The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-06-28
IRREGULARITIES OF PEOPLE.
How Folks Scratch their Heads-Hold Umbrel.
fas-Sit in Street-Cars-and Blow
Their Noses
From the Detroit Free Press.

From the Detroit Free Press.
| Deroiters scratch the head with the rich
foreflnger. 1t is sort of inyoluntarymoge
ment which you will see in the car. on til,
| street, in stores and offices, and in fact il
all situations in daily life. In Cincinnati
they dlg with the whole hand, and make ;
business OF it. In Cleveland they scratch
| the left side of the head with three fingers
In Boston the thumb of the right hand i
alone used. In Chicago they use both hands
Each city has a different attitude but De
trolts fashion of gently lifting up the fore
niger and giving it a backward movement
over the ear IS the toniest movement of all
Out OF 12o, O00population at least 100. 900
scratch the head with the right forefinoer.
making three distinct motions in military
| time.
In New York, when lady is irving hard
to remember something she clasps the
lobe OF the left ear between the forefineer
and thumb and pulls down In Boston it
is the right ear, In Toronto she folds her
arms. mSyracuse she stands on one foot
In baltimore she bites her finger. In
Buffalo she puts her tongue in the left side
Of her cheek. In Detroit she simply closes
lett eye INTO sort of wink, FUCKERS her
mouth to the right, and in ten seconds can
remember clear back to Daniel in the lions
den. 1t is not only movement of studied
grace, but there Is cuteness in it, After q
little practice the eyelid can be made to
nutter just enough and not too much, and
IL the woman has good teeth the quicker in
her mouth Is a conquest in itself
AzNhen Chicago man stubs his toe he saws
=! J! right out, no matter how many
presiding elders are on the same block. In
Omaha they yell ''Thunderr' In st. Louis
they say Dammit" In Cairo they lump
EIyxrF 4 e,YNs4 = -
Philadelphia they cuss the bones of old
William Penn In Portland they throw
stones at the nearest dog. Each city has
an exclamation and an attitude Of it's own |
IN cases of this sort, but Detroit beats |
them all.
Detroit is the only city in America
where man knows how to hold an UNI |
brella over his head to get the full benefit |
OF it. In Charleston they hold it in the |
right hand, with the arm foot in advance.
In Mobile it is tipped so far forward that
the rain strikes man straight in the small
of the back. In Chattanooga it is tilted
back and the men get their knees wet In
San Francisco it is tilted to the left, and in
New Haven to the right.
Detroiters sit down in the street
cars with motion never found in
any other city. In Philadelphia they
an UdCh IlhC Il D3S OF SdnQ. |
In Brooklyn they sit down side
ways. In st. Louis the men grab a coat
all in either hand. In Detroit the art of
sitting is graceful slide without any
pump or jar to it, and a car may be over
oaded and yet furnish room for two
women, three market baskets, and a dog
The art of blowing the nose has been
worked down to a fine point here. The
Detroit way does not take over one eighth
If the handkerchief, and only two fingers
The nose is given ample warning Of what
S to come, and when all is ready the tip
nd is gently hidden in the linen, the fing-
rs contracted, and slight ring and two
Taceful twists do the business
Forty ladies in a street car could blow
heir noses all at once, and the driver not
e any the wiser foT it. 1t is not a sport
II report, as in Buffalo. 1t is not a de
ided wipe, as in Chicago. It is wiring
nd wipe combined, made in about four
Taceful motions and leaving the nose in
he best possible condition to detect adult
rated strawberries.