Life Supporting Death

The last census gives some interesting figures and shows, .somewhat, at least, the extent to which death supports life upon this peculiar globe. In 1870 there were in the United States 1,996 professional undertakers, of whom 20 were women. The deaths in that timo were 260,673, bo that to tho average undertaker tbere foll 131 cases. Beside the undertakers there were 2,365 coffin makers, who, of courso depend upon the undertakers for sales. These classes togethermake 4,361 persons who lived by the deaths of 260,673 persons. Doctors and dressmakers aside, therefore, under our present methods, about 60 deaths avail to keep one porson alive for a year, or one dead body is a guaranty of sis days' sustenance to one person, or one day's support for six persons. Or, to take another view of the case, if cach of these bodies wero allowed a full sized grave, the wholo would occupy but about 202 acres, and oach of those acres would support about 22 persons for a year, which is a better yield ihnn that of tho best wheat field.