Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-02-12
ABOUT BAGS ANo BAGGAGE.
a >u-tale Tags to the Personality Of
Their Possessors.

The actress lives in her trunks; the
baggage of the traveliug-man is ever
his carking care; the inexperienced
traveller can generally be detected bv
the newness of his travelling parapher-
MALTA; and the new-made bride is
nervous lest fond friends deck her
Saratoga with tell-tale white ribbons.
The young lady who made the trip
around the world in seventy-six days
with handbag for luggage had the
science of dress compressed to nicely;
but many a sailor has started on three
years cruise without any baggage to
speak of except a clasp-knife and
plug of tobacco.
There is something very distinctive
about luggage, especially hand lug
gage" said ~ old traveller in the n.
Y. Tribune. How often in getting
into a railway carriage abroad. or a
parlor car at home. have | glanced at
the seats in my neighborhood, instinc-
lively judging of my compagnons de
voyage by their belongings. It's real
ly astonishing how such little things
Indicate character, pursuits, and social
status. | am bit of detective in
way. too, not that | should care to
ferret out crime, but it is a great
amusement to me to put this and that
together, and draw conclusions there
from; aud sometimes | have made
wonderful hits in guessing about a fell
low travellers affairs. But that is my
private idiosyncrasy. and is neither
here nor there. There are certain
signs of good breeding and the habit
of travel, that all who run NAV read.
In the way of bags, for instance. there
are two kinds that are considered good
form to carry. They are both made
of sOle-leather. and are hand-sewed,
but are different in shape. One will
hold your evening clothes and good
ly number Of shirts. is stiff and square,
with corners of leather, very neat
straps and buckles and handles. all
hand-sewed, with as much care AS the
finest shoe. The other is very soft
and expansive. and holds any amount
of wearing apparel, and is also of sole
leather, most neatly made. An En-
glishman, almost invariably an Ameri-
can sometimes, carries in addition his
dressing-caSe. which contains every
imaginary convenience for the toilet;
but that is not necessary. as the case
may be made to lit into one side of the
bag.
Americans understand the art of
making themselves comfortable far
better nowadays than they did IA quar-
ter of a century ago, and what would
have been considered an aifectation in
the way of personal appurtenances is
deemed necessity now. Only fam
cy.' said an old lady to me the other
day. when Mr.. A Cher husband)
used to 90 off for the night. he would
stick his toothbrush and hair-bruSh
into some little calico pocket | had
made him, roll them with his night
shirt in a newspaper, and stick the
whole into his overcOat pocket. | dare
say you young men would think such a
provision only fit for day laborer in
these days; and yet Mr.. A was IL
nice, clean man."
In the way of trunks sole leather
case like this sketch gives certain
stamp to the owner. it is so unpreten-
tiOus. SO comfortable, SO adapted TO all
kinds of travel, and from the character
of the leather and its make withal so
costly, that its possessions betoKens in
its way gentleman. 1t is perfectly
soft will stand no end of wear, tear,
and will hold "a quantity of things, and
is equally appropriate, whether in COM
pany with my lady's boxes going to
Paris. packed on the back of a camel.
in an elephants howdah, or in the
cabin Of a steamer.
"Women's hand baggage is not as
detinablC as that of men. If she travels
without maid, lady might carry
neat dressing case. covered with dark
blue macintosh; Il tightly rolled UNI
brelIa, strapped together with "A shawl
Of natural wool; and macintosh
coat and Il novel. Ii | should see
these belongings lying III "A chair IN
the parlor car | should expect to see
well-bred looking woman as owner
There is one thing that | consider OBJ
iectiOnable which women sometimes
assume while travelling, but a man
rarely. if ever. That is 'swagger.' |
have seen even nice looking girls lay
themselves out for effect, buying a
cleyer-looking review. for instance. and
cutting the leaves at some erudite
article which they never read. Or
they make themselves noticeable with
small dogs and with various other de-
vices which are taken for Just what
they are worth"