HOW TO LIVE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5398, 11 March 1929, Page 1

HOW TO LIVE.

NOT TOO STRENUOUSLY. LESSONS FOR A JAZZ AGE. Two old gentlemen in Australia, oiie a centenarian and the other in his 94th year, attribute their longevity to evenness of temperament. Mr Ernest Beer, of Melbourne, born in Hamburg in 1835, says he attributes his good health and long life to being a philosopher of the cheerful school, lie 'ha.s accepted good for,tune thankfully, and bad fortune has never cast him flown. He s.moked and. drank temperately. He cannot read) now, but hears well, though not so well as of yo-rq. “But why should I complain ?” he asks. “There is my eldtest son, who is only €5, and he is getting a bit 'hard off heading. .1 am a. philosopher. I can still hear music, and that is my last and greatest, consola-" tion, for I am very fond of good music.” Mr. Beer had only two sjons, but as. each marr.ied! and had a large family, and the children in their turn marriejl, he has many descendants. Hptw many ? “I 'have not counted them .lately,” said the philosopher. JUST WENT ON PEACEFULLY. The centenarian is the Rev. Charles Loste, of st. Helens, on the eapit coast of Tasmania, who reached the agei of 100 years on January 9. He was horn on January 9, 1829, at Lincoln, England? He is of'French descent'. He received an early education at King Edward’s Grammar School, South End, and afterwards, .went to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He is believed to be the oldest surviving student of Cambridge. In 1861 he went to Australia, going first to Mtelbeturne and then to Riverina, where he was ordained in 1866’, and in 1881 he went to Tasmania, where he hag remained. For a year Mr Loste taught ip. a school at Hobart. Then h,e went to a parish at Brown’s River, and later spent five years at -Wafratah. before beginning his long period of residence at St. Helens. He retired from tjhe ministry about 29 year’s ago. Asked how one might live to the age of. 10'0 years, Mr Loste saidl he was afraid he did not know. He had just gone on peacefully from day to day. “I have been through no great experiences,” he said, “nob have I gone through any great troubles. I have had no great ambitions excepting to carry on with my work fbolm. day to day in the best man nep that I could. I 'have set myself, no aims and tried to reach no heights. I have just gone on quietly doing my best and refusing to be unduly worried if that best was not considered good enough, so long' as I thought that, it was. I. have avoided worries, when I could, and have met them calmly when they bould not be avoided. I have been a thinker and looker-on, and have helped. when I, c.oulcl, but I have not looked for experiences and have not had any. What may there be in a man’s life that matters except his living- of it ? After all, that is the thing. Life is the thing itself—not looking for things in life or from it. I have accepted that view and 'held it. That is all that 1 can say.” MELBOURNE THEN AND NOW. The othejr Old'gentleman mentioned above, Mr Beer, landed in Melbourne in 1954. Walking in 1929 down CoW in 1854. Walking in 1929 down Collins street, Mr Beer remarked on- the change that had taken plae,e in men’s dress, and women’s, too, during the 75 years that he; had been a colonist. “When I first landed in (Melbourne,” he said, “most of us dressed to suit our own taste. The taste, of the diggers was slouch hats, top boots, a red flannel shirt, and a belt, often with a pistol stuck in it. I ha.ve seep them wearing- nuggets strung together for, watch chains. A little later thej business meh took to peg-tpjp trousers and black coats. Some .who were not quite in the fashion used to grow long side whiskers, and sometimes ‘mutton chops,’ others fallowed the new American fashion and wore a pointed chin beardi American clothes became popular, and a good American suit could be bought, for £6. Top hats, which cost £1 each, were much in fav'Ohir.

“I remember seeing the; Burke and Willis expedition start from Royal Park. Burke was prancing about on his. horse among the waggons loaded with provisions and topis., and Dr. Beckner (I think it was), the scientist of the party, was mounted bln a camel- - have seen thej gradual extension of the railway line to Sondridge. The route of. several of the railways was decided,' I have heard', by politics, with money influenc.es behind the politicians.”