When the past becomes history?

but I do believe 50 years old was a ripe old age back then and most did make it that long. While we may think 16 or 17 is robbing the cradle I don't think it was the case back then.

In the 1850's you could not practice law unless you were at least 19 but you could pick up a rifle at 15 and go to war. Wars, maybe they had an impact on life spans. That possible and drinking water.

Definately not my strongest side but pipes were made of other wood in Germany and many other countries well before 1850. So it's x/4 = ?

Cheers, Jesper

PS: 56/4 = around 14 ;-)

No comment on the topic at hand Misha - its kind of interesting though. I just don't know what to do with that factoid.

But One comment ... its good to see you posting again. Its been a while.

That's true. The generations turned quicker those days but 14 years (as I am corrected below) it's too much. Most likely the writer didn't know the difference between the briar and, say, olive. Wood there and wood there, what's the difference.

Hopefully, this time I'll be able to contribute more.

I stand corrected, it's indeed 14. I even thought for a minute that now it would be plain illegal to turn generation at 14 but then I somehow got 16.

Surely, there were different materials those days. Cherrywood, olive wood, oak root (IIRC), porcelain, meerschaum, clay. But I've chocked when read that they carved briar for four generations.

Because no one likes a wiseguy.

Genealogically, generations are counted from parents to children. In that case 14 years is a little quaint, but not impossible. It's highly unlikely, and let's just keep it at that.

Historically, a generation is a span of about 10 years. The generation from the 1970s is not the same as the generation from the 1980s, so to say.

In relation to this German chap, well ... beats me ;-)

I agree, who knows what were morals in Germany in mid-1800s.

My family was very strict. I am four generations away from 1850. My grand-grand-grand-mother was born around 1850.

Actually I think the gentleman said that there were four generations of pipe makers in his family and in the journal it appeared as if they turn briar for four generations. I wouldn't be surprised to see this in modern media but back those days... I still find it quite edifying.

From the NYTimes Travel section March 20, 1983, VICTOR LUSINCHI:

"the high plateau region around St. Claude took to pipe-making toward the end of the 18th century with the spread of the smoking habit in Europe. However, it was not until about 1850 that the local artisans were introduced to the raw material for pipes - originally from Corsica, it is said - that proved worthy of their skill at wood turning"

Assuming the German gentleman was not taking a great deal of license in his comments, and, if we take the beginning of rural pipe making to about 1790, it is quite conceivable that his comments were correct (assuming that a generation may be 25 years). Still, the comments are well-founded, and the anecdote enjoyable reading. Thank you.

I have nothing memorable to add, but I enjoyed the post and the subsequent comments :) Welcome back misha.