Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-14
CHARLES READE,
The English Novelist, on the Lop.Sided
Mania, Fakes Cincinnatian to
Task fer Daring to Differ
with him-He Calls
him an
Unmitigated Liar, an Imbecile, Fool
and a Ounce, who has Obtruded
upon his Privacy after Read
ing Garbled Extracts
of his Letters.

The Cincinnati Commercial recently pub
lished the following correspondence, in which
the novelist, Charles Reade, proves himself
''blackguard and no gentleman"
BRADBURY TO READE.
No. 10 EAST THIRD STREET,
CINCINNATI, u. S., April ], 1873. J
Mr.. Charles Reade, Author London, England:
DEAR SIR have seen, in a disjointed
and imperfect form, some extracts from your
recently repubhshed papers on the subject OF
ambidexterity. | have only partial knowl-
edge of what you said, but concede all
you may claim as TO possible equality OF de-
velopment of both right and left sides of
the body, hands, feet, arms, legs, etc. In
doing this | ignore all the arguments which
might be adduced from anatomical or phys
Illogical reasons, as | am quite unequal to
them from ignorance therein. 1t seems to
me, however, that no advantage could result
from the cultivation of the equality you seem
to lay SO much stress upon, but contrarlly,
great trouble, expense and inconvenience, be-
sides loss OF valuable time IN pursuing an
i3nis fatuuS. and In explanation of my idea
will cite few familiar examples, as they
occur to me, and which | think will confirm
my objections to your dogma, in at least two
subjects with which / have some familiarity:
Frst-MusIcal instruments.
Second-Mechanical tools.
l could extend my remarks much further,
but have not time to spare.
Now, as to musical Instruments. l see In
one of your papers you intimate that the vlo-
lin might be played just as well with the bow
in the left hand and the violin IN the right,
as in the mode prescribed Secundem Grtem,
which is rice UeTSG.
If | fairly understand your meaning, you
are certainly mistaken on this point. There
are certain peculiarities In the construction of
the violin which would require an entire con-
trariety in the position of all the strings, as
well as IN the internal structure of the in
strument, In order to enable a left-handed
man to play upon it with due effect, and this
difference holds good in all stringed instru-
ments played with the bow or by the snap
ping of the fingers, etc.-the violin, viola,
vIoloncello, ontra-bass, guitar, banjo, 9th
ern, ETC.; also for all the reed instruments, as
the oboe, clarionet, bassoon, serpent, etc.
and also on the fingered brass instruments
with valves the same difficulty is found-that
| is to say, that to construct any of these
| instruments in such a manner as to enable a
! left handed man to play upon them, the
| modes of construction would have t. be re-
versed.
| In instruments of modern form of the
| flute family, with intricate mechanism, such
| as Is necessary to meet the requirements of
execution demanded by modern composers,
the intricacies of a double arrangement of
| the keys by the reversal of all the appliances
| as now used would present almost insuper-
| able difficulties and aOtltoM any CODtpeRSat-
ing advantage. 1t is true that the fife and
the drum, the Jewsharp and the military
bugle may be played indifferently, either by
| light or left hand, but these are unimportant
matters when compared to the things al
ready mentioned (eymbals and castanets may
! be added to the category of interchangeable
instruments) AS to the organ and piano,
| the attempt to make them and all the music
| heretofore composed and printed for them
| subservient to the system OF equal hardness
could result only In utter failure. -
| | note your remarks about superiority of
| the left hand In pugllistic encounter. Here
! you mistake effect for cause. The superior
| efficiency of the blow given by the left hand
is to be attributed solely to the extra strength
and vigor Of the right side of the body from
| which the blow eminates, and with which the
| lett arm and fist have nothing to do except
merely as they become the tool with which
| the work is done.
