Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-02-10
A QUEER NATURAL Law.
Atavism or the Term by Which
It Is Designated.
To Its Workings Are Ascribed the Singu
lar DeprayIty of Some Children
Strange Freaks of
HeredIty.

Among the many mysterious forms
and traits in human life and character,
there is nothing more wonderful than
those which come from, or are developed
in what is known as heredity or atavism.
Heredity is an old term. the meaning of
which is generally understood 1t is
word somewhat broad in its sense and
application.
Atavism, says the Detroit Free Press,
is q newer term, and one with mar
rover significance than that conveyed
by heredity, although it may be con-
sidered as one form of heredity. The
technical expression is sometimes writ
ten also ''avitism," from the Latin
avitus pertaining to an ancestor or an
cestraD. The term usually applies to
some strongly developed popularity
or trait in character simply; to mere
mental or moral force or weakness
which manifests itself at irregular in
tervals in particular families. 1t mp
pears to be governed by no general
laws as have been observed in the eff
fects of heredity in the physical system.
But it may apply to infirmities or dis
eases showing themselves in the blood
after lapses of generations in families.
atavism. The innate disposition to
flch, to steal slyly and adroitly, is
sometimes irresistible and ineradicable
in certain people. 1t is a faint in their
nature something like the instinct of
an animal of the lower orders, a force
difficult to control where nature is al
lowed free course. The following is an
illustration of atavism:
- S,,No
gence in one of the very best families of
a principal city, q youth, who from the
force of necessity had never known oc-
casion to steal in order to supply his
wants, was accidentally detected in the
act of rifling the wardrobe of a friend
whose guest the young man was ut the
time. Evidences subsequently revealed
disclosed the fact that the same youth
had been for years engaged in the COM
| mission of similar crimes. His petty
| pilferings had amouted in the aggre-
| gate to hundreds of dollars, many of
the things stolen being articles for
which the fellow had no earthly use.
Investigations into mis- history betrayed
the fact that one OF the young mans
ancestors four generations back was a
| noted thief, the bad blood manifesting
itself in this one instance land in this
one instance only, SO far as the records
| could be known) after the lapse Of sew
enty years This is not only u striking
| Illustration of atavism, but the fact
/ also proves the truth of the old society
| aphorism that set takes more than two
I generations to make q gentleman"
A very interesting case of atavism has
been recently discovered in one of our
large cities. A minister Of great piety
and retirement In character has a
bright, promising son, who, in defiance
Of oil education, in defiance of both
precept and example, has become q con-
flrmed habitue of livery stables and
sporting circles He is q patron Of the
race track particularly. He has DC
moral weakness except in the penchant
to bet on fast horses
Where did this young man first re-
ceive the touch or force that led to such
a career? Every element in his train
ing has been in efforts to take him in q
contrary direction. from that Of his
present habits. Recently the discovery
1 was made that the great-grandfather OF
the boy was breeder of fine running
horses, and that one of the passions OF
his life was in betting at the race
course. This is IN example of avatism
in the fourth generation.
EARLY In this century an immoral
woman came to New York from Europe
She raised large family of children
nearly every one of whom landed in q
prison in early life. The criminal
records of the country show that three
hundred of the progeny of that woman
have been notorious felons and inmates
of penitentiaries and other prisons ir
various parts of the country. The facts
doubtless illustrate the laws of both
heredity and atavism in their fullest
degrees.