The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-22
Why You Are Right-handed.


that time?
Why You Are Right-handed.
You are probably right-handed. The
reason for 1t you may have never
thought Of. DR.. George M. Gould, writ
undertakes to explain it. He cites a
lot of theories. such as the greater
supply Of nerve force to the muscles
because Of an earlier and greater de-
velopment of the brain on one side,
superiority of blood supply to the right
side, development of one cerebral
hemisphere more than the other, etc.
None Of them, however, satisfy him,
SO he proceeds to study the conditions,
habits, necessities, etc. Of the ances-
trail types when dextrality arose.
| This popularity of Observation-Disclosures,
| he contends, does not manifest itself
among animals, even Of the higher or
der. On the contrary, some seem to
be left-handed, so to speak; parrots
grasp their food with the left claw as
a rule, lions strike with the left paw
generally, and Livingston is repre-
scented as thinking that "all animals
DR.. Gould thinks there is no satisfac-
tory evidence.
For the development Of right-hand-
edness we shall have to look further
than natures original design, and find
some rational explanation of what has
become almost a universal character
istic, manifesting itself naturally. It
is asserted as fact by this writer that
the infant of a few months shows no
sign of preference In the use of the
hands, it is not yet dextromanual nor
Eambidextral; it is simply nondextr GUS
or ambisinistrous. That Is to say, 1t
Is not skillful in the use Of either hand,
but is awkward in the use of both.
/ But as soon as it begins to make a
conscious effort, it begins to exercise
a choice in the use Of it's hands and
in nearly all cases develops right
i handedness.
DR.. Gould's discussion Of the SUBJ
ject is lengthy and entertaining all
the way thru, but the point Of peculiar
| interest is his conclusion that dex-
trality Is now a natural result Of such
ancestral choice as placed the shield
in the left hand that it might be held
over the heart. That left the welding
of the spear to the right hand. This
choice once made, persistence in the
!. same choice for other uses of the
hands naturally followed. Long per-
!; sistence in observation-disclosures has SO
firmly established the habit that ma
ture accepts it. AS we say, right
handedness is natural And SO true
is this that perfect eambidexterity ac-
cording to DR.. Gould, has never ex-
! listed. On the other hand, wherever
:, nature has made an exception no ad.
= vantage is to be expected from an eff
fort to teach the left-handed to be
right-handed, it almost invariably re-
suits in failure ~
/, Official figures of the export trade ana
lyzed by the Manufacturers Record show
2 an interesting and suggestive growth O
! business at southern ports Galveston
: shows the greatest increase for the yea
, in the country, SAL, 195,37O. Mobile, New
: Orleans, Baltimore, Pensacola and Ell Pas
h have also large relative increases to thei
f credit. Savannah, Newport News AM
: Charleston show slight decreases, but OF
f the whole the southern ports show
: heavy increase in the export trade an,
n a prosperous condition turnout the south
Z, The Minnesota, the largest American
a built steamship afloat, one of Mr.. Hill
Y big ships for the oriental trade, arrive
: in New York harbor this morning from
: the New London shipyards. This vesse
is $50 feet long-about two ordinary cit
n blocks In Minneapolis There are onl
h three ships in the world of heavier ton
e mage.
e The Tribune is still exhibiting il
: sore toe. Well, it is pretty sore. It ma
It not make 1t feel any better to know the
r the Voters league people might hav
e expected and possibly did anticipate tn
e opposition Of the Tribune and its ne
d morning satellite. They said some thing
!. that could hardly have any other result
! Scratch a public service corporation an
It you irritate the Tribune every time.
= Hicks predicted it. He didn't say
= would strike Minneapolis, but when otht
= localities want to know why his storl
= didn't n1aterialize he can point to Mime
apolis and ST. Paul and there you ar
? It takes cute weather predicter NJ
: to be too definite as to where certai
= important forecasts are tosbe; pulled off
E". u
N The story that a Norwegian whaler ha