Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1910-05-05


holding some
body's hand and
reciting an i'm
Dromptu dissertation on character
The ingenuity of some Of these fellows
Is amazing.
l used to watch one of them In
drawing-rooms, and he found his
greatest success, curiously enough,
not in flattery but in graceful insult.
1t was treat to see him take the
hand Of hopelessly respectable old
lady of an unblemished humdrum.
merry glance at her palm, start with
a shock, look at her with amazement,
and refuse to read her hand before
people. l said It was treat to watch
her, as she writhed with delighted
horror at his aspersions on character
astics which, he told her, discretion or
cowardice had kept in check, but
which her hand-ah, her hand dis
played so that he who read might
run!
Palmistry has kept what place it
mas kept in civilized federation by
the fact that its character studies can
hardly go entirely wrong. And palm
Asts have taken good care to provide
a refuge from every mistake. The
wicked trait which one mount" pro-
claims is annulled by the opposite
trait proclaimed by star" the aw-
full thing which this Zine" threatens
Is cancelled by the shape Of a "pha-
iange;" grille" contradicts "tri-
angle" island" conquers CROSS"
spatulate finger gives the lie to conf
cal thumb. and the nails to the
Anuckles
Palmistry, then, involves nothing
very tragic, because It's very believers
do not believe in 1t very much. The
chief objections to it are that it IS
Galse in premise and conclusion, that
1t Is a silly superstition allying itself
TO astrology and phrenology and for
Iune-telling, and that 1t Is used to an
extent by cheap swindlers to wheedle
money from people who could find
better uses for it.
When palmistry pretends to vivisect
character, 1t is merely diverting non
sense like charades and conundrums.
When palmistry assumes to utter
prophecies, it becomes impudent as
well as puerile. When the palmist sets
himself up as counselor upon mat.
-(ers of personal conduct, he becomes
a public nuisance 1t Is a pitlful thing
for a state to allow liars and charla'
tans to decoy the poor and the fool
ary, oil vi Ci
take hard earned dollars for worthless
advice 1t is obtaining money under
false pretenses, and in many enlight
ened communities professional palm
lists are under the legal ban along with
shimble-riggers, clairvoyants, pick
pockets, quack doctors, and confidence
operators.
Among the numerous palmists work
ing New York is one who has the un
speakable impertinence to advertise
such monstrous falsehoods as this:
-, the palmist, tells you about
business, lawsuits, changes and the
best moves to make, how to turn fall
are into success and accomplish your
ends. Marriages, divorce, persona
sulSdRTeGInGUlS1 lOf6 dll OO
cial matters, and how to rectify mis-
takes are dwelt upon with great &C
.curacy. He has brought light to many
fin trouble. Ill health, accidents, dan
gers, enemies and all the evils thai
neset mankind are plainly indicated
and words of warning given, You
make no mistake in consulting him.
''The hand is the mirror rejecting
the many events the future holds, and
palmistry shows how to change youl
relation to Fate, and thus choose the
best course. Thousands who are sue
cessful in every walk of life are be
ing guided by 1t today"
These are typical springes fol
woodcocks, and many palmists are
even less immodest in their claims
than this man. All the professionals
guarantee not only to sound the
caverns of character, but also to read
"the vast backward and abysm" oil
your past and the vast forward and
abysm of your future.
The libraries contain bIack.letter
tones in the French, Eaqllsh, Ger
man, Latin of centuries ago giyina
true and infallible signs which make
any palm as legible as this mornings
newspaper
should like to quote some of the