The Washington times., 1902-06-25
CANES AN INDEX TO
CHARACTERS OF MEN
Styles Vary From Year to
Year, But Tell Same Story.
One Who Sells Them Tells of the Man
ner in Which Actions Often Speak
Loud as Words.

1T is curious" a well-known dealer
in mems furnishing goods who has
place of business on Pennsylvania Av-
enuo remarked yesterday, how the
styles in canes vary from year to year.
Men accuse women of being the more
tickle of the two sexes in all things. but
in the matter of affecting new styles
particularly. I doubt this.
But speaking of canes. A few years
ago smartly attired man was not in It
unless he carried heavy cane. / do
not wish the remark to gain circulation
as an attempt at pun, but 1t is a
fact that the robbiest men carried the
knobbicst canes. Heavily loaded canes
were also much in vogue. as II every
man considered himself sort Of volun-
teer adjunct 10 the police force. or
thought constantly of the possibility OF
being waylaid by footpads.
"In the last few years. however. there
has been a decided falling eff in the
size of sticks 1t is noticed, also, that
the curved handles are once moro COM
ing into fashion. even upon the 1.-THE
bamboo switches which everyone is car
rying nowadays.
I'VE sell more sticks of natural wood
this spring than we ever have before.
BY natural wood mean canes which are
not heavily veneered with varnish.
Can Pick Them Out.
81 believe that l can stand in the
center of my shop and in seven cases
out of ten tell just the sort OF stick
that man will select when he comes
in: that is. providing that he wants TO
buy a cane at all.
"See the young man over there buy
ing the gloves? If he had asked for a
stick would have first shown him one
Of those heavily glazed canes with the
gold top. Why? Well, notice his get
up He Is rather short and portly. He
wears a derby and frock coat. His
scarf pin Is conspicuous and he clings TO
the habit OF wearing heavy gold seals
On his watch guard. The soles of his
shoes project quarter OF an inch. How
would he look carrying one OF those
slim cherry wood sticks with the silver
trimmings? No, sir; the thing fer his
makeup is one of those heavy sticks
with a gold knob.
81 always show an old gentleman like
the one who is buying the panama Tat
over there carved stick with rough,
crooked handle. Something not too
heavy. ard yet strong enough to bear
his weight. for he wants 1t for use
more than for ornament. although he
probably would not admit the fact.
Rattan for This One.
THAT young fellow there With The
baggy trousers and the strap which
goes all the way round his waist.
would buY supple rattan stick or one
Of German witzel. unless the silver
mounting 5f one OF these English
beeches happened to make a hit with
him. And so 1t Is with nearly every
one who comes into the store. By the
time they have taken look over the
cane rack you can size up the kind they
want and the rest is only matter of
crice.
Unless you have made a study OF the
thing you will be surprised to see just
how many of mans traits OF character
are expressed in the way he carries
a stick. The Willie boy who sucked
the end OF his cane was OF course largely
a creation to be met with In 10 other
place than In the alleged humorous
pages of the New YORK Sunday papers.
But take the common run OF cane-car-
riers and study them, and you will see
that what l say is true.
"of course, every one Las his individ-
ual manner, but there are certain gen.
eral divisions which may be made. For
instance. there Is what l call the cigar
ette smokers carriage You see this
type in its most perfect stage in the
young fellow who has formed the habit
OF hanging his stick on his left wrist
while he produces the materials and
manufactures his little roll.
Then there is the nervous man.
mean the man OF affairs, whose brain is
continually revolving projects even in
his leisure moments, and who is so un-
naturally alert that when you speak
to him unawares he starts. As he walks
along the street he will be continually
and unconsciously tapping the stick
against the pavement.
Idleness Personified.
That youth going by dragging the
stick behind him is idleness personifed.
He pokes the article into every crack
in the pavement. 5rags 1t with rasp