Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-03
The Custom of Haudshakfne

According to some of the English news
papers, the custom of handshaking, the old
familiar salutation, is falling into disuse,
for no other reason apparently than that to
the civilized person it is entirely SUPER
fuous; that one can greet ones friend cor
daily enough without going through the
common every day formality of shaking
hands. There NAV be something in this,
but any tendency in the same direction has
not been observed in this country. Ac-
quaintances and friends still hold to the
ancient Eastern custom of cordially Swring-
ing" the working hand" until it is often
unfit to write, draw or do any work with for
hours after. However, the mere lack Of
signs that it is going out of fashion here, is
no reason why there may not be more truth
in the reports published In English journals
that it is going out of fashion in their coun-
try, and if it is there is hardly any doubt
that the same tendency Will manifest itself
in this country as soon As it is proved to be
the English idea suppose no one would
welcome such an innovation more than the
American politician, whose campaigns are
often for the most part made up of '.hand-
shaking bees" do not think it probable,
however, that the custom Will become cbso-
lete soon. If 1t should, some other method
of salutation would take its place, for good
good friends will insist on some manner of
showing their pleasure at meeting. To
refrain from doing so would be like the
behest of Elisha when he sent his servant,
Gebazi, to lay his staff on the face of the
dead Shunamite child. 'If thou meet a man,
salute him not; and if any salute thee, 3n-
swer him not again"
What then NAV be the form of salutation
that will likely take the place o. hand
shaking2 We borrowed that custom from
the orientals, and it is nos only interesting
to conjecture what the new fashion NAV be,
but also the source from which IL may be
derived. IF trees and plants were more
plentiful in the cities ue might adopt the
beautiful custom of the New Guinea people,
who place q garland of leaves on the heads
of those to be saluted. IF any token at all
is to be presented, the above must be given
the preference over the South Sea Islanders
fashion of casting jar of water on the head
of your friend; the sacisut Persian s opening
of a vein to offer drink of blood, or the
other South Sea Island notion of splitting ON
the hands and then rubbing the face of the
greeted ore. If none of these methods
should be satisfactory, the negro idea of
swapping and cracking fingers or the clap
ping of hands might be adopted. Again, 1t
none of these is expressive enough we have
the Australian custom of sticking out the
Gond's pulling of the ears, the Esquimaux'
rubbing of noses or that most charming OF
all customs designed, and it is to be hoped
by the Chittagongs, the SMELL
ing of each other. For our Western people
who dwell in unsettled parts the salute at
the Moorish horseman might be adopted. It
is custom that is strangely illustrative of
the suspicion engendered by living in dis
tricts where one is as likely to meet a deadly
enemy as a friend. At the top of mis- speed
the Moor rides at the stranger, then sud lenly
pulls up and fires his gun over the strangers
head, as if recognizing him to be a friend
instead of foe.
All frivolty aside, what could be more e1-
pressive than the custom which Herbert
Spencer traces to the movement which
would be likely to occur if two persons de-
sired to draw the hands of each other 20
heir lips, and each at the same time en-
leavored TO withdraw his hand in deprecs-
ion of the submissive salutation, but which
,thers, and L think more reasonably, derive
rom an ancient usage that the offer and ac-
,eptaGce Of a weaponless hand inferred
,eace and brotherhood.
w. G. KAUFMAN.