The Washington times., 1902-03-10
CIVILIZATION CAUSES
CBNFRIPE4AL FORCE
Latter Makes Fist Fighting
Possible.
HAS ITS EFFECT ON SADDLES
Interesting Conclusions Drawn by Prof.
W ] McGee-P:imitive Peoples Still
Affected by Centrifugal Force-Charac-
teristic of Indians.

Did you observe how those Indians
picked up the bowie knife lying on my
desk when l asked them to examine it?"
enquired Prof W J MCGEE, of the
Bureau of Ethnology.
NO? Well, every man among them took
up the weapon with the point toward his
body.
Anything peculiar in that? Why, 1
rather think SO; let me see you pick it up.
OF course, as I expected, you take hold
of the handle, holding the point outward.
pacial Development.
'The difference in your way Of hold
ing the knife and the Indians denotes
thousands of years OF racial develop
ment In your favor. 1t is the distinction
between the centrifugal and centripeta!
movement in human beings, the former
representing, generally speaking, the
progressiveness of the Caucasian race;
the latter the backwardness of the prim-
five peoples.
1.-The Chinese and japanese carpenters,
continued the professor, take up their
chisels with the sharp edge toward them,
put their greatest strength, not in the
outward movement of the tool, but on the
inward stroke.
Indian Characteristics.
downward, and makes a stroke with
downward and partly inward thrust
Boxing ard fighting with fists, as un
derstocd in england and this country,
could only .rig. nate among a people in
a high stage of development. for in this
species of hostilities the stroke is en-
tireIy outward. An Indian, or any other
strike with his fist. would strike down
ward, as do little urchins and girls when
they indulge In fsticuffs.
Illustrated by Monkeys.
"The distinction between the centril-
ugal and ccntripetal action in human
beings indicates a vast difference in men
tai development
observe monkeys, and you will see that
their upper limbs are curved inwardly,
and that the movements are almost in
variably toward the body; even when the
action of their arms is apparently out
ward there is strong inclination in the
opposite direction.
Coming back to the bowie knife, the
great effectiveness of this weapon, and
the terror its use in the hands of the
whites created among the Indians, was
not due to any popularity in the knife
itself, but to the method of using it. The
Western pioneers who used ii held ii point
outward, and the stroke was made in a
straight line, without any downward
movement; the result was that the Indian
could not understand the deadly effect. for
he only knew of the traditional method,
natural TO him. of holding his weapon
aloft and making a downward stroke.
American vs. English.
LAS a modern instance of the advantage
possessed by the centrifugal over the CEN
trIpetal motion the difference between
the English and American saddles may be
cited. For this difference In cur favor
English conservatism and adherence to
old customs is doubtless to blame.
In the English saddle. the knees of the
rider are necessarily bent upward and in
ward. In the event of the horse shying to
the right. the rider maintains his seat by
pressing his right limb against the same
side OF the animal.
In the American saddle the limbs of
the rider are straight and stretched
slightly outward from his body and that
of the horse. Should the animal shy, the
equilibrium is maintained by throwing
out the limb ON the opposite side. The
result is to give the American equestrian
an undoubted advantage over his English
cousin