The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-01
LIMBS OF THE ABOR|C|NES
Measurements of Race Are Phys
ical Peculiarities.
COMPARES ARMS AND LEGS
Negro Superior to the American in This
Respective Indians Length OF
Reach Due to Use of Back
woods Weapons.

kind is man. That there is a good deal
to be learned about the human family
Prof. Arthur Thomas, M A., has
proven in the course Of his investiga-
lions into the measurements of the
bodies and limbs of various races A
representative of one race of men may
look just like a representative of an
other race to the careless observer but
a careful study and comparison of the
figures that give the exact measure
ments of white and Colored people
show how extremely fallacous such an
idea really is There are giants as
well as dwarfs in every land, men with
immense breadth of shoulder and mar
row chested men; men with tall slim
figures and squatty men who are all
paunch and little limb But every race
has certain characteristics that are
clearly in evidence when a given num-
Der of men of the race are selected
and measured on scientific principles.
Briefly" explains Professor Thorn
son, the proper way to measure the
human form in order to get a correct
idea of the figure of a man is to take
the total height ito sole of foot, hip to
sole, knee to sole, distance from sole
ito tip of middle finger assuming the
person measured is in the military pos
ition of attention., total length of up
per limb If further measurements can
conveniently be taken, then measure
the total length Of lower limb and we
are now in a position TO draw the fig
ure correctly. Were such data univer
sally adopted it would be possible to
map out the general proportions of the
figure in graphic form"
There is a point of very considerable
Importance in discussing the proper
.; Of q he. nn1v
we can readily distinguish the differ
ence between long and short armed
people by getting them to stand in the
military position of attention. and then
note the level reached by the tip of
the middle finger as it is applied to the
side of the thigh. Thus Professor Ty-
lor in his manual of anthropology refers
to the fact that negro soldiers stand
ing at drill bring THE middle finger tip
an inch or two nearer the knee than
white men can do, and some have been
even known to touch the knee pam
Now this is precisely what ! wish to
place on record, but so far as ] know,
the simple expedient of measuring the
distance from the tip of the middle
finger to the ground has never been
adopted.
This is mentioned to show that the
measurements that were the basis of
conclusions regarding the physical pc
culiarities of various races were taken
by the most approved methods.
Taking the measurements of 1886
American soldiers and making a COM
posite figure based on these measure
ments shows that the American phys
ical qualities are short arms as com
pared with the negro. the average
height about the same, neck longer,
lower limbs shorter. He is of lesser
build all round, not so broad in the
shoulders or so long in either the up
per or lower limbs. The negro is bet
ter able than the American to perform
that common feat of touching the toes
with the hands without bending the
knees.
From careful study of the measure
ments of score of representatives of
the peculiar abOrigine race known as
the Bushmen of Australia it develops
that these wild men are remarkably
long in the lower limbs, these exceed
ing in length even the limbs of the ne
gro. They are narrower chested than
the negro, being about as broad as the
Americans. A composite of SIT lro-
uuois Indians shows a figure strikingly
similar to that Of the American SOL
der, about the same in length of lower
limb, and in breadth of chest and in
height. but the Iroquois has decidedly
the best of it in the matter of reach.
The use of the tOmahawk from genera
tion to generation has heightened the
arm of the red man until he compares
in this respect with the aborigines of
Australia although lacking the latter's
length of lower limb.-Chicago Chron-
icle.