The million-peopled city
Garwood, John
1853
Their Ages.
"A large number of the pensioners have been hard drinkers, and lived irregular lives; but nevertheless, many of them live to a great age. They are all of them old men. None are admitted under 60, except they are maimed, and obtain a special order from the Board. A lieutenant of the Institution was writing down the age of one man when our missionary entered. It was 70 years. On our missionary remarking that it was a good old age, he remarked, ' We do not consider that old here.' A man of 70 is almost a junior. Most of the pensioners are older than this; many are between 80 and 90; and one has arrived at the astonishing age of 103. Between Feb. 14 and Nov. 19 of this year, 202 pensioners have died, of whom 100 were above 70 and under 80 years of age, 23 above 80 and under 85, 5 above 85 and under 90, 1 above 90 and under 95, and 2 above 95 and under 100." | |