New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-24
By o. p. M Q r r | S

meals and put into the other conventional right
You will not be surprised to learn that this seem
iugly trivial question has exercised the greatest
scientists for many years. Why are we right hand
ed: One great Psychologist points out that when
a cave dwelleT, and had 10 fight with mann
moth mastodon for bare subsistence, stone
or spear in hand, he probably used the right hand
order 10 keep ms heart most vital OF organs as
far away possible from advcrsaTys assault.
And later when tribe fought tribe common
foes II was found convenient 10 WELD weapons IN
uniformity, leaving the other hand and free
for preserving balance and for holding shield In
this way II Is thought right handcdnesS was brought
about and passed down from father 10 son for
told generations. Man has been a fighting
animal, and IT must have been clear 20 him from
the earliest times that if some of the fighting pha-
lanX were right hand, and others left handed,
their squares thrown into disorder with disastrous
effect when the enemy should perceive momentary
confusion
On the other hand if each man used spear or AK
with the same hand as his neighbor, symmetry and
system would be given To the fighting force To
maintain that the left hand suffers from phvSi-
cal disability, compared with its more favored
fellow IS unfair, and not III accordance with fact.
This may be shown by anyone who takes pains
tram his left hand; he VIII find that one NAV
become clever the other. One may 90 further
and point out that in some matters OF every dav
life the left hand is habitually gwen equal rights
with the other Thus in knitting a woman gives
both an equal share OF work; and apparently She is
equally skilled with each hand. And have YOU not
noticed that when riding man gives his left hand
the preference in the matter of holding the reinS:
Biblical Warriors Left Handed
FT'IERE Is much curious and interesting evidence
To show that in the early days of the worlds his
tory left handed men aboundcd, and were warriors
OF rcnoWn at that. II YOU turn TO the Bible YOU
VIII find many references To left handcCncsS Thus
Ehud the cnIauite. who slew Eg1n king of
Moab, was left handed man; and this unexpected
accomplishment enabled HIM to draw his deadly
dagger unobscrved from his right thigh And then
again, YOU remember that OF the chill lreu of Ben
Jamn who went out To do battle with those. of
Israel Twenty and SIX thousand men thar drew,
the sword, besides seven hundred chosen men from
C'lbcah-Wc read rs follows: Among all these r,co-
pie there were seven hundred chosen men left
handed; everyone could sling stones at am hair
breath, and not miss Later in the Holy Book
we md many of KING David's best fighting men as
ahbldcNtrouS rs the wIScst among US wish 10 see
our children to-day They were armed with bows
and could use both the right hand and the left in
hurting stone and shooting arrows"
But, truth to tell, is difficult matter to- make
out FIRST rate case for our left hands when propcrv
trained. on may not be aware that many world
famous artists have been either left handed or rrbi
deNtrouS Thus Hans llolbein painted his MASTER
pieces for bluff King Hal with his left hand. ami
so well did 1t serve him that IIolbein canvas has
brought one hundred thousand dollars before nov
Again, Cornelius kctel, a Dutch artist who nainted