Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-04-16
Thr Horrors of Gum Chewing.


above subject to The Chicago Herald
says: What is more ungraceful. or. it
might As well be said, disgraceful, than
this vulgar habit which is fast gaining in
popularity among the Americanss Go
where you may and you will see beautiful
and accomplished ladies with the Quid of
"Iaffy Tolu. 4 very amusing thing il
IL to make study of the various ways in
which II Is done. You will see n new re-
crult IN this gum chewing army who has
not quite lost all shame, and the careful
manner IN which she attempts to hide the
fact Is laughahle. She carries her "cud"
III her cheek, and tries to appear perfect
ly unconscious of the fact. This little
swelling you will occasionally see disap-
pear, and are aware of the fact that the
lady has it between her teeth for n little
sly chew. She will have occasion to put
her handkerchief to her face. She will
cough and give every excuse for opening
and closing her mouth, and when il closes
the delightful expression of satisfaction
shows the pleasure she experiences. We're
all like this amateur we might forgive
them, but the expert is bold. She wags
her jaws at the rate of about forty miles
an hour. She opens er hmouth at each
motinn. You can see further into the
cavity than is pleasant, ifs he has bilious
tongue, bad or defective teeth. You may
sit opposite her in horse car half an
hours ride and at the end you will feel
completely chewed up. You may close
your eyes and still see the work going on.
She may have companion with her who
Is IN the same regiment, and mt that mo-
ment IN active service. They talk and
chew at the same time. They look boldly
about at every one in the car, as much as
to say, this Is the latest rage, and the
proper thing to do" They are taking
into their sweet morsel all the bad atmos-
phere. The man who sits next is n work
man, whose clothes and whiskers are filed
with many bad odors. He carries in his
pocket an old pipe All this the girls
add to flavor the fluid extracted from this
delicious balsam. You see hcvy of
girls at matinee. They are chewing
during the whole performances and swal
lowing gum act by act Each actor and
actress is in turn masticatcd, and, provid-
ed the scene includes number of inter
csting impersonators n little eNortion to
roll them under the tongue, an extra eN-
pansion of the throat, and head thrown
back, eyes rolled upward, and II is all
over. They have been taken in with lit
tie effort. In the art gallery you meet
group of ladies and gentlemen. They are
all exports in both the painters art and
the ruminator's. They question the
chiaro -oscuro, the perspective. They dis
cover chicanery, criticise the artists taste
in selecting his model, never thinking
what perfect subjects they are for the
caricaturist's pencil. Why have not some
of our brilliant lights in this branch dis
covered what a boundless field for labor is
here furnished! People are compelled to
make themselves appear at
great disadvantage at table. That
ought to suffice without this public exhi
bition of the most trying ordeal for grace
or beauty. Watch select gathering at
an elegant dinner party where the guests
table manners are considered perfect. Sec
how the handsomest face looscs its con
tour, the bewitchin9 lines and dimples are
drawn out of place, the jaw becomes
prominent, and it's hinges show how thor
Oughly they are in practice by the ease
with which they play like the motive
power in a steam engine when well oiled
and in constant use. The upper lip is
heightened by every motion if care il
taken not to let them part. Even the mus
cles work to the eyes ears and nose. The
throat and its cords must also labor to
sometimes be heard to strike. Many 9th
er things might be said with truth that
are two unpleasant. Eating is certainly
no embellisher of beauty, and If people
wish to be seen at their best it is certainly
not at the dinner table, unless they con
tent themselves to dine on flashes of wit
and make believe to eat. II eating, then,
il such a severe test to beauty, how much
more so ia this coarse, unladylike practice
of gum chewing. Let any lady calculate
the distance her Jaws travel in an hours
time in this engagement, and she will see
that an enormous space has been covered
and each day she may say, II have chewed
so many miles to-day" The argument
that it aids digestion or is good for the
throat is entirely wrong. 1t is unnatural.
Our mothers and grandmothers lived to
good old age without it, and indigestion
was less frequent than now.
The gum chewer is not beau ideal, and
the habit does not in the least enhance
her charms. Let her seek for something
more adorning. Let not this scourge
spread any farther. Smallpox, yellow
fever, or any other disease in preference,
because it usually kills the patient, but
the gum fiend will survive unless extermi-
mated She will never die natural death.
Let each city form an anti-gum chewing
society and purge the continent. Imagine
our girls going abroad with their quid
and being remarked upon az American,
you know"