New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-26
STRAY NOTES HERE AND THERE

Two men got into an argument the other day
the expansion Of steam In a cylinder. why said
one "yOn don't know anything about machinery and
the principles OF mechanics. Your thumbs nre not
shaped right lie then went to explain that
man with long thin thumbs did not have mechanical
turn while those with thick thumbs broad at the ends.
were naiaral-born machnlsts. never bileVed III
ply siognomy," he said, but do believe In thumbs.
Now, thumbs have been appreciated ever since the
world began The ancients used to call the thumb tho
other hand. Barbaious kings used TO swear and make
compacts by their thumbs. In Rome II was a sign OF
favor TO wiring and kiss the thumb. and Of disavor
disgrace 10 III III IN up ar turn them outward y man
who hurt In his thumbs was excused 0hi servlns
In the Roman wars. some OF the &c undrely ciuLens
used 10 cut off their thumbs 80 as To- remain nome ana
r,t rich. Teachers used TO punish Their PUPILS Dy
influential member / can look 1T the thumb OF
young woman and describe her figure. can Ten
whether her Joints are large and il-shapen small
ana perfectly proportion ny eAa In man
persin signing himself \. stupid" writes TO The
Tribune that the egg pat in the dccanter by the cub
man the story In This column the other dav) was
sucked In. There hole in the side or bottom
Of the dccanter to which the lips were applied TO ara"
the egg through the neck Of the decanter he believes
WELL :" Mr.. stupid Is on the wrong track. lie Is not
even near right. There only one hole In The
decanter, and that was in the neck Inc lrick Is '
Simplest IN the world but at the time astonsinhc
\ proper care must be USED III doing IT, MlnN ah w
primcner has covered himself wiki the yolk before
getting even the white Of an egg In u bottle. Let a.
stupid" try again.
Something far better than the egg trick was shown
at q card party I'm Twenty -eighthst. night or two
ago. The exhibitor declared himself 10 De Il
reformed gambler. lie had made much money out OF
the trick and did not mind letting few friends KNOW
the secret. lie arranged two whist hands from inc
deck in one of which there six trumrs ana I'D
the other none. The cards being spread out OH the
table face up he bet 800 that he could take either
hand and beat any In the room holdhs lhe o.i;
A Young whist player tried him with the trump hita
and lost. Then an old fellow LOOK , u' oilers
followed suit and lost. III maue no uineienIr "n S
had the lead. Finally the old fellow tried again ana
won. He had analyzed the pay. ~ - ~" ~ ,han
once with two players evenly matched the trump
hand VIII always be beaten.
Copyright is a simple thing comp,rd to what it was
seventy or hundred years ago. Tile book OF To-Day
has on a ny-lraf Copyright. 1893, By Donald +.
taichc- or whatever the Of the author may d."
In the first years Ct the century this is like what
had 70 he printed on The nyeaf Of n book published
In New York: southern District II Ncw-York. So Ee
II remembered that on the tenth day OF January In
the thirty NTH year OF the Independence Of the United
states Of America. samuel Wood OF the said District
hath deposited In this office. the title OF book the
right whereof he claims rs proprietor IN the following
words 10 Wit Choice EmbleniS, natural, historian,
fabulous moIa and divine. for the instruction III.
amusement Of Youth. displaying the ID anc, anu
morals OF the ancient iauli>ts In conformity 10 the
act of the longr.sS Of the United states, emitted An
act for the encouragement of ltnrmng GU, lnls
was signed 10y Theron Rudd CLERK 1t tnr oout m,,
IIstrtcf of N,y.l Dirk The text Is tnken rom ntIh
hook that from the library OF Richara CRAM
White.