Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-09


LEGGED POS IN sosroS-RAI sIxa Crows 81
Special correspondence Of TIE EVENING STAR
BosroN, March 2, 1882
Inc Old Colony railway, having recently
suffered to no small extent through the
aePredations Of an employe who stole
tickets by the quantity and sold them at
big discount for his own emolument, Is
thinking seriously of adopting, as q measure of
protection against such frauds. and likewise to
aefeat the irrepressible scslper, plan long in
use for other purposes by the Chinese. The
notion has relation to the characteristic struc-
fure Of the portion of the cuticle which covers
the ball Of the thumb. Curiously enough, the
thumb mark Of one person is entirely like that
OF any other, those Of no two human creatures
In all the world resembling one another
IN the least. So strongly individual
are the little spiral grooves in the
skin of the ball that the police authori ties of
the Fiowery Land have made it their practice
TOR centuries to identify criminals by taking i'm
pressions of their thumbs instead of photo
graphing their faces. These are store away,
and If the delinquents are again caught ffend-
ing against the law. other impressions afford
means of comparison. The Chinese say that
considering the alteration made in the counte-
nance by hair and beard and the readiness with
which the features of the prisoners may be
distorted before the camera, their method is
aeclaedly superior. BY 1t, indeed, error is
rendered impossible.
The application of this device to railroad
tickets would not be very difficult, il is
thought. Or course the point which the rail-
roads have been trying In so many ways to Sc
cure, as defense against scalpers and such, is
the identification OF each ticket-holder with the
original buyer. This, If thoroughly accom-
Plished, would prevent the pastebOards being
sold through brokers or thieves. Many
schemes have been already tried, such as
curing each passengers signature on the ticket
when he buys 1t, to be duplicated when the
coupon is taken up by the conductor. But this
II TOO troublesome, and the same objection APP
plies to other plans hitherto experimental with
The thumb-mark, however, would offer no dis
advantage of this kind worth mentioning. Each
person when he buys q ticket-of necessity this
would not apply to local and suburban traffic
VIII be asked by the polite agent to press his
thumb upon . corner of the cardboard, the sur
face Of which has been prepared chemically so
as to receive q clear impression. A duplicate
impression Is made by the passenger alongside
the first one when the conductor calls for the
fare. Thus each traveller is completely identi-
ned and the great choo-choo industry il pro-
tected most satisfactorily by Chinese invention
Only a very crude suggestion Of the idea con-
templated Is given here. With elaboration
when applied to practice, it will become ex-
ceedlngly simple, and If, seems likely, the
Old Colony road adopts it, it will doubtless be
tried by other companies, and may become
universal eventually. Who knows?
MEMS DRESS IN THE FUTURE.
Dealers in mems Quitting goods" seem to
think that the projected reform in evening
dress for gents" is destined to extend further
than is generally supposed by persons who have
less acquaintance with the laws which govern
the progress of fashion. Knee-breeehes black
SILK stockings, silver shoe-buckies and en-
proldered SIX walstcoats, for after dinner wear,
may be regarded as already assured, now that the
glt-edged young men OF Boston have endorsed
them The question now raised by the haber-
dashers and clothiers, who take a keen business
Interest IN the prospective changes, is What
next Inc patterns already offered in shirt
bosoms for next autumn are miracles of elaborate
embroidery and Kaleidoscope coloring Red
blue, green and all the other tints of the
solar spectrum are employed with iberality
and even recklessness by ingenious designers
Tor trade journals In chromo-lithOgraphic plates
oil gaudy linen chest coverings for the coming
season Nor is linen the only material to be
used Tor the purpose, piqus and other more ex-
Pensiye fabrics being prescribed more en-
tireIy e troUsdge. All this is rather crude
some men Of taste assert, and the loudness of il
VIII doubtless become gradually modified The
most pronounced of such garments are likely to
be worn exclusively by the imitation swells
who In their eagerness to achieve style inya-
riably run to excessive display. 1t cannot be
expected, OF course, that this decorative move
ment in masculine dress is to attain success
without few incidental mistakes.
The efforts of the gents furnishers' for
next summer, so they say, will be chiefly di-
rected to the elaboration Of beautiful conceits
In neghge and outing costumes Silk sashes
viii take the place of wais.coats for evening"
Dress during the heated term. Among the
suggestions Tor next winter is rufaing for the
shrtbosom, with lace to be added the follow
ing year, perhaps. The present fashions in
collars and cuffs have long distressed the eyes
OF artists who, although rs q rule careless Of
their own habiliments and even dirty, know
what is what regards other folks apparel
The neck and wrists, they declare, should be
relieved by frills of something soft which
would set of the hands and face much
more becomingly. In fact, however,
now in style for men. They say that the only
truly aesthetic hat Of the present day il the
cowboys tie, affected by Mr.. Buffalo Bill This
they would like to see adopted Likewise, the
overcoat Is objected TO, and In Its place is sug-
gested thing designed somewhat upon the
model of the scotch plaid, which protects the
chest, back and stomach, but leaves the arms
free. There is no telling how far the new re-
form IL destined TO proceed, but it really would
not be surprising if the cycle Of fashion should
take US back before long to the mode of the
seventeenth century, when every perfumed
dude In silken hose, slashed doublet, trunks
and feathers was rainbow all by himself
PIGS ON WHEELS
NoNuclc II the Wlu6 WOrlQ does the railway
hog so flourish as In Boston. Not infreauently-
alas! that it should be necessary to say 1.-THE
too-familiar animal wears pettieoats. 1t il
found in astonishing numbers on the suburban
trains that bring half the business population
INTO town, always striving to occupy as much
room as possible, regardless of other passen-
gers comfort The cheek of this human va
riety OF porker Is simply unspeakable. 1t af-
lords an ideal Illustration OF the peculiar want
OF courtesy toward and consideration for his
IeAoW-Delngs which so markedly characterizes
the indigenous Yankee. Here is an amusing
instance IN point, of which the writer was a
witness only the other day. A good-natured
looking westerner IN boots entered a car bound
for hoslindale on the Providence road In Was
very crowded, and people were standing up ON
all sides. Walking slowly through the aisle
he came at last upon young woman reading a
novel, who was occupying the whole Of an ex-
ira bench, turned over, for the accommodation
of small pug dog that lay comfortably spooz-
ing upon q shawl The Passengers who stood
about were cycling the spectacle with looks of
indignation; but not one of them seemed TO
have had the nerve to protest. The newcomer
however, was not lacking in that quality.
Madam" he said mildly, Il would like to ait
down, II you please"
The young female looked up at him from her
book with . cold and whitening glare The
seat Is engaged" she replied with scidulated
accents.
by the dosY'