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QUEER QUESTIONS
READY REPLIES.
A. COLLECTION OF FOUR HUNDRED QUESTIONS IN HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY,
BIOGRAPHY, MYTHOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY, NATURAL HISTORY,
SCIENCE, PHLLOLOGY, ETC., ETC., WITH
THEIR ANSWERS.
S. GRANT OLIPHANT.
'goxxxtU ^jaitimx.
BOSTON:
NEW ENGLAND PUBLISHING COMPANY.
1886.
Copyright, 1886,
BY NEW ENGLAND PUBLISHING COMPANY.
TO
CARRIE G. NORRIS
?Hia WORK 13 GRATBTXTLLT IN8CRIB»©
BY THS AUTHOR.
PREFACE.
The design of this little work is to off er, in a conven-
ient form, to the reading public of the country, much
quaint and curious as well as interesting and instructive
information in history, geography, biography, philoso-
phy, science, philology, etc., to correct several popular
fallacies, to promote accurate scholarship, and to tender
an explanation of many expressions which occur in daily
conversation.
Considerable time and pains have been given to the
selection of the matter herein contained, and to the veri-
fication of the same. Care has been taken that no state-
ment should be made which cannot be supported by good
authority.
The information covered by the questions and answers
is not generally known, even by intelligent and educated
readers, and much of it has never before been published
in a form accessible to the great mass of readers.
With the hope that it may prove an acceptable and
ready help to all intelligent readers, the author submits it
to an appreciative and critical public.
S. G. O.
WOODSTOWN, N. J.
CONTENTS.
A
PAGE
Acting Vice-Presidents of the United States 159
Adam's beard 93
African capital named from a United States President 76
Albany Regency, The 95
Alien and Sedition Laws, The ; , 119
Amber 3
American Fabius, The 109
American Pathfinder, The 146
American Pope of Rome, The 30
Ancient account for the origin of amber 4
Ancient city that perished through silence 5
Ancient Mariner, The 65
Ancient name of the ring-finger 22
Animal noted for its large tail 72
Antartic Continent discovered 38
Auld Reekie 134
Author of "Curfew must not ring To-night" 59
Author of " Greenbacks " 89
Author of thsname America 21
B
Balm of Gilead 126
Banshee 66
Battle fought- above the clouds 89
Battle of Herrings, The 137
Battle of Spurs, The 133
Beautiful Parricide, The 23
Beautiful Rope-maker, The 165
Bible of the Greeks, The 151
Bird with neither tail nor wings ..., 6
Vlll CONTENTS.
PAGE
Birthplace of two Presidents 40
Black Hole of Calcutta 136
Blackjack 136
Blue Hen State, The 88
Blue-Noses, The 163
Boundary between United States and Canada 14
Bravest of the brave. The 33
Breeches Bible, The 130
Bridge of Sighs, The 145
Brightest star visible 62
Bug Bible, The 104
Burial place of Columbus 102
Burial place of our Presidents i 105
c
Causes of the American Revolution 116
Causes of the Civil War 119
Cave of the winds 40
Celluloid 104
Chains of Columbus 176
Children of Colambus 101
Christ of India, The 50
Cities without elections 28
City destroyed by an ill-timed jest 125
City of Elms, The 43
City of Magnificent Distances, The 134
City of Oaks, The 167
City of the Red Staff, The 28
City where burials are made above ground 141
Colony founded as a home for the poor 91
Color and portrait of our postage-stamps 40
Colossus of American Independence, The 91
Columbus's line extinct 101
Confederate candle 80
Copperheads, The 171
Country in which grass grows upon trees 145
Country in which prayers are said by wheels 95
Country in which the clergymen are blacksmiths 25
Cousin Michael 13^
CONTENTS.
D
PAGE
Dark day, The 142
Day of Barricades, The 143
Day of Corn-sacks, The IVO
Defects of the Confederation 118
Deliverer of Washington's funeral oration 76
Derivation of Alaska 122
Derivation of Canada 124
Derivation of magnet 100
Devil's Wall, The 81
Deviser of our decimal coinage 107
Diamond necklace affair 23
Discovery of the Pacific Ocean 82
Dynamite 99
E
Easter 25
Eight motions of the earth 172
El Dorado 144
Election on which the price of flour depended 77
Explorer of the Mississippi with La Salle 64
Explorer who drove a herd of hogs before him 72
F
Famous men killed by lice 168
Father of Ridicule, The 41
Fat man's misery. The 11
"Fiery serpents " of Numbers xxi 8
First American bird taken to England 156
First Bible printed in America 138
First bloodshed in the Civil War .*. 75
First bloodshed in the Revolution 52
First census of the United States 38
First circumnavigator of the globe 166
First Colonial Congress 117
First duel in the United States 13
First English book 147
First English child born in America 147
First English child born in New England 27
X CONTENTS.
PAGE
First flag of a republic setup in America 80
First gun of the Civil War ., 75
First land discovered by Columbus 21
First legislative assembly in America 74
First martyr to American liberty 59
First national political convention 87
First national political platform 88
First paper-makers 46
First post-offices 12
First President nominated by national convention 87
First purchaser of United States postage-stamps 159
First temperance society 145
First watches 168
First white child born in America 173
First woman hung in the United States 162
Foul-weather Jack 81
Floral emblem of the United States 172
Flying Dutchman, The 65
Franklin's oft-quoted epitaph 55
French game-cock, The 95
G
Gate of Tears, The 175
Gems emblematic of the Twelve Apostles Ill
General fired at fifteen times but unharmed 164
Goblets used as preservatives against poison 157
Golden number and how determined ., 115
Golomynka 53
Grandest funeral pageant ever known 54
Granite City, The 174
Great American Commoner, The 100
Ground Hog Day '. 105
H
Haemadynamometer 4
Hagar's well 63
Hairy men. The. 115
Handsome Englishman, The 164
Heaviest metal 134
Hebrew manner of naming the books of the Bible 138
CONTENTS. Xi
PAGE
Height of Goliath 120
Highest spot inhabited by human beings 142
Highest tides Isnown 25
History changed by a flight of birds 20
History of the poem " Sheridan's Ride " 109
Holy Grail, The 80
Horse Latitudes, The 14S
How all the greenbacks, etc., are destroyed SG
How Napoleon was paid for Louisiana 80
How the Red Sea gets its color 40
How the schooner obtained its name 40
How the swallow obtained its name 176
How to determine the years of a Congress 39
How umbrellas are put together 17
Indian chief made an English peer 36
Indians' present to Penn's widow 71
Indians with red hair and pale complexions 7
Inventor of decimal fractions 107
Inventor of the first steamboat.. 139
Inventor of the most perfect alphabet 53
Irish Night, The 67
Iron Duke, The . . 148
Island discovered by two lovers 10
Island of St. Brandon 148
Island of the Seven Cities 149
Ivan Ivanovitch 131
J
Japanese national beverage 37
Jersey blues. The 93
Jewish year corresponding to 1886 A. D 49
John Bull 132
Johnny Crapaud 130
John of Gaunt 122
K
Keystone State, The 67
King who boasted of being a good cook 10
King who said "I am the state" 60
XU CONTENTS.
PAGE
King who wrote an essay against tobacco , 173
Kitchen Cabinet, The 52
Kosciusko's mound 97
L
Lalla Rookh 151
Land of Steady Habits, The 151
Land of the Incas, The 138
Land of the Midnight Sun, The 77
Land of the Rising Sun, The 77
Largest clock in the world 11
Largest locomotive in the world 146
Largest stationary engine in the world 55
Last Union general killed in the Rebellion 73
Last words of Benedict Arnold 92
Last words of Columbus 101
Last writing of Columbus .... 102
Learned tailor. The 62
Left-handed marriage 1
Lightest metal I35
Light-horse Harry 95
Little Giant, The 54
Little Magician, The 72
Little Paris 16
Longest word in the English language Ill
Lumber State, The 151
Luz 152
M
Maiden town, The 155
Maid of Saragossa, The 68
Man of Destiny, The 57
Martha Washington 125
Meaning of the phrase " By hook or by crook" 158
Meaning of the phrase " By Jingo " 113
Meaning of the phrase " Fitting to a T " 129
Metals valued at over one thousand dollars a pound 173
Mill-boy of the Slashes, The 43
Mistress of the World, The 35
Modern Athens, The 106
MoUusk that swims by fins on the side of its neck 2
CONTENTS. Xlll
PAGB
Money of North American Indians 42
Most deadly epidemic ever known 31
Most famous lieroine of antiquity 98
Most useful conquest ever made by man 52
Most useful tree in the world 73
Mother Goose 60
Mother of Cities, The 9
Mourning colors of various nations 34
N
Name of the penitent thief 50
National emblematic flower of China and Japan 139
National hymn composed in a single night 32
Nearest approach made to the North Pole 77
Newspaper called "The Thunderer" 57
Newton of Antiquity, The 172
Nimrod of the Bible, The 75
Nine Worthies, The 41
Northeast Passage discovered 156
Northwest Passage discovered 26
Number of languages 29
Number of people brought over in the " Mayflower " . . , , 76
O
Oath of office administered to WaBhington ,, 35
O GrabMe Act, The 61
Old Bullion 13
Oldest President 90
Oldest street in New England 155
Old Hickory 42
Old Nick 113
Old Public Functionary 94
Old Scratch 135
Only bird that can see an object with both eyes at once 6
Only canonized saint of American birth 74
Only monarchy on the Western Continent 96
Order of the G-arter 39
Origin of " April Fool " 128
Origin of " Before one could say Jack Robinson " 69
Origin of "bigot" « 164
xiv CONTENTS.
PACHt
Origin of "bogus" 112
Origin of " Brottier Jonathan " 36
Origin of "catch-penny" , 58
Origin of " getting into a scrape " 129
Origin of " halcjon days" 50
Origin of " honey-moon " 43
Origin of " humbug " 108
Origin of " I aclsnowledge the corn " 18
Origin of " Johnnies " 176
Origin of " Lynch Law " 67
Origin of " Mugwump" 177
Origin of "Old Harry" , 106
Origin of " pin-money" 56
Origin of "printer's devil" 44
Origin of " quiz " 68
Origin of " sardonic smile " 166
Origin of " Simon Pure" 154
Origin of " tariff " 57
Origin of tarring and feathering 112
Origin of Thanl£sgiving Day 114
Origin of " That 's a feather in your cap" 161
Origin of the barber's pole 126
Origin of the minute and second 15
Origin of the names of the days of the weeli 48
Origin of the names of the months 47
Origin of the names of the oceans 143
Origin of "The three R's" 16
Origin of the word "Mississippi" 61
Origin of "To catch a Tartar" 154
Origin of " To haul over the coals " 155
Origin of "To have a bone to pick with one " 157
Origin of "To row up Salt River " 145
Origin of " To speak for Buncombe " 120
Origin of "To throw dust in one's eye " ^ 157
Origin of Uncle Sam 16
Origin of " Whig " and " Tory " 106
Origin of $... ....ti.t...i...i.t 156
P
Palace containing five hundred rooms 52
Parents of Columbus 100
Farthenopean Republic, The 47
CONTENTS. iV
PAGE
Patriot Preacher of the Revolution, The 24
Peeping Tom of Coventry : 132
Petrified City, The 161
Philosopher who thought the sun was a huge fiery stone 175
Physiologist who tliought man should live a century 29
Pine-Tree State, The 15
Pocahontas' real name 35
Poet noted for his thinness 92
Poet's death caused by his bald head 26
Porkopolis 148
Postal cards 78
Pouter pigeon 92
Prairie State, The 135
President buried at the expense of his friends 121
Presidential administration compared to a parenthesis. 137
Prenidential election in which three States did not vote 34
Presidents born in Virginia 96
President twice married to the same lady 121
President who never attended school 79
President who worked on a ferry-boat 7S
President who wrote his own epitaph 87
Prince of Destruction, The 151
Proper name of Columbus 100
Punishment of bachelors at Sparta • 71
Putnam and the wolf. 78
Q
Quaker Poet, The 171
Queen of Hearts, The 152
Queen of Tears, The 33
R
Railroad City, The 124
Rail-splitter, The 69
Rare Ben 113
Red Prince, The 123
Religious sect that depend on prayer 51
Remarkable Esquimaux stratagem ■ 20
Roundheads, The 153
XVi CONTENTS.
8
PAGE
Sacred writings of the Buddhists 83
Sacred writings of the Chinese 83
Sacred writings of the Hindoos 85
Sacred writings of the Japanese 86
Sacred writings of the Mohammedans 86
Sacred writings of the Persians . .. 85
Sacred writings of the Scandinavians 84
Sage Brush State, The 124
Sage of Monticello, The 170
Sailor Ijing, The 176
Samian letter, The 177
Scourge of God, The 158
Sect believing in one hundred and thirty-six hells 82
Seed supposed to confer invisibility 10
Seven against Thebes, The 169
Seven Bibles of the world, The 86
Seven Champions of Christendom, The 45
Seven Sleepers, The 44
Seven "Wise Men of Greece, The 45
Seven "Wonders of the ancient world. The 45
Shadeless forests 97
Shakespeare of India, The 5
Socrates' fundamental doctrine 51
Sovereign who owns the greater part of his realm 9
State called "The Dark and Bloody Ground" 89
" Stonewall " Jackson's sobriquet 136
St. Tammany 69
Sucker State, The 103
Sy mmes' Hole 171
T
Taffy 131
Tallest trees in the world 98
Tam O' Shanter 93
Terms of the treaty of 1783 117
Three kings of Cologne, The 142
Title of the Czar of Russia 119
Town in Vermont captured by the Confederates 1
Tree regarded as an emblem of death 11
CONTENTS. XVU
PAGE
Trivial incident that led to a grand discovery o
Turpentine State, The 13;
Two consecutive Bible verses that contradict 175
u
(Jnconditional Surrender 167
Underground river in the United States 68
V
Value of a pound of hair-springs for watches 4
Veiled Prophet, The 7
Via Dolorosa 1:55
Vice-President not elected by the people 38
Vice-President who did not serve 38
Vinegar Bible, The 130
Violet stones 86
w
Wagoner Boy, The 64
War of the Roses, The 155
Water volcano, The 62
Wealthiest President 93
Well-known hymn composed in a few minutes 129
What the Indians did to raise ammunition 75
What the Indians supposed the ships of Columbus to be 79
When a gallon oi vinegar weighs more 35
Whence the cravat obtains its name 147
Where the Declaration of Independence was written 115
^^^lere the different Presidents were nominated '. .. 88
White Lady, The 28
Who ate Roger Williams ? 70
Whose daughter was Noah? 115
Whose wife was Adam? 114
Why a dog turns round before he lies down 46
Why buckwheat is so called 112
Why John Quincy Adams was so named 90
Why Kow Jersey is called a foreign country 123
Why New Jersey is called Spain 153
Why people move on March 25 150
XVIU CONTENTS.
PAGE
Why Presidents are inaugurated on the 4th of March 66
Why the Baldwin apple is eo called 161
Why the "Hoosiers " are bo called 160
Why the passion flower is so called 160
Why the shamrock is the emblem of Ireland 127
Why the White House is so called 1 62
Wicked Bible, The 46
Wife of Columbus 100
Words containing all the vowels in order 73
Y
Youngest President 81
Youngest Territory 127
z
Zopyrus 175
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
1. What town in Vermont was taken by the Con-
federates during the late Civil War ?
On the 19th of October, 1864, between twenty and
thirty armed Confederates left Canada, entered St. Albans,
Vermont, robbed the banks, stole horses and stores, fired
and killed one man, wounded others, and returned to
Canada. Thirteen were arrested Oct. 21, but they were
discharged on account of some legal difficulty by Judge
Coursol, Dec. 14. This raid caused great excitement in
the United States; Gen. Dix proclaimed reprisals; volun-
teers were called out to defend the Canadian frontiers;
but President Lincoln rescinded Dix's proclamation in
December. The raiders were all discharged March 30,
1865, and Secretary Seward gave up claim to their extra-
dition in April.
2. What is a " left-handed " marriage?
A morganatic or left-handed marriage, as it is sometimes
called, is a lower sort of matrimonial union, which, as a
civil engagement, is completely binding, but fails to con-
fer on the wife the title or fortune of her husband, and on
the children the full status of legitimacy or right of suc-
eession. The members of the German princely houses
2 QUEER QUESTIONS AND BEADY BEPLIES.
have for centuries been in the practice of entering into
marriages of this kind with their inferiors in rank. Out
of this usage has gradually sprung a code of matrimonial
law, by which the union of princes With persons of lower
rank, in other than morganatic form, involves serious
consequences, especially tov/ard the lady. The penalty
of death was actually enforced in the case of the beauti-
ful and unfortunate Agnes Bernaur. In the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries a fashion began among the
German princes of taking a morganatic wife in addition
to one who enjoyed the complete matrimonial status, —
Landgrave Philip of Hesse setting the example, with a
very qualified disapprobation on the part of the leading
reformers. An energetic attempt was made in the first
half of the last century by Anton Ulrich, Duke of Saxe-
Meiningen, to upset the established practice, and to
obtain for his morganatic wife the rank of duchess, and
for her children the right of succession. The most recent
morganatic marriage was that of the late Czar of Russia,
Alexander II., to the Princess Dolgorouki, 1880.
3. What mollusk has a distinct head, and swims by
fins attached to the side of the neck ?
This is the Gymnosomata (Greek, " naked-bodied "),
an order of pteropodous mollusks, destitute of shell. They
constitute one family, the Cliidse. They are all marine;
and the right whale feeds largely upon some of the spe-
cies, engulfing great numbers in its open mouth, and
straining them from the water by means of its baleen.
The Clio horealis of the Arctic Seas is the best known
and most interesting example.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 3
4. What substance was once a vegetable, but is
now a mineral ; was once valued as a medicine, but is
now used only for purposes of ornament?
Amber is the fossilized resinous exudation from several
species of extinct coniferous trees, of which one, the
Pinites succinifer, is supposed to have produced a greater
part. It now appears like coal, in connection with beds
of which it is usually found, as a product of the mineral
kingdom. It formerly had a high reputation as a medi-
cine, but the virtues ascribed to it were almost entirely
imaginary. It is usually of a pale yellow color, sometimes
reddish or brownish, sometimes transparent, sometimes
almost opaque. It is now extensively used for orna-
ments, and especially for mouthpieces of pipes, the
consumption being greatest in Eastern Europe, Turkey,
Persia, etc. Fine pieces are worth more than their weight
in gold. The largest mass known is in the Koyal Cabinet
at Berlin; its weight is eighteen pounds, and it is valued
at S30,000. Most of the amber of commerce is obtained
fi'om the shores of the Baltic, between Konigsberg and
Memel. It was an article of exchange long anterior (o
the dawn of history, as we know by its frequent occur-
rence in the remains of the lake dwellings of Switzerland.
The earliest notice of amber we find occurs in Homer's
"Odyssey," where, in the list of jewels offered by the
Phoenicians to the Queen of Syria, occurs " the gold neck-
lace hung with bits of amber" (Od., XV. 460). It be-
comes negatively electric by friction, and possesses this
property in a high degree, which, indeed, was first ob-
served in it, and the term " electricity " is derived from
Elektron, the Greek name of amber.
i QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
5. How did the ancients account for the origin of
amber ?
Among the Greek fables purporting to account for the
origin of amber, it is narrated that the Heliadfe, on seeing
their brother, Phaethon, hurled by the lightning of Zeus
(Jupiter) into the Eridanus, were by the pitying gods
transformed into poplar-trees, and the tears they shed
were dropped as amber on the shores of the river. A less
poetical theory of its origin states that it was formed from
the condensed urine of the lynx inhabitating Northern
Italy, the pale varieties being produced by the females,
while the deeper tints were attributed to the males.
6. What is the value of a pound of steel when made
into hair-springs for watches ?
A pound of steel that costs but a few cents becomes
worth $128,000 in the shape of hair-springs for watches.
7. Who devised the instrument for determining the
pressure of the blood in the arteries and veins of the
living body ?
The Hgemadynamometer (from the Greek aifxa, blood,
dvvaiiig, force, and finQov, a measure) was devised for this
purpose by Poisseville. The pressure of the blood is
measured, as in the barometer, by the column of mercury
that it balances. The instrument has recently been im-
proved in various ways, and a contrivance has been added
by which the oscillations of the mercury are inscribed in
the form of an undulating curve on a cylinder made to
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 5
revolve by clock-work; the height of the undulations
denoting the pressure, and their horizontal amplitude the
time.
8. What ancient city perished through silence?
Amyclse, an ancient town of Lacouia, situated on the
eastern bank of the Eurotas, was a famous city in the
hei'oic age. It was the abode of Tyndarus and his
spouse Leda, of Castor and Pollux, who are hence called
the " Amyclaean Brothers." It was only shortly before
the first Messenian War (743-724 B. C.) that the town
was conquered by the Spartan King Teleclus. The inhabi-
tants had been so often alarmed by false reports of the
approach of the Spartans that, growing tired of living in
a state of continual alarm, they decreed that no one should
henceforth mention or even take notice of these disagree-
able fictions; and, accordingly, when the Spartans at last
came, no one dared to announce their approach. Hence
arose the Greek saying, " Amyclse perished through
silence," and also the Latin proverb, " AviycUs ipsis taci-
turnior''^ (More silent than even Amy else).
9. What dramatic poet has been called the " Shake-
speare of India " ?
Kalidasa was the greatest dramatic poet of India, His
drama, " Sakuntala," translated by Sir William Jones,
1789, produced a great sensation in Europe. He is noted
for the variety of his creations, his ingenious conceptions,
beauty of narrative, delicacy of sentiment, and fertility
of imagination; hence the sobriquet.
6 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
10. What trivial incident in 1666 led to one of the
grandest discoveries ever made ?
It was during this year that the celebrated philosopher,
Sir Isaac Newton, while sitting beneath an apple-tree in
his mother's orchard at Woolsthorpe, England, conceived
the idea of gravitation from seeing an apple fall from
the tree. This tree remained standing until the year 1814,
when it was blown down. The wood of it was preserved
and made into various articles. Several trees still exist
which were raised from the seeds of its fruit.
11. Which is the only bird that can use both eyes
at once in looking at an object?
This bird is the owl. Its eyes are very large, directed
forward, more or less surrounded by a disk of radiating
bristly feathers, and in most of the species formed for
seeing in the twilight or at night, presenting a vacant
stare when exposed to daylight. The Greeks and Romans
made it the emblem of wisdom, and sacred to Minerva,
and, indeed, its large head and solemn eyes give it an air
of wisdom which its brain does not sanction.
12. What bird has neither tail nor wings?
The Apteryx (Greek a, privative, nzEQV^, wing) is a
bird allied to the ostrich and emu. It is found in New
Zealand, particularly in regions covered with extensive
and thick beds of fern, in which it hides when alarmed.
It is called Mtoi-kiwi by the natives. It has a very long and
slender bill, of which it makes a remarkable use in sup-
porting itself when it rests. The natives pursue it for
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 7
its skin, which is very tough and flexible, and much prized
by the chiefs for the manufacture of their state mantles.
Happy is the Maori who possesses a cloak of kiwi-kiwi
feathers.
13. "What race of Indians, still uneonquered, is sup-
posed to have red hair and pale complexions ?
The Guatuso Indians, a race of the Aztec family.
They dwell along the banks and head- waters of the Rio
Frio, which flows into Lake Nicaragua. Their country
has never been penetrated. The attempts made l)y the
Catholic missionaries and the governors of Nicaragua to
reach them, though often renewed, have always been
repulsed.
14. Who was the " Veiled Prophet" ?
Hakim Ben Allah, or Ben Hashem, the founder of an
Arabic sect in the eighth century, during the reign of
Maliadi, the third Abassidian caliph, at Neksheb, or
Meru in Khorassan, was surnamed Mokanna, or " the
veiled prophet." He was so called on account of his con-
stantly wearing a veil of silver, or, according to others, of
golden gauze. Some writers attribute this habit to a
desire to conceal a deformity, one of his eyes having been
pierced by an arrow, others to the desire to conceal his
extraordinary ugliness. His own explanation, which was
believed by his followers, was that the veil was necessary
to shroud from the ej'es of the beholder the dazzling rays
emanating from his divine countenance. Hakim set him-
self up as a god. He had first, he said, assumed the body
of Adam, then that of Noah, and subsequently those of
8 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
many other wise and great men. The last human form he
pretended to have adopted was that of Abu Moslem, a
prince of Khorassan. He appears to have been well
versed in the arts of legerdemain and " natural magic,"
principally as regards producing startling effects of light
and color. Among other miracles, he, for a whole week,
to the great delight and bewilderment of his soldiers,
caused a moon or moons to issue from a deep well; and so
brilliant was the appearance of these luminaries, that the
real moon quite disappeared by their side. On this account
he was sometimes called Sagende ISTah, or the " Motm-
maker." When the Sultan Mahadi had, after a long
siege, taken the last stronghold in which Hakira had forti-
fied himself, he, having first poisoned all his soldiers at a
banquet, threw himself into a vessel filled with a burning
acid of such a nature that his body was entirely dissolved,
and nothing remained but a few hairs. This was done
that the faithful might believe him to have ascended to
heaven alive. Some remnants of his sect still exist.
Hakim has furnished the subject of many romances, of
which the one contained in Moore's " Lalla Rookh " is the
most brilliant and best known.
15. What were supposed to be the " fiery serpents "
which attacked the Israelites in the desert ?
