Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-03-31
CHARACTER IN GRIPS.


eye, the set Of the mouth, the contour of
the head, or any of the numerous mystic
cri>crions by which tho imaginative man
strives to judge his chance acquaintance
is furnished by the hand There is q
good deal more truth than humbug in the
claim. But you don't have to 70 through
the tornfoolcry OF studying the lines Of
the palm to find the fact out. All that
is necessary, says tho San Francisco
Examiner, is to get on n strcct-car that
is run by careless or playful driver
and you'll be able to read character by
watching the hands of your fellow pas
ScngcrS.
Who, for example, has not seen tho
man Of aggressive character, who pushes
his way over all obstacles with the ar
Grcssivc hold Of the strap that defics all
the tricks of the driver to upset him?
Next him, perhaps, is the passive man,
satisfied to move along in the calm
pcaccfulncss of n gentle nature. lie
llccls half around, trcads on the toe of
the cholcric man, who imagincs himself
safely slowed away in u corner, and
grabs the strap with n forcfinycr and
thumb, and utters mild rebulsc on the
uncomfortable methods of the driver
Whenever the jolt comes, and
wherever you chance to be, you will al
ways notice, with satisfaction, the man
of firrancss, whose grip of the strap has
all the characteristics of his surc-footcd
method of going through business and
life. lie is always prepared for cmcrg-
encies, and no ovcr-jubilant driver or
engineer can catch him mapping.
The awkward man is everywhere.
He is the butt of ridiculc and the TARGET
of all Ilaledictions that IN outrageous
and disturbed public pours out when its
COMFORT is intcrfcrcd with. Look ct
the awkward hand and, in your minds
eye, you can see the helpless strurrlc
OF its owner with fate. Great tocd
fortune only saved that hand that has
brought up for support suddenly agairst
the side OF the car from going through
the window pane. You can bet tooth
pick to 4 new silk umbrella that the
passenger has stamped on somebody's
choicest corn with relentless and in
con5idcratc heel, and you can bet that
the owner of the corn has wished the
awkward one to go to Kamtchatlza
The man who only holds on to strap
anyhow shows by his temporary hold
that he is the sort Of fellow who doesn't
do any thing requiring cXertion unless
he is compelled to, and is not pleasant
man to travel with, either.
Everybody who travels has seen the
short man who has been left in the race
for seat. Hes self-rcliant, gcncrallv.
even if he is small in stature, and the
cane handle thrust through the strap,
yielding less wearying and muscle
tearing support. pru!us how he goes
about, prepared at all times to cuchrc
unfricndly fortune when she gets bad
tempered.
Tho weak, uncertain, pulpy and I'M
profitable type of man can be read in
Stantly in the manner in which the
strap is graspcd weakly, just as surely
as the timid and shrinking disposition
reveals itself in n grasp of the leather
that is insecure and easily dislodgcd by
a jolt.
What the expert ut hand-rcading
would call the conversation grip" is
another interesting and peculiar feat
urc of the strap-using traveller. Glance
Mt the grip, 1t is easy to imagine the
owner of that hand stopping over and
chatting with some one who has the
vocational traveller always holds n
strap that way. 1t is as sure an indica-
ton that the owner is passionatcly
fond of talking as the confident grip of
his ncXt-door neighbor shows that that
ncighbor is q man who goes through
life with the conviction that he can
take care of himself, no matter what
happens. He is the happy mean be-
tween the aggressive and the passive
man, and doubtless very companion
nblc an. decent fellow.
Who that has travelled much in tho
bustling town, especially when tho
crush is greatest on cars and train, has
not longcd for the avcnging pin to stick
into the wishy-washy, altogether usc-
less dude or languid man? lie 10 con-
stantly throwing the burden of himself
upon somebody else, and the cxtraor-
binary md nggravating manner in
which he holds on to the car-strap is n
proof of insipid and backbonelcss per-