Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-10-24
HISTORY OF THE CANE.
its Different Usases.

The antiquity CT the cane or walk
ing-stick is little obscure. Here and
there history has mentioned a walking
stick, but the article in those times,
like the people, seemed best qualified
for war. Abraham introduced the
fashion of carrying sticks. When he
went up into the mountains to sacrifice
his son he took a stick with him as a
companion Then Moses commended
the cane to the prohibitionists of his
time He smote a rock with a rod and
the rock Immediately gave forth water.
The three wise men from the East are
painted, though not described, as car
rying sticks, and IL is often mentioned
IN Biblical history that shepherds used a
two-story walking stick to guard their
1ocks, dogs not being generally known
IN those days. Adonis, the Adonis of
mythology. had a sort of walking-stick
given him that was magical in its
power, bet he paid little attention TO
his present, having mania for the
cross-bow- And with q short jump
into Greece, Just across the Hellespont,
the Alemanni carried short, thick
sticks as sIdeaTms 10 their broad
swords.
Hsying apparently fulfilled their
mission as weapons of war, walkinl
sticks fell into disrepute- For centu-
rIes nothing was heard, or at least
nothing was written, about them that
outlived them. In the last chapters of
med ;eval history they came to the
front, but as an article OF the preserv-
er's wardrobe instead of the destroyer.
1t is said that In the sixteenth CEN
tury physicians began the carrying of
Of In
the court of Frrnce, in the days of the
latter Louis, the court physician car
ried a hollow cane filed with smelling
salts. The custom extended to En-
gland, and in the canes of some of the
physicians all sorts of medical proper
ties were slowed. The fashion devel-
op0d into the doctor placing disin-
fectant in the chamber of his walking
stick when he was obliged to associ-
ate with contagious diseases.
1t seems that the Mexicans first
used canes in America When the
Spanish conquered the country a queer
custom was introduced. The chief eX-
ecutiye of the town carried a stick
with gold or silver head. 1t was
kind of sceptre. The people, OF course.
rarely knew how TO read or write, and
when any one was wanted for a crime
one of the Mayors subordinates would
take the cane, lind the culpEt and
place it horizontally upon the latter's
chest. The proceeding was equivalent
to a summons. and the man had to ap-
pear before the Mayor under the pen
atty of being cast into prison. This
custom was borrowed from Spain,
where it stIll prevails in the more i'm
pOrtant sections.
The English, first to dispense with
the sword, doubtless originated the
cheme o. using a cane as An article OF
ashton merely. 1t is SAID of DR.. John
son, the philosopher of the last CEN
tury, that he had weakness for canes
which grew out of prospective SANDER.
Samuel FoOte was an actor OF very lit
tie merit, but as z mimic and caTi-
caturIst probably never had an equal.
FoOte was cripple, having but one
leg. johnson affected to desp!se him.
Foote was anxious to obtain recognition
from so great a man, and he thought
it would gain him the acquaintance
of the philosopher and the applause of
the public if he would mimic Johnson.
He thereupon announced that he would
burlesque the stage johnson learned
of Foote'S intentions.
"How much can a stout cane be pur-
chased for?" he asked of a friend.
HALF a crown" was the reply.
''Then," commanded Johnson, in his
premptory way, here is a crown. Buy
me doubly stout one. III make that
fellow walk with no legs
Shortly after Johnson died the walk |
ing-stick fell into disuse. a crutch |
made Z. shape was affected for a
while, but never gained popularity, |
and the walking-stick came to the 4
front once more, and its place as an /
assistance to gentlemanly carriage has /
never since been usurped.
The cane of early American history,
like that of Biblical times, was part OF /
the repertory of the leaders of the 1
church. 1t was the principal badge of |
the deacon. The cane was about five /
feet long. One end was embe!llshed /
with big knob, the other with feath- 1
eIs. Whsn the small boy rebelled /
against the straight-backed pew, he /
got a rap on the head with the IN
end OF the cane. If the 1
head of the family got To dreaming
about his old English home and the |
cosy little nest in one CT the shires, the 4
plCmage On the deacon's cane
feathered the sleeper into life again.
The Irish nave always been associ-
ated with a blackthorn stick of short |
and thick dimensions. They used these |
queer little slde-arms in the invasIons
of the English Kings and in the re-
llgious wars. Even in its unpublished |
state the blackthorn stick Is one of the |
most cherished by cane connolsseurs.