It has been argued with great plausibility that they were
in reality Guinea or Medina worms (Filaria medinensis),
a parasite that inhabits the fiesh of men and other animals,
and that seems to have been known from the earliest
times. It is from six inches to four feet in length, and
about one ninth of an inch in diameter. It is found in
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 9
many parts of Africa, India, Sumatra, Persia, Arabia, and
the island of CuraQoa. It is believed to enter the flesh
through the skin, and as many as fifty have been reported
in a single person. In some cases they cause much pain
and inconvenience ; in others, none. Death has sometimes
resulted from them.
16. What sovereign owns the greater part of the
territory over which he reigns ?
At least three different rulers can claim this distinction.
Prince Heinrich XXII., present sovereign of the Princi-
pality of Reuss-Greiz, has no civil list. He is very wealthy,
and the greater part of the territory over which he reigns
is his own private property.
Prince Heinrich XIV. is the present sovereign of the
Principality of Reuss-Schleiz, of which the greater part is
the private property of the reigning family.
Friedrich Wilhelm I., present Grand Duke of Mecklen-
burg-Strelitz, is one of the wealthiest of German sover-
eigns, more than half of the Grand Duchy being his own
property.
17. "What Oriental town is called the " Mother of
Cities " ?
Mecca, one of the oldest towns of Arabia, the capital
of the province of Hedjaz, and, through being the birth-
place of Mohammed, the central and most holy city of all
Islam, is, on this account, called by the Arabs Om Al
Kora, the " Mother of Cities."
This title is also given by the native population to
Balkh, in Central Asia, formerly a great city, but now for
10 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
the most part a mass of ruins. This is a city of great
antiquity, and was at an early date a rival of Nineveh and
Babylon.
18. What seed was supposed to render its possessor
invisible, and why?
Plants were once thought to impart their own character-
istics to the wearer. Thus the herb-dragon was thought
to cure the bite of serpents; wood-sorrel, which has a
heart-shaped leaf, to cheer the heart; liver-wort, to bene-
fit the liver, etc. Certain kinds of ferns have seeds so
minute as to be invisible to the naked eye, and, carried
about the person, were supposed to confer invisibility.
Shakespeare says, " We have the receipt of fern-seed; we
walk invisible." (1 Henry IV., Act II., 1.)
19. What king prided himself on being the best
cook in his country ?
Louis XV. (1710-1774), the grandson of Louis XIV.,
is said to have boasted of being the best cook in France,
and to have been much pleased when the courtiers ate
eagerly of the dishes which he had prepared.
20. What island was discovered by two lovers ?
There is a story to the effect that two lovers, Robert
Machim and Anna d'Arfet, fleeing from England to
France in 1346, were driven out of their course by a vio-
leut storm, and cast on the coast of Madeira at the place
subsequently named Machico, in memory of one of them.
The truth of this romantic story has recently been demon-
strated by Mr. Major.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 11
21 . Where is the ' ' Fat Man's Misery " ?
This is a narrow serpentine path in the Mammoth
Cave. The walls, only eighteen inches apart, change
direction eight times in one hundred and five yards, while
the distance from the sandy path to the ledge overhead is
but five feet.
22. What tree is regarded as an emblem of death?
The cypress has been so used for centuries, from the
sombre aspect of its dark green leaves, and from the fact
that when once cut down it never grows again. In
ancient times cypress logs were placed on funeral piles;
probably on account of both their emblematic use and the
aromatic odor, emitted by the burning wood, which would
counteract any smell arising from the burning body.
23. Where is the largest clock in the world?
In the English House of Parliament. The four dials
of this clock are twenty-two feet in diameter. Every
half-minute the minute-hand moves nearly seven inches.
The clock will go eight and one half days, but will strike
for only seven and one half days, thus indicating any
neglect in winding it up. The winding up of the striking
apparatus takes two hours. The pendulum is fifteen fuet
long; the wheels are cast iron; the hour bell is eight feet
high and nine feet in diameter, weighing nearly fifteen
tons, and the hammer alone weighs more than five hun-
dred pounds. This clock strikes the quarter-hours. Its
pendulum beats every two seconds. The motion is kept
up by a remontoir, or gravity escapement.
12 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
24. When were post-offices first established?
The first letter post Avas established in the Hanse towns
in the early part of the thirteenth century. A line of
letter posts followed, connecting Austria with Lombardy,
in the reign of the Emperor Maximilian, which are said
to have been organized by the princes of Thurn and
Taxis; and the representatives of the same house estab-
lished another line of posts from Vienna to Brussels, the
most distant parts of the dominions of Charles V. This
family continue to the present day to hold certain rights
with regard to the German postal system, their posts being
entirely distinct from those established by the crown, and
sometimes in rivalry with them. In England, in early
times, both public and private letters were sent by mes-
sengers, who, in the reign of Henry III., wore the royal
livery. They had to provide themselves with horses until
the reign of Edward I., when posts were established
where horses were to be had for hire. Edward IV., when
engaged in war with Scotland, had dispatches conveyed
to his camp with great speed, by means of a system of
relays of horses, which, however, fell into disuse on the
restoration of peace. Camden mentions the office of
" master of tlie postes " as existing in 1581, but the
duties of that officer were probably connected exclusively
with the supply of post horses. The posts were meant
for the conveyance of government dispalchts alone, and
it was only by degrees that permission was extended to
private individuals to make use of them. A foreign post
for the conveyance of letters between London and the
Continent seems to have been established by foreign mer-
chants in the fifteenth century; and certain disputes
which arose between the Flemings and the Itahans
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 13
regai'diug the right of appointing a postmaster, and were
referred to the piivy council, led to the institution of a
" chief postmaster," who should have charge both of the
English and foreign post. The American post-office is
one of our earliest institutions, and was provided for by
legislation in Massachusetts in 1639, and in Virginia in
1657. A monthly post between 'New York and Boston
was established in 1672.
25 . Who was ' ' Old Bullion " ?
This sobriquet was conferred on Col. Thomas Hart
Benton (1782-1852), a distinguished American statesman,
on account of his advocacy of the gold and silver currency
as a true remedy for the financial embarrassments in
which the United States was involved after the expira-
tion of the charter of the national bank, and as the only
proper medium for government disbursements and re-
ceipts.
26. When, where, and between whom was the first
duel fought in the United States ?
The first duel in the United States was at Plymouth,
Mass., on June 18, 1621, between Edward Doty and
Edward Leicester, two servants, both of whom were
wounded. For this outrage they were sentenced to the
punishment of having their heads and feet tied together,
and of lying thus twenty-four hours without food or drink.
After suffering, however, in that posture an hour, at
their master's intercession and their humble request,
with the promise of amendment, they were released by
the governor.
14 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
27. How is the northern boundary line of the
United States marked?
The northern boundary line of this country is marked
by stone cairns, iron pillars, wood pillars, earth mounds,
and timber posts. A stone cairn is seven and a half feet
by eight feet; an earth mound seven feet by fourteen feet;
an iron pillar seven feet high, eight inches square at the
bottom, and four inches at the top; timber posts five feet
high and eight inches square. There are three hundred
and eighty-five of these marks between the Lake of the
Woods and the base of the Kocky Mountains. That por-
tion of the boundary which lies east and west of the Red
Eiver Valley is marked by cast-iron pillars at even mile
intervals. The British place one every two miles, and
the United States one between each British post. Our
pillars or markers were made at Detroit, Mich. They
are hollow iron castings, three eighths of an inch in thick-
ness, in the form of a truncated pyramid, eight feet high,
eight inches square at the bottom, and four at the top, as
before stated. They have at the top a solid pyramidal cap,
and at the bottom an octagonal flange one inch in thick-
ness. Upon the opposite faces are cast, in lettei's two
inches high, the inscriptions, " Convecrtion of London,"
and " October QOth, 1818." The inscriptions begin about
four feet six inches above the base and read upwards.
The interiors of the hollow posts are filted with well-sea-
soned cedar posts, sawed to fit, and securely spiked through
spike holes cast in ihe pillars for that purpose. The aver-
age weight of each pillar when completed is eighty-five
pounds. The pillars are all set four feet in the ground,
with their inscription faces to the north and south, and
the earth is well settled and stamped about them. For the
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 15
wooden posts well-seasoned logs are selected, and the por-
tion above the ground painted red, to prevent swelling
and shrinking. These posts do very .^ell, but the Indians
cut them down for fuel, and nothing but iron will last
very long. Where the line crosses lakes, mountains of
stone have been built, the bases being in some places
eighteen feet under water, and the tops projecting eight
feet above the lake's surface at high-water mark. In for-
ests the line is marked by felling the timber a rod wide,
and clearing away the underbrush. The work of cutting
through the timbered swamps was very great, but it has
been well done, and the boundary distinctly marked by
the commissioners the whole distance from Michigan to
Alaska.
28. What is the origin of the minute and second?
We have sixty divisions on the dials of our clocks and
watches, because the old Greek astronomer, Hipparchns,
who lived in the second century before Christ, accepted
the Babylonian system of reckoning time, that system
being sexagesimal. The Babylonians were acquainted
with the decimal system, but for common or practical pur-
poses they counted by sossi and sari, the sossos i-epre-
senting sixty, and the saros sixty times six, — thirty-six
hundred. From Hipparchus that mode of reckoning
found its way into the works of Ptolemy about 150 A. D.,
and hence was carried down the stream of science and
civilization, and found its way to the dial plates of our
clocks and watches.
29. Which is the ' ' Pine Tree State " ?
Maine. The majestic mast pines which have given this
State its sobriquet are fast receding before the demands
16 QUEER QUESTIONS ANJ> READY REPLIES.
of commerce. This tree is the heraldic emblem of the
State.
30. What city is called " Little Paris"?
Milan, Italy, from its resemblance in point of gayety
to the Freiach capital.
31. "What was the origin of the term " Uncle Sam"?
This term came into use in the War of 1812, and was
born at Troy, N. Y. The government inspector there
was Uncle Sam Wilson, and when the war opened Elbert
Anderson, the contractor at New York, bought a large
amount of beef, pork, and pickles for the army. These
were inspected by Wilson, and were duly labelled E. A. --
U. S., meaning Elbert Anderson, for the United States.
The term U. S. for the United States was then somewhat
new, and the workmen concluded that they referred to
Uncle Sam Wilson. After they discovered their mistake,
they kept up the name as a joke. These same men soon
went to the war. There they repeated the joke. It got
into print and went the rounds. From that time on the
term " Uncle Sam " was used facetiously for the United
States, and it now represents the nation.
32. What is the origin of the phrase "The Three
R's"?
It is said that this phrase was originated by Sir William
Curtis, who was Lord Mayor of London in 1795. A writer
in Notes and Queries says: " I remember an aged member
of the corporation, now deceased, asserting that Sir Wil-
liam Curtis, in the days when Dr. Bell and the Quaker
Lancaster were pleading on behalf of increased facilities
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 17
for the education of the poor, gave as a toast at a city
dinner, ' The three R's.' My friend assured me that Sir
William Curtis, although a man of limited education, was
very shrewd, and not so ignorant as to suppose his pre-
sumed orthography was correct. He chose the phrase in
the above form purely for a jocular reason."
33. How is an umbrella put together?
The first thing to be done is to prepare the stick to re-
ceive the cover. The two springs are first put in, one at
the top to hold the umbrella oj^en, and one at the bottom
to keep it closed. The slots in which the springs are put
are cut by a machine. This is a very delicate and danger-
ous operation, as, unless great care is taken, the man who
does it is liable to lose his fingers. After this is done an-
other man takes the stick, and with a knife prepares it to
receive the spring. The springs are then set, and the
ferrule is put on at the top of the stick. If the handle is of
different material from the stick, it is now fastened to it.
All of the counters in the work-rooms are carpeted to
prevent the sticks from being scratched. After the handle
is securely fastened and a baud put on to finish or orna-
ment the stick, it is sent to the frame-maker. He fastens
the stretchers to the ribs, strings the top end of the ribs on
a wire, and fits into the "runner notch." He then strings
the lower ends of the " stretchers " on a wire and fastens
with the "runner." When both of the "runners" are
securely fixed, the umbrella is ready for the cover. The
cutter lays his cloth very smoothly on a long counter, fold-
ing it until the fabric is sixteen layers deep and several
yards long. The edges have been previously hemmed on a
sewing machine. When everything is ready, the cutter
2
18 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
lays on his i)attern (this is usually made of wood tipped
with brass), and with a very sharp knife cuts along the sides
of it, thus cutting two covei-s at once. Every piece is then
carefully examined, to see that there is no bad place or
hole in it. A man then carefully stretches the edges, that
it may fit the frame. The pieces are then stitched on a
sewing machine, in what is called a pudding-bag seam.
The tension is very carefully adjusted so that the thread
will not break when the cover is stretched over the frame.
The cover is first fastened to the frame at the top and
bottom. The umbrella is then half raised, and held in
position by a small tool for that purpose, while the seams
are fastened to the ribs. When this is done, the tie is
sewed on, tlie cap is put on, and the umbrella is entirely
put together. A woman then takes it and presses the
edges with a warm flat-iron. Afterward another woman
takes it and inspects it before a very strong light to make
sure that it is perfect. If it bears this inspection it is neatly
adjusted about the handle, the tie fastened, and it is then
ready for a purchaser.
34. What is the origin of the phrase " I acknowledge
the corn " ?
This phrase originated in the following manner: In
1828, Mr. Stewart, a member of Congress, said in a speech
that Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana sent their hay-stacks,
corn-fields, and fodder to New York and Philadelphia for
sale. Mr. Wickliffe, of Kentucky, called him to order,
declaring that those States did not send hay-stacks, corn-
fields, and fodder to Kew York and Philadelphia for sale.
"Well, what do you send? " asked Mr. Stewart. "Why,
horses, mules, cattle, and hogs. " " Well, what makes your
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 19
horses, mules, cattle, and hogs ? You feed $100 worth of
hay to a horse. You just animate and get upon the top of
your hay-stack and ride off to market. How is it with your
cattle? You make one of them carry $.50 worth of hay or
grass to the Eastern market. How much corn does it take,
at thirty- three cents a bushel, to fatten a hog ? " " Why,
thirty bushels." " Then you put thirty bushels into the
shape of a hog and make it walk to the Eastern market."
Then Mr. Wickliffe jumped up and said, " Mr. Speaker,
I acknowledge the corn."
Another account of the origin of this phrase is as fol-
lows: Some years ago, a raw customer, from the upper
country, determined to try his fortune at New Orleans.
Accordingly he provided himself with two flat-boats, one
laden with corn and the other with potatoes, and down
the river he went. The night after his arrival he went up
town to a gambling-house. Of course he commenced bet-
ting, and his luck proving unfortunate, he lost. When his
money was gone, he bet his " truck"; and the corn and
potatoes followed the money. At last, when completely
cleaned out, he returned to his boats at the wharf, when
the evidences of a new misfortune presented themselves.
Through some accident or other, the flat-boat containing
the corn was sunk, and a total loss. Consoling himself as
well as he could, he went to sleep, dreaming of gamblers,
potatoes, and corn. It was scarcely sunrise, however, when
he was disturbed by the "child of chance," who had ar-
rived to take possession of the two boats as his winnings.
Slowly awakening from his sleep, our hero, rubbing his
eyes and looking the man in the face, replied, " Stranger,
I acknowledge the corn, — take 'em; but the potatoes you
can'i have, by thunder 1 "
20 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
35. How did a flight of birds change the histoi-y of
America ?
When Columbus sailed westward over the broad ex-
panse of the unknown waters of the Atlantic, he expected
to reach Zipangu (Japan). Having sailed westward from
Gomera, one of the Canary Islands, for many days, he
grew uneasy at not having discovered Zipangu, which, ac-
cording to his reckoning, he should have met with two
hundred and sixteen nautical miles more to the east. After
a long debate, he yielded to the opinion of Martin Alonzo
Pinzon, the commander of the Pinta, and steered to the
southwest. Pinzon was guided in his opinion by a flight of
parrots towards the southwest. The effect of this chnnge
in his course curiously exemplifies the influence of small
and apparently trivial events on the world's history. If
Columbus, resisting the counsel of Pinzon, had kept his
original route, he would have entered the warm current of
the Gulf Stream, have reached Florida, and thence per-
haps have been carried to Cape Hatteras and Virginia.
The result would probably have been to give the present
United States a Roman Catholic Spanish population, in-
stead of a Protestant English one, a circumstance of im-
measurable importance. " Never," says Humboldt, " had
the flight of birds more important consequences; It may
be said to have determined the first settlements on the
new continent, and its distribution between the Latin and
Germanic races."
36. When did an American race have recourse to a
stratagem similar to the celebrated wooden horse of
Troy?
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 21
In order to destroy the last settlement of the Northmen
in Greenland, " the savages," says Dr. I. I. Hayes, the
famous Arctic explorer, " had recourse to a stratagem
worthy to be compared with the celebrated wooden horse
of Troy." Over an immense raft of boats, they constructed
an immense scaffolding, and covered it with white seal-
skins to make it look like an iceberg. Filled with armed
men, it floated down the fiord. It was seen by the sentinels
and other people of the settlement, but was supposed by
them to be nothing more than a harmless mass of ice, till
it was run aground near the church. Then the Esquimaux
rushed out of it, slaughtered the inhabitants, and destroyed
the settlement.
37. Which was the first land discovered by Columbus ?
The spot which he first reached was a small island,
called by the natives (iuanahani, to which Columbus gave
the name of San Salvador, the Spanish for Holy Saviour.
This was the island now known as Watling Island, as was
suggested by Muiioz in 1793, and proved by Mr. R.
H. Major in 1870, and not the island now called San
Salvador.
38. With whom did the name America originate ?
In a paper distinguished for great learning and able
criticism, Mr. Major has shown that the word "America"
first appeared on the Mappe Monde, drawn l\y Leonardo da
Vinci, and he explains the circumstances which led to its
adoption. The first map known to exist with the New World
delineated upon it is that drawn by Juan de la Cosa, the
pilot of Columbus in his second voyage. This map is
22 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
dated 1500. Juan de la Cosa was with Ojeda and Vespucci,
and afterwards with Ojeda in his last and ill-fated expedi-
tion. In May, 1507, just ayear after the death of Columbus,
one Martin Waldseemuller (Hylacomulus) wrote a book
called Cosmographies Introduction to which was appended a
Latin edition of the four voyages of Vespucci. In this
book, which was published at St. Die in Lorraine, he pro-
posed that the name America should be given to the New
World. In 1508 the first engraved map containing the New
World appeared in an edition of Ptolemy printed at Rome,
but it does not bear the name of America. But in 1509 the
name America, pi'oposed by Hylacomulus in 1507, appears
as if it was already accepted as a well-known denomination,
in an anonymous work entitled Globus MumJi^ published at
Strasburg. The Mappe Monde of Leonardo da Vinci, to
which Major assigns the date 1514, has the name of America
across the South American continent.
39. What was the ancient name of the "ring-
finger " ?
The fingers, as anciently known, are: thumb; toucher,
foreman, or pointer; long man, or long finger; lich-man,
or ring-finger; little man, or little finger. The Romans
believed that a nerve ran through the ring-finger to the
heart. Both they and the Greeks called it the medical
finger, and used it for stirring their mixtures, believing
that nothing harmful could touch it without despatching
a warning to the heart. The notion is said still to exist
in some parts of England that salve must not be applied
to the fiesh or the skin scratched with any but the ring-
finsrer.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 23
40. Who was ' ' The Beautiful Parricide " ?
Beatrice Cenci was so called. According to Muratoi'i,
her father, Francesco, was twice married, Beatrice being
his daughter by the first wife. After his second marriage
he treated the children of his first wife in a revolting
manner, and was even accused of hiring bandits to mur-
der two of his sons on their return from Spain. The
beauty of Beatrice inspired him with tlie horrible and
incestuous desire to possess her person; with mingled
lust and hate, he persecuted her from day to day, until
circumstances enabled him to consummate his brutality.
The unfortunate girl besought the help of her relatives
and of Pope Clement VII., but did not receive it, where-
upon, in company with her step-mother and her brother,
Giacomo, she planned and executed the murder of her
unnatural parent. The crime was discovered, and b(jth
she and Giacomo were put to the torture. Giacomo con-
fessed, but Beatrice persisted in the declaration that she
was innocent. All, however, were condemned, and put
to death August, 1599, in spite of efforts made in their
behalf.
41. "What was the Diamond Necklace Affair?
This wonderful piece of jewelry, m'ade by Boehmer,
the court jeweller of Paris, was intended for Madame du
Barry, the favorite of Louis XV. On the death of the
monarch, however, she was excluded from court, and the
bawble was left on the jeweller's hands. Its immense
value, 1,800,000 livres (.f400,000), precluded any one from
becoming its purchaser, but in 1785 Boehmer offered it to
Marie Antoinette for $320,000, a considerable reduction.
The queen much desired the necklace, but was deterred
24 QUEER QUESTIONS AXD READY REPLIES.
from its purchase by the great expense. Learning this,
the Countess de la Motte forged the queen's signature,
and, by pretending tliat her Majesty had an attachment
for the Cardinal de Rohan, the queen's almoner, persuaded
him to conclude a bargain with the jeweller for S280,000.
De la Motte thus obtained possession of the necklace and
made off with it. For this she was tried in 1786 and sen-
tenced to be branded on both shoulders and imprisoned
for life, but she subsequently escaped and fled to London.
The cardinal was tried and acquitted the same year. The
French public at that time believed that the queen was a
party to the fraud, but no conclusive evidence was ever
adduced to support the charge. Talleyrand wrote at the
time, "I shall not be surprised if this miserable affair
overturn the throne." His prediction was, to a great
extent, fulfilled.
42. Who was the "Patriot Preacher of the Revo-
lution " ?
The Rev. John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg (1746-1807)
has been so termed. He was educated at Halle, ordained
to the ministry in England, and in 1772 became Lutheran
minister of Woodstock, Va. He soon became a leading
spirit among those opposed to British oppression. His
last sermon was upon the duty men owe to their country.
In concluding, he said: "There is a time for all things, a
time to preach and (with a voice that echoed like a trum-
pet blast through the church) a time to fight, and now is
the time to fight." Then, laying aside his sacerdotal
gown, he stood before his flock in the full regimental
dress of a Virginia colonel. He ordered the drums to be
beaten at the church door for recruits; and almost his
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 25
entire ma/e audience, capable of bearing arms, joined his
standard. Nearly three hundred men enlisted under his
banner on that day. The scene has been described in
verse by Thomas Buchanan Read in the " Wagoner of the
Alleghanies." In February, 1777, Congress promoted
Muhlenberg to the rank of brigadier-general; and at
the close of the war he was made a major-general.
43. When does Easter come ?
The Council of Nice (325 A. D.) authoritatively declared
for the whole Church, Easter to be always the first Sunday
after the full moon which occurs on or next after March
21 ; and if the full moon happen on a Sunday, Easter is
to be the Sunday following.
44. Where are the highest tides found?
The high tides that rise in the Bay of Fundy are one
of the wonders of the world. The funnel-shaped and
rapidly narrowing entrance to the bay enables a dispro-
portionally long tidal wave to enter, and as it becomes
narrower and shallower the height necessarily increases.
The tide, which at the entrance is eighteen feet, rushes
with great fury up the bay, and swells to the enormous
height of sixty feet, and even to seventy feet in the higli-
est spring tides. With such velocity does it rush up the
constantly narrowing bay, that hogs and other animals
feeding along the shore are frequently overtaken by it.
45. In what country are nearly all of the clergymen
blacksmiths ?
The clei'gymen of Iceland are so miserably paid thnt
they are generally obliged to do the hardest work of day
26 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
laborers to preserve their families from starving. Besides
making hay and tending cattle, they are all blacksmiths
from necessity, and the best horse-shoers on the island.
The feet of an Iceland horse would be cut to pieces over
the sharp rocks and lava if not well shod. The church is
the great resort of the pea.^antry; and should any of the
numerous horses have lost a shoe, or be likely to do so,
the clergyman dons his apron, lights his little charco;;!
fire in his smithy, one of which is attached to every par-
sonage, and sets the animal on its legs again. 1"he task
of getting the charcoal is not the least of his labors, for
whatever the distance may be to the nearest thicket of
dwarf birch, he must go thither to burn the Avood, and
bring it home when charred. His hut is scarcely better
than that of the meanest fisherman; a bed, a rickety
table, a few chairs, and a chest or two are all his furni-
ture. This is, as long as he lives, the condlliou of the
Icelandic clergyman, and learning, virtue, and even
genius are but too frequently buried under this squalid
poverty. In no Christian country, perhaps with tlie sole
exception of Lapland, are the clergy so poor as in Iceland,
but in none do they exert a more beneficial influence.
46. What noted poet's bald head caused his death?
The ancient writers are unanimous in regard to the
manner of the death of ^schylus (525-456 B. C), the
father of the Greek tragic drama. An eagle, say they,
mistaking the poet's bald head for a stone, let a tortoise
fall upon it to break the shell, and so fulfilled an oracle,
according to which ^schylus was fated to die by a blow
from heaven.