In respect to mechanics tools, the great
| majority OF them are specially adapted for
use by the right hand, although some may be
used by either right or left. A few examples
may serve to explain what | mean. The GIN
let, auger, auger- bits, the screw-driver
| lowing to the fact that the screws to be driven
are Ill made to turn to the right, just as the
entire system of the universe turns in the
same direction), the brace and its bits, nota-
| bly, sheli-bits, nose-b reamers and counter
sinks, the sickle, grass-hook, all scythes and
an infinite number of cutting implements are
now, and have been from time immemorlal,
| designed for the use of thegright hand, and,
| in my humble opinion, will continue to be so
made and used for all time to come. ANY
other course could bring about only trouble,
expense and confusion.
| | will not tax your patience further, as my
time is short. Have not SAID 1.-THE of what
| I ans 7 n leo IL,
in one way, which is that, if possible land |
grant you that to be ambidexterous would be
| a bane instead of benefit. Yours respect
fully, V. C. BRADBURY.
Born and bred in Sheffield, but for the last
twenty-five years citizen of this county.
Z. S;-Scene- painting is but little better
than embarrassing.
In relation to calligraphy, all the signatures
| of great men | have seen show they were
written by the right hand. Perhaps our old
| fri nd William Shakespeare was drunk OF
paralytic when he wrote the two specimens
OF his writing lett to us, or perhaps he was
trying to write with his left hand
READE TO WOODBURY..
No. 10 ALBERT TERRACE
kNIGHTSBRIDGE, April b. !
SR-My privacy has been intruded on by
letter from you, in which you tell me thai
you have only read garbled extracts from my
letters denouucing the lop-handed mania and
dlsproVlng it by mass of evidence; and thai
you are utterly ignorant Of anatomy and
physiology really stands in the argument. IF
having thus announced your disqualification
you had gone on to say ''aud therefore | vii
not have the folly and the arrogance to speaI
positively on the matter" | should have saiC
''this Ounce is not fool" and in a worlc
where nearly all the ounces are fools, | should
have welcomed you as a novelty. But instead
of that, having announced your incapaclty
RI Il
lectual superior in matter where ne II
profoundly learned, and you are as ignorant
as dirt. 4Our letter is in three
divisions-irrelevant truth, de
llberate lie, piece of imbecilt
twaddle. Every fool knows that the musica
performer is an honorable except to the lop
handed mania. Here both hands do skilled
work, and exercise the whole brain, which i.
all require. | have never proposed to re-
verse the skill of the two hands. You are
working folly out of your oan head, anG
forging my name to it. That the left handed
blow of the pugiist owes its force to the righ
side of the body. Were this so, the right
handed blow of the pugilist would owe it,
force 70 the left side Of the body It's lie
When blow is Struck with a sword, a stick
a cricket bat, etc, the -egerse foot is ad
vanced, and the reverse side is tie fulcrum
But in the pugilst's blow, whether with the
right hand or left, the corresponding foot i:
| auVdncSu, Haau Lle DlOW taxes all Its force
from the sub-claviculaT MUSCLES of the arm
that gives the blow. Of course, you may not
be a liar. You may be simply chatt srine
noodle, with no eyes in your head; but one
or the other you must be, to utter such a stu
pid falsehood as the above and send it to M
IF ali people. Who doubts the existence Of
the lop-mania? And, so long as it does ex-
ist, of course many tools will be made to fl
it; but even here your mendacity must creer
| In. You suppress the reaping hook 1.-The plane
the saw. TAG gauge, the knife, the Ratchet
the scissors. the Fen, the sword. Correct
your ignorance, my good sir. and IS your ig-
norance declines your sef-suffic.ency viii
| abate, and you will not be so ready to hur
| them both ct your intellectual superiors, Oh
matters where they cre men and you are q
child
! BRADBURY To READE-BINIs
No. 81 EAST THIRD STREET. CINCINNATI,
| May I, 1878.
Nj Charles Reade, 10 Ai0est Terrace, Knights
bridge, London:
Sm-Yours of the fifteenth, in response tc
mine of the fist ultinlo, received yesterday
1t is characterized by uginess and malignity,
pure and simple. When you call me an I'M