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Show This Generation, at Fifty, Lacks the Stamina of Fathers I H William Muldoon, Noted Trainer of Men, and 0 envork a Myth, Sa Physical Culture E- Dr Dudley A Sargent Agree That ''" perts Who Have Watched Fathers and Modern Play Is Killing nfr-f,j 8 Sons Grow Old and Die j Rfea af any age like to persuade themselves that they are superior in staying nnwers. either physical or mental, to their forebears at the same age This is a onsummation devoutly to be wished by all persons who would like to sec the individual in-dividual keep stride with the world, which, the optimists say. is always going a little better year by year, but there is a difference of opinion about the matter uWnp Imre crnf V,n:.l of n vital topic" Mid William Muldoon in the rym-nnsinm rym-nnsinm of the Gedne Farm Hotel jj i im before he wrni on the floor i " direct r i? in the exercise of n cins of mature men. "It i 1 one that should have wide notoriety, f"r n important charges. r2PfrM "But any one who starts with the purpose i-fl of rrovir"t that th0 01,1 rr"n of t,'ay ari jrf belter In any sense than men eorreaTHJndlnd ' JJ In air were twenty-five vears ago has not -lj Md of the thing hy the wrong end. Noth- , ' Jj Ins is to he gained bv deceiving ourselves. V - however pleassnt It mny sound to say nice 'IL 9 thin Let us toll the truth as we see It." This famous rehttllder of men was born 1 18 ,n I40 -f n n,re when many men most O ' ; men. are thlnkln of retiring he Is maUInc 99 v nw nlsns for enlarglne the scope of his H flB own hard vnrk In fact lie ! a llvlnc H TH demonstration of 'he poitlve side or tlie i .mooted question Muldoon i a hit mars X i i hlbitlng rlns mu'wutif flevslonnJenl wlthmit ojniir. rl his movements are d':h- trfjOL n-- ished mind md bodj rorrrtat W Excellent a hi" -0X"" Iff 8 1 7. it If his pl 1 head. It Is 'he "fin of his lib." 'ha realty mBm oroclali..- 1'i'f- 'hp ...- i"1 indeed I whatever h:md modelled till romnelllnc face did It In one stroke. Nothing finlckv about that sculptor. f "Men Of BO. 70 or over h-Mler than tl men of that are twentv-flve years as"-' That is absurd The avernre man of 50 m day Is not In physique what his father wnc at tl-;e same ace The ae which led up to that period of l!fe VAs not likely to pro- duce duplicates of the old Romans. Calls Life Too Easy Now And Weakness Too Commor. "Life bas been made too easy for mn Wishy-washy public sentiment which palliates palli-ates their weakneses has harmed them. The averajre man of r0 of to-day or mav be I 6hould say yesterday for 1 native advance ad-vance since the war due to tbe war thnt gives me courare to face to-morrow the average man of SO Is played out He tUU nothing to offer to repay the world for his experience For from SO on men ought ;o r r' 2 b"gln to pay back. ,iJh: 3B "The men of the older generations reeot 7 r.lied this debt and paid It. The new cn ' ' 'xiwM are mostly Insolvent. There are exceptions ': 5fB lnow them. We count thern on our fingers. Thoy ar too few. The old men Jh who are leaders to-day had beginnings which -M prepared them for long years of work." fl Muldoon uttered an ejaculation significant i of scorn as he said- I "What do these men of "0 know about : work? They attribute oil their Ills to over- l work. Seldom ts there such a thing But there's plenty of overplay. 'H "Work." he continued, "never hurt any- ! ''-JM body. Too much play, and the wronc kind j kills. Tn my time what 13 called work has cVnged so it la hardly recognisable Mechanical Me-chanical progress has made this chang" ! With all the aids It provides. 80 per cnt. tl real work has been taken away from tha . 1 rrorker. And for the 20 per cent, left he f k Wasn't enough physical and mental strength " The athlete smiled and added, as It It wre an afterthought: "Then he comes to mo j suffering from what he calls "ovrrwork.' "Speaking In round numbers I have hij under me for physical rcgencratlnn 17.000 men- Invariably, whatever name the doc- condition, their own excuse Is 'overwork. Not 6 per cent of tho number had a right to that excuse. After Business Pleasures Are What Prove Harmful i "It Isn't tho work a man docs In business hours that pulls him down, it's what he docs after business hours. If I outllno the home I life of an avem man of to-day I gues' I you'll acknowledge the truth of the picture I He lnherlta a business usually, and usually. JM loo, he's bright enough to carry It on auc- cessfully If he made his homeslde help I "But he doesn't. He doesn't go home after I liuslncss to spend an hour relaxing In his I library, and then dining quietly with h! family, taking plentv of time to It and cut-) cut-) ting out tobacco at the meal. Then to spend 1 a couple of hours or so with his family at TrJS any quiet amusement This would be son- Bible and he would go to bed rea.sono.My and wake up normal and refreshed, ready to do eomo real work. "Is this anything Ilka what the modern man of family docs? No. In Ihc first place ho doesn't choose a wife that will give him n family, he picks out a pretty face and dresses the owner of It like a doll In order that other men will envy him and try to take her away from him. If they don't try ho ceases to value hfjr. Well, the pal: spend tho evening at the VWatre after u rich and hasty dinner, and after that at the 'Rounders' 'Round-ers' or a cabaret showf dancing 'herr.selves. j probably, till they're breathless then a sup- prr and Into bed between 2 an( 3 o'clock-! o'clock-! "Tho doll goes on making plans of this kind for him. How else is she going to prove i that she's his wife0 She can stay In bed till jj noon, a maid massages her. brings her a l tempting breakfast; she can pick up energy I fo.