47. Who discovered the Northwest Passage ?
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 27
In 1850 an expedition was sent out from England under
the comnaand of Sir Robert Jolm Le Mesurier McClure, to
whom belongs the honor of the discovery of this long-
sought passage. Having passed through Behring's Strait in
August of this year, McClure' s ship, the Investigator, was
ice-bound in the middle of October. A land party from
the ship discovered the Northwest Passage, Oct. 26,
from Mount Observation, latitude 73 degrees 30 minutes
39 seconds north; longitude 114 degrees 39 minutes
west. After this discovery the party returned to the Inves-
tigator; but that vessel was not destined herself to sail
homeward through the passage discovered by her com-
mander. Three winters were spent in the ice ; but in Api'il,
1853, a relief party onboard of H. M. S. Eesohcle appeared,
having discovered McClure'' s whereabouts by means of a
cairn left by him in Winter Harbor. Commander McClure
now resolved to abandon his ship altogether. He reached
England on Sept. 28,1854. His first reward was to receive
his commission of post-captain, dated back to the day of
the discovery of the Northwest Passage. Shortly after-
ward he received from her Majesty the honors of knight-
hood, and a reward of £5,000 was voted him by Parliament.
Both the English and French geographical societies gave
him a gold medal. A reward of £10,000 was also granted
to the officers and crew of the Investigator, as a token of
national approbation of the men who had discovered a
Northwest Passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.
48. Who was the first child born of English parents
m New England?
Peregrine White, son of William White and of his wife
Susanna, the first child born of English parents in New
28 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
England, was born on board the Mayflower in the harbor
of Cape Cod, Nov. 20, 1620. He died at Marshfield in
1704.
49. Who was the ' ' White Lady " ?
A being who, according to popular legend, appears in
many of the castles of German princes and nobles, by
night as well as by day, when any important event, whether
joyful or sad, but particularly when the deathof any mem-
ber of the family is imminent. She is regarded as the
ancestress of the race, shows herself always in snow-while
garments, carries a bunch of keys at her side, and some-
times rocks and watches over the children at night when
their nurses sleep. The earliest appearance of this appari-
tion spoken of was in the sixteenth century, and was famous
under the name of Bertha of Rosenberg (in Bohemia). In
the castle of Berlin she is said to have been seen in 1628,
and again in 1840 and 185G.
50. In what cities are there no elections held?
Washington and Georgetown, D. C. By the law of 1874
these municipalities were abolished, and the elective fran-
chise suppressed throughout the District of Columbia.
The district is under the control of Congress, but has no
representatives; and its municipal affairs are regulated by
three commissioners appointed by the President and
Senate.
51 . Which is the " City of the Red Staff " ?
Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is said that when the place
was first settled, there was growing on the spot a cypress
(the l)ark of which tree is of a reddish color} of immense
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 29
size and prodigious height, entirely free from branches,
except at its very top. One of the settlers playfully
remarked that this tree would make a handsome cane;
whence the place has since been called Baton Rouge, that
is, " red staff."
52. How many languages are there ?
The various languages, dialects, etc., ancient and modem,
are estimated to be 3,004. They are distributed as follows:
Asiatic, 937; European, 587; African, 276; American, 1,264
53. What noted physiologist estimated one hundred
years as man's normal term of life ?
Marie Jean Pierre Flourens (1794-1867), the celebrated
French physiologist, asserts, in one of his numerous publi-
cations, that the normal period of man's life is one century.
It is, he argues, a fact in natural history, that the length of
each animal's life is in exact proportion to the period the
animal takes in growing. Monsieur Flourens has ascer-
tained this period, and based upon it the theory that it
depends on " the union of the bones to their epiphyses.
As long," he observes, ''as the bones are not united to
their epiphyses, the animal grows; as soon as the bones
are united to their epiphyses, the animal ceases to grow."
Now, in man, according to this philosopher, the union of
the bones and the epiphyses takes place at the age of
twenty, and that, as among all animals, life is or should be
prolonged to five times the period they take in attaining
their full growth, the normal duration of the life of man is
consequently one century. Applied to domestic animals,
this theory appears to be fully verified. In the camel, the
30 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
union of the boues with the epiphyses takes place at eight
years of age, and the animal lives to be forty, in the horse,
at five years, and he lives to be twenty-five; in the ox, at
four years, and he lives to be twenty, in the dog, at two
years, and he lives to be ten or twelve years. In view of
these conclusions, Flourens modifies considerably the
different stages of man's existence. " I prolong the dura-
tion of infancy," he says, " up to ten years, because it is
from nine to ten that the second dentition is terminated.
I prolong adolescence up to twenty years, because it is at
that age that the development of the bones ceases, and
consequently the increase of the body in length. I prolong
youth up to the age of forty, because it is only at that age
that the increase of the body in bulk terminates. After
forty, the body does not grow, properly speaking, the
augmentation of its volume which then takes place is not
a veritable organic development, but a simple accumulation
of fat. After the growth, or, more properly speaking, the
development in length and bulk has terminated, man enters
into what I call the period of invigoration, that is, when all
our parts become more complete and firm, our functions
more assured, and the whole organism more perfect. This
period lasts to sixty-five or seventy years, and then begins
old age, which lasts for thirty years." When it was asked
of Flourens why so few attained to the age of a century,
he replied, " Man does not die! With our manners, our
passions, otir torments, he kills himself! "
54. Who was the "American Pope of Rome " ?
Among the earliest settlers of the District of Columbia
was an Englishman named Pope, who bought laud and
named the stream flowino; through it the Tiber. To the
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 31
eminence on which the Capitol now stands he gave the
name of Capitoline Hill. He called his whole plantation
Rome, and signed himself " Pope of Rome."
55. Which was the most deadly epidemic ever
known ?
The Black Death, which in the fourteenth century des-
olated the world. It took this name from the black spots,
symptomatic of a putrid decomposition which at one of
ils stages appeared upon the skin. Among the symptoms
may be noticed great imposthumes on the thighs and
arms, and smaller boils on the arms and face; in many
cases black spots all over the body; and in some, affections
of the head, stupor, and palsy of the tongue, which be-
came black as if suffused with blood; burning and uuslak-
able thirst; putrid inflammation of the lungs, attended l)y
acute pains in the chest, the expectoration of blood, and
a fetid, pestiferous breath. On the first appearance of
the plague in Europe, fever, the evacuation of blood, and
carbuncular affection of the lungs brought death before
the other symptoms could be developed; afterwards, boils
and buboes characterized its fatal course in Europe, as
in the East. In almost all cases its victims perished in
two or three days after being attacked. Its spots and
tumors were the seals of a doom which medicine had no
power to avert, and which in despair many anticipated
by self-slaughter. The precise date of the appearance
of the plague in China is unknown, but from 1333 till
1348 that great country suffered a terrible mortality from
droughts, famines, floods, earthquakes which swallowed
mountains, and swarms of innumerable locusts; and in
the last few years of that period from the plague. Dur-
32 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
ing the same time Europe manifested sympathy with
the changes which affected the East. The theory iis,
that this great 'tellurian activity, accompanied by the
decomposition of vast organic masses, myriads of bodies
of men, brutes, and locusts, produced some change in
the atmosphere unfavorable to life; and some writers,
speaking of the established progress of the plague from
east to west, say that the impure air was actually visible
as it approached with its burden of death. In 1340 the
Black Death first appeared in Italy. It spread throughout
Christendom and raged during many years, causing un-
precedented mortality. Thousands perished in Germany.
la London alone two hundred persons were buried daily
in the Charter House yard in 1348. The horrors of the
time were further heightened by the fearful persecutions
to which the Jews were subjected, from a popular belief
that the pestilence was owing to their poisoning the pub-
lic wells. The people rose to exterminate the Hebrew
race, of whom, in Mayence alone, twelve thousand were
cruelly murdered. They were killed by fire and by tor-
ture wherever they could be found, and for them to the
terrors of the plague were added those of a populace
everywhere infuriated against them. In some places the
Jewish people immolated themselves in masses; in others,
not a soul of them survived the assaults of their enemies.
No adequate notion can be conveyed of these horrors.
56. What noted national hymn was composed
(words and music) in a single night ?
The Marseillaise, the name by which the grand song of
the first French Revolution is known. The Circumstances
which led to its composition are as follows: In the begin-
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 33
ning of 1792, when a column of volunteers was about to
leave Strasburg, the mayor of the city, who gave a ban-
quet on the occasion, asked an officer of artillery, named
Rouget de Lisle, to compose a song in their honor. His
request was complied with, and the result was the Marseil-
laise, — both verse and music being the work of a single
night. De Lisle entitled the piece Chant de Guerre de
VArmee du Rhin. Next day it was sung with the raptur-
ous enthusiasm that only Frenchmen can exhibit, and
instead of six hundred volunteers, one thousand marched
out of Strasburg. Soon from the whole army of the
North resounded the thrilling and fiery words, ^'^ Aux
armes! Aux armes! " Nevertheless the song was still
unknown at Paris, and was first introduced there by Bar-
baroux, when he summoned the youth of Marseilles to
the capital in July, 1792. It was received with transports
by the Parisians, who, ignorant of its real authorship,
named it Hymne des Marseillais, which name it has ever
since borne.
57. Who was the " Queen of Tears " ?
Tbis name was given to Mary of Modena, the second
wife of James II., of England. "Her eyes," says
Noble, " became eternal fountains of sorrow for that
crown her ill policy contributed to lose."
58. Who was called the " Bravest of the Brave "?
The celebrated Marshal Ney (1769-1815) was so called
by the French troops at Friedland (1807), on account of
his fearless bravery. He was in command of the right
wing, which bore the brunt of the battle, and stormed the
town. Napoleon as he watched him passing unterrified
3
31 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
through a storm of balls, exclaimed, " That man is a
lion!" and henceforth the army styled him, "ies
Braves des Braves.''''
59. What are the different colors used by different
nations for mourning ?
Black. The color of mourning in Europe, also in an-
cient Greece and Rome.
Black and White striped. Expressive of sorrow and
hope combined; worn by the South Sea Islanders.
Grayish Brown. The color of the earth; worn in
Ethiopia.
Pale Brown. The color of withered leaves; worn in
Persia.
Sky-blue. Expressive of hope for the deceased; worn
in Syria, Cappadocia, and Armenia.
Deep Blue. The mourning of Bokhara, in Central Asia;
worn also by the Romans under the Republic.
Purple and Violet. Denotes royalty; worn for cardi-
nals and the kings of France. Violet is the mourning of
Turkey.
White. Mourning of China. Henry VIII. wore white
for Anne Boleyn; until 1498 it was the mourning of Spain.
Yellow. Mourning worn in Egypt and Bunnah. Anne
Boleyn wore yellow for Catherine of Aragon. Yellow
may be regarded as a token of exaltation.
60. During which Presidential election did three
States not vote ? Why ?
This has twice occurred within our history.
1. In the first election, Washington's, 1789, North
Carolina, Rhode Island, and New York did not vote.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 35
North Carolina and Rhode Island did not vote, because
they had not then ratified the Constitution; and New York,
because it had failed to make provisions for electors.
2. In the Presidential election of 1868, when Grant was
elected for his first term, "Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas
did not vote, as they had not been readmited since the
Rebellion.
61. When does a gallon of vinegar weigh more, in
summer or in winter ?
. A gallon of vinegar weighs more in winter than in
summer, because the cold causes the vinegar to contract,
so that the measure holds more than it does in warm
weather, when the vinegar is not so dense.
62. When, where, and by whom was the oath of
oflSce administered to Washington as President of the
United States?
On the 30th of April, 1789, by Chancellor Robert R.
Livingston, in Federal Hall, Wall Street, New York.
63. What city was commonly called the " Mistress
of the World " ?
Rome; because it was for centuries the grandest, rich-
est, and most populous of European cities, and was re-
garded as the capital of a kind of universal empire.
64. What was the real name of Pocahontas?
Her " real name " was Matoax, or Matoaka, but it was
rarely uttered, as the Indians believed that a knowledge of
the real names of persons gave their enemies power to
36 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
cast spells upon them. Pocahontas was her household
name, by which she was generally called, though she had
still another name, Amonate.
65. What Indian chief was made an English peer,
and with what title ?
Manteo, the faithful Indian chief, after receiving Chris-
tian baptism, was, " by the commandmeut of Sir Walter
Raleigh," invested with the rank of baron, and the title.
Lord of Roanoke. This was on the 13th of August, 1587.
Thus even in the American wilderness the vanities of
life were not forgotten.
66. What are violet stones ?
This name is given to certain stones found upon high
mountains, as in Thuringia, upon the Harz Mountains,
and the Riesengebirge, which, in consequence of being
covered with what is called violet moss, emit a smell like
that of violets. They retain this smell for a long time,
and it is increased by moistening them.
67. What was the origin oif the term " Brother
Jonathan " ?
When George Washington, after being appointed com-
mander of the army of the Revolutionary War, went to
Massachusetts to organize it, and make preparations for
the defence of the country, he found a great want of
ammunition and other means necessary to meet the pow-
erful foe with whom he had to contend, and great difh-
culty in obtaining them. If attacked in such condition,
the cause at once might be hopeless. On one occasion,
at that anxious period, a consultation of the officers and
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 37
others was had, when it seemed no way could be devised
to make such preparation as was necessary. His Excel-
lency Jonathan Trumbull, the elder, was then governor of
Connecticut, and as Washington placed the greatest reli-
ance on his judgment and aid, he remarked, " We must
consult Brother Jonathan on the subject." He did so,
and the governor was successful in supplying many of
the wants of the army. When difficulties afterward
arose, and the army was spread over the country, it be-
came a by-word, " We must consult Brother Jonathan,''''
The origin of the expression being soon lost sight of, the
name Brother Jonathan came to be regarded as the
national sobriquet.
68. What is the national beverage of Japan?
This beverage is brewed from rice, and is called sake.
The color of the best sake resembles very pale sherry;
the taste is rather acid. None but the very best grain is
used in its manufacture, and the principal breweries are
Itami, Nada, and Hiogo, all in the province of Setsu.
69. What was the "Kitchen Cabinet" ?
This name was given to the Hon. Francis P. Blair and
to the Hon. Amos Kendall, by the opponents of President
Jackson's administration. Blair was the editor of the
Glohe, the organ of the president, and Kendall was one
of the principal contributors to the paper. As it was
necessary for Jackson to consult frequently with these
gentlemen, and as, to avoid observation, they were ac-
customed, when they called upon him, to go in by a back
door, the Whig party styled them, in derision, the Kitchen
Cabinet J alleging that it was by their advice that the Presi-
38 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
flent removed so many Whigs from office and put Demo-
crats in their place.
70. When was the first census of the United States
taken, and what was the population ?
The first census was taken in 1790, and the returns
showed a population of 3,929,214.
71. What Vice-President was not elected by the
people ?
Richard Mentor Johnson, of Kentucky, in 1837. 'No
candidate for the Vice-Presidency received a majority of
the electoral votes, and, according to the terms of the
Constitution, the selection fell upon the Senate, who
elected Johnson.
72. What Vice-President did not serve?
William Rufus King, of Alabama, who was elected in
1852. Owing to his poor health, he went to Cuba to spend
the winter of 1852-53. The oath of oiBce was adminis-
tered to him there by the American consul, but he died
April 18, 1853, soon after his return from the island to
his plantation at Cahawaha, Ala.
73. When and by whom was the Antarctic Conti-
nent discovered?
On Jan. 16, 1840, by the United States Exploring Expe-
dition, under the command of Lieut. Charles Wilkes
(1801-1877). The land was first seen from the mast-head.
This was in latitude 61° 30" south, and longitude 161° east.
Wilkes traced the coast westward to 101° east, but was
prevented from landing by an impassable barrier of ice.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 39
74. What led to the establishment of the " Order
of the Garter"?
The Order of the Garter was instituted by King Edward
III. It was one of the most famous of the military orders
of Europe. Selden says that it "exceeds in majesty,
honor, and fame all chivalrous orders in the world." It
is said to have been devised for the purpose of attracting
to the king's party such soldiers of fortune as might be
likely to aid in asserting the claim which he was tlien
making to the crown of France, and to have been intended
as an imitation of King Arthur's Round Table. The
original number of knights of the garter was twenty-five,
his Majesty himself making the twenty-sixth. The story
that the Countess of Salisbury let fall her garter wlien
dancing with the king, and that the king picked it up and
tied it round his own leg, but that, observing the jealous
glances of the queen, he restored it to its fair owner,
with the exclamation, "■ Honi soil que mal y pense " (Evil
be to him who evil thinks), is about as well authenti-
cated as most tales of the kind, and has, moreover, in its
favor, that it accounts for the otherwise unaccountable
emblem and motto of the order.
75. How do you determine the years covered by
a given Congress ?
To determine the years covered by a given Congress,
double the number of" tlie Congress, and add the product
to 1789; the result will be the year in which the Congress
closed. Thus, the forty- fifth Congress equals 90 plus 1789
equals 1879, that being the year which terminated the
forty-fifth Congress, on the 4th of March. To find the
nmnber of a Congress sitting in any given year, subtract
40 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
1789 from the year; if the result is an even number, half
that number will give the Congress of which the year in
question will be the closing year. If the result is an odd
number, add one to it, and half the result will give the
Congress, of which the year in question will be the first
year.
76. What town was the birthplace of two Presi-
dents ?
Braintree, Massachusetts, is the only town in the United
States which can claim this distinction. John Adams and
John Quincy Adams were both born in this town, in that
part which, in 1792, was set off as the town of Quincy,
where the Adams family still have their summer residence.
John Hancock was also born in the same town.
77. Where is the "Cave of the Winds"?
It lies in behind the cataract of Niagara, midway be-
tween the American and the Horseshoe Falls. It is fifty
feet wide, seventy feet high, and thirty feet deep. Visitors,
provided with oil-skin dresses and attendant guides, make
the tour of the cave, which forms an exciting and novel
amusement,
78. Give the color and portrait of each of our post-
age stamps.
Ic. Imperial ultramarine blue, Benjamin Franklin.
2c. Terra-cotta, George Washington.
2c. (old). Vermilion, Andrew Jackson.
3c. Green, George Washington.
4c. Green, Andrew Jackson,
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 41
5c. Steel, James A. Garfield.
5c. (old). Blue, Zachary Taylor.
6c. Red, Abraham Lincoln.
7c. Vermilion, Edwin M. Stanton.
10c. Chocolate, Thomas Jefferson.
12c. Neutral purple, Henry Clay.
15c. Orange, Daniel Webster.
24c. Purple, Winfield Scott.
30c. Black, Alexander Hamilton.
90c. Carmine, Oliver H, Perry.
79 . Who were the ' ' Nine Worthies " ?
These famous personages, so often alluded to by writers
and poets, have been counted up in the following manner:
1. Hector, son of Priam.
Three Gentiles . . . -^ 2. Alexander the Great.
3. Julius Cfesar.
4. Joshua, conqueror of Canaan.
Three Jews . . . .-{5. David, king of Israel.
6. Judas Maccabteus.
!7. Arthur, king of Britain.
8. Charlemagne.
9. Godfrey of Bouillon.
80. Who was the " Father of Ridicule " ?
Francois Rabelais (149o?-1553), the most original and
remarkable of all humorists, and the first noteworthy comic
romancer of modern times, is chiefly noted for his great
satirical work, Les Fails et Diets du Geant Gargantita et de
son Fils Pantagruel, which continues to take rank as one
of the world's masterpieces of humor and grotesque inven-
42 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
tion. Lord Bacon calls Kabelais " the great jester of
France"; others have called him a "comic Homer."
More than sixty editions of his work have been published.
81. What did the North American Indians use as
money ?
Strings of shells and shell-beads called wampum. There
were two kinds: wampumpeag , which was white, and was
made from the conch or periwinkle; and suckanJiock,
which was black, or rather purple, and was made from the
hard-shell clam. The latter was worth twice as much as
the former. The shell was broken into pieces, rubbed
smooth on a stone till about the thickness of a pipe-stem,
then cut and pierced with a drill. It was then strung or
made into belts, and served not only as money, but also as
ornaments.
82. Who was ' ' Old Hickory " ?
This sobriquet was conferred upon General Andrew
Jackson, in 1813, by the soldiers under his command.
" The name of ' Old Hickory,'" says Parton, " is not au
instantaneous inspiration, but a growth. First of all, the
remark was made by some soldier, who was struck with
his commander's pedestrian powers, that the general was
' tough.' Next it was observed of him that he was ' tough
as hickory.' Then he was called Hickory. Lastly, the
affectionate adjective ' old ' was prefixed, and the general
thenceforth rejoiced in the completed nickname, usually
the first-won honor of a great commander." According
to another account, the name sprung from his having on
one occasion set his men an example of endurance by
feeding on hickory nuts, when destitute of supplies.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 43
83. Which is the " City of Elms " ?
This is a famiUar denomination of Kew Haven, Ct.,
many of the streets of which are thickly shaded with lofty
elms.
84. How did the schooner obtain its name?
The first schooner ever constructed is said to have been
built in Gloucester, Mass., about the year 1713, by a Capt.
Andrew Robinson, and to have received its name from
the following trivial circumstance. When the vessel went
off the stocks into the water, a by-stander cried out, " Oh,
how she scoons! " Robinson instantly replied, " A scooner
let her be "; and, from that time, vessels thus masted and
rigged have gone by this name. The word scoon is popu-
larly used in some parts of JSTew England to denote the
act of making stones skip along the surface of water.
85. Who was the " Mill-boy of the Slashes " ?
This nickname was given to Henry Clay, who was born
in the neighborhood of a place in Hanover County, Va.,
known as the Slashes (a local term for a low, swampy
country), where there was a mill, to which he was often
sent on errands when a boy.
86. What was the origin of " Honeymoon"?
The term "honeymoon " is of Teutonic origin, and is
said to be derived from a luxurious drink prepared with
honey by the ancients. It was the custom to drink of
diluted honey for thirty days, or a moon's age, after a
wedding feast.
44 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
87. What was the origin of the expression " Print-
er's Devil " ?
Aldus Manutius (1449-1515), the celebrated Venetian
printer and ijublisher, had a small black slave whom the
superstitious believed to be an emissary of Satan. To
satisfy the curious, one day he said publicly in church,
" I, Aldus Manutius, printer to the Holy Church, have
this day made public exposure of the printer's devil.
All who think he is not flesh and blood, come and pinch
him." Hence in Venice arose the somewhat curious
sobriquet of the " printer's devil."
88. Who were the " Seven Sleepers "?
According to a very widely diffused legend of earlj
Christianity, seven noble youths of Ephesus, in the time
of the Decian persecution, who fled to a certain cavern
for refuge, and were pursued, discovered, and walled in
for a cruel death, were made to fall asleep, and in that
state were miraculously kept for almost two centuries.
Their names are said to have been Maximian, Malchus,
Martinian, Denis, John, Serapion, and Constantine. The
legend, in speaking of their death, said, following the usual
form, that they had fallen asleep in the Lord. The vulgar
took occasion thence to s:iy that these holy martyrs were
not dead; that they had been hid in the cavern, where
they had fallen asleep; and that they at last awoke, to
the great astonishment of the spectators. Such is the
origin of the legend of the Seven Sleepers. At Ephesus
the spot is still shown where this pretended miracle took
place. As a dog had accompanied these seven martyrs
into theii' retreat, he has been made to share the celebrity
of his masters, and is fabled to have remained standing
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 45
all the time they slept, without eating or drinking, being
wholly occupied with guarding their persons. The Church
has consecrated the 2711i of June to their memory. The
Koran relates the tale of the Seven Sleepers, and declares
that out of respect for them the sun altered his course
twice a day that he might shine into the cavern.
89. Who were the "Seven "Wise Men of Greece " ?
These men, who lived in the sixth century B. C., were
distinguished for their practical sagacity and their wise
maxims or principles of life. Their names are variously
given, but those most generally admitted to the honor are
Solon, Chilo, Pittacus, Bias, Periander (in place of whom
some give Epimenides), Cleobulus, and Thales. They
were the authors of the celebrated mottoes inscribed it
later days in the Delphian temple: Know thyself (Solon):
Consider the end (Chilo) ;Know thy opportunity (Pittacus);
Most men are bad (Bias); Nothing is impossible to indus-
try (PermHcZer) ; Avoid excess (Cleobulus); Suretyship is
the precursor of ruin (Thales).
90. Who were the " Seven Champions of Christen-
dom " ?
St. George, the patron saint of England; St. Denis, of
France; St. James, of Spain; St. Anthony, of Italy; St.
Andrew, of Scotland; St. Patrick, of Ireland; and St.
David, of Wales.
9 1 . What were the ' ' Seven Wonders of the World " ?
These very remarkable objects of the ancient world have
been variously enumerated. The following classification
is the one most generally received: 1. The Pyramids of
46 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
Egypt; 2. The Pharos of Alexandria; 3. The Walls and
Hanging Gardens of Babylon; 4. The Temple of Diana at
Ephesus; 5. The Statue of the Olympian Jupiter; 6. The
Mausoleum of Artemisia; 7. The Colossus of Rhodes.
92. What was the ' ' Wicked Bible " ?
This name was given to an edition of the Bible pub-
lished in 1632 by Barker & Lucas, because the word 7iot
was omitted in the Seventh Commandment. The printers
were called before the High Commission, fined heavily,
and the whole impression destroyed.
93. Why does a dog turn round several times before
he lies down?
The dog belongi5 to the same genus as the wolf, fox,
etc., and originally made his home in the forests and
jungles. In preparing his lair in these places, nature
prompted him to turn round several times in order to ar-
range the grass or weeds, and bend them from his body
before he lay down. In his domesticated state he has not
yet overcome this early prompting of nature.
94. Who were the first paper-makers ?
Wasps. Their nest is made of a paper-like substance,
which is merely wood reduced to a paste by the action of
the jaws of the insects, and this, put into the required form,
is left to dry: essentially the same thing that our paper
manufacturers are doing by other processes and on a larger
scale in their mills to-day.
