Goodrich: An Office-Holding Family 



281 



(c) School-committeeman, 56 years; also 

 taught 97 terms of school. 



6. Postmaster, 44 years ; member of New Hamp- 



shire legislature several terms. 



7. Pastor of one church for 40 years. 



It is a matter of some importance to 

 eugenics to know whether a stock has 

 small or large variability. The Jews, 

 for instance, as Dr. Maurice Fishberg 

 has pointed out, have produced an 

 exceptional number of eminent men, 

 but at the same time they have produced 

 an exceptional number of mental and 

 physical defectives. No such condi- 

 tion exists in this family. Its record in 

 each generation has JDcen about the 



same. None has been rich, but none has 

 ever been a pauper or a criminal. None 

 has been a genius, but there is no record 

 of feeblemindedness, and only four 

 cases of insanity among the 803 individ- 

 uals recorded. These cases occur in 

 the fourth and fifth generations, one 

 each, and two in the sixth generation; 

 the three latter cases being in a female 

 branch. The records of some 500 de- 

 scendants of brothers, sisters, and 

 cousins of the founder of this family 

 show also an absolute lack of extremes. 

 In this respect the family contrasts with 

 some of the more famous New England 

 families. 



Table V. — Maturity 



Table VI. — Longevity 

 Public officers 



Age at death 



Mature males 

 not officers 



Mature females 



Number Per cent Number Per cent 1 Number ' Per cent 



90-99 3 



80-89 ;■ 11 



70-79 17 



60-69 9 



50-59 . 4 



40-49 . 1 



30-39. 2 



21-29 



Living 23 



Unknown 35 



Total 105 