- the next similar evening. I "But lt'3 otherwise with the man. He, pooi -00b, has to get up at 7 and take any klnc ot breakfast a sleepy servant la willing tc Bet him Right away ho has to light up 1 ' strong cigar His nerves crave the narcotic effect. "Well, what Is an effect like this of to-1 to-1 bacco? It subdue the nerves, that s. It mako ti e man subnormal And that's tl'i' man that goes down town to attend to his l-'islness He's a subnormal man. tn a short tlnir hf's overworked Tn fact, he's a nourasf henlc rase. Cites Case of One Youth Who Was Victim of Alcohol 'Theso are the mild ones. I can tell you of others that arc uot ro inlld, yet so frequently Gr.ot with as to be almost types. A fine old lady came to see me the other day to get me to take her son In hand. She told me his history. Whfeh was an old story to me I had to tell her that she had come to the trong man. for I don't take alcoholics. "The son a man of 35 mr.rrh'd. with four children, had been left by his father, a successful. suc-cessful. sHf-madc man of the old school. In entire charge of a big business. During Dip war this business had more than quadrupled quad-rupled Then the founder of It died His heir came right to New York and began buying whiskey at S20 a quart until ho found that he could buy it by the case for $110. Then he shut himself up tn his hotel room and tended arrlctly to liquor until the bote) clo-ior took him tn hht-.d "His mnilwr fold me that If her son took n'l the powders and Mils and other thin: a preset lbe, for him be wculd be taking m.-1-ene everv five minutes. She hod I - laiiKl herself In spite of hr trouble, as she said 'The doctors give my ocy stuff to put him to sleep and he drinks whiskey to keep himself him-self awake" "That's a case of Inherited big business fulling Into bad hands that can be duplicated dupli-cated by almost any man's experience. Now. would you put this young man In the class with his father who made the business originally'" Here was an opening made to ask Mul-ooon Mul-ooon what ho thought of prohibition He aid: "I approve of It. but think that thers will be laws made to soften It. The law made bv the Anti-Saloon League may be considered too drastic I don't know. Thero arc considerations of personal choice that need to be and will be considered The worst enemy of drunkenness Is public opinion. Moke It a crime n social -rlme. to be drunk and there won't be many drunken men Wo as a nation could take a leaf from the book of France, say, wnere it's always been considered con-sidered disgraceful for a man to bo seen under the Influence. "That has been one of the faults of our virtues refusing to learn from old peoples who have many centuries of experience behind be-hind them We are confident sometimes a little bomhastlc. In our attitude toward these social subjects Wo refii.se to learn, bcr.ausa we say old. effete nations can't (each us anyt hlng ATen of England and France Prove Themselves in World Affairs "It is my opinion that tbe old men of ling-land ling-land and Trance are In tho main better physical specimens than this country can present. You can read tho brightness of their Intellect, the moderncss of their minds In the conferences that have been of international inter-national Interest. Our younger statesmen have been hard put to keep up with them. Tho vitality of the British Matesman haa been recognized for centuries, and It comes from his paying some kind of reasonable obedience to very simple natural laws. "Nature Is a long suffering creditor. Phe never sends in a bill, but she Invariably collects one. Just owe her something for a break in one of her laws. She'll go on patiently pa-tiently lulling you to sleep until you think the debt is outlawed. Then In a minulo down she pounceH "If you had asked me at the start If tho sexagenarians of Great Britain of to-day ware equal mentally and physically to tho men of the Victorian era at that age I would have taken a chance and said they Were, because of what I know about tho stolid British temper and his customary obedience to health lawa. "In part our breakdown in this ma'ter comes from not giving these laws attention and in part from our more nervous temperament. tem-perament. But thero la no sense in believing believ-ing that we cannot restrain the latter and learn to observo th formti- "We're a democratic people and wo need Itaders who can advise, Ws need tho strong, hale old man who hove experience. In ths cases usually offered to try to provo that m WILLIAM MULDOON urs. ife SSSSi v v Four men active in world affairs who belie the general opinion of famous physical trainers that the modern man is