95. How does the Eed Sea get its color?
The reddish appearance of the waters of this sea is due
to the prevalence of a minute bright red plant, which is a
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 47
kind of sea-weed. This plant is said to be so small that
twenty-five millions of them can live and thrive in one
square inch. From it is made a beautiful red dye, which
tradition says was used hundreds of years ago. In some
places, where the weed is not found, the waters are blue
or green. To the Hebrews it was known as Yam Siiph,
the sea of weeds or sedge.
96. What was the Parthenopean Republic?
This was the name given to the state into which the
kingdom of Naples was transformed by the French Repub-
licans, Jan. 23, 1799, and which lasted only till the follow-
ing June. The name is derived from Parthenope, an
ancient name for Naples.
97. What is the origin of the names of the months?
January is derived from Janus, the god of the year, to
whom this month was sacred.
February is from Fehruus, an old Italian divinity, or
from Februa, the Roman festival of expiation, celebrated
on the 15th of this mouth. January and February were
added to the Roman calendar by Nuraa, Romulus having
previously divided the year into ten months.
March is from liars, the god of war, and reputed father
of Romulus. I*^ was the first month of the Roman calendar.
April is from the Latin Aperire, to open, from the open-
ing of the buds, or the bosom of the earth in producing
vegetation.
May is from Maia, the mother of Mercury, to whom the
Romans offered sacrifices on the first day of this month.
June is from Juno, the sister and wife of Jupiter, to
whom this month was sacred.
July was named by Mark Antony after Julius Coesa'^,
48 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
who was born in this month. It was previously called
Quintilis, the fifth month.
August was named after Augustus Ccesar^ on account of
several of the most fortunate events of his life having
occurred during this mouth. It was formerly Sextilis, or
sixth month.
September is from the Latin septem, seven, because it
was originally the seventh month.
October, formerly the eighth month, is formed from the
Latin octo, eight.
November is from the Latin novem, nine, as this month
was originally the ninth month.
December is from the Latin decern^ ten, as it was for-
merly the tenth and last month of the Roman calendar.
98. "What was the origin of the names of the days of
the week ?
As the names of the months were all derived from the
Romans, so the names of the days of the week come to
us from the Saxons.
Sunday takes its name from the sun, which was one of
the principal objects of worship.
Monday is so called after the moon, also an ancient object
of worship.
Tuesday is so called from Tiu or Tiiv, the son of Odin,
and the old Saxon god of war and of fame.
Wednesday derives its name from Woden, or OcZm,the
god of battle, and the chief god of the Northern mythology.
Thursday is so st3-led from Donai\ or Thor, who, as god
of the air, had much in common with the Roman Jupiter,
to whom the same day was dedicated.
Friday is named from Frigga, the wife of Odin and the
mother of all the deities.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
49
Saturday is named from Saterne, or Saturn, to whom the
day was consecrated.
99. What year is 1886 by the Jewish calendar?
The year 5646 of the Jewish era began Sept. 10, 1885,
and will continue 385 days, as it is an embolismic year.
The Jewish calendar is dated from the creation, which is
considered to have taken place 8760 years and three
months before the commencement of the Christian era.
The year is luni-solar, and, according as it is ordinary or
embolismic, consists of twelve or thirteen lunar months,
each of which has twenty-nine or thirty days. Thus the
duration of the ordinary year is 354 days, and that of the
embolismic year is 384 days. In either case it is some-
times made a day more, and sometimes a day less, in order
that certain festivals may fall on proper days of the week
for their due observance. The following table gives the
names of their months and the number of days in each: —
HEBREW MONTHS.
Month.
Ordinary.
Embolismic.
Month.
Ordinary.
EmboliBmic.
Tisri
Heevan ....
Kislev
Tebet
Sebat
Adar
Veadar
Total ....
30
29-1-*
30—*
29
30
29
(-)t
30
29+
30—
29
30
30
(29)
Nisan
Yiar
Sivan
Tamuz ....
Ab
Elul
30
29
30
29
30
29
30
29
30
29
30
29
304
384
* The signs -f- and — are respectively annexed to Hesvan and Kiwlev to
indicate that the former of these may Bometimes require to have one day
more, and the latter one day less, than the number of d lys shown in the table.
t The intercalary month, Veadar, is introduced in emtu'lieinic years in
order that Passover, the 15th day of Nisan, may be kept at ils proper neaso' ,
which is the full moon of the vernal equinox, or that which takes place afte«
the Bun has entered the sign Aries.
50 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
The following table shows when Tisri 1, the Jewish
New- Year, occurs for each of the next five years by our
calendar.
Tisri 1, 5647 = September 30, 1886.
" 5648= " 19,1887.
" 5649= " 6,1888.
" 5650= " 26,1889.
" 5651= " 15,1890.
100. "What was the name of the penitent thief?
St. Dismas is the name which Romish tradition has
attached to the "good thief." He is represented with a
cross beside him.
101. "What was the origin of the term "halcyon
days"?
The seven days which precede and the seven da3^s which
follow the shortest day were, by the ancients, callrd
halcyon days, on account of the fable that, during this
time, while the halcyon bird, or kingfisher, was breeding,
there always prevailed calms at sea. From this the phrase
" halcyon days " has come to signify times of peace and
tranquillity.
102. Who was the " Chi-ist of India"?
Buddha Gautama (624-543 B. C), the reputed founder
of Buddhism, has been so termed. He was of ascetic
habits, till, tempted by his father, he abandoned himself
to every pleasure. Afterward he renounced the world,
and as a result of long study and bodily maceration, dis-
covered that non-sentient repose is the highest good
attainable by the pure and the just.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 51
103. What religious sect anoint the sick with oil,
depending upon this unction and prayer, and rejecting
the use of medicine ?
The Tunkers are found widely scattered throughout the
northern and middle parts of the United States, but are
nowhere numerous. They were recently estimated to have
over five hundred churches and some fifty thousand mem-
bers. The name which they take for themselves is simply
that of Brethren, and they profess that their association is
founded on the principle of brotherly love. The name
Tunkers is of German origin, signifying Dippers, and is
due to their dipping in baptism. They anoint their sick
with oil, depending upon this unction and prayer for their
recovery, and rejecting the use of medicine. They do not
insist upon celibacy as an absolute rule ; but they com-
mend it as a virtue, and discourage marriage. Chiefiy
engaged in agriculture, they are industrious and honest,
and universally held in good repute among their neighbors.
Sole dependence upon prayer is the characteristic also
of a small religious sect of which a few members are to
be found in England, calling themselves the Peculiar
People.
In Switzerland, the name of Dorothea Trudel, who died
in 1862, was long famous for the cure of ailments by
prayers.
104. What noted sage advocated the doctrine that
virtue was intellectual, a necessary consequence of
knowledge ; while vice was ignorance, and akin to
madness ?
This was the fundamental doctrine of the philosophy
of Socrates, the Athenian philosopher (469-399 B. C).
52 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
Knowledge, virtue, and happiness he held to be insepar-
able. His religious doctrines culminated in the conception
of the Deity as the author of the harmony of nature and
the laws of morals, revealed only in his works, and of the
soul as a divine and immortal being, resembling the Deity
in respect to reason and invisible energy.
105. "What palace in an ancient city contains five
hundred rooms ?
The Palazzo Imperiale, at Mantua, Italy, contains five
hundred rooms, whose choicest embellishment consists in
the glorious paintings and exquisite designs of the great
Mantuau artist, Giulio Romano.
106. What was the "most useful conquest ever
made by man " ?
Baron Cuvier, the most eminent naturalist, says of
the dog : " It is the completest, the most singular, and the
most useful conquest ever made by man." This conquest
was made long before the dawn of history. Cuvier has
also asserted that the dog was, perhaps, necessary for the
establishment of human society. Though this may not
be apparent in the most highly civilized communities, a
moment's reflection will convince us that barbarous na-
tions owe much of their elevation above the brute to the
possession of the dog.
107. When was the first blood shed in the Revolu-
tion ?
In the conflict known as the "Boston Massacre," be-
tween the British soldiers and the citizens of Boston,
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 53
March 5, 1770. Two Americans — Samuel Gray and
James Caldwell — and a half-breed Indian negro —
Crispus Attucks — were killed, and eight citizens were
wounded, two of them mortally, — an Irishman named
Carr, and Maverick, an American.
108. What remarkable fish is found only in Lake
Baikal?
The golomynka, the only known species of its genus,
which belongs to the goby family. It is about a foot long,
is destitute of scales, and is very soft, its whole substance
abounding in oil, which is obtained from it by pressure.
It is never eaten.
109. Who was inventor of the most perfect alph?.-
bet ever devised for any language ?
George Guess, or Sequoyah, a half-breed Cherokee
Indian (1770-1843), invented, in 1826, a syllabic alphabet
of the Cherokee language, which consisted of eighty-five
characters, each representing a single sound in the lan-
guage. This is said to be the most perfect alphabet ever
devised for any language. For the characters he used, as
far as they went, those which he found in an English spell-
ing-book, although he knew no language excej^t his own.
A newspaper called the Phoenix was established, a part
of it printed in Cherokee, using the alphabet of Guess.
A part of the New Testament was also printed in this
character. Guess was not a Christian, and is said to have
regretted his invention when he found it was used for
this ptlrpose.
54 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
110. Who was the " Little Giant" ?
This was a popular sobriquet conferred upon Stephen
Arnold Douglass (1813-1861), a distinguished American
statesman, in allusion to the disparity between his physi-
cal and his intellectual proportions.
111. Which was the grandest funeral pageant ever
known ?
That of Alexander the Great. For two years after his
death the body was deposited at Babylon, while prepara-
tions were being made for the march to Egypt. At length
all was ready, and the grandest funeral pageant ever wit-
nessed on earth started on the long march of over one
thousand miles from Babylon to Alexandria. Over a year
was occupied in this journey. The accounts of the splen-
dor and magnificence of the golden car that bore his body
are almost incredible. The spokes and naves of the wheels
were overlaid with gold, and the extremities of the axles,
where they appeared outside at the centre of the wheels,
were adorned with massive golden ornaments. Upon the
wheels and axle-trees was supported a platform twelve
feet wide and eighteen feet long, upon Avhich was erected
a magnificent pavilion supported by Ionic columns, and
profusely ornamented, both within and without, with pur
pie and gold. The interior of this pavilion was resplen-
dent with precious stones and gems. Upon the back of
the platform was placed a throne, profusely carved and
gilded, and hung with crowns rejiresenting the various
nations over which Alexander had ruled. At the foot of
the throne was the coffin, made of solid gold, and contain-
ing, besides the body, a large quantity of the most costly
spices and aromatic perfumes, which filled the air with
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 55
fragrance. Between the cofSn and throne were laid the
arms of Alexander. On the four sides of the carriage
. were basso-relievos, representing Alexander himself, with
various military concomitants. There were the Macedo-
nian columns, the squadrons of Persia, the elephants of
India, troops of horses, etc. Around the car was a fringe
of golden lace, to the pendants of which were attached
bells, which tolled continually with a mournful sound as
the carriage moved along. This ponderous car was dr:,wn
by a long column of sixty-four mules, in sets of four, all
selected for their great size and strength, and richly ca-
parisoned. Their collars and harnesses were mounted
with gold and enriched with precious stones. A large
army of workmen kept at a considerable distance in ad-
vance, repairing the roads, strengthening the bridges,
and removing all obstacles along the entire line.
112. What is the "oft-quoted epitaph " composed
by Franklin?
"THE BODY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN,
PRINTER, LIKE THE COVER OF AN OLD BOOK, Us
contents torn out, and stripped of its lettering and gilding,
lies here food for worms. Yet the work itself shall not be
lost; for it will, as he believed, appear once more in a
new and more beautiful edition, corrected and amended
by the Author."
113. Which is the largest stationary engine in the
world ?
The largest stationary engine in the world is at the
famous ziuc mines at Friedensville, Pennsylvania. It is
known as the "President," and there is no pumping
56 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
engine in the world that can be compared with the monster.
The number of gallons of water raised every minute is
17,500. The driving-wheels are thirty-five feet in diame-
ter, and weigh forty tons each. The sweep-rod is forty
feet long, the cylinder one hundred and ten inches in
diameter, and the piston-rod eighteen inches in diameter,
with a ten-foot stroke.
114. What was the origin of " pin-money" ?
" Pin-money " is a term applied to a lady's allowance of
money for her own personal expenditure. Long after the
invention of pins, in the fourteenth century, they were very
costly, and the maker was allowed to sell them in open
shop only on the 1st and 2d of January. It was then that
the ladies of the court and city dames flocked to the stores
to buy them, having been first provided with the requisite
money by their husbands. When pins became common
and cheap, the ladies spent their allowance on other fan-
cies, but the term " pin-money " remained in vogue.
115. Why are our Presidents inaugurated on the 4:th
of March?
The reason why the 4th of March is the day on which
our Presidents are always inaugurated is that the Conti-
nental Congress appointed the first Wednesday in January,
1789, for the people to choose electors; the first Wednes-
day in February for those electors to choose a President;
and the first Wednesday in March for the government to
go into operation under thff new Constitution. The last-
named day, in 1789, fell on the 4th of March; hence, the
4th of March following the election of a President is the
day appointed for his inauguration. By the act of 1792, it
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 57
was provided that the Presidential term of four years
should commence on the 4th of March. By the amend-
ment to the Constitution made in 1804, if the House of
Representatives should not elect a President by the 4th of
March, the Vice-President becomes President. The 4tli of
March is thus virtually made, by the Constitution as well as
by statute, the day when a new Presidential term begins.
116. What was the origin of the word "tariff"?
On the coast of Spain, just outside the Straits of Gibral-
tar, there is an island called Tarifa. When the Moors
had possession of Spain, they established a custom-house
upon it. The taxes were fixed by the collector. Every
vessel passing through the straits in either direction was
brought to and robbed of as much as this collector saw
fit. If the captain delivered up about fifteen per cent of
his cargo, or paid its equivalent in money, he was allowed
to go in peace. If he proved stubborn, his vessel and
cargo were confiscated. Generally, however, no resistance
was offered. When the vessel arrived at the port of dis-
charge, her owner assessed the loss on the purchasers of
the goods. Hence all money collected on cargoes is
called a tariff, from the island whence the custom was
first started.
117. What newspapaper is called" The Thunderer"?
The London Times. This name was originally given
to it on account of the powerful articles contributed to its
columns by the editor, Edward Sterling.
118. Who was the " Man of Destiny " ?
This appellation was conferred on Napoleon Bona-
parte, who believed himself to be a chosen instrument of
58 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
Destiny, and that his actions were governed by some oc-
cult and supernatural influence.
119. What was the origin of "catch-penny"?
This term originated in London, in 1824, just after the
execution of Thurtell for the murder of Weare. A pub-
lisher made a great deal of money from the sale of Thur-
tell's " last dying speech." When the sale of this speech
fell off, a second edition was advertised, headed, " Weare
alive again ! " with little space between the first two words.
These two words the people took for the name of the mur-
dered man, reading it, '■'■Weare alive again!" A large
edition was rapidly sold. Someone called it a "catch-
penny," and the word rapidly spread until it came into
general use.
120. "Where is there an underground river in the
United States?
There are two underground rivers — the Echo and the
Styx — in the Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. The Echo is
about three fourths of a mile long, two hundred feet wide
at some points, and from ten to forty feet deep. It is
crossed by boats. Its course is beneath an arched ceiling
of smooth rock, varying in height from ten to thirty-five
feet, and famous for its musical reverberations; liot a
distinct echo, but a harmonious prolongation of sound for
from ten to thirty seconds after the original tone is pro-
duced. The long vault has a certain ke3'-note of its own,
which, when struck, excites harmonics, including tones
of incredible depth and sweetness. The Styx is much
smaller than the Echo. It is about four hundred and
fifty feet long, from fifteen to forty feet wide, and from
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 69
thirty to forty feet deep. It is spanned by an interesting
natural bridge about thirty feet above it. Botli these
streams have an invisible communication with Green
River, the depth of the water and direction of the current
in them being regulated by the stage of water in the latter
stream. In the waters of both streams are found a blind
fish (Amblyopsis speleans) of an almost pure white color.
121. Who was the first martyr to American liberty?
Thomas Hansford, one of the leading participants of
Bacon's Rebellion, is generally accredited with this honor.
After the failure of the rebellion, he was captured at the
house of a young lady to whom he was paying his ad-
dresses, taken to Accomac, and hung as a rebel, by Berke-
ley, the royal governor, in spite of his prayer that he
might be " shot like a soldier." This was Nov. 13, 167G.
This name has also been applied to Christopher Snider,
a boy eleven years of age, who was killed in a mob in
Boston, Feb. 22, 1770.
122. "Who was the author of "Curfew must not
Ring To-night"?
This exquisite poem was written in April, 1867. by
Miss Rosa Hartwick, now Mrs. Edward C. Thorpe. She
resides at Litchfield, Michigan. She was in her seven-
teenth year when she wrote the poem. She has written
others, but none so fine or so fomous as this. It is founded
on an incident in English history. Basil Underwood was
a young man in the time of the Protectorate, and his only
crime seems to have been unswerving loyalty to the king.
The maiden pleaded in vain for a reprieve from the
judges. They would not delay the execution even until
60 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
Cromwell should arrive. After her fruitless appeal to the
judges, she returns to the old sexton, and it is at this point
that the poem takes up the story.
1 23 . Who was ' ' Mother Goose " ?
" Mother Goose," from whom the popular nursery
rhymes were named, was not an imaginary personage.
She belonged to a wealthy family in Boston, Mass., where
she was born and resided for many years. Her eldest
daughter, Elizabeth Goose, was married to a printer
named Fleet, and when a son was born to them, the
grandmother spent all her time nursing him and singing
the songs and ditties she had heard in her younger days.
This greatly annoyed her son-in-law, who vainly ti'ied in
every way to make her desist. He then conceived and
carried out the idea of collecting these ditties and publish-
ing them in book form, giving the edition the title of
"Songs for the Nursery; or. Mother Goose's Melodies
for Children." The adoption of this title was originally
in derision of his mother-in-law; but it became so well
known and liked, that now there are few boys or girls
who do not revel in the delights of the old lady's melodies
and rhymes.
124. What king said " I am the state " ?
This was the famous saying of Louis XIV. (1638-1715),
king of France, and it expresses the principle to which
everything was accommodated. In the zenith of his
career all Europe feared him; and his own nation had
been brought by tyranny, skilful management, and mili-
tary glory to regard him with Asiatic humility. Under
his absolute sway all remnants of political independence
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 61
were swept away. Even the courts of justice yielded to
the absolute swa}'^ of the monarch, who interfered at
pleasure with the ordinary course of law.
125. "What was the origin of the word " Missis-
sippi " ?
" Its original spelling," says the " Magazine of American
History," " and the nearest approach to the Algonquin
word, ' the father of waters,' is Meche Sepe, a spelling
still commouly used by the Louisiana Creoles. Tonti
suggested Miche Sepe, which is somewhat nearer the
present spelling. Father Laval still further modernized
it into Michispi, which another father, Labatt, softened
into Misisipi. The only changes since have been to over-
load the word with consonants. Marquette added the first
and some other explorer the second s, making it Missis-
sipi, and so it remains in France to this day, with only one
p. The man who added the other has never been dis-
covered, but he must have been an American, for at the
time of the Louisiana purchase the name was generally
spelled in the colony with a single p."
126. "What was the " O Grab Me Act " ?
The Embargo Act passed by Congress, Dec. 21, 1807.
By its provisions all American vessels were detained in
the ports of the United States. The object was, by cut-
ting off commercial intercourse with France and Great
Britain, to compel them to recognize the rights of Ameri-
can neutrality. The act was the subject of much ridicule.
The opponents of the measure, spelling the word back-
ward, called it the '-O Grab Me Act "? The measure was
of little avail ; and after fourteen months it was repealed.
62 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
127. Who was " the learned tailor"?
Henry Wild (1684-1764). He acquired some knowledo;e
of Greek and Latin at the grammar school of his native
town, Norwich, England, after which he worked fourteen
years at his trade. Then, during a long sickness, he
amused himself by reading seme volumes of controversial
theology abounding in quotations from the Bible in the
original Hebrew. This led him to devote his spare time
for several years to the study of Hebrew, and afterward
of Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, and Persian, in all of which he
became proficient.
128. Where is the " Water Volcano" ?
The Volcan de Agua, or " Water Volcano," is a huge
mountain in Central America, noted for emitting torrents
of boiling water which have twice destroyed the town of
Guatemala. It is of a conical shape and rises fifteen thou-
sand feet above the level of the sea. In close proximity
are the volcanoes of Pacaya, on the southeast, and Fuego,
on the west ; and the three together present a scene of
great magnificence.
129. Which is the brightest star visible?
Sirius, or the Dog-star, of the constellation Canus
Major^ or the " Great Dog." Sir John Herschel estimates
its light as exceeding more than twofold that of Canopus,
the second star in brilliancy, and more than fourfold that
of Alpha Centauri, the third, whose light the same astron-
omer takes as the standard for stars of the first magni-
tude. Sirius is about one hundred and twenty-three
billions of miles distant from the earth. By photometric
measurement it has been shown that, supposing the in-
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 63
tensity of the suu's light for unit of surface to equal that
of Sirius, it would require four hundred suns at the dis-
tance of Sirius to send us the light that star does ; and our
sun at the distance of Sirius would appear less than a star
of the sixth magnitude, and be invisible to the naked eye.
130. Who originated our decimal coinage?
Our decimal coinage was devised by Thomas Jefferson.
Two years before Governeur Morris, a clerk in the office
of his uncle, Robert Morris, had conceived the idea of
applying the decimal system to the notation of money.
The details of the system devised by Morris were so cum-
brous and awkward as almost to neutralize the simplicity
of the leading idea. Jefferson rescued the fine original
conception by proposing our present system of dollars and
cents, which was adopted by Congress in 1785.
131. Where is the sacred well from which Hagar is
said to have drawn water for her son Ishmael ?
According to Mohammedan tradition, the Zamzam, the
sacred well in the Great Mosque, at Mecca, is the source
from which Hagar drew water for her son Ishmael (Gen.
xxi. 19). This is, of course, pure iuveution ; and, indeed,
the legend tells that the well was long covered up aud
rediscovered by Abd-el-Muttalib, the grandfather of the
prophet. Sacred wells are peculiar to Semitic sanctuaries,
and Islam, retaining the well, made a quasi Biblical story
for it, and endowed its tepid waters with miraculous cura-
tive virtues. They are eagerly drunk by the pilgrims, and
when poured over the body are held to give a miraculous
refreshment after the fatigues of religious exercise. The
manufacture of bottles or jars for carrying the water to
64 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
distant countries is a considerable industry. Ibu Jubair
mentions a curious superstition of the Meccans, who be-
lieved that the water rose in the shaft at the full moon of
the month Sha'bdn, On this occasion a great crowd,
especially of young people, thronged round the well wilh
shouts of religious enthusiasm, while the servants of the
well dashed buckets of water over their heads.
132. Who was the ' ' Wagoner Boy " ?
Thomas Corwin (1794-1865) , a distinguished American
statesman. While Corwin was yet a lad, Harrison and
his army were on the northern frontier, almost destitute of
provisions, and a demand was made on the patriotism of
the people to furnish the necessary subsistence. The
elder Cox'win loaded a wagon with supplies which was
delivered by his son, who remained witli the army during
the rest of the campaign, and who is said to have proved
himself " a good whip and an excellent reinsman."
133. Who explored the Mississippi River with La
Salle?
The Chevalier Henry de Tonty (1650-1704), an Italian
explorer. He was the son of Lorenzo de Tonty, who is
famous as the inventor of the tontine system of associa-
tion. In 1678 he accompanied La Salle to Canada, and
then in his exploration of the Mississippi. La Salle left
him in command of a fort near Peoria. He twice de-
scended the Mississippi to its mouth in search of La Salle,
and a thinl and last time to meet Iberville ; after which
he remained in that region and died at Fort Louis (n )W
Mobile) in September, 1704. He wrote a memoir of La
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 65
Salle's voyage, which has been translated and published in
English under the title " Account of M. de la Salle's last
Expedition and Discoveries in North America."
134. Who was the " Ancient Mariner " ?
He is the hero of Coleridge's poem of the same name,
who, for the crime of having shot an albatross, a bird of
good omen to voyagars, suffers dreadful penalties, together
with his companions, who have made themselves accom-
plices in his crime. These penalties are at last remitted
in consequence of his repentance. He reaches land,
where he encounters a hermit, to whom he relates his
story, —
" Since then, at an uncertain hour,
The agony returns, " —
and drives him on, like the Wandering Jew, from land to
land, compelled to relate the tale of his suffering and
crime as a warning to others, and as a lesson of love and
charity towards all God's creatures. The conception of
this poem, and the mystical imagery of the skeleton ship,
are said by Dyce to have been borrowed by Coleridge
from a friend who had experienced a strange dream.
135. What was the ' ' Flying Dutchman " ?
This is the name given by sailors to a spectral ship,
which is supposed to cruise in storms off the Cape of Good
Hope, and the sight of which is considered the worst of
all possible omens. She is distinguished from earthly
vessels by bearing a press of sail when all others are un-
able, from stress of weather, to show an inch of canvas.
