Road trip to Buffalo! I am heading out this week to visit dear old dad and sweet Grandma Rose, who turns 88 next month (Happy Birthday!). Her youthfulness got me thinking ~ will I be grow to be that age? Will I have her fabulous health and sense of humor? Is my career affecting my longevity? While searching for the answers, I found this helpful table from Light on Dark Corners.
By the way, this book was published in 1911, the year that Grandma was born. I’m going to have to ask her if she knows what those “Coopers,” “Calico Printers,” and “Operatives” doexactly.
1911: Longevity
The following table exhibits very recent mortality statistics, showing the average duration of life among persons of various classes:
| Employment. | Years. |
|---|---|
| Judges…………………. | 65 |
| Farmers……………….. | 64 |
| Bank Officers…………. | 64 |
| Coopers……………….. | 58 |
| Public Officers………… | 57 |
| Clergymen…………….. | 56 |
| Shipwrights……………. | 55 |
| Hatters…………………. | 54 |
| Lawyers……………….. | 54 |
| Rope Makers…………… | 54 |
| Blacksmiths……………. | 51 |
| Merchants………………. | 51 |
| Calico Printers…………. | 51 |
| Physicians……………… | 51 |
| Butchers……………….. | 50 |
| Carpenters……………… | 49 |
| Masons………………… | 48 |
| Traders…………………. | 46 |
| Tailors…………………. | 44 |
| Jewelers……………….. | 44 |
| Manufacturers…………. | 43 |
| Bakers…………………. | 43 |
| Painters………………… | 43 |
| Shoemakers……………. | 43 |
| Mechanics……………… | 43 |
| Editors…………………. | 40 |
| Musicians……………… | 39 |
| Printers………………… | 38 |
| Machinists……………… | 36 |
| Teachers……………….. | 34 |
| Clerks………………….. | 34 |
| Operatives……………… | 32 |
It will be easily seen, by these figures, how a quiet or tranquil life affects longevity. The phlegmatic man will live longer, all other things being equal, than the sanguine, nervous individual. Marriage is favorable to longevity, and it has also been ascertained that women live longer than men.
Source: Jefferis, B. G., and J. L. Nichols. Search Lights, or, Light on Dark Corners. Naperville, Ill.: J. L. Nichols & Co., 1911.
~ pp. 367 ~