Thomas Hood once asked the question, "What can an old man do but die?" The author of "The Song of the Shirt" always held a pessimistic view of old age. He was a chronic dyspeptic. It was hard for him to understand how anyone of sixty or seventy years could be jolly and hopeful. Victor Hugo, speaking from experience, says fifty is the youth of old age. But Hood said, a short time before his death, at forty-seven: "An old infancy is what is to be dreaded."

There are many answers to Hood's question to be found in these pages, and one which is particularly striking is the life of Charles H. Haswell of New York City. He was "born in 1809, and in his young manhood entered a steam engine factory. In 1836 he was appointed chief engineer by the Navy Department, and was the first engineer-in-chief in the United States navy. The first of all steam launches was designed and operated by him. He is called "the father of the steam yacht." He was the first to put zinc into a marine steam boiler, or the hold of an iron steam vessel, in order that the galvanic action of the salt water and copper might be exhausted on the zinc in preference to iron.

Mr. Haswell designed and built several steam frigates and many merchant vessels. He was eighty-nine years old when he received the appointment of consulting engineer of the Board of Public Improvements of the city of New York, and engineer in charge of the extension and improvements on Biker's Island, Long Island Sound. In originality of conception and thorough knowledge of his difficult profession, he has excelled, and his many achievements have brought him recognition from European as well as American sources. Emperor Nicholas of Russia acknowledged Mr. Haswell's scientific attainments by presenting him, in 1853, a diamond ring.

Mr. Haswell is the author of several works, one of them being The Mechanics' and Engineers' Pocket Book, which he first published sixty-two years ago. The seventieth edition, making a total circulation of about one hundred and eighty thousand copies, was issued in 1904. Mr. Haswell is still a splendid specimen of cheerful, solid manhood. He is ninety-five years old, is in good health, and he now writes a letter which would be a good example to many young students of to-day. A letter from him, dated October 29th, 1904, lies before me. It is written in a hand as small and beautiful as that of Henry Olay's, and bears no sign that its author is nearing the century record. He tells me: "I am well. Rise early, and walk out much. I smoke only moderately. Had a severe and continued indigestion for twenty years, but when I stopped the use of spirits, which I had used with moderation, the trouble was wholly overcome."

Thomas A Morris of Indianapolis, Indiana, is another engineer of honor and fame. He is a remarkable man in his accomplishments as well as in his longevity. He began to learn the printer's art eighty-one years ago. It has been seventy-one years since he was graduated from West Point. Over ninety per cent, of the men and women now living in the United States, were not born when Mr. Morris was assigned by the War Department to assist the engineer corps in constructing the National road in Indiana and Illinois. He had charge of the constructing of the Central canal; was chief engineer of the Madison & Indianapolis Railway, sixty-three years ago; was afterwards chief engineer of the Terre Haute & Richmond railway, the Indianapolis & Bellefontaine, and the Indianapolis & Cincinnati line, and was also its president. He served with distinction in the Civil War, and later was selected as chief engineer of the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railway. Mr. Morris is now ninety-three years old. He understands "the philosophy of staying in harness," and is the active president of the Indianapolis Water Company.

Another civil engineer whose life is an interesting study, is George E. Gray of San Francisco, California. He began his work as an engineer on the New York State canals, away back in the forties. He was chief engineer of the New York Central Railway from 1853 to 1865. During the following six years he was consulting engineer of the Central Pacific road; and for fourteen years was chief engineer of the Southern Pacific, and later engineer of various other roads comprised in the Southern Pacific system.

At the age of eighty-six, Mr. Gray is active in many enterprises in which he takes an interest. I learn from Who's Who in America (1903-1905), that he is one of the trustees of the Leland Stanford, Jr., University; a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers of London, England; and president of the board of directors of the California Academy of Sciences.

Mr. Gray's activity is an impressive reminder of the fact that the man who, at eighty, or any other age at which he retains a healthy mind and does not shrink from any undertaking merely because death is near, gets the best out of life.