past his best efforts at the age of fifty At left is "Uncle Joe" Cannon, born in 1836. and still a power in Congress; next is John Burroughs, naturalist, born in 1837. active mentally and physically, then there is Thomas A. Edison, whose routine of work and little sleep is unparalleled; at right is Elihu Root. 75 years old. dean of statesmen and authority in international affairs. we have them It Is found that they grew up under exceptional circumstances. They were born on a farm. They went to simple schools and they did chore? before school time an l after It. When vacation came they were not sent off to luxuriant camps or to lull abound In Idleness at some resort, thev co a plate on a farm ! they were tn at the harvest, har-vest, and tolled at the ploughing and planting plant-ing Besides, they ate 'men's' food nnd so. mentally and physically, they built up a strong man. "Under the samo or almllar hardy conditions condi-tions we can still produce men who at sixty and seventy nnd older will ho our most valuable val-uable asset. They are not to be found in the fifty and sixty vear class to-day. 'I look for better men In the next generation gen-eration becauso the war showed so many yr.ung men what physical perfection meant 1 l.ey never 'nought of It before Kxaitly as New York Itself improves, because It now the custom to put up solid, everlasting buildings, so New Yorkers will begin t the beginning and build ooys up into strong men who will live long enaugh to repay the country coun-try for what It has given them "I guess," said Muldoon with a quizzical smile, ''you've got tome recollection of tho leoky old 'ank that used to occupy tho rifth avenuo end of Bryant Park Now they have marble library there that will stand for who knows 1 cw many hundred vears. The country has got to got rid of the bad. leaky old ways of bringing up boys and put a fine foundation In them before It can have the race of old men It deiervca and needs" Ing at home, all passive in Its nature, and ever shunning anything that suggests personal per-sonal effort 00 i.is part. He wants to bo mused, perhaps .o enjoy himself, but Insists In-sists somebody !e should do it $Ic Is perfectly per-fectly wllllns lo pay for the hiring of talent, tal-ent, but begs 10 ' excused from doing anything any-thing himself "Slow," snys Dr. Sargent. 'are we golnx 10 get healthy physiques by ueh tactics''" If Dr Sarcoid had his way. he would have the avor.-i-e hnslnees man walk, not ride, to and rrnrn His business, and wher the distance from Ills home to his office l too jjreat to permit of his walking he would have the man walk the final mile or two. 'herby certlns the benefit of one of ths healthiest of exercises, walking, i't 'he open air He would have the same m"n walk up and down stairs occasionally. Instead of utilizing the escalator and elevator every 'Ime they have a flight to travel. He would have them, devote a few minutes on rlslnc in the morning to the simplest of athletic exercises. He firmly believes that a fair trial of this would result In a nation of walkers,, rather than riders, and would develop de-velop men who loved athletics for the exorcise exor-cise they afforded, rather than view athlet-Ici athlet-Ici as a spectacle to be enjoyed, but not to be Indulged In Tn short. It would result In men who could challenge the best when It came to fitness, good health and fine physique. Many Noted Boston Men Are Active Despite Years Boston h is a few men who share Dr Sargent's Sar-gent's belief. Such men for Instance as Dr Charles W. Eliot, president emeritus of Hsr-vardi Hsr-vardi Bishop Lawrence head of the Episcopal Episco-pal Church In eastern MasachUKetts . Gen. CItarles H. Taylor, publisher of the Ros'nn (tlohc, and Thomas N Hart, banker and ex-Mayor ex-Mayor of Boston. All these men are firm believers In exercise as a means tn perfect health, nnd all enjoy excellent health Mr Hnrt. dean of the group, now In the eighties maintains walklnir Is the best of exercise until hi death, which ocrurred In his sev-enty-flfth year Dr. .1. R. Buchanan was 8." when he died. Keeley. founder of ths "KeelOjf cure." died at 68. Delancev Floyd-Jones, Floyd-Jones, a soldier and one of a famous famil lived to 76 vears Archbishop Corrlgan died at 63 William M Evam at 83. Benjamin F Aver at the nge of 78. Rear Admiral John H Russell died at 70 and Reor Admiral L. P. Lee. V S N . at S3. WM Next Generation Under 70. I Btif Facts Are Not Conclusive A comparison of the necrology of tbe gen-oration gen-oration following this one reveals the pre-vailing pre-vailing death age to be considerably under 70 and while such comparisons are far from being convincing still the impression is that H men born ln the period of the civil war died at a much earlier age than their forebears. Of the generation born In 1845. using that H date as a mean, there are happily many left. and of these the names that come most quickly to mind are those still active In the world's business and. though they have passed the meridian of life by s lustre or so they remain creators and directors of thought ond action In such a list appear trie names of two who should be counted bv right In an earlier ( generation. One Is Joseph Cannon. "Unc'o Joe." born In 1836 And the other Is John Wanamaker. whose blrthdav was Jul 1' J Mr. W..namaker at 8; is still the he,d of his glg:.ntir business affairs In Philadelphia and New York His day Is nn busv and 1 varied by as many duties as the youngest assistant manager's could possibly be He Is at his store her or in Philadelphia among the earliest arrivals of his clerks and bs attends personally to .