Show Longevity ol Groat Men At a time when most of the World has heard so much talk of degeneration degenera-tion and other gloomy teildeflehes that It has come lo take their existence for granted William R Thuyers article In the February Issue of the Forum makes viry cheerful rending Mr Thuyer shows among other things that a marked characteristic of the pruscnt century has been longevity and this longevity so far from being confined to those who do but little labor Is strongly pronounced among the thinkers the historians poets statesmen and men of action and affairs In spite of all that has boon said about the nervous strain of the period and Its tremendous tremen-dous wear on vitality the average duration of life among men of thought during the century has been about CS years and S months In spite of the degenerate tendencies which Max Nordeau has detected In the worlds literature lie average life of fortysix poets as C6 years of twentysix novelists novel-ists 02 years of forty other men of letters 07 years The musicians are the men on whom the play of emotions and temperamental passions aeorrs lo be most wearing yet thirty musicians attained at-tained the very respectable average ago of 02 The nerago duration of life for thirtyeight historians was 73 for fifty eight scientists and Inventors 72 and for fourteen economic or political agitators agi-tators 69 while 112 itlalusmcn revealed their degenerate tendencies by attaining at-taining the average age of 71 years Men who work hard and long with earnest ambition and strong wills arc not degenerates nor do they appear in great number In a degenerate age Arduous Ar-duous mental activity of the kind which has been characteristic of the age seems to bo beneficial not only to the world at large but to the worker Chicago News |