The cause of her wandering is variously explained. Ac-
cording to one account, a Dutch captain, bound home from
-5
66 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
the Indies, met with long-continued head- winds and
heavy weather off the Cape of Good Hope, and refused to
put back as he was advised to do, swearing a very profane
oath that he would beat round the Cape, if he had to beat
there until the Day of Judgment. He was taken at his
word, and doomed to beat against head winds all his days.
His sails are believed to have become thin and sere, his
ship-sides white with age, and himself and crew reduced
almost to shadows. He cannot heave to or lower a boat,
but sometimes hails vessels through his trum^jet, and re-
quests them to take letters home for him. Dr. John Ley-
den, who introduces the story of the Flying Dutchman
into his " Scenes of Infancy," imputes with poetical in-
genuity the doom of the ship to its having been the first
to engage in the slave-trade. But the common tradition
is, as stated by Sir Walter Scott, " that she was originally
a vessel loaded with great wealth, on board of which some
horrid act of murder and piracy had been committed; that
the plague broke out among the wicked crew, and that
they sailed in vain from port to port, offering, as a price of
shelter, the whole of their ill-gotten wealth; that they
were excluded from every harbor, and that, as a punish-
ment of their crimes, the apparition of the ship still con-
tinues to haunt those seas in which the catastrophe took
place." The superstition has its origin, probably, in the
looming, or apparent suspension in the air, of some ship
out of sight, — a phenomenon sometimes witnessed at sea,
and caused by unequal refraction in the lower strata of
the atmosphere.
136. What was the " Banshee " ?
In the popular superstitions of the Irish and the Scotch,
the Banshee, or Benshie, was an invisible being, supposed
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 67
to announce by mournful presence and voice the ap-
proaching death of members of certain ancient houses.
It was said that, on the decease of a hero, the harps of his
bards voluntarily emitted mournful sounds. In later
limes it was popularly supposed that each family had its
banshee, which gave warnings of misfortune, or haunted
the scenes of past troubles.
137. What was the " Irish Night"?
This was a night of agitation and terror in London after
the flight of James II., occasioned by an unfounded report
that the Irish Catholics of Feversham's array had been let
loose to murder the Protestant population, men, women,
and children.
138. Which is the " Keystone State " ?
The State of Pennsylvania is so called from its having
been the central State of the Union at the time of the
formation of the Constitution. If the names of the thir-
teen original States are arranged in the form of an arch,
Pennsylvania will occupy the place of the keystone.
139. What was the origin of " Lynch Law"?
This term is usually alleged to be derived from one
John Lynch, who lived in what is now the Piedmont dis-
trict of Virginia, at the time when that district was the
western frontier of the State, and when, on account of
the distance from the courts of law, it was customary to
refer the adjustment of disputes to men of known char-
acter and judgment in the neighborhood. This man be-
came so eminent by reason of the wisdom and impartial-
ity of his decisions, that he was known throughout the
(>8 Ql'KKU tJUKSTIONS .VM> KKAOY ICKIM.IKS.
country as "Judge Lynch." According tt» anotlior ac-
count, tho term is derived from Col. Charles Lynch, i\
brother of tho founder of Lynchburg, Va., who was an
otVicer of the American Revolution. His residence was
on the Staunton, in Campl>ell County. At that time the
country was thinly settled, and infested by a lawless band
of tories and desperadoes. The necessity of the case in-
volved desperate measures, and Colonel Lyni-h, then a
Icailing Whig, appreheuiled and had them punished with-
out any supertluous legal ceremony. A third ai'count de-
rives the term from one Janu^s Lynch Fitz Stephen, a
merchant of Calway, and in lo^C) its mayor. His .son
liaving been convicted oi' inunler, he, Hrutus-like, si-n-
teneed him to death, and, fearing a rescue, caused him to
be brought home and hanged before his own Aoov. An-
other writer has suggested that (he origin of tiie term is
to be found in the provincial English word linrh^ to beat
or maltreat. If (his were admittinl, Lyncli law would IIumi
be simply equivalent to "club hiw."
140. Who was the " Maid of Saragossa " ?
This appellation was bestowed upon Augustina Zaragosa,
a young Spanish woman, distinguished for lier heroism
during the defence of Saragossa in 1808-1809. She llrst
attracted notice by mounting a battery wliore her lover
had fallen, and working a gun in his ])laco. Uyron has
celebrated her in the (irst canto of liis " Childe Harold."
111. What was the origin of ''(piiz"?
Daly, the manager of a Dublin play-houNe, laid a wager
that a new word of no nuianing should In; the common
talk and puzzle of the city iu tweuty-four hours, in cou-
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 69
sequence of this, the letters q, u, i, z were chalked by him
on all the walls of Dublin, with an effect that won the
wager.
142. Who was the " Rail Splitter " ?
This popular designation was given to Abraham Lin-
coln (1809-1865), the sixteenth President of the United
States, who is said to have supported himself for one
winter, in early life, by splitting rails for a farmer.
143. What is the origin of the phi'ase " Before
one could say Jack Robinson " ?
This saying, used to express a very short time, is said
by Grose to have originated from a ver}^ volatile gentleman
of that appellation, who would call on his neighbors and
be gone before his name could be announced. The fol-
lowing lines " from an old play " are elsewhere given as
the original phrase: —
" A warke it ys as easie to be doone.
As tys to eaye, Jacke ! robys on."
144. Who was " St. Tammany " ?
This Indian chief has been popxdarhj canonized as a
saint, and adopted as the tutelary genius of one branch
of the Democratic party. Tammany was of the Dela-
ware nation, and lived probably in the middle of the
seventeenth century. He resided in the country which
is now Delaware imtil he was of age, when he moved
beyond the Alleghenies, and settled on the banks of the
Ohio. He became a chief sachem of his tribe, and,
being always a friend of the whites, often restrained his
warriors from deeds of violence. His rule was always
70 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
discreet, and he endeavored to induce his followers to
cultivate agriculture and the arts of peace rather than
those of war. When he became old he called a council to
have a successor appointed, after which the residue of his
life was spent in retirement ; and tradition relates that
" young and old repaired to his wigwam to hear him dis-
course wisdom." His great motto was, '' Unite in peace
for happiness, in war for defence." When and by whom
he was first styled Saint, or by what whim he was chosen
to be the patron of Democracy, does not appear.
145. "Who ate Roger Williams ?
" The truth that matter passes from the animal back to
the vegetable, and from the vegetable to the animal king-
dom again, received, not long since, a curious illustration.
For the purpose of erecting a suitable mounment in
memory of Eoger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island,
his private burj'ing-ground was searched fur the graves of
himself and wife. It was found that everything had
passed into oblivion. The shape of the coffins could only
be traced by a black line of carbonaceous matter. The
rusted hinges and nails, and a round wooden knob, alone
remained in one grave ; while a single lock of braided
hair was found in the other. Near the graves stood an
apple-tree. This had sent down two main roots into the
very presence of the coffined dead. The larger root,
pushing its way to the precise spot occupied by the skull
of Roger Williams, had made a turn as if passing around
it, and followed the direction of the backbone to the hips.
Here it divided into two branches, sending one along each
leg to the heel, when both turned upward to the toes.
One of these roots formed a slight crook at the knee,
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 71
which made the whole bear a striking resemblance to the
human form. (These roots are now deposited in the
museum of Brown University.) There were the graves,
but their occupants had disajjpeared ; the bones, even,
had vanished. There stood the thief — the guilty apple-
tree — caught in the very act of robbery. The spoliation
was complete. The organic matter — the flesh, the bones
— of Roger Williams had passed into an apple-tree. The
elements had been absorbed by the roots, transmuted into
woody fibre, which could now be burned as fuel or carved
into ornaments ; had bloomed into fragrant blossoms,
which had delighted the eye of passers-by, and scattered
the sweetest perfume of spring ; more than that, had been
converted into luscious fruit, which, from year to year, had
been gathered and eaten. How pertinent, then, is the ques-
tion, ' Who ate Roger Williams ? ' " — Steele's Chemistry.
146. How were bachelors punished at Sparta?
The male citizens of Sparta who remained unmarried
after a certain age were subjected to a species of atimy
or public disgrace. They were not allowed to witness the
gymnastic exercises of the maidens; and, during winter,
they were compelled to march naked around the market-
place, singing a song composed against themselves, and
expressing the justice of their punishment. The usual
respect of the young to the old was not paid to bachelors.
147. What did the Indians present to Penn's widow?
On the death of William Penn, the Indians sent his
widow a message of sorrow for the loss of their " brother
Onas" (the Indians called him " Onas," their word for
72 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
quill, which was the nearest they could nrrive at pen),
with some choice skius to form a cloak which might pro-
tect her "while passing through the thorny wilderness
without her guide."
148. What animal has a tail so large that it some-
times requires to be carried on wheels ?
The long-tailed sheep which inhabits Syria and Egypt
has a tail so large and so loaded with fat, that to prevent it
from being injured by dragging on the ground, a board is
fastened to the under side of it, and wheels are often at-
tached to the board. The peculiar fat of the tail is con-
sidered a great delicacy, and is so soft as to be frequently
used as butter. The weight of a large tail is about seventy
pounds.
149. Who was the " Little Magician " ?
Martin Van Buren (1782-1862), the eighth President of
the United States, was so termed from his adroitness in
political methods, and the art with which he made friends
and avoided making enemies.
150. What explorer drove a herd of hogs before him
for food?
"\Yhen Ferdinand De Soto set out on his conquest of
Florida, he took, among other things, a large herd of hogs
with him to fatten on the maize of the country. It was
thought that these, together Avith their rapid increase,
would form a considerable supply of food for the conquer-
ing army.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 73
151. When, where, and }3y whom was the first gun
of the late Civil War fired?
At half past four o'clock, Friday morning, April 12,
1861, from Battery Stevens in Charleston Harbor, upon
Fort Sumter, by Edmund RufRn, of Virginia. At seven
o'clock, Captain Abner Doubleday, U. S. A., fired the
first shot in defence of the Union.
152. Who was the last Union general killed in the
Rebellion ?
Brigadier-General Thomas Smythe. He was mortally
wounded near Farmville, Virginia, April 6, 1865, and died
at Petersburg on the 9th of the same month. General
Smythe was a native of Ireland, and came to America in
childhood, settling at Wilmington, Delaware. He entered
the Union ranks in 1861, and was made a brigadier-general
June 3, 1864, for gallant conduct at the battle of Cold
Harbor.
153. What words contain all the vowels in order?
The author knows of but three, — abstemiously, arseni-
ous, and facetiously.
154. Which is the most useful tree in the world?
The palm-tree is undoubtedly the most useful product of
the vegetable kingdom. It is impossible to overestimate
the utility of these trees. They furnish food, shell er,
clothing, timber, fuel, building materials, sticks, fibres,
paper, starch, sugar, oil, wax, wine, tannin, dyeing mate-
rials, resin, and a host of minor products, which rend r
them most valuable to the natives and to tropical agricul-
turists.
74 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
155. Which is the only canonized saint of American
birth?
St. Rosa (158G-1617), commonly called St. Rose of
Lima. Her parents were wealthy Spaniards, anJ gave her
in baptism the name of Isabel; but, it is said, lier extreme
beauty in childhood made them call lier Rdsa. Their for-
tune having been swept away, Rosa was taken into the
household of the treasurer Gonsalvo, where she supported
her parents by her labor while following her bent for as-
ceticism. She refused every matrimonial offer, assumed
the habit of the third order of St. Dominic, and lived a
recluse in the garden of her protectors. She was canon-
ized by Pope Clement X. in 1671, and her feast was fixed
on Aug. 30.
156. When and where did the first legishitive as-
sembly convene in America?
The first legislative body that ever assembled in Am^erica
was the Virginia House of Burgesses, which convened at
Jamestown, July 30, 1619. Virginia had previously been
divided into eleven boroughs, — James City, Charles City,
the City of Henricus, Kiccowlan or Hampton, Martin-
Brandon, Smythe's Hundred, Martin's Hundred, Argall's
Gift, Lawne's Plantation, Ward's Plantation, and Flower-
dieu Hundred, — each of which sent two burgesses. They
held their session in the old church at Jamestown until
they could provide more suitable quarters. Thej sat with
their hats on, as in the English Commons, the members
occupying " the choir, " with the governor and council in
the front seats.* The Speaker, Master John Pory, with
the clerk and sergeant, faced them, and the session was
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 75
opened with prayer by Mr. Bucke, after which the bur-
gesses took the oath of supremacy.
157. Who was the Nimrod of the Bible?
Izdubar, an early Babylonian king and hero, was most
probably the Nimrod of the Bible. In a fragment of a
Chaldsean tradition of the Deluge, discovered in 1872 by
Mr. George Smith of the British Museum, Izdubar appears
as a giant residing in the country of Accad, a subduer of
great animals in the post-diluvian times, and a mighty
conqueror who acquired the sovereignty, which he exer-
cised in the city of Erech or Uruk, the earliest capital of
Babylonia.
158. Where in the Bible are we told in one verse
not to do a thing and in the next to do it ?
" Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou
also be like unto him." — Prov. xxvi. 4.
" Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise
in his own conceit." — Prov. xxvi. 6.
159. What did the Indians at Jamestown plant in
order to raise ammunition ?
It is said that, having seized a quantity of gunpowder
belonging to the colonists, they planted it for seed, ex-
pecting to reap a full harvest of ammunition for the next
contest.
160. When was the first bloodshed in the late Civil
War?
76 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
Oa the 19th of April, 1861, two young men — Luther C.
Ladd and A. O. Whitney — from Lowell, Mass., were
killed by a mob while their regiment was passing through
the streets of Baltimore on their way to the defence of
Washington. This was the first bloodshed in the Rebellion.
To their honor a granite monument has been erected in
Merrimack Street, Lowell, and in the same enclosure is a
bronze statue of Victory, by the German sculptor Kauch,
to commemorate the triumph of the Northern cause.
161. What African capital was named from a Pi'esi-
dent of the United States?
Monrovia, the capital of the republic of Liberia, was
named in honor of James Monroe, who was President of
the United States at the time of the establishment of the
Liberian Eepublic.
162. How many people did the ship Mayflower
bring over?
There was on board of this single ship of one hundred
and eighty tons a " floating village of one hundred and
two souls," not of resolute men only, but also their wives
and children.
163. Who delivered the funeral oration on the death
of Washington?
General Henry Lee, commonly known as " Light Horse
Harry," delivered the funeral oration of Washington, at
the German Lutheran Church, Philadelphia, Dec. 26, 1799.
A resolution of thanks was unanimously passed by Con-
gress the following day.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 77
164. Which is the nearest approach yet made to the
North Pole?
On the 18lh of Maj^, 1882, Lieutenant James B. Lock-
wood, U. S. A., of the Greely expedition, reached the
h\tilude of eighty-three degrees and twenty-four minutes
on the north coast of Greenland. This was twenty-eight
miles farther north than ever before known. Previous to
this the greatest northing was that made by Commander
Markham, E. N., who, on May 12, 1876, reached eighty-
three degrees twenty minutes and twenty-six seconds
north on the frozen Polar Ocean.
165. When was the price of flour made to depend
upon the result of a Presidential election ?
In 1840, men of business advertised to pay six dollars
a barrel if Harrison were elected, and only three dollars a
barrel if Van Buren were elected.
166. Which is the " Land of the Rising Sun"?
The poetical name by which the Japanese designate
their country is the " Land of the Rising Sun," which
well describes its location as the most eastern of all Asiatic
empires, and their national emblem represents the sun as
rising from the sea. The name Japan is a corruption of
Maico Polo's term Zipangu, which, in turn, is a corruption
of Jipunquo, which is of Chinese origin, and means " The
Country at the Root of the Sun."
167. Which is the " Land of the Midnight Sun"?
The Scandinavian Peninsula. " From the last days of
May to the end of July, in the northern part of this land,
78 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
the suu shines day and night upon its mountains, fjords,
rivers, lakes, forests, towns, villages, hamlets, fields, and
farms ; and thus Sweden and Norway may be called ' The
Land of the Midnight Sun.' During this period of contin-
uous daylight the stars are never seen, the moon appears
pale and sheds no light upon the earth," — Du Chaillu's
Land of the Midnight Sun.
168. When did the postal card come into use in
the United States?
By the Act of June 8, 1872, the Postmaster-General
was authorized and directed to issue postal cards to the
public at a cost of one cent each. The 'first cards were
issued in May, 1873. The invention of postal cards is
attributed to Prof. Emanuel Herman, of Vienna. They
were used in England, Germany, and Switzerland in 1870,
and have since been introduced into other European
countries. In some countries a card is attached on which
an answer can be returned.
169. What President worked on a ferry-boat when
a young man ?
In 1825, Abraham Lincoln, then in his seventeenth
year, was employed by James Taylor for nine months at
six dollars a month to manage a ferry-boat which j^lied
between the banks of the Ohio and also of Anderson
Creek.
170. What general shot a wolf in her den by the
light of her own eyes ?
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 79
General Israel Putnam, of Revolutionary fame, once had
a famous encounter with a she-wolf that had for several
years preyed upon the flocks and cattle of the neighbor-
hood. Having discovered her den, he entered it alone by
creeping into a narrow opening, and shot and killed the
wolf by the light of her own glaring eyes as she was ad-
vancing to attack him. This adventure, which gave him a
wide reputation for courage, took place near Pomfret,
Conn., when Putnam was but twenty-five years old.
171. What did the Indians suppose the ships of
Columbus to be ?
They supposed the ships to be huge white-winged birds,
and the Spaniards to have come from heaven.
172. What President never attended school a day
in his life?
Andrew Johnson, on account of extreme poverty, never
received any schooling, and at the age of ten he was ap-
prenticed to Mr. Selby, a tailor in Raleigh, N. C. A
gentleman was in the habit of visiting the shop and read-
ing to the workmen, generally from " The American
Speaker," and Andrew became intensely interested, espe-
cially in the extracts from the speeches of Pitt and Fox,
and determined to secure an education. From a fellow-
workman he learned the alphabet, and from a friend some-
thing of spelling. Thenceforth, after working ten or
twelve hours a day at his trade, he spent two or three
every night in study. After his marriage at Greenville,
Tenn., he continued his studies under the instruction of
his wife, with whose aid he learned to write and ciphrr,
while pursuing his trade as before by day.
80 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
173. How was Napoleon paid for the cession of
Louisiana ?
He was paid $11,250,000 in six per cent, bonds, payable
fifteen years after date. The price paid for Louisiana was
$15,000,000, but cue quarter of this was due to American
citizens for French depredations upon our commerce.
174. When was the flag of a republic first set up on
American soil?
In 1497, John Cabot discovered North America and set
up — together with the standard of England — the banner
of his native land, the republic of Venice.
175. What was the " Confederate candle " ?
The " Confederate candle " consisted of a long wick
coated with wax and resin, and wound on a little wooden
frame, at the top of which was nailed a bit of tin. The
end of the wick, being passed through a hole in the tin,
was lighted and uncoiled as needed.
1 76. What was the Holy Grail ?
According to some legends of the Middle Ages, the Holy
Grail was the cup (said to be emerald) used by our Saviour
in dispensing the wine at the Last Supper; and according
to others, it was the platter on which the Paschal Lamb
was served at the last Passover observed by our Lord.
By some it was said to have been preserved by Joseph of
Arimathea, who received into it the blood which flowed
from the Kedeemer's wounds as he hung on the cross.
By others it was said to have been brought down from
heaven by angels, and committed to the charge of a body
of knights, who guarded it on the top of a lofty mountain.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 81
This cup, according to the legend, if approached by any
but a perfectly pure, chaste, and holy person, would be
borne away, and vanish from their sight. This led to the
quest of the Holy Grail, which was to be sought on every
side by a knight who was perfectly chaste in thought, word,
and act. It is to this that some of the later English poets
have referred, especially Tennyson in his " Sir Gallahad":
" Sometimes on lonely mountain meres
I find a magic bark ;
I leap on board ; no helmsman steers;
I float till all is dark.
A gentle sound, an awful light!
Three angels bear the Holy Grail.
With folded feet, in stoles of white,
On sweeping wings they sail. "
177. Where is the " Devil's Wall " ?
This name is given by the inhabitants of the neighbor-
hood to the old Koman wall separating England from
Scotland, because they suppose that from the strength of
the cement and the durability of the stone, the devil must
have built it. The superstitious peasantry are said to be
in the habit of srathering up the fragments of this wall to
put in the foundation of their own tenements, to insure an
equal solidity.
178. Who was the youngest President?
Ulysses S. Grant, who was not forty-seven years of age
at the time of his inauguration.
1 79 . Who was ' ' Foul- weather Jack " ?
Commander Byron (1723-1786) was so called by the men
who sailed under him, in allusion to his ill-fortune at sea.
6
82 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
180. When and by whom was the Pacific Ocean dis-
covered ?
During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, Marco
Polo and his successors travelled far to the East, and came
to an ocean of unknown <^xtent ; and they partially ex'
plored its western coast. But it was not until nearly two
centuries after this, that the existence of this great ocean
was established to Europeans ; and the honor of its dis-
covery justly belongs to Vasco N'unez de Balbao, or Bal-
boa, the leader of a Spanish party exploring the Isthmus
of Panama, who, on the 29th of September, 1513, saw,
from the summit of a mountain, avast ocean to the west.
Balbao prostrated himself upon the ground; then, rising
to his knees, he thanked God " it had pleased his Divine
Majesty to reserve unto that day the victory and praise
of so great a thing unto him." When he reached the
coast he advanced waist-deep into the waves, drew his
sword, and swore, as a true knight, that he would defend
it, with its coast, islands, and all that it contained, for his
master, the king of Spain. Because he discovered it on
Michaelmas day, Balbao named it the Qolfo de San
Miguel.
181. What sect believes in the existence of one
hundred and thirt^^-six hells ?
According to Buddhist belief, there are, situated in the
interior of the earth, one hundred and thirty-six hells.
These places of punishment have a regular gradation in
the intensity of the suffering and the length of time the
sufferers live, the least term of life being ten millions of
years, the longer terms being almost beyond the powers
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 83
of even Indian notation to express. But however long
the Hfe, it has an end, and at its close the individual must
be born again.
182. "What are the sacred writings of the Budd-
hists called?
The TripitaTca (i. e., " Triple Basket") is the Bible of
Buddhism. It contains one hundred and sixteen volumes,
and is divided into three classes : the Sutra, or discourses
of Buddha; the Vinaya, or discipline, and the Ahhidharma,
or metaphysics. They contain sublime, moral, and pure
aspirations, and their author lived and died in the sixth
century B. C. Buddhism has now existed for nearly
twenty-five centuries, and may be said to be the prevailing
religion of the world, as its adherents are estimated at
from 400,000,000 to 500,000,000 souls, —more than one
third of the human race.
183. What are the sacred writings of the Chinese
called ?
King (i. e., "The Books") is the collective name of
the canonical works of the adherents of Confucius. It is
divided into five books. These are the Yih-King, or the
Book of Changes, — originally a cosmological essay, now,
curiously enough, regarded as a treatise on ethics ; *S7iw-
King, or the Book of Annals, — a history of the delibera-
tions between the Emperors Yayu and Shun, and other
personages, called by Confucius the Ancient Kings, and
for whose maxims and actions he had the highest venera-
tion; the SJii-King, or the Book of Songs, — a book of
sacred songs, consisting of three hundred and eleven
84 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
poems, the best of which every well-educated Chinaman
gets by heart; the Le-King, or the Book of Rites, — the
foundation of Chinese manners, prescribing, as it does,
the ceremonies to be observed in all the relationships of
life, and the great cause of the unchangeablencss and ar-
tificiality of Chinese habits ; and the Chnu-tsien,— a, his-
tory by Confucius of his own times, and those which
immediately preceded him. These works stand at the
head of the vast literature of the Chinese, and constitute
the sacred books of about 80,000,000 of people.
184. What are the sacred books of the ancient
Scandinavians called?
The Edclas are the sacred books of the old Scandinavian
tribes. There are two Avorks which bear this name, — the
Edda Scemundar hins Froda, or Edda of Sffimund the
Wise, and the Edda Snorri Sturlusonar. The former,
and older of these, contains the mythology of the Scan-
dinavians, with some historical narrations of a romantic
cast, embodied in thirty-nine poems, of unknown author-
ship and date, which were collected by Ssemund Sigfusson,
surnamed Frodi, an Icelandic priest, 1054-1133. The
second is a collection of the myths of the gods, and of
expbinations of the types and metres of the pagan poetry,
intended for the instruction of the young skalds, or poets.
It is chiefly in prose, and is the work of several authors,
although ascribed to Snorri Sturleson, 1178-1241. The
name Edda, which means great-grandmother (i. e., of
Scandinavian poetry), was applied to these works by
Brynjolf Svendson, bishop of Skalholt, by whom they
were discovered and first brought before the notice of
European scholars in 1643.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 85
185. What are the sacred writings of the Hindoos
called ?
The Vedas (" Knowledge ") are the sacred books of the
Hindoos. These books are of great antiquity, but of un-
certain date. There are four books : the oldest is the
Bijvedaj — the Veda of praise; next, the Yajurveda, — the
Veda of sacrifice; the Samaveda, — the Veda of chant-
ing ; and the latest the Atharvaveda, which is made up
after the manner of the Samaveda, but containing addi-
tional extracts from the Rijveda ; its object is to teach
how to appease, to bless, to curse, etc. Each of the
Vedas contains a Sanhita, or collection of hymns, and an
accompanying Brahmana, or commentary. They are
written in Sanskrit.
186. What are the sacred writings of the Persians
called ?
