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Show HOW LONG THEY LIVE IMPORTANT CONCLUSIONS BASED ON RELIABLE STATISTICS. Massachusetts Records Show That Farmers Farm-ers Live Longest Then Come Active Mechanics Me-chanics and Judges Telegraphers and Bookkeepers Are Short Lived. During 34 years and 8 months there died in the state of Massachusetts 161,-801 161,-801 men over 20 j-ears of age, whose occupations oc-cupations were specified in the registry of their decease. The average age at which they died was 51 years. The num ber is so great and the period covered is so long that by the study of the classification classifi-cation of the employment of those dead we can get a very fair idea of the comparative com-parative ages at which men in different occupations and in an ordinarily healthy community are swept away by death. It is noticeable that of all who died the cultivators of the earth attained the highest average age about 65 years. They made up more than a fifth of the total number. We all know why farmers farm-ers as a class, not only in this, but in all countries, should live to a ripe old age. They enjoy good air and are free from many of the cares that beset those living in the cities, to say nothing of the con stant noise and excitement which destroy de-stroy the nerves and rack the system. It is rarely that a farmer dies before his head is gray. Farmers as a rule, too, do not to any great degree indulge in alcoholic al-coholic beverages. One important fact must be taken into consideration concerning con-cerning the farmer and his age, which is that the weaklings of the farmer's family fami-ly do not as a rule remain on the farms after attaining an age fitting them for some pursuit. Such are sent to the cities to choose a trade or a profession, and only the strong and healthy ones who are fitted for the work are retained upon the farm. The class next to the farmers in the average of life is that class called "active mechanics abroad," such asbrickmakers, carpenters, masons, tanners, millwrights, riggers, calkers, slaters and stonecutters, but the average ageof the 12,000 of them who died in Massachusetts during the period mentioned was much below that of the farmers. It was only about 52 years a little over a 3-ear more than the average age of all the classes together. Of all these outdoor trades, the ship carpenters car-penters showed the highest age more than 59 and the slaters, who pursue a dangerous ciUling, the lowest about 40. The average age of all the others of these trades, except the stonecutters and the brickmakers, was about 51, and above the average of all the classes. Next to the active mechanics abroad come the professional men, whose average aver-age age at death was over 51. Of this class tire longest lived were the judges and justices, proverbially celebrated for their great years. They lived on the average 64 years and led all the trades and professions except the farmers, over 65, and those denominated as gentlemen, 68, the highest average age attained by any of the classes. The deaths in only six different occupations were at an average av-erage above 60. They were, first, the gentlemen, 68; second, the farmers, 65; third, the judges, 64; fourth, the lighthouse light-house keepers, 63; fifth, the basketmak-ers, basketmak-ers, 61 , and sixth, the pilots, 60. In some countries clergymen are the longest lived, but in Massachusetts they fell below be-low all these six classes, the average age of the 1,100 of them who died during the 34 years being only a little above 59. Of the professional men, those set down as students died at the earliest age, the average being only about 23. Then came the professors, well over 57 years; then the lawyers, 56 years; then the physicians, over 55 years; public officers, 55. Sheriffs, constables and policemen died at the average age of 53, while actors ac-tors and reporters were gathered into the tomb before they had completed their forty-seventh year. The lives of comedians were also short, hardly reaching 39 years on the average, and dentists were cut down at an average age of 42. The artists art-ists also died earlj-, their average age being be-ing 44 3-ears. The musicians lived only to 42, and the teachers died at about the same age. The merchants, financiers, agents and clerks come next after the professional men, and one of the classes included tinder tin-der this head, that of gentlemen, exceeded exceed-ed all others in its average, over 68 years. The bankers, who lived on the average to more than 59 years, were the longest lived of this class, and then came bank officers, nearly 56; merchants, over 54; booksellers, about 53; manufacturers, 52, and innkeepers and brokers, 50 years. The shortest lived of their class were the telegraphers, who died at the average aver-age age of 28. Clerks and bookkeepers also died early at the age of 86. Railroad Rail-road agents and conductors departed this life on the average at about 40 years, and druggists and apothecaries at 42, while saloon aud restaurant keepers were put to final rest at 41. Next in order came the active mechanics in shops and the laborers of no special trades, the average of both being a little short of 4S. Of the first class the longest long-est lived were the coopers, their average age at death being about 49 years. Next to them, total abstinence people will be surprised to learn, came the distillers 58 years. Washington Star |
