Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-18
MARK OF EVOLUTION.
Significance Of the Modern Walking
Stick.

Many persons consider the cane as the
plaything of the dandy. and an Unnecessary
article carried by men. unless 1t Is used as
an aid in walking when one is lame or in
firm, but the use of the cane has a deeper
significance than this, even though II may
be used as a sporting adjunct to a mans
get-up." said a gentleman connected with
the Smithsonian Institution to a Star re-
porter.
THE cane Is a relic from prehistoric
ages. when men went around clad in the
skins OF animals. and the club was the
only weapon OF assault and defense. Those
Of our ancient ancestors who welded the
big knotted stick to the best advantage
over their opponents came, out the victors.
The club saw honored service for some GEN.
turtles. when 1t was superseded by the stone
az. which was the same old club. with an
end fastened to the stone az by thongs OF
rawhide. until. q few centuries later. some
old white-bearded patriarch conceived the
idea OF drilling hole through the stone
AK head and inserting the end Of the club
therein. Then the primitive metal ages
were reached. and crudely wrought metal
az heads took the place Of the stone. Then
the club developed into the short spear. and
the short spear evolved into the short sword
which, as time rolled along. became the
long sword, and finally into the sharp. slen-
der blade, which was mans constant COM
panion for so many centuries
And now 1t Is the cane, for the primal
instinct of man for having within reach
and In his hand something to carry for DOS
sible attack or defense has not yet been
blotted out by civilization and consequent
refinement of manners and customs, for the
cane Is still carried as a weapon OF assault
and defense, especially at night even
though many men use 1t as plaything.
an article in the nature Of personal adorn-
ment or a badge Of the man who does not
have to work for a living. as once the light
sword was carried by the dandies OF the
time as the badge OF the gentleman.
LAS the centuries roll on the cane will
take its place in museums as an interesting
relic of our own times. and antiQuarfes VIII
vie with one another for nne specimens, as
they do today over perfect specimens OF
the other still existing relics OF past ages.
Then our teeth will go in the profess of the
physical evolution. and perfect specimens
Of full set Of what were once used Tor the
then unnecessary process of eating WI be
viewed with interest and wonder by the
freuuenters OF museums. After our teeth
viii disappear our toes. like the toes from
the foot OF the prehistoric horse. our nm
gers win last the longer, as they are used
more than the toes. but they will gradually
shorten and finally disappear from the hand
as the centuries slowly pile upon one an
other. OF course. the hair on our heads VIII
disappear by the process Of physical evo-
luton long before our toes and our fingers.
and the evoluted hairless-cranium man will
look with mirth upon the hairy-headed man
or today, 1of tn0 pear0. 700, Wih nave ulS.
appeared by that time.
Upon the whole. we WIN do well to
utilise what we have noW. for II cannot be
said that the future looks especially encour-
aging for us from the standpoint OF today.
We Will seem az odd set OF creatures to
those who are to come after US. about 10000
centuries from now. as they seem to US
today in our minds picture or what they
will be. We should not. however. let these
minor matters OF evolution interfere with
our appetite or our Sleep.