The Zend-Avesta (" Commentary and Text," Avesta
being properly the sacred text ; and Zend, its interpreta-
tion into more modern and intelligible language) is the
Bible of the ancient Persians and of the modern Parsees
or Guebres, who number about 7,000 in Persia, and 200,-
000 in India. It is ascribed to Zoroaster, who is said to
have written 2,000,000 verses, covering 12,000 cow-skin
parchments. In its present fragmentary state, it consists
of the Vendidad of twenty-two chapters, being the one'
surviving part (the twentieth) of an original work of
twenty-one parts; the Yazna, of seventy-two chapters;
the VUparad, of twenty-three chapters; twenty-four sec-
tions called Yashts ; and a few fragments. It is, next to
the Bible, the best of the sacred writings.
86 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
187. What are the sacred writings of the Moham-
medans called ?
The Koran, or Al-Coran, (" The Eeading "),is the book
of faith of the Mohammedans, or of about one seventh
of the human race. It is a single volume of one hundred
and fourteen chapters, of very unequal length, written in
Arabic, and containing the doctrines and pretended reve-
lations of Mohammed, "The Prophet," whose followers
number about 201,000,000.
188. What are the sacred writings of the ancient
Japanese ?
The Kojiki ("Book of Ancient Traditions") is the
Bible and oldest monument of Shintonism, the ancient
religion of Japan. It is written in pure Japanese, and
was composed by order of the Mikado Gemmio, A. D.
712, and first printed about 1625. Shintonism has no
moral code, and consists chiefly in the imitation and deifi-
cation of illustrious ancestors, emi:)erors, heroes, and
scholars, the veneration of fire and light, and the inculca-
tion of obedience to the will of the Mikado. Its adhe-
rents now number only about 14,000,000, as Buddhism is
now the prevailing religion in Japan.
189. What are the " Seven Bibles of the World "?
They are the ScriiHures of the Christians ; the Zend-
Avesta of the Persians ; the four Yedas of the Hindoos ;
the Tripitaka of the Buddhists ; the five Kings of the
Chinese ; the two Eddas of the Scandinavians, and the
Koran of tlie ISIohammedans. Of these the Scriptures
are the oldest and the Koran the most recent.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 87
190. What President wrote liis own epitaph?
Thomas Jefferson wrote his own epitaph, as follows :
" Here lies buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the
Declaralion of Independence, of the Statute of Virginia
for lleligious Freedom, and Father of the University of
Virginia."
191. When was the first national convention for the
nomination of candidates for the Presidency and Vice-
Presidency held ?
National conventions for the nomination of candidates
were unknown before 1830. In 1830, an Anti-Masonic
national convention was held, in which the party resolved,
among other things, to put forward candidates for Presi-
dent and Vice-President, and a second convention was
called to meet in Baltimore, in September, 1831, to make
the nominations. In 1832, that being the election year,
the Democrats held a national convention at Baltimore, to
nominate a Vice-President, it being generally understood
that Jackson was to be re-elected.
192. Who was the first President nominated by
national convention ?
Martin Van Buren in 1835. The Whigs, his ojiponents,
held no such meeting, and contented themselves with sup-
porting Harrison as the nominee of the Pennsylvania
State Convention. In 1839 the Whigs nominated Harrison
in national convention, and elected him triumphantly.
Thenceforward, the practice of holding national conven-
tions became general with all parties.
88 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
193. Where were the different Presidents nomi-
nated ?
Van Buren, at Baltimore, 1835, by the Democrats.
Harrison, at Harrisburg, 1839, by the Whigs.
Polk, at Baltimore, 1844, by the Democrats.
Taylor, at Philadelphia, 1848, by the Whigs.
Pierce, at Baltimore, 1852, by the Democrats.
Buchanan, at Cincinnati, 1850, by the Democrats.
Lincoln (first term), at Chicago, 1860, by the Republicans.
Lincoln (second term), at Baltimore, 1864, by the Repub-
licans.
Grant (first term), at Chicago, 1868, by the Republicans.
Grant (second term), at Philadelphia, 1872, by the Re-
publicans.
Hayes, at Cincinnati, 1876, by the Republicans.
Garfield, at Chicago, 1880, by the Republicans.
Cleveland, at Chicago, 1884, by the Democrats.
194. When and by whom was the first national po-
litical platform adopted ?
The first national political platform was adopted by the
Democratic convention at Baltimore, May 5, 1840.
195. Which is the " Blue Hen State " ?
This is a popular name for the State of Delaware. This
sobriquet is said to have had its origin in a certain Captain
Caldwell's fondness for the amusement of cock-fighting.
Caldwell was, for a time, an officer of the First Delaware
Regiment, in the war of the Revolution, and was greatly
distinguished for his daring and undaunted spirit. He
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 89
was exceedingly popular in the regiment, and its high state
of discipline was generally conceded to be due to his exer-
tions ; so that when officers were sent on a recruiting ser-
vice, to enlist new men, in order to fill vacancies caused
by death or otherwise, it was a saying, that they had gone
home for more of Caldwell's game-cocks; but as Caldwell
insisted that no cock could be truly game unless the
mother was a blue hen, the expression Blue Hell's Chick-
ens was substituted for game-cocks.
196. What State is called " The Dark and Bloody
Ground " ?
Kentucky, of which name the above is said to be the
translation. The phrase is an epitome of the early history
of the State, of the dark and bloody conflicts of the first
white settlers with their savage foes ; but the name origi-
nated in the fact that this was the grand battle-ground
between the Northern and Southern Indians.
197. Who was the author of " Greenbacks"?
Salmon Portland Chase (1808-1873), President Lin-
coln's Secretary of the Treasury, and afterwards Chief
Justice of the United States. The financial policy which
carried the nation through the civil war was mainly the
work of Mr. Chase. One of its essential features was the
issue of United States notes, known as " Greenbacks,"
which bore no interest, but were made legal tender.
198. What battle of the Rebellion was fought above
the clouds ?
90 QUEER QUESTIOXS AND READY REPLIES.
This far-famed " battle above the clouds " took place
on Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, on the morning of the
23d of November, 1863. A dense fog hung like a hood
over the mountain, as the Federals under Hooker
charged the Eebel fortifications. His troops had been
ordered to stop on the high ground, but, taking advantage
of the fog, and carried away by the ardor of the attack,
they sprang up the almost inaccessible slopes of the moun-
tain with resistless energy, and swept over the crest,
driving the enemy before them. The Union flag was car-
ried to the top; and before two o'clock in the afternoon,
Lookout Mountain, with its cloud-capped summit, was
swarming with Federal soldiers. Grant is reported to
have declared the so-called " battle above the clouds " to
be " all poetry, there having been no action there worthy
the name of battle."
199. Why was John Quincy Adams so named?
The origin of his name was thus stated by himself :
"My great-grandfather, John Quincy, was dying Avhen I
was baptized, and his daughter, my grandmother, re-
quested I might receive his name. This fact, recorded by
my father, has connected with my name a charm of min-
gled sensibility and devotion. It was filial tenderness that
gave the name, — it was the name of one passing from
earth to immortality. These have been through life per-
petual admonitions to do nothing unworthy of it."
200. What President was the oldest when elected?
William Henry Harrison, who was sixty-eight years of
age when inaugurated. The average age of Presidents,
when elected, has been fifty-seven years.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 91
201. What colony was founded as a home for the
poor ?
Georgia, the thirteenth American colony, was founded
in a spirit of pure benevolence. The laws of England
permitted imprisonment for debt. Thousands of English
laborers, who through misfortune and thoughtless con-
tracts had become indebted to the rich, were annually
arrested and thi'own into jail. Whole families were des-
titute or starving. To provide a refuge for these down-
trodden poor of England, and the distressed Protestants
of other countries, James Oglethorpe, the philanthropist,
a member of Parliament, appealed to George II. for the
privilege of planting a colony in America. The petition
was favorably heard, and on the 9th of June, 1732, a
royal charter was issued, by which the territory between
the Savannah and Altamaha Rivers, and westward from
the upper fountains of those rivers to the Pacific, was or-
ganized and granted to a corporation for twenty-one years,
to he held in trxistfor the poor. In honor of the king, the
new province received the name of Georgia.
202, "Who was the " Colossus of American Inde-
pendence " ?
John Adams. By his energy and eloquence he did more
than any other man to crystallize the American sentiment
in favor of independence. He was a member of the cele-
brated committee appointed to draft the immortal " Dec-
laration." In the debates on that instrument, he was its
chief defender ; and it was he who jiersuaded Congress
to adopt it. He was the most distinguished signer. Jef-
ferson himself said, that '■ he [Adams] was the pillar of
its support ; its ablest advocate and defender."
92 QUEER QUESTIONS AND BEADY REPLIES.
203. What were the last intelligible words. of Bene-
dict Arnold ?
" Bring me, I beg you, the epaulets and sword-knots
which Washington gave me. Let me die in my old Amer-
ican uniform, the uniform in which I fought my battles.
God forgive me for ever putting on any other."
204. What bird is an apt illustration of the prov-
erb that " Pride will have a fall " ? '
The pouter pigeon. It stands perpendicularly erect,
and seems exceedingly vain of the swollen crop which
gives it the name of pouter. It can inflate its crop with
air, until the head is almost hidden behind it. This infla-
tion oftentimes causes the bird to lose its balance, and to
fall down chimneys, on which it is fond of standing,
thereby aptly illustrating the proverb, that " Pride wili
have a fall."
205. What noted poet was so thin that he was said
to wear lead in his shoes to keep himself from being
blown away by the wind ?
Philetas, a distinguished poet and critic of the Alexan-
drian school, who lived in the fourth and third centuries
B. C, was so sickly and so thin, that the comic poets
stated that he used to wear lead in his shoes to keep him-
self from being blown away. The story runs that he died
from the excessive assiduity with which he sought the
answer to the sophistical problem, called "The Liar,"
viz.: If a man says he is telling a lie, does he speak truly
or falsely ?
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
93
206. Was Adam created with a beard?
Scripture does not tell us, but the tradition that he was
created with one (which maybe described as bushy rather
than flowing) is recorded on ancient monuments, and es-
pecially on an antique sarcophagus, which is one of the
ornaments of the Vatican. The Jews, with the Orientals
generally, seem to have accepted the tradition for a law.
Amon- them the beard was a cherished and sacred thing
The Scriptures abound with examples of how the beard
and its treatment interpreted the feeUngs, the joy, the
pride, the sorrow, or the despondency of the wearer.
207. Who was the wealthiest President ?
Washincrton, who left an estate valued at $800,000. The
next in or'der of wealth was Van Buren, whose property
was valued at $400,000.
208. Who were the original " Jersey Blues " ?
Thev were a battalion of five hundred soldiers from New
Jersey! during King George's War (1745-1748) and were
BO called from the color of their uniform, -bine, faced
with red, gray stockings, and buckskin breeches. They
were described at the time as "the likeliest well-set men
who ever entered upon a campaign.'
209 . Who was ' ' Tarn O'Shanter " ?
He was the hero of Burns's poem of the same name, a
farmer, who, riding home very late and very drunk from
Ayr, in a stormy night, had to pass by the kirk of Allo^
way a place reputed to be a favorite haunt of the devil
and his friends and emissaries. On approaching the kirk,
94 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
he perceived a light gleaming through the windows ; but
having got courageously drunk, he ventui'ed on till he
could look into the edifice, when he saw a dance of witches
merrily fooling it round their master, who was playing on
the bagpipe to them. The dance grew so furious that
they all stripped themselves of their upper garments, and
kept at it in their shifts. One " winsome wench," hap-
pening unluckily to have a shift which was considerably
too short to answer all the purposes of that useful article
of dress, Tarn was so tickled that he involuntarily roared
out, " Weel done, Cutty-sark! " (Well done,Short-sraock);
whereupon, in an instant, all was dark, and Tam, recol-
lecting himself, turned and spurred his horse to the top
of her speed, chased by the whole fiendish crew. It is a
current belief, that witches, or any evil spirits, have no
power to follow a poor wight any farther than the middle
of the next running stream. Fortunately for Tam, the
river Doon was near ; for, notwithstanding the speed of
his horse, by the time he gained the middle of the arch of
the bridge, and consequently the middle of the stream,
the pursuing vengeful hags were so close at his heels, that
one of them, " Cutty-sark," actually sprang to seize him ;
but it was too late, — nothing was on her side of the
stream but the horse's tail, which immediately gave way
at her infernal gripe, as if blasted by a stroke of light-
ning ; but the farmer was beyond her reach.
210. Who was " Old Public Functionary"?
This sobriquet, which was sometimes humorously abbre-
viated O. P. F., was sometimes given to James Buchanan,
the fifteenth President of the United States. He was the
first to apply the expression to himself, in his annual
message to Congress in 1859: —
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 95
" This advice proceeds from the heart of an old public
functionary, whose service commenced in the last genera-
tion, among the wise and conservative statesmen of that
day, now nearly all passed away, and whose tirst and dear-
est earthly wish is to leave his country tranquil, prosperous,
united, and powerful."
211. Who was ' ' Light-Horse Harry " ?
This sobriquet was popularly conferred upon General
Henry Lee (1756-1818), a gallant American cavalry officer
in the war of the Revolution, in allusion to his rapid and
daring movements in battle, particularly during the cam-
paign in the Carolinas.
212. Who was the " French Game-cock "?
On account of his bravery, this name was given by the
American soldiers to Marie Jean Paul Roch Yves Gilbert
Motier, Marquis de Lafayette.
213. What was the " Albany Regency " ?
It was a junto of astute Democratic politicians, having
their headquarters at Alban3\ who controlled the action
of the Democratic party for many years, and who had
great weight in national politics. The effort to elect Wil-
liam H. Crawford President, instead of John Quincy
214. In what country are prayers said by wheels?
An important part of the duties of a pilgrim to Lassn,
the centre of Lamaism, is penance. Among the lightir
forms of penance is turning a wheel called Tchu-Kor,
96 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
•' revolving prayer." This devotional machine is usually
a sort of barrel, moving upon an axis and inscribed all
over with Buddhistic petitions. The worshipper sets it
going, and it turns prayers for his benefit, while he pur-
sues some more mundane occupation.
215. What Presidents were born in Virginia?
Thus far seven of our Presidents have been natives of
Virginia, viz. : —
Washington, born in Westmoreland County, Feb. 22,
1732; Jefferson, born at Shadwell, Albemarle County,
April 2, 1743; Madison, born at King George, March 16,
1751; Monroe, born in Westmoreland County, April 28,
1758; Harrison, born at Berkeley, Charles City County,
Feb. 9, 1773; Tyler, born in Charles City County, March
29, 1790; Taylor, born in Orange County, Sept. 24, 1784.
216. Which is the only monarchy on the Western
Continent?
The government of Brazil is a mild form of a constitu-
tional and hereditary monarchy. The laws of succession
are the same as in England. The Emperor Dom Pedro
II., of the house of Bragan9a, and the Empress, a sister
of the king of ISTaples, are universally beloved and re-
spected for their intellectual arid moral endowments, and
their affectionate interest in the welfare of their sub-
jects.
217. What becomes of all the greenbacks and bank-
notes after they have served their few years of useful-
ness?
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 97
They go to the governmeot. After about three years
of service they are pretty well worn, and are taken to the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and placed in a ma-
chine containing immense knives, which chop the notes
into fragments. Three officers of the Treasury Depart-
ment are stationed to watch the destruction of the notes.
No one else is allowed to be present except the officials
and the men who run the machine. They are compelled
to remain in the room until each separate note is destroyed.
They must account afterwards to the Kedemption Bureau
for each note, and should one become lost or mislaid and
afterwards find its way into circulation, the result would
be the immediate discharge of the three who daily have in
their custody millions of dollars of notes and bonds. The
shreds are reduced to pulp, and then moulded into figures
of birds and animals and sold as mementos to visitors.
Often it will happen that one little object will be composed
of what was once SI ,000,000 worth of money.
218. What sort of mound has been raised to the
memory of Kosciusko?
Near Cracow there is a mound of earth one hundred
and fifty feet high, which was raised to the memory of the
Polish patriot, Thaddeus Kosciusko, by the people, earth
being brought for this purpose from every great battle-
field of Europe on which Polish blood had been shed.
Prom a fanciful resemblance in shape to this tumulus, the
loftiest known mountain in Australia has received the
name of Mount Kosciusko.
219. In what country are the forests without shade?
7
98 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
With few exceptions, the Australian trees are ever-
gx'eens, and they show a peculiar reverted position of their
leaves, which hang vertically, turning their edges instead
of their sides toward the sun, and giving no shade.
There are great shadeless forests of eucalypti and other
trees.
220. Which are the tallest trees in the world ?
The loftiest product of the vegetable kingdom is the
eucalypti-trees, indigenous to Australia and Tasmania.
They are sometimes called " gum-trees," because they
abound in resinous exudations. The Eucalyptus gigantea,
called " Stringy bark," sometimes attains a height of four
hundred and eighty feet, and a diameter of over eighty
feet ; over one hundred feet higher than the highest speci-
men of the mammoth trees of California {Sequoia gi-
gantea), now standing. These trees form a characteristic
feature of the peculiar vegetation of those islands, having
entire leathery leaves, of which one edge is directed to-
ward the sky, so that both surfaces are equally exposed to
the light. They also have the peculiarity of shedding
their bark annually instead of their leaves.
221. Who was the most famous heroine of an-
tiquity ?
Zenobia, the queen of Palmyra. Her second husband,
Septimius Odenathus, prince of Palmyra, was assassinated
in A. D. 26G, by his nephew Mteonius. Zenobia put the
assassin to death, and assumed the vacant Palmj-rene
throne. For five years she governed Palmyra, Syria, and
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 99
adjoining parts of the East witli vigor and judgment,
independent of the Roman power. She assumed the title
of " Queen of the East," and exacted from her subjects
the same adoration that was paid to Persian monarchs.
She maintained her power through the reigns of Gallienus
and Claudius, but was finally defeated and captured by
Aurelian, 273 A. D. Decked with splendid jewels, and
almost fainting under the weight of gold chains, she
adorned the triumph of the emperor, but was presented
by him with large possessions near Tivoli, where she
passed the rest of her life in comfort and even splendor.
Her daughters married into noble Roman families, and her
descendants were still living in the fifth century. She
vras exceedingly beautiful, dark in complexion, with large
black, fiery eyes. She spoke Latin, Greek, Syriac, and
Egyptian, and wrote for her own use an epitome of
Oriental history. She was a passionate hunter, and thor-
oughly inured to fatigue, sometimes walking on foot at
the head of her troops.
222. What is dynamite?
This explosive, of which we hear so much, looks very
much like moist brown sugar. It is made of nitro-glyce-
rine, a heavy, oily liquid which explodes with great vio-
lence, mixed with an absorbent to make it safer to handle.
Nitro-glycerine is composed of nitric acid, sulphuric acid,
and that clear, sweet, soothing liquid called glycerine.
The absorbent material is a fine, white powder, composed
of the remains of infusoria. This takes up two or three
times its weight of the nitro-glycerine without becoming
pasty; the ingredients are mixed in leaden vessels with
wooden spoons to avoid friction. If fire is applied to this
100 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
mass, it burns with a strong flame without any explosion;
but the application of a full sudden blow causes it to
explode with tremendous force.
223. Who was the "Great American Commoner"?
Thaddeus Stevens (1793-1868), of Pennsylvania,- an
American statesman, was so called on account of his
opposition to slavery and secession. He was elected
representative in Congress in 1848 and re-elected in 1850.
He strongly opposed the Fugitive Slave Law and the
Kansas-Nebraska Bill. He was again elected to Congress
in 1858, and held his seat till his death.
V 224. What was the proper name of Columbus ?
His Genoese name was Christoforo Colombo, which,
according to the custom of the time, he Latinized into
Columbus. When he went into Spain he adopted the
Spanish form of it, Christobal Colon.
225. Who were the parents of Columbus?
Columbus was the eldest son of Domenico Colombo, a
wool comber of Genoa, and Susanna Fontanarossa. They
had two other sons, Bartolommeo (Bartholomew) and
Giacomo (James, called in Spain Diego), and a daughter
who married a butcher.
226. Who was the wife of Columbus?
In the convent of All Saints, Lisbon, where Columbus
was accustomed to attend religious service, were certain
ladies of rank, either resident as boarders, or in some
religious capacity. With one of these, Dona Felipa
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 101
Monis de Perestrello, Columbus became acquainted. Her
father, Bartolommeo Monis de Perestrello, an Italian
cavalier, lately deceased, had been one of the most dis-
tinguished navigators under Prince Henry, and had
colonized and governed the island of Porto Santo.
Columbus soon fell in love with the lady, and married
her. By her he had one son, Diego, born about 1472. A
few years afterward his wife died.
227. How many children had Columbus?
He had two sons. The eldest, Diego, was by his wife.
His second son, Fernando, born in 1487, was the illegiti-
mate child of Doiia Beatriz Enriquez, a noble lady of
Cordova, to whom Columbus became attached, while
waiting for an opportunity to appear at court. This son
became the historian of his father.
228. When did the line of Columbus become
extinct ?
Diego married Dona Maria de Toledo, daughter of the
Duke of Alva. Their eldest son, Luis, exchanged the
hereditary dignity of admiral for a pension and the title
of Duke of Veragua, Marquis of Jamaica. Luis's eldest
daughter married her cousin Diego, and died without
issue, the male line thus becoming extinct. Finally the
property and titles became, in 1608, merged by marriage
through the female line in a branch of the house of
Bragan9a.
229. What were the last words of Columbus?
He died while repeating the following words in Latin:
" Lord, into thy hands I commit my spirit."
102 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
230. Where do the remains of Columbus now
repose ?
The body of Columbus was deposited in the convent of
San rraocisco, Valladolid, Spain. It was thence trans-
ported, 1513, to the Carthusian Monastery of Seville,
where a handsome monument was erected by command
of Ferdinand and Isabella, with the simple inscription,
"To Castile and Leon, Colon gave a new world." In
1536, his body and that of his son Diego were removed to
the city of St. Domingo, Hayti, and interred in the prin-
cipal chapel. But, in 1796, the remains, as was supposed,
were taken to Havana Avith imposing ceremonies. The
tomb in the cathedral is marked by a slab elaborately
carved, on which is inscribed, —
"Restose Imagen del grande Colon!
Mit siglos durad guardades en la Urnia
Ventare nen branza de naestra Nacion,"
which is Spanish for,
" Oh, rest thou, image of the great Colon,
Thousand centuries remain, guarded in the urn,
And in the remembrance of our nation."
In 1877, however, while excavating near the cathedral in
St. Domingo, the vault was opened and a leaden coffin
found containing human bones, and inscribed in Spanish,
" Illustrious and renowned man, Christopher Columbus."
It is therefore thought that the body carried to Havana
was not that of the erreat admiral.
231. What was the last writing of Columbus?
QUEER QUESTIONS AND KEADY REPLIES. 103
It is contained in a final codicil to the will of 1498,
made at Yalladolid on the 19th of May, 1506, By this
the old will is confirmed, the mayorazgo is bequeathed to
his son Diego and his male heirs, failing these to Fer-
nando, his second son, and failing these to the male heiis
of his brother Bartholomew: only in case of the extinc-
tion of the male line, direct or collateral, is it to descend
to the females of the family; and those into whose hands
it may fall are never to diminish it, but always to increase
and ennoble it by all means possible. The head of the
family is to sign himself "The Admiral." A tenth of the
annual income is to be set aside yearly for distribution
among the poor relations of the house. A chapel is
founded and endowed for the saying of masses. Bcalriz
Enriquez is left to the care of the young admiral in most
gi-aceful terms. Among other legacies is one of "half a
mark of silver to a Jew who used to live at the gate of
Jewry, in Lisbon." The codicil was written and signed
with the admiral's own hand. Next day (May 20, 1506)
he died.
232. Which is the "Sucker State"? Why so
named ?
This is a cant name given to the State of Illinois, the
inhabitants of which are very generally called siickei'S
throughout the West. The origin of this term is said to
be as follows: The Western prairies are, in many places,
full of the holes made by the "crawfish" (a fresh-water
shell-tish, similar in form to the lobster), which descends
to the water beneath. In early times, when travellers
wended their way over these immense plains, they very
prudently provided themselves with a long, hollow reed,
104 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
and, when thirsty, thrust it into these natural artesians,
and thus easily supplied their longings. The crawfish
well generally contains pure water, and the manner in
which the traveller drew forth the refreshing element
gave him the name of " sucker." -
233 . What was the ' ' Bug " Bible ?
What is known as the "Bug" Bible was printed in
1551, and contained a prologue by Tyndall. Its name is
derived from the peculiar rendering of the fifth verse of
the ninety-first Psalm, which is made to read, " So that
thou shalt not need to be afraid for any bugs by night."
234. How is celluloid made ?
A roll of paper is slowly unwound, and at the same
time saturated with a mixture of five parts of sulphuric
acid and two of nitric, which falls upon the paper in a
fine spray. This changes the cellulose of the paper into
fine pyroxyline (gun cotton). The excess of acid having
been expelled by pressure, the paper is washed with
plenty of water until all traces of acid have been removed;
it is then reduced to pulp, and passes on to the bleaching
trough. Most of the water having been got rid of by
means of a strainer, the pulp is mixed with from twenty
to forty per cent, of its weight of camphor, and the mix-
ture thoroughly triturated under millstones. The neces-
sary coloring matter having been added in the form of
powder, a second mixture and grinding follow. The
finely divided pulp is then spread out in thin layers on
slabs, and from twenty to twenty-five of these layers are
placed in a hydraulic press, separated from one another
by sheets of thick blotting paper, and are subjected to a
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 105
pressure of one hundred and fifty atmospheres until all
traces of moisture have been got rid of. The plates thus
obtained are broken up and soaked for twenty-four hours
in alcohol. The matter is then passed between rollers
heated to between one hundred and forty and one hundred
and fifty degrees Fahrenheit, whence it issues in the form
of elastic sheets. Celluloid is made to imitate amber,
tortoise-shell, coral, malachite, ebony, ivory, etc., and
besides its employment in dentistry, is used to make
mouth-pieces for pipes and cigar-holders, handles for
table-knives and umbrellas, combs, shirt-fronts and col-
lars, and a number of fancy articles.
