majority of
cases." he wrote. declining physical
and mental ability progressed 'pari
passu' to the cessation of life, there
loom amid the general wreck of the
bodily and cerebral powers some strik-
ing instances Of remarkable mental
vitality and virility, standing out, like
beacon lights of hope, far beyond the
OI IlOFIIldl QGtdy.
Cites Old Age Achievements.
"These mental heroes counter bal
ance the achievements Of the young. If
not in numbers, truly in productive
value and influence upon the culture
and welfare of the race. No greater
inspiration can be found in all the
records of the life work than in re-
view of these achievements of old age.
THUS Bockh, the baby member Of
the group, at 10 published one of the
greatest of his works, Eur Geschichte
der Mondcyclen der Hellenen.'
u. Pierpont Morgan the elder), the
old doctor of Wall street. and the
greatest reorganizer of railroads and
industrial corporations the world ever
produced, in 1907, when 10 years old,
broke the financial panic by raising
$40 1000, 900 in 40 hours, and thereby
made his name one to conjure with
In every money capital.
cat the same age, Weir Mitchell
published The Adventures of Fran
cois,' and subsequently wrote The Red
City, one of his best works.
when 70, Sir. John Tenniel, Punch
cartoonist, drew his famous Dropping
the Pilot
Recalls yanderbilt's Feats.
Between the ages Of TO and 83
Commodore Vanderbilt increased the
mileage Of his road from 120 to 10000,
and added about 100 millions to his
fortune.
"Grote, In his 7lst year. began