The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1893-08-05
ABOUT THE FEET.
Astonishing Feats May BE Performed
With Them Whom Educated.

It is astonishing to what uses the
feet and toes could be put If necessity
arose for full development of their
powers, says the st. Louis Republic.
There is a way OF educating the FOOT
o. veil as the hand or the eye, sad
there Is no telling what an educated
foot can be made to do. In the time
1T Alexander the Great warriors were
taught to draw their bows with their
feet as we'll as with their hands; and
this Is done At tho present time by the
Book Veddahs OF >Ceylon- Nearly all
aberigfnes can turn their toes, not only
70 good, but to bad ACCOUNTS. This Is
especially true of the ne lives Of Aus
fraaia, who, While they are cunntngly
aivertng your attention with their
hands are busily engaged committing
fpbbefies with their toes, with which
they pick up all small articles as an
elephant would with his trunk. Sc,
also the Hindoo makes his toes work
at the loom, using them in hls weav-
fng operations with almost as much
nexterity, as he does bis fingers
The Chinese carpenter when he is
planning a p' zee OF wood always holds
It with his feet. He also turns
grindstone and does many other kinds
OF work IN the same manner The
Banaka tribe, the most famous canoe
men on the West African coast will
impel their light canoes with great
velocity over the waves and at the
same time use the feet to bail out the
water that happens to be dashed over
tho sides of the light craft If from
any cause g. Banaka breaks or loses
bis oars he throws his logs over the
sides OF the boat and propels it almost
as fast with his feet as he could with
the paddles.
Aonsieur Ducornet who died in
France in 1862, was born without
arms or, hands. He had the eye of an
artist and. notwithstanding his great
misfortune ;tually studied painting
and exhibited many fine, productions
wholly executed with his toes.
The feet OF Thomas Roberts, the
Rrmless huntsmar once In the employ
Of Sir George harlow, were made to
serve ia plaee of hands. Roberts man.
pfactuyed m2st OF the instruments
which be used while on the chase. and
could shoot ca throw with as much
precision as the average hunter in the
possession OF both arms and hands:
The same may be said of William Kin
stone, an En@sishman, who kept his
own accounSas shaved and dressed
himself, saddled and brid.ed his horse
threw s!edge hammers 3 did other
seemingly impossible things wish hfy
toes.
As to national characteristics In feet
1t may DO shid that the, + anch foot is
harrow ss:2d long; the Spanish foot is
small and elegantly curved-thanks to
its Moorish blood --corresponai ding to
ths Castilian's pride OF being nigh in
the insssp." The Arabs foot is pro-
verbal for Its high arch. The Koran
says that o stream Of water can run
under the tr..e Arabs foot without
touching it. The fsot Of the Scotch is
high and thick; that OF the Irish fat
and square; the English, short and
aeshy. When AthaAa was In her ze-
NTH, the Greek foot vas the most per-
feetly formed and exactly proportion
cd Of that OF any Of the human race
Swedes, Norwegians and Germans have
the largest feot; Americans tho small
est Russian toes are '.Wabbed" to
the first joint; Tartaran toes are all;
I the same length