235. When is ' ' Ground Hog Day " ?
Candlemas day (Feb. 2). In Germany's folklore there
is a superstition that the badger, on that day, peeps out
of his hole, and when he finds snow, walks abroad; but
if he sees the sun shiuing, draws back into his hole.
This latter action, so the legend goes, signifies that the
winter weather is not over, the sun's rays being too pre-
maturely warm for the season. Doubtless the supersti-
tion concerning the ground hog in this country is derived
from the above source.
236. "Where are our Presidents buried?
Washington was buried at Mount Vernon, Va. ; John
Adams, at Quincy, Mass.; Jefferson, at Monticello, Va. ;
Madison, at Montpelier, Va.; Monroe, at Eichmond, Va. ;
John Quincy Adams, at Quincy, Mass.; Jackson, at the
Hermitage, near IN'ashville, Tenn.; Van Buren, at Kin-
derhook, X. Y. ; Harrison, at North Bend, Ind.; Tyler,
dX Richmond, Va. ; Polk, at Nashville, Tenn. ; Taylor, at
106 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
Washington, D. C; Fillmore, at Buffalo, N. Y.; Pierce,
at Concord, N. H.; Buchanan, at Lancaster, Pa.; Lincoln,
at Springfield, 111.; Johnson, at Greenville, Teun.; Gar-
field, at Cleveland, Ohio; and Grant, at Riverside Park,
Kew York City ; Arthur, at Albany, K. Y.
237. Which is the " Modern Athens " ?
This name is often given to Edinburgh, on account of
its many noble literary institutions, the taste and culture
of the people, the many distinguished men who have
issued from it or resided in it, and the high character of
its publications; and also on account of a marked resem-
blance to Athens in its topographical position and it^ gen-
eral appearance.
The same epithet is applied to Boston, Mass., a city
remarkable for the high intellectual character of its citi-
zens, and for its many excellent literai'y, scientific, and
educational institutions and publications.
238. What was the origin of the term "Old
Harry " ?
It has been suggested that this vulgar appellation for
the devil comes from the Scandinavian Hari or Heira,
names of Odin, who came in time to be degraded from his
rank of a god to that of a fiend or evil spirit.
According to Henley, the hirsute honors of the Satan
of the ancient religious stage procured him the name Old
Hairy, corrupted into Old Harry.
239. What was the origin of the terms "Whig"
and "Tory"?
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 107
These designations of political parlies in English, and
more lately in American history, were originally applied
as terms of reproach. There are three accounts for the
origin of the term Whig.
1. That it is derived from whig, whey, which the Scot-
tish Covenanters used to drink, and hence a name applied
to them.
2. That it is a contraction of whigyam, a term used
in Scotland in driving horses, or from roMggamovey a
driver of horses. In 1648 a party of these people marched
to Edinburgh to oppose the king and the Duke of Ham-
ilton. "This," says Burnet, "was called the Whigga-
more's inroad; and ever after all that opposed the court
came in contempt to be called tvhiggs; and from Scotland
the word was brought into England."
3. That it is formed fiom the initials of the motto,
"TFe /loi^e in God,''' the motto of the club from which the
Whig party took its rise.
The terra Tory is derived from an Irish term applied,
says Roger N^orth, to " the most despicable savages among
the wild Irish "; and the name was first given to the fol-
lowers of the Duke of York, in 1679, because he favored
Irishmen.
Another account of its origin is that it is derived from
toree, give me (sc. your money), a term used by the Irish
robbers.
240. Who invented decimal fractions?
The inventor of decimal fractions was Simon Stevin, of
Bruges, whose tract, published in 1.585, was entitled the
"Disme." But the simple plan we now have was not
then invented. He used circles to designate the numbers
l08 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
that showed the value of the figures; thus, lie wrote
27.847 as 27 (0) 8 (1) 4 (2) 7 (3), and read it as 27 cora-
menceraents, 8 primes, 4 seconds, 7 thirds. The (0)
showed the zero point, the (1) showed tenths, and so on.
These terms " primes," " seconds," " thirds," etc., have
disappeared. "Primes " were the first to the right of the
whole numbers, " seconds" the second place, etc.
Dispute has arisen concerning the origin of the simpler
notation by means of the decimal point, whether used
before the fraction alone, or as separating it from the
integer. Napier claimed the discovery, so also has
De Morgan. But Mr. Glaisher, in a paper read before
the mathematical section of the British Association,
seems to establish Napier's priority in introducing the
decimal point into arithmetic. The full modern use of it
was first exemplified in a posthumous work of Napier's
called " Miritici Logarithmorum Canon's Constructio,"
edited by his son, in 1619, where the formal definition of
the decimal separator is given and illustrated, and the
point subsequently used in operation as we now use it.
Briggs, who died in 1631, constantly used an underscored
line to distinguish the decimal part of a number; and
Oughtred, one of his followers, improved on this by
using, together with the line, a vertical bar to mark the
separation still more plainly.
241. "What is the orisjin of "humbuor"?
The origin of this Avord is not certainly known. Web-
ster says it is probably derived from 7iwm, to impose on,
to deceive, and hug, a frightful object, a bugbear.
Another account states that it is derived from Ham-
burg, a city of Germany: "A piece of Hamburg news"
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 109
being in Germany a proverbial expression for false politi-
cal rumoi's.
A third account gives its origin as follows: "There
once lived in Scotland a gentleman of landed property
whose narne was Hume or Home, and his estate was
called the Bogue. From the great falsehoods which he
was in the habit of telling about himself, his family, and
everything connected with them, it became the custom to
say when anything improbable was stated, 'Oh, that's a
Hume o' the Bogue!' The expression spread through-
out the neighborhood, and even beyond, and by degrees
was shortened into humbug by those who did not under-
stand how the phrase first came to be used.
A fourth account, that of Mr. F. Crosley, suggests the
Irish uim hog (pronounced umhug), meaning '' soft cop-
per " or " worthless money." James II. issued from the
Dublin Mint a mixture of lead, copper, and brass, so
worthless that a sovereign was intrinsically Avorth only
twopence, and might have been bought after the revolu-
tion for a half-penny. Sterling and umhug wore tliere
fore expressive of real and fictitious worth, merit and
humbug.
242. What is the history of the poem " Sheridan's
Ride"?
This famous poem by T. B. Read, beginning, " Up
from the south at break of day," has quite a history.
The battle of Cedar Creek took place before dawn on
the morning of Oct. 19, 1863. The Confederate forces,
under Gen. Early, wei'e gaining the upper hand, when a
report of tl^e battle reached Gen. Sheridan, who was at
110 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
Winchester, twenty miles distant. Putting spurs to his
horse, he hastened to the scene of battle, and by his
encouragement, turned a threatened defeat into a glorious
victory. The news of the victor}', and the cause of it,
reached Chicago at nine o'clock. Mr. Read, the poet,
was sta3-ing there at a hotel, and Mr. Murdock, a noted
reader, was with him at the time. Slapping his friend on
the shoulder, Murdock exclaimed: " Eead, you must write
a poem on that subject to-day! By to-morrow others,
with less ability, will be ahead of you."'
Mr. Read demurred, but, after half an hour's talk,
yielded to his friend's wishes. He retired to his room,
locked the door, and in four hours produced one of our
grandest national poems.
His wife and Mr. Murdock praised it enthusiastically.
The latter especially appreciated the beauty and spirit of
the lines, for being a jjersonal friend of Gen. Sheridan, he
had ridden upon the gallant black steed
" That saved the day
By carrying Sheridan into the fight
From Winchester — twenty miles away."
Mr. Murdock committed the lines to memory, and that
evening, at a meeting of rejoicing over the victor}', he
recited them. An intense silence prevailed throughout
the hall, broken only by the tones of the speaker. As
the last words of the grand poem left his lips, storms of
applause shook the building. Coming so soon after the
victory, while the people were still flushed with their suc-
cess, it wrought the audience up to an excitement which
c«uld not be controlled. Every one supposed that Mr.
Murdock had composed the poem, and he was over-
whelmed with expressions of congratulation and praise.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. Ill
But he, directins; the attention of the crowd to the hox
where the poet sat, exclamied, " There is the man who
wrote the poem! "
243. Which is the longest word in the English lan-
guage ?
Dispropoi'tionableness is the longest classified word in
our language.
244. "What gems are the epablems of the Twelve
Apostles ?
Andrew, the bright blue sapphire, emblematic of his
heavenly faith.
Bartholomew, the red camelian, emblematic of his
martyrdom.
James, the white chalcedony, emblematic of his purity.
James the Less, the topaz, emblematic of delicacy.
John, the emerald, emblematic of his youth and gen-
tleness.
Matthew, the amethyst, emblematic of sobriety.
Matthew was once a " publican," but was " sobered " by
the leaven of Christianity.
Matthias, the chrysolite, pure as sunshine.
Peter, the jasper, hard and solid as the rock of the
church.
Philip, the friendly sardonyx.
Simeon of Cana, the pink hyacinth, emblematic of a
sweet temper.
Tiiaddeus, the chrysoprase, emblematic of security
and trustfulness.
Thomas, the heryl, indefinite in lustre, emblematic of
his doubting faith.
112 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
245. What is the origin of "bogus"?
According to the Boston Daily Courier of June 12,
1857, this word originated as follows: " The word ' bogus,'
we believe, is a corruption of the name of one Borghese,
a very corrupt individual, who, twenty years ago or
more, did a tremendous business in the way of supplying
the great West, and portions of the Southwest, with a
vast amount of counterfeit bills, and bills on fictitious
banks, which never had anj^ existence out of the 'foi--
getive brain' of him, the said ' Borghese.' The Western
people, who are leather rapid in their talk, when excited,
soon fell into the habit of shortening the Norman name
of Borghese to the more handy one of Bogus; and hia
bills, and all other bills of like character, were univer-
sally styled ' bogus currency.' "
246. Why is buckwheat so called?
The word " buckwheat" is a corruption of beechwheat.
It is so called from the similarity of the shape of its grains
to the mast or nuts of the beech-tree.
247. Who originated tarring and feathering?
Richard Coeur de Lion seems to have originated tarring
and feathering. Hoveden, quoted by Dr. Hook in his
"Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury," says that
Richard, when he sailed for the Holy Land, made sundry
laws for the regulation of his fleet, one of which enacted
that " a robber who shall be convicted of theft shall have
his head cropped after the manner of a champion, and
boiling pitch shall be poured thereon, and then the feath-
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 113
ers of a cushion shall be shaken out upon him, so that he
may be known, and at the first land at which the ship
shall touch he shall be set on shore."
248. What is the meaning of the phrase "By
Jingo"?
Jingo is a corruption of Jainko, the name of the Basque
Supreme Being. " By Jingo! '' or " By the living Jingo! "
is an appeal to deity. Edward I. had Basque mountain-
eers conveyed to England to take part in his Welsh wars,
and the Plantagenets held the Basque provinces in posses-
sion. This Basque oath is a landmark of these facts.
249. Who is " Old Nick " ?
This vulgar and ancient name for the devil is derived
from that of the Neck, or Nikke, a river or ocean god of
the Scandinavian popular mythology. " The British
sailor," says Scott, " who fears nothing else, confesses
his terrors for this terrible being, and believes him the
author of almost all the various calamities to which the
precarious life of a seaman is so continually exposed."
Butler, the author of " Hudibras," erroneously derives
the term from the name of Nicolo Macchiavelli.
^ 250. Who was " Rare Ben " ?
This famous appellation was conferred upon Ben Jonson
(1574-1637), the dramatic poet. It is said that soon after
his death, a subscription was commenced for the purpose
of erecting a monument to his memory; but the undertak-
ing having advanced slowly, an eccentric Oxfordshire
8
114 QTJBER QUESTIONS AND READT REPLIES.
squire took the opportunity, on passing one day through
Westminster Abbey, to secure at least an epitaph for the
poet by giving a mason eighteen pence to cut, on the stone
which covered the grave, the words, "O, rare Ben
Johnson."
251. What was the origin of Thanksgiving Day?
In 1621, the year after Plymouth Colony was founded,
Gov. Bradford set apart a day for thanksgiving for the
yield of the harvests. Two years after that, there was a
great drought, and the people were devoting a day to fast-
ing and prayer, when their sorrows were turned into
praise and thanksgiving by a generous fall of rain.
Prom that time it gradually became an established custom
to have a day of praise and thanksgiving after harvests.
When the Colonies became the New England States, the
custom was kept up, the day being proclaimed by the gov-
ernors of the several States. A day of prayer was recom-
mended by Congress during the Ke volution, and by
Washington after the adoption of the Constitution. This
was continued by some of the later Presidents. In 1863,
Linco'n proclaimed that a National Thanksgiving Day
should be observed in remembrance of the recent victo-
ries and the general manifestation of God's goodness and
mercy. This has been annually issued since, and now
custom has fixed it as the fourth Thursday in November.
252. Whose wife was Adam ?
Adam's. "Male and female created He them; and
l)lessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day
when they were created." Genesis v. 2.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 115
253. Whose daughter was Noah?
Zelopliehad's. " Then came the daughters of Zelophe-
had, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of
Machh-, the son of Manasseh, of the famiUes of Manasseh
the son of Joseph : and these are the names of his daugh-
ters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah and Tirzah."
Numbers xxvii. 1.
254. Who are the ' ' Hairy Men " ?
The Ainos, who are supposed to be the aborigines of
Japan. They are distinguished by an exuberance of hair
on the head and body, a circumstance which has given rise
to their name of " Hairy Kuriles." They are different in
race and character from the ordinary Japanese. Legend
says that the Japanese were originally Ainos, but became
a separate race by intermarriage with the Chinese. They
are now found chiefly in the island of Yesso.
255. Where was the Declaration of Independence
written ?
Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in
the second story, front room, of house No. 230 High Street,
now 700 Market Street, Philadelphia.
256. What is the Golden Number of a year, and
how determined ?
The Golden Number for any year is the number of that
year in the Metonic cycle, and as this cycle embraces
nineteen years, the golden number ranges from one to
.16 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
nineteen. The cycle of Meton came into general use
soon after its discovery, and the number of each year in
the Metonic cycle was ordered to be engraved in letters of
gold on pillars of marble — hence the origin of the name.
Since the introduction of the Gregorian calendar, the
point from which the golden numbers are numbered is
IB. C, as in that year the now moon fell on the 1st of
January; and as by Meton's law, it falls on the same day
(Jan. 1) every nineteenth year from that time, we obtain
the following rule for obtaining the golden number of any
particular year: "Add one to the number of years and
divide by nineteen; the quotient gives the number of
cycles, and the remainder gives the golden number for
that year; and if there be no remainder, then nineteen is
the golden number, and that year is the last of the cycle."
The golden number is used for determining the Epact
and the time of holding Easter.
257. What were the causes of the American Revo-
lution ?
The most general cause of the American Revolution
was the right of arbitrary goveriwient, claimed by Great
Britain and denied by the Colonies. There were subor-
dinate causes. First of these was the influence of France,
which was constantly exerted so as to incite a spirit of
resist:mce in the Colonies. Another cause was found in
the natural disposition and inherited character of the colo-
nists. The groioth of puhlic opinion in the Colonies tended
to independence. Another cause' was found in the xjer-
sonal character of the king. The more immediate cause
was the passage by Parliament of a number of acts destruc-
tive of colonial liberty.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND KEADY REPLIES. 117
258. How was the first colonial Congress constituted ?
At Boston, James Otis successfully agitated the question
of an American Congress. It was proposed that each
Colony, acting without leave of the king, should appoint
delegates, who should meet in the following autumn and
discuss the affairs of the nation. The proposition was
favorably received, nine of the Colonies appointed dele-
gates, and on the 7th of October, 1765, the first Colonial
Congress assembled at New York. There were twenty-
eight representatives. Timothy Ruggles, of Massachu-
setts, was chosen president. After much discussion, a
Declaration of Rights Avas adopted, setting forth in unmis-
takable terms that the American colonists, as Englishmen,
could not and would not consent to be taxed but by their
own representatives. Memorials were also prepared and
addressed to the two Houses of Parliament. A manly pe-
tition, professing loyalty and praying for a more just and
humane policy toward his American subjects, was directed
to the king.
259, What were the terms of the Treaty of 1783 ?
The terms of the Treaty of 1783 were briefly these: A
full and complete recognition of the independence of the
United States; the recession by Great Britain of Florida
to Spain ; the surrender of all the remaining territory east
of the Mississippi and south of the Great Lakes to the
United States; the free navigation of the Mississippi and
the Lakes by American vessels; the concession of mutual
rights in the Newfoundland fisheries; and the retention
by Great Britain of Canada and Nova Scotia, with the ex-
clusive control of the St, Lawrence River,
118 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
260. What were the leading defects of the Confed-
eration ?
1. There was an utter want of all coercive authority in
the Continental Congress to carry into effect any of their
constitutional measures. 2. There was no power in the
Continental Congress to punish individuals for any breach
of their enactments. Their laws must be wholly without
penal sanction. 3. They had no power to lay taxes, or to
collect revenue for the public service. The power over
taxes was expressly and exclusively reserved to the States.
4. They had no power to regulate commerce, either with
foreign nations or among the several States. It was left,
with respect to both, exclusively to the management of
each particular State, thus being at the mercy of private
interests or local prejudices. 5. As might be expected,
" the most opposite regulations existed in different Slates,
and there was a constant resort to retaliatory legislation
from their jealousies and rivalries in commerce, ia agri-
culture, or in manufactures. Foreign nations did not fail
to avail themselves of all the advantages accruing from
this suicidal policy tending to the common ruin." 6. For
want of some singleness of power, — a power to act with
uniformity and one to which all interests could be recon-
ciled, — foreign commerce was sadly crippled, and nearly
destroyed. The country was deeply in debt, without a
dollar to pay, or the means even to draw a dollar into the
public treasury, and what money there was in the country
was rapidly making its way abroad. 7. Great as these
embarrassments were, the States, full of jealousy, were
tenaciously opposed to making the necessary concessions
to remedy the great and growing evil. All became im-
pressed with the fear, that, unless a much stronger
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 119
national government could be instituted, all that had been
gained by the Revolutionary struggle would soon be
lost.
261. What were the Alien and Sedition Laws?
Two laws passed by Congress in 1798. The Alien Law
empowered the President to send out of the country, at
short notice, any foreigners whose presence might be
deemed injurious or prejudicial to the interests of the
United States, and lengthened the time requisite for be-
coming naturalized citizens of the United States to four-
teen years. The Sedition Law limited the freedom of
speech, and of the press when directed abusively against
the government. Under this act it was a crime punishable
with heavy fine and long imprisonment " to write, print,
utter, or publish any false, scandalous, or malicious state-
ment against either President or Congress." These laws
did much to defeat Adams's re-election in 1800.
262. What were the principal causes of the late
Civil War?
The principal causes of the Civil War were five in num-
ber: 1. The different construction put upon the national
Constitution by the people of the N^orth and the South.
2. The different system of labor in the North and in the
South. 3. The want of intercourse between the people
of the North and the South. 4. The publication of sec-
tional books. 5. The evil influence of demagogues.
263. What is the title of the Czar of Russia?
120 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russias, of Moscow,
of Kieff, of Vladimir, of Novgorod; Czar of Kazan, of
Astrakhan, of Poland, of Siberia, of Kherson-Taurida,
of Grousi; Gosondar of Pskoff ; Grand Duke of Smolensk,
of Lithuania, of Volhynia, of Podolia, and of Finland;
Prince of Esthouia, of Livonia, of Courlaud, of Semiga-
lia, of the Samoyedes, of Bielostok, of Corelia, of Focr,
of Ingor, of Perm, of Viatka, of Bulgaria, and of other
countries; Master and Grand Duke of the lower countries
in Novgorod, of Tcheruigoff, of Eiazan, of Polotsk, of
Eostoff, of Jaroslaff, of Bielosersk, of Ondork, of
Obdorsk, of Kondisk, of Vitelsk, of Mstilaff, and of all
the countries of the North; Master Absolute of Iversk,
of Kastalnisk, of Kalardinsk, and of the territory of
Armenia; Sovereign of Mountain Princes of Tcherkask,
Master of Turkestan, Ileir-presumptive of Norway, and
Duke of Sleswick-Holstein, of Stormarne, of Dutbmarse,
and of Oldenburg.
264. What was the origin of the phrase " To speak
for Buncombe" ?
This phrase, which means to speak for mere show, or
for purposes of political intrigue, originated in the Six-
teenth Congress, near the close of the debate on the
famous " Missouri Question/' Felix Walker, a iiaive old
mountaineer, who resided at Waynesville, in Haywood,
the most western county of North Carolina, near the
border of the adjacent county of Buncombe, arose to
speak, while the house was impatiently calling for the
" Question.''^ Several members gathered round him and
insisted on his silence, but he continued to speak, declar-
ing that the people of his district expected it, and that he
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 121
was bound to "make a speech for Buncombe." Ilunce
the phrases, "To speak I'or Buncombe," "All for Bun-
combe," etc.
2G5. What President was buried at the expense of
his friends?
James Monroe, although he had received S350,000 for
his i^ublic services, yet, on account of the free-handed
hospitality so characteristic of his native State (Virginia)
in her palmy days, together with his life-long occupation
in public affairs to the neglect of his own estate, was so
involved in debt, at the time of his death, that his funeral
expenses were met l)y his friends.
266. What President married tbe same lady twice?
In the summer of 1791, Andrew Jackson married Mrs.
Rachel Robards, a daughter of Col. John Donelson, of
Virginia, one of the founders of Tennessee. Her first
husband was Mr. Lewis Robards, of Kentucky. Robards
and his wife were boarding with Mrs. Donelson, then a
widow, when Jackson arrived at Nashville, and took up
his lesidence in the same family. In 1790-1791, Robards
api^lied to the Legislature of Virginia for an act prelimi-
nary to a divorce, stating that his wife was living in adul-
tery with Andrew Jackson. The act was passed, under it
a jury was summoned late in 1793, and the court of Mer-
cer (bounty, Ky., declared the marriage between Lewis
Robards and Rachael Robards dissolved. Jackson and
Mrs. Robards believed the act passed by the Legislatuie
was itself a divorce, and they were married at Natchez
two years before the action of the court. At the sugges-
122 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
tion of their friend Judge Overton, who also was surprised
to learn that the act of the Legislature had not divorced
Robards, they procured a license in January, 1794, and
had the ceremony performed again. When Gen. Jackson
had become the chief of a great party, the circumstances
of this marriage led to very serious misrepresentations.
Robards was prone to jealousy without cause, and Jackson
was not the first man of whom he was jealous. His
statement to the Legislature of Virginia is believed to
have been wholly unfounded. His relatives all sided with
his wife, and never supposed her to be guilty of even an
act of impropriety.
267. Why is Alaska so called ?
In the dialect of the natives first encountered by the
Russian explorers, the land was called Al-ay-es-ka, " the
great land." From this the present name has become
changed through Aliaska and Alaksa to its present
form.
268. Who was the nearest common ancestor of
nearly all the reigning monarchs of Europe ?
John of Gaunt (1339-1399), fourth son of Edward IIL
of England, although he himself was never a king, nor
were any of his brotheis or sisters even sovereigns, was
the common ancestor of nearly all the crowned heads of
Christendom. The monarchs descended from him are
Victoria, Queen of England, who is of the sixteenth gen-
eration; Louis I., King of Portugal, of the fifteenth gen-
eration; Alphonzo XII., the late King of Spain, of the
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 123
sixteenth generation; Francis Joseph I., Emperor of
Austria, of the fifteenth generation; Leopold II., King of
Belgium, of the seventeenth generation; Christian IX.,
King of Denmark, of the sixteenth generation; Humbert,
King of Italy, of the sixteen th generation; George I.,
King of Greece, of the seventeenth generation; Alexander
III., Emperor of Russia, of the eighteenth generation;
William I., Emperor of Germany, of the sixteenth gener-
ation; Dom Pedro II., Emperor of Brazil, is of the four-
teenth generation, the nearest of kin to the English
progenitor; the late Chambord (Henry V.), claimant
of the French throne, was of the sixteenth generation;
and Louis Philippe Albert, Prince d' Orleans, the Orlean-
ist claimant of the French throne, is of the seventeenth
generation.
269. Who was the " Red Prince " ?
Prince Frederick Charles Nicholas, of Germany (1828-
1885), a nephew of Emperor William I., was so called
from his favorite attire, — the scarlet uniform of his
Brandenburg Hussars, which he loved far more than the
full sflitter of his highest honors.
270. Why is New Jersey called a foreign country?
In the early days of railways the New Jersey Legisla-
ture chartered the Camden and Amboy Railroad, but
neglected to impose a tax upon its earnings or plant. A
few years later, when it became a valuable property, the
State, unable to modify the charter, levied a State tax upon
each passenger carried. This tax fell upon travellers who
124 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
lived outside the State as well as Jersey men, and the
former, because they were taxed to pass through it, face-
tiously termed New Jersey a foreign country.