-, h.rge number of let- tors that have been sorted out of the day's mall for him. Moreover, he sees buyers leads conference, wherein he listens to sug- I ce.-rlons of policy and gives the deciding 1 vote on them, and whenever he has an hour I or less free from appointments he delights to stroll about his great store, studying Us various departments and learning nt first - M hand their needs nd where they may bs ' enlarged eliminated or Improved. Henry Gcs is one of the voungest old men In Wall Street, but also a survival of a forgotten era the Jay Gould era. Memorlea d- not hamper him or prevent his being strictly in the a'mospnere of to-day aa a listener to hi Ave minute talks utter-d spontaneously as occasion prompts them In his Broad street r,mc frill agree Born In 'M Staffordshire England, eighty yeans ago. he Still looks like nn Englishman In spite of his many American years and varied activities. in which he has been author, dry goods mcr- chant, banker and lecturer, Edison Breaks Health Laws 4 And Is a Notable Exception j Thomas Alva Edison, bom In the mlddla West February 11, 1847. is an honored mem-her mem-her of this famous generation and as per-i-!stentlj Inventive and scientifically curious tO-daj Kfl Wt -n many years ago Paris III crowned him as "The Electric King." This wonderful man has bioken all his life every H prescription ur long living, working at ths Itaat seventeen hours every day. Going to bed early, which is one of the leading articles In these prescriptions. Is one he carries out by frequently going to bed at 6 A.M. aftor a long, studious nlht In his laboratory at I Orange. Exercise, another rule of health never to bo broken without dire resultt. ' Edison takes by strolling occasionally tl. rough his plant. fl The Inventor of the phonograph, telephone fl transmitter, Incandescent light and mors things of nn eerie nature than can be sasily Inventoried Is working now with the ardor and ambition of a boy on a delicate little Instrument Intonded to help the spirits on the other side of life In their supposedly honest efforts to communicate with the llv- li " In pursuing wh-it many persons think I la n will o' the wisp Edison carries out hla usual programme of concentrated, well nigh fl uninterrupted work. He comei, It is true fcfl of a long lived fomlly. his father lived to bt) 94 and his grandfather passed the hun- " cred mark. At the office of Chauncey M Depew In the New York Central Railway office building cn Iexlngton avenue, an office which has tho word "chairman" painted on Its door, that octogenarian Is to be found every busl- nesa day when ho Is ln town. Of all the V "young old" men of his generation, Mr, Depew shows how lightly rest the yeat when they have been devoted to work of an agreeable kind In whfrh intensive In- trrest drives nwnv worry. A strong political bent nnd a variety of tastes have lightened 1 life for him. while his own humorous bent i founded on human understanding couldn't fall to keep him young. H Two Old Yocpg Men Who Disregard Statistics John Burroughs and Luther Burbank, fa- M mous as naturalist and arboriculturist, are both what the statisticians call old men. but they do not recognize statistics. Tho discoverer dis-coverer or creator of various spineless and t hornless and sr dies fruits is tho Junior of the poet-n2turallst by ten years. Both do ometi,inr' cverv day and do It welL One more Invtance to glorify the genera- H tlon of "45 may be pardoned although nothing noth-ing new remains to be said of Ellhu Root. Born In Clinton N Y., his youth and early 1 education were what these things have been In the lives of most of his contemporaries. Although he had been admitted to the bar when he came to New York, what he sought then was 0 clerkship, not the opportunity to practise ar.d Incidentally starvo whllo waiting wait-ing for clients 1 Labor, early and late, has been from that time to this his life, and he has never found II It drudgery Secretary of War. Secretary of State, this man's fidelity to clients saw no ch.inije when that client was his country. At hlH office In Nassau street ho is to bs found every day devoting his high talents In tho whole, souled and efficient way that has marked h,s entire career : It would ho impossible to find In ths Uvea of the generation that had reached or passed tho allotted age of man ln 1895 examples more remarkable than tho men enumerated nnd briefly considered above. Perhaps they would not be found to bo surpassed by rep- J rrsentatlvcs of any generation since thess States joined ln a union But will the generation gen-eration Immediately following them or ths generations crowning that one take up "ths wondrous tale" and repeat It to ths admiration admira-tion of tho children Just born? |