Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-06-01
ORIGIN OF THE CLUB
TRADITION HAS 1T THAT ADAM USED
THE FIRST BIG STICK.
Since His Time the Club OF stick OF
Rod or STAFF In It's Various Phnncs
of EvoiGtion Has Played Many
Parts In the Affairs of Mankind.

1t Is Il far cry from the unwrought
club with which primitive man chased
his breakfast around Il stump to the
baton of Il field marshal. Yet from the
cave mans bludgcon to the symbol of
forccful power the stick has risen
through consistent evolution, during
which it has never ceased TO play an
important part in human affairs.
Tradition asserts that after Adam
had partakcn OF the forbidden fruit
the beasts. which had heretofore been
subScrvicnt TO his will, rcbellcd. Adam
called for assistance upon the Creator,
who str:,ishtway babe him fashion
himself Il stick and usc it upon the
first animal which disputed his au-
thority. For Il time the subject ami
mails eyed the weapon with instructive
awe, but ut last the lion, boldcr than
the rest, attacked Adam singly AMI
was promptly beaten to earth as Il re-
warl for his tcmcrity. Thus Adam re-
gained his lost Sovereignty over the
dumb creatures
The particular stick with which our
common ancestor thus secured mans
domain over the beasts was not ticS-
tined to loss or decay for many cen
turtles. according to tradition. II was
handed down through the descendants
of Enocli until il WAS presented by
Jacob TO Joseph when visiting Egypt
At the death of Joseph the stick fell
Into the hands of jcthro, whose daugh-
ter, Zipporah. Moses married. With
her dowry the great leader received the
staff Of Ills ancestors. and so highly
did he prize it that he ordered it to
lie buried with him.
This staff of Moses WAS the symbol
Of temporal power. while the rod of
Aaron was the emblem of spiritual
this duel symbolism of the stick In the
hands Of kings and in the form Of the
sccptcr representing the temporal und
in the hands of the priests as the GRO
zicr standing for the spiritual.
For centuries the stick, III some form
or other, was the only weapon Of war.
Though mortal conflict between men Is
M old as the human race, il is a dis
putcd point whether Minus, the founder
of the Assyrlan empire. or Bclus first
introduced formal war Into the world.
II is related of the former, however,
that he originated and taught to his
followers the art of tipping their sticks
with pointed heads OF stone AMI bone.
with these weapons, so much more
deadly than the Unshod clubs OF other
tribes. the Assyrians were able to over
run the nclghboring nations and sub
jugatc them.
The shepherd kings carried a long
stick armed With lance head as mark
Of their high command. AMI the carly
Greeks gave the name OF "sccptre" TO
the lance tipped with iron. In those
primitive days, when physical might
made political right. the chiefs OF The
people had to b. always on tho alert
to protect themselves against assas-
sination, and the lance o. sccptcr was
ever ut hand TO protect the crown. Wit
ness the ease of Saul, who hal his
lance mt The table with him when he at
tempted TO Strike his son Jonathan.
and when David entered his tent on
another occasion Saul's lance was at
the foot Of his bed ready for immediate
Use.
Among the Habylonians it was obIig-
ntory for fathers of families to carry
sticks. many of which were deliberately
carved with peculiar cmblcms in nc
cOrdlancc with their various social posi-
lions. IN certain forms 1t was the dis
tinctlve mark OF their principal dignita-
ricS. Among the Romans the stick was
conspicuous In all religious ceremonies.
and In the hands OF the llctorS. as we'll
as Of the ccnturions. 1t represented
clastisemcnt Is well as Justice. The
iictors, armed with sticks. always pre-
coded senators In the streets AMI public
places, clearing The way for their au-
gust patrons by such Il lavish use of
their slaves that today's childish OK
preston of getting n good licking ut
the hands OF parent or pclagoguc may
he distinctly traced to those early myr-
midons Of tyranny.
The stick or wand may be found rep
resented in the hands Of both deitics
and heroes. Ceres has n spear In one
hand and IN ear OF corn In the other
Racchus has his thyrsus and Mercury
the caduceus presented to him by ApoI-
10. while Achilles is represented with
the spear which, according 10 Homer
none but he could WELD"
The Roman consrls and senators
adopted wand of ivory as n mark OF
their authority, and 1t is related that n
blow of one of these wands prccipitat-
cd II general massacre of the senators.
When The Gauls, under Brcnnis. enter
ed Rome they found the consuls and
senators seated in state, each holding
his wand in his hand. For the moment
they paused in admiration of 50 much
dignity, but one among them. being dc
iicient In the organ of vencratlon, pre-
Sl1mcl to pull the beard of the Scnuto