271. Why is Canada so called ?
Charleroix says that this name is from an Iriquois word
Kannata, a collection of huts. There is, however, a
Spanish tradition that some Spanish explorers visiting the
country in search of gold, and finding no mines, or other
appearance of riches, said, AcaNada, " Here is nothing,"
which, being repeated by the natives to subsequent visitors
from Europe, was supposed to be the name of the
country.
272. Which is the " Railroad City "?
Indianapolis, the largest city in the United States situ-
ated on non-navigable waters. The first railway entered
the city in 1847. Now, twelve main lines converge in the
Union Depot. About a hundred passenger trains, con-
nected with every part of the country, enter and depart
daily. The numerous tracks being on a level with the
surface of the streets, the obstruction and danger at the
numerous crossings Ijecame very great on account of the
increase of railway traffic, so that in 1877 a loop line, called
the "Belt," had to be made, passing round the city, to
connect the various railways. By means of it the " through
freight-cars " are conveyed past the city without blocking
the traflSc.
273. Which is the " Sasre Brush State " ?
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 125
The flora of Nevada is so scanty and so charactei'ized by
sage-brush, or Artemisia, that this State is often nick-
named the " Sage Brush State." Artemisia is a low,
irregular shrub, with tliick crooked stems, growing in dry
alkaline soils, which without irrigation will produce noth-
ing else.
274. What ancient city brought about its own de-
struction by an ill-timed jest?
Antioch, the ancient capital of the Greek kings of Syria,
was one of the most magnificent cities of the ancient world.
The Antiochenes themselves brought about the destruc-
tion of their beautiful city. They were famous above all
other people in ancient times for their biting and scurrilous
wit, and for their ingenuity in devising nicknames; and
when the Persians under Chosroes invaded Syria, in 538
A. D., the Antiochenes could not refrain from jesting at
them. The Persians took ample revenge by the total de-
struction of the city, which, however, was rebuilt by Jus-
tinian. It was in this city that the followers of Christ
were first called Christians.
275. Who was "Washington's wife ?
Her maiden name Avas Martha Dandridge. She was
born at Kent, Va. , May 17, 1732. At the age of seventeen,
she was married to Col. John Parke Custis, by whom she
had three children. Within a few years she lost her eldest
son and her husband. She was a charming widow of
twenty-six when Washington first met her at the house of
a Mr. Chamberlayne. After a short acquaintance, they
were married Jan. 6, 1759. She died May 22, 1802.
126 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
276. What was the height of Goliath?
According to Samuel, he was " six cubits and a span."
Mr. Greaves gives the length of the cubit as twenty-one
inches, and the span nine inches. This would make
Goliath's height about eleven feet three inches.
277. What is the balm of Gilead ?
The balm of Gilead, also called balsam of Mecca and
Opobalsam, is obtained from a low tree or shrub, the hal-
samodendron Gileadense, which grows in several parts of
Arabia and Abyssinia. To obtain the juice, the bark of
the tree is cut at the time when the sap is in its strongest
period of circulation. As the juices ooze through the
wound they are received into small earthen bottles, every
day's produce being poured into large bottles and corked.
When fresh, the smell of the balsam is exquisitely fragrant,
but if left exposed to the atmosphere it loses this quality.
The quantity of balsam yielded by one tree is said never to
exceed sixty drops in a day. It is, therefore, very scarce,
and can with difficulty be procured in a pure and unadul-
terated state, even at Constantinople.
278. What was the origin of the barber's pole?
In former times barbers served the public in the capacity
of surgeons, and performed the act of bleeding, that being
a favorite remedy with our ancestors. The pole repre-
sented the staff held by the person being bled, and the
spiral stripes i)ainted around it were typical of the two
bandages u^od for twisting around the arm previous to the
bleeding and after the operation had been performed.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND BEADY REPLIES. 127
The blue stripes and stars sometimes seen were probabl}'
introduced by some barber endowed with more patriotism
than love of ancient customs.
279. Which is the " youngest Territory"?
"Wyoming. It was organized by the act of Congress ap-
pi'oved July 25, 1868, from portions of Dakota, Idaho, and
Utah. The first settlements within its limits were made
in 1867, during the progress of the Union Pacific Railroad,
although there had been a garrison at Fort Laramie since
1834.
280. Why was the shamrock adopted as the emblem
of Ireland?
The shamrock is said to have been first assumed as the
badge of Ireland from the circumstance that St. Patrick
made use of it to illustrate the doctine of the Trinity.
The story as told by Lover is as follows: " When St.
Patrick first preached the Christian faith in Ireland, before
a powerful chief and his people, when he spoke of one God
and of the Trinit3^,the chief asked how one could be in
three. St. Patrick, instead of attempting a theological
definition of the faith, thought a simple image would best
serve to enlighten a simple people, and, stooping to the
earth, he plucked from the green sod a shamrock, and
holding up the trefoil before them, he bid them there be-
hold one in three. The chief, struck by the illustration,
asked at once to be baptized, and all his sept followed his
example."
128 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
281. What was the origin of " April Fool " ?
How the custom of making fools on the tirst of April
arose is not certainly known, but there are several accounts
of its origin, viz. : —
1. It is, perhaps, a travesty of the sending hither and
thither of the Saviour from Annas to Caiaphas, and from
Pilate to Herod, because during the Middle Ages this
scene in Christ's life was made the subject of a miracle
play at Easter, Avhich occurs in the mouth of April.
2. As March 25 used to be New-Year's Day, April 1
was its octave, when its festivities culminated and ended.
3. There is a tradition among the Jews that it arose
from the fact that Noah sent out the dove on the first of
the month corresponding to our April, before the water
had abated. To perpetuate the memory of the great
deliverance of Noah and his family, it was customary on
this anniversary to punish iiersons who had forgotten the
remarkable circumstance connected with the date, by
sending them on some bootless errand, similar to that on
which the patriarch sent the luckless bird from the win-
dow of the ark.
4. The custom refers to the uncertainty of the weather
at this period.
5. It is a relic of some old heathen festival; and it is
curious that the Hindoos practise similar tricks on the
31st of March, when they hold what is called the Hull
Festival.
The custom, Avhatever is its origin, appears to be uni-
versal throughout Europe. In France the person imposed
upon is called itn poisson cVAvril (an April fish). In
England aud the United States such a person is called an
April fool; in Scotland, a gowk.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 129
282. What was the origin of the phrase " getting
into a scrape " ?
"The deer are addicted, at certain seasons, to dig up
the laud with tlieir fore-feet, in holes, to the depth of a
foot, or even half a yard. These are called ' scrapes.' To
tumble into one of these is sometimes done at the cost of a
broken leg; hence a man who finds himself in an unpleas-
ant position, from which extrication is difficult, is said to
have ' got into a scrape.' "
283. To what does the phrase "fitting to a T"
refer ?
This phrase refers to the T or Tee Square, an instru-
ment used in drawing and mechanics ; so called from its
resemblance to a capital T.
284. What well-known hymn was composed in a
few minutes ?
The celebrated hymn, " From Greeland's icy moun-
tains," etc., was composed at Wrexham in 1819. On
Whitsunday in that year Dr. Shipley, Dean of St. Asaph
and Vicar of Wrexham, preached a sermon in his church
on behalf of the Society for the Propagation of the Gos-
pel. Heber was son-in-law to Dr. Shipley and was on a
visit. The doctor on the previous Satuixlay asked Heber
to " write something for them to sing in the morning,"
and in a few minutes, without leaving the room, Heber
produced the hymn now so well known all over the world.
He was then in his thirty-sixth year, and was rector of
Hodnet.
130 QUEER QUESTIONS AND KEADY REPLIES.
285. Why was the magnet so called ?
The word " magnet " is derived from the name of the city
of Magnesia, in Asia Minor, where the properties of the
loadstone are said to have been discovered. So far one
authority. Another derives it from llie name of Magnes,
a shepherd, who is said to have discovered the magnetic
power through being detained on Mount Ida by the mag-
netism of the mountain attracting the nails in his shoes,
so that he was unable to move from the spot.
286. What was the " Vinegar Bible" ?
This was a name given to an edition of the Bible, pub-
lished in 1717 at the Clarendon Press, Oxford. By a
ludicrous misprint, the title of the twentieth chapter of
Luke was made to read "Parable of the Vinegar''''
instead of "Parable of the Vineyard^'' \ hence the
name.
287. What were the " Breeches Bibles " ?
This name was given to editions of the so-called
Genevan Bible (first printed at Geneva, by Rowland
Hall, 1560, in 4to), from the peculiar rendering of Gen.
iii. 7.
288. Who is " Johnny Crapaud " ?
" This is a sportive designation of a Frenchman, or of
the French nation collectively considered. The following
account has been driven of the origin of this name: ' When
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 131
the French took the city of Aras from the Spaniards,
under Louis XIV., after a long and most desperate siege,
it was remembered that Nostradamus had said, —
' Lea anciens crapaud* prendront Sara.'
(The ancient toads shall Sara take.)
This line was then applied to this event in a very round-
about manner. Sara is Aras backward. By the ancient
toads were meant the French; as that nation formerly
had for its armorial bearings three of those odious rep-
tiles, instead of the three flowers-de-luce which it now
bears."
289. Who is " Cousin Michael " ?
This is a sportive and disparaging designation of the
German people, intended to indicate the weaknesses and
follies of the national character, and especially the prover-
bial national slowness, heaviness, and credulity. The
name Michel is often used as a contemptuous designation
of any simple, coarse rustic, and has probably acquired
this signification through a mingling of the Hebrew with
the old German michel, gross.
290. Who is "Taffy"?
This is a sobriquet for a Welshman, or for the Welsh
collectively. The word is a corruption of David, one of
the most common of Welsh names.
291. Who is ' ' Ivan Ivanovitch " ?
132 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
He is an imaginary personage, who is the embodiment
of the peculiarities of the Russian people, in the same way
as John Bull represents the English, and Johnny Crapaud
the French character. He is described as a lazy, good-
natured person.
292. Who is ' ' John Bull " ?
This is a well-known collective name of the English
nation, first used in Arbuthnot's satire, " The Histor}"^ of
John Bull," usually published in Swift's works. In this
satire, the French are designated as Lewis Baboon, the
Dutch as Nicholas Frog, etc. The " History of John
Bull " was designed to ridicule the Duke of Marlborough.
293 . Who is ' ' Peeping Tom of Coventry " ?
This epithet is given to a person of ungovernable in-
quisitiveness. The term is said to have arisen thus: " The
Countess Godiva, bearing an extraordinary affection to
this place (Coventry), often and earnestly besought her
husband (Leofric, Earl of Murcia), that, for the love of
God and the blessed Virgin, he would free it from that
grievous servitude whereunto it was subject; but he, re-
buking her for importuning him in a matter so inconsistent
with his profit, commanded that she should thenceforth
forbear to move therein; yet she, out of her womanish
pertinacity, continued to solicit him; insomuch that he
told her if she would ride on horseback, naked, from one
end of the town to the other, in the sight of all the people,
he would grant her request. Whereunto she answered,
' But will you give me leave so to do V ' And he replying
'yes,' the noble lady, upon an appointed day, got on horse-
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 133
back, naked, with her hair loose, so that it covered all her
body but her legs, and thus performing the journey^ re-
turned with joy to her husband, who therefore granted to
the inhabitants a charter of freedom, which immunity I
rather conceive to have been a kind of manumission from
some such servile tenure, whereby they then held what
they had under this great earl, than only a freedom from
all manner of toll, except horses, as Knighton affirms."
It is said by Eapin, that the countess, previous to her rid-
ing, commanded all persons to keep within doors and
from their windows on pain of death ; but, notwithstanding
this severe penalty, there was one person who could not
forbear giving a look, out of curiosity; but it cost him his
life.
294. What was the " Battle of Spurs " ?
This name is given to the battle of Courtrai (1302), the
first great engagement between the nobles and the burgh-
ers, Avhich, with the subsequent battles of Bannockburn,
Crecy, and Poictiers, decided the fate of feudalism. In
this encounter the knights and gentlemen of France were
entirely overthrown by the citizens of a Flemish manufac-
turing town. The French nobility rushed forward with
loose bridles, and fell headlong, one after another, into an
enormous ditch which lay between them and their enemies.
The whole army was annihilated; and when the spoils
were gathered, there were found 4,000 golden spurs to
mark the extent of the knightly slaughter, and give a name
to the engagement.
This name is also given to the affair at Guinegate, near
Cjilais (1513), in which the English troops under Henry
134 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
VIII. defeated the French forces. The allusion is said to
be to the unusual energy of the beaten party in spurring
off the field.
295. What city is called " Auld Reekie " ?
This designation is given to Edinburgh on account of its
smoky appearance, as seen from a distance; or, according
to others, on account of the uncleanliness of its public
streets.
296. Which is the "City of Magnificent Distances " ?
This popular designation is given to the city of Wash-
ington, the capital of the United States, which is laid out
on a very large scale, being intended to cover a space four
miles and a half long and two miles and a half broad, or
eleven square miles. The entire site is traversed by two
sets of streets from seventy to one hundred feet wide, at
right angles to one another, the whole again intersected
obliquely by fifteen avenues from one hundred and thirty
to one hundred and sixty feet wide.
297. Which is the heaviest metal?
Platinum was long considered the heaviest metal, but it
is now an established fact that both osmium and iridium
are heavier than platinum. The most recent authorities
differ as to which of the two is the heavier, but there is
only a very slight difference. Both metals are used for
pointing gold pens. Osmium does not fuse at 2870 degrees
Fahrenheit, the greatest heat yet produced, and is as yet
infusible. In some of its combinations it is said to be the
most poisonous substance known.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 135
298. Which is the lightest metal?
Lithium. Its specific gravity is only 0.5936, but little
more than half that of water. It is a soft, ductile, white
metal, susceptible of being welded and drawn into wire,
but has less tenacity than lead. It burns brilliantly, and
floats upon water and naphtha. It was supposed to be a
very rare substance, but Bunsen and Kirchhoff have shown
by spectrum analysis that, though sparingly, it is widely
distributed.
299. What was the origin of " Old Scratch "?
It has been suggested that the origin of this term must
be sought for in the Scrat, Schrat, Schretel, or Schretlein,
a house or wood demon of the ancient N'orth.
300. Which is the " Prairie State " ?
Illinois is so called in allusion to the wide-spread and
beautiful prairies, which form a striking feature of the
scenery of the State.
301 . What is the ' ' Via Dolorosa " ?
The Via Dolorosa (the way of pain) is a name given,
since the Christian era, to tlie road at Jerusalem leading
from the Mount of Olives to Golgotha, which Jesus passed
over on his way to the place of crucifixion. Upon this
road are situated many of the objects consecrated by
Christian traditions, — the house where the Virgin Mary
was born, the church erected upon the spot where she fell,
when she beheld Jesus sink under the weight of the cross,
the house of St. Veronica, upon whose veil, employed to
136 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
wipe away his blood and sweat, the image of his face was
miraculously impressed. The road, which is about a mile
in length, terminates at the Gate of Judgment.
302. Which is the " Turpentine State " ?
North Carolina, which produces and exports immense
quantities of turpentine.
303 . Who is ' ' Black Jack " ?
Gen. John Alexander Logan has been so called from
his long, black hair and dark complexion.
304. What was the " Black Hole of Calcutta " ?
This name is commonly given to a certain small and
close dungeon in Foi*t William, Calcutta, the scene of one
of the most tragic events in the history of British India.
On the capture of Calcutta, by Surajah Dowlah, June 20,
1756, the British garrison, consisting of one hundred and
forty-six men, being made prisoners, were locked up at
night in this room, only eighteen feet square, and poorly
ventilated, never having been intended to hold more than
two or three prisoners at a time. In the morning, of the
one hundred and forty-six who were imprisoned, only
twenty-three were found alive. In the " Annual Regis-
ter-' for 1758 is a narrative of the sufferings of those
imprisoned, written by Mr. Hoi well, one of the number.
The " Black Hole " is now used as a warehouse.
305. How did Stonewall Jackson receive his sobri-
quet?
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 137
This famous appellation of Thomas Jonath;in Jackson
(1824-1863) had its origin in an expression used by the
Confederate Gen. Bee, on trying to rally his men at the
battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861, — There is Jackson
standing like a stone wall. From that day he was known
as Stonewall Jackson, and his command as the Stonewall
Brigade.
306. Which was the " Battle of the Herrings " ?
This name is given by historians to an engagement
which took place Feb. 12, 1429, in which Sir John Fastolfe,
an English general, at the head of 1,500 men, gained a
victory over 6,000 Frenchmen near Orleans, and brought
a convoy of stores in safety to the English camp before
that place. The stores comprised a large quantity of
herrings.
307. Which is the " Land of the lucas"?
Peru. The Incas were the ancient sovereigns of the
country. Manco Capac, the first luca, appeared accord-
ing to the traditions, with his sister. Mama Oello, on Titi-
caca Island, a spot ever after held holy. These two,
claiming to be children of the sun, were regarded as
deities. Manco Capac proceeded northward, and, found-
ing Cuzco at the spot where his golden staff sank into the
ground, introduced civilization and art. A powerful king-
dom ai'ose and gradually absorbed the neighboring tribes.
308. What Presidential administration has been
compared to a parenthesis?
138 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
" The administration of Van Buren," said a bitter satir-
ist, " is like a parenthesis: it may be read in a low tone of
voice or altogether omitted without injuring the sense^' !
3^9. Which was the first Bible printed in America?
The first Bible printed in this country was John Eliot's
Indian Bible, whose title was this: " Mamusse Wunuee-
tupauatiimwe Up-Biblum God naneswe Xukkone Testa-
ment kah wonk Wusku Testament. Ne quoshkinnumuk
nashpc Wuttineumoli Christ noli oscGowesiL John Eliot."
This was printed in 1663. The Indian language in which
it was made is extinct, and it is said that only one man now
living — namely, J. Hammond Trumbull, LL. D , of Hart-
ford, Conn. — can read it. The next Bible printed here
was Saur's, in German, in 1743; the first English Bible
printed here was at Boston, in small quarto, in 1752.
310. What names are given by the Hebrews to the
books of the Bible ?
The Jews, or Hebrews, take the names of the sacred
books from the first word with which each begins; but the
Greeks, whom our translators generally follow, take the
names from the subject-matter of them. Thus, the first
book is called by the Hebrews, Bercshith^ which signifies
" In the beginning," these being tlie first words; but the
Greeks called it Genesis, which signifies "production,"
because the creation of the world is the first thing of which
it gives an account. Exodus, which signifies in the Greek
"The going out," was so called from the account which
it gives of the Israelites going out of Egypt; but the He-
brews call it Velle Shemoth, that is, " These are the names,"
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 139
which are the words with which it begins. Leviticus they
call Vayicre, that is, " And he called "; !N'umbers they call
Vayedavhevy that is, "And he spake"; Deuteronomy
they call Elle-haddehar, that is, " These are the words";
etc., etc.
311. "What is the national emblematic flower of
China and Japan ?
The Chrysanthemum. It receives the most reverential
care and attention, surpassing by far in devotion that ac-
corded to the fleur-de-lis, lilies, roses, and thistles, the em-
blems of other countries. Each recurring year in Novem-
ber, in all the laigc cities in Japan, and in nearly every
street, thousands of plants are sold, trained generally to
one stem, with a solitary large flower of immense size,
often ten to twelve inches across. A very ordinary flower
of some six inches is sold for five cents, the very largest
specimens being sold for twenty-five cents, pot included.
312. When and by whom was the first steamboat
invented ?
The first practical success in steam navigation was
made by John Fitch, a native of Windsor, Conn., who had
settled in New Jersey as a silversmith. The happy
thought of propelling vessels by steam originated with
him in 1784. He rapidly matured his plans, and in August,
1785, he petitioned Congress for aid in constructing his
boat. The records of the American Philosophical Society
of Philadelphia show that "a model, accompanied by a
■ drawing and description of a machine for working a boat
against a stream by means of a steam-engine, was laid
140 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
before the society by John Fitch on Sept. 27, 1785."
With the pecuniary assistance of several gentlemen, he
immediately undertook to build a steamboat. In the Co-
lumbia Muijazine for December, 1786, he gave a descrip-
tion of this vessel and its machinery. A steam cylinder
over three feet long and one foot in diameter was placed
horizontally in the bottom of the boat; the steam was let
in at each end of the cylinder alternately, and after moving
a reciprocating piston was discharged into a condenser,
which formed a vacuum in the cylinder behind the moving
piston. The force of the piston was transmitted to cranks
on each side of the boat; which by means of connecting
bars, moved twelve paddles, three on each side being in
the water and three out at the same time. On May 1,
1781, Fitch's steamboat, " The Perseverance," was put in
motion on the Delaware Kiver, and made three miles an
hour. This speed did not satisfy Fitch, and various im-
provements were soon added. The boat, with its greatly
increased power, was successfully tested in the fall of 1788.
The late Dr. Thornton, long at the head of the United
States Patent Office, and many other eminent men, certi-
fied that the steamer moved in dead water at the rate of
eight miles an hour, or one mile in seven and a half min-
utes. With thirty passengers the boat left Philadelphia,
and, moving against the current of the Delaware, reached
Burlington, a distance of twenty miles, in three hours and
ten minutes. Dr. Thornton stated that " The Perseverance "
afterwards made eighty miles in one day. This speed will
excite wonder when the difficulty of keeping the piston
tight against the comparatively rough interior surface of
the cylinder is taken into consideration. The steamboat
was run for some time as a packet to Burlington, but after
several mishaps it was burned in 1792. But more money
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 141
was needed to introduce the invention, and the numerous
stockholders could not be brought to respond to further
assessments. Fitch himself was cramped for the neces-
saries of life. He repeatedly asserted that the passenger
traffic of the great Western rivers would one day be carried
on exclusively by steam, that ships of war and packet
ships would navigate the Atlantic by steam, and that some
one who came after him would reap fame and fortune from
his invention. Fitch's claim of invention was contested
by James Rumsey, of Maryland, who, in 1786, drove a boat
on the Potomac, near Sheppardstown, at the rate of four
miles an hour by means of a water-jet forced out at the
stern. But a careful examination of the evidence proves
that the honor of bringing the invention to a successful
completion belongs to Fitch. It may also be mentioned
that a boat was propelled by steam on the Conestoga River
in 1703 by William Henry, of Chester County, Penn., but
this was only an experiment, although attended with flat-
tering results, and had no permanent effect. It was from
Fitch's labors that Fulton first conceived the idea of steam
navigation, which has made his name famous.
313. In what American city are burials made en-
tirely above the ground?
One of the noted features of !N'ew Orleans is its ceme-
teries. Owing to the undrained condition of the subsoil,
burials are made entirely above ground, in tombs of stuc-
coed brick and of granite and marble. Some of these are
very elegant and costly, and many of the burial grounds,
with their long alleys of these tombs of diverse designs
deeply shaded by avenues of cedars and the Magnolia
grandijlora, possess a severe but emphatic beauty.
142 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
314. Who were the "Three Kings of Cologne"?
This name is given to the tliree Magi who came from
the East to offer gifts to the infant .Jesus. Their names
are commonly said to be Malchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar.
Gaspar means "the white one"; Malchior, " Iving of
hght"; Balthazar, "lord of treasures." The first offered
gold, symbolic of kingship; the second, frankincense,
symbolic of divinity; the third, myrrh, symbolic of death,
myrrh being used in embalming the dead. Their bodies
are said to have been brought by the Empress Helena from
the East to Constantinople, whence they were transferred
to Milan. Afterward, in 11G4, on Milan being taken by
the Emperor Frederick, they were presented by him to the
Archbishop of Cologne, who placed them in the principal
hurch of the city, where, says Cressy, " they are to this
day celebrated with great veneration." Another tradition
gives their names as Apellius, Amerus, and Damascus;
another as Magalath, Galgalath, and Sarasin; and still an-
other as Ator, Sator, and Peratoras.
315. Which is the highest spot inhabited by human
beings ?
It is said to be the Buddhist cloister of Hanie, Thibet,
where twenty-one priests live at an altitude of sixteen
thousand feet.
316. When was the " Dark Day " ?
May 19, 1780, was so called on account of a remarkable
darkness on that day extending over all New England,
lu some places persons could not see to read common
print in the open air for several hours together. Birds
QUEER QUESTIOXS AND READY REPLIES. 143
sang their evening song, disappeared, and became silent;
fowls went to roost; cattle sought the barnyard; and can-
dles were lighted in the houses. The obscuration began
about ten o'clock in the morning, and continued till the
middle of the next night, but with differences of degree
and duration in different places. For several days pre-
vious the wind had been variable, but chiefly from the
southwest and the northeast. The true cause of this
remarkable phenomenon is not known.
317. When was the "Day of Barricades"?
May 12, 1588. On this day the Duke of Guise entered
Paris, when Henry III., at his instigation, consented to
take severe measures against the Huguenots, ou the prum-
ise that the duke would assist him in purging Paris of
strangers and obnoxious persons. No sooner, however,
was an attempt made to carry out this plan, than the
populace arose, erected barricades, and attacked the king's
troops with irresistible fury. Henry III., having requested
the Duke of Guise to put a stop to the conflict, fled from
Paris, and the moment the duke showed himself to the
people, they pulled down (he barricades.
This name is also given to Aug. 26, 1648; so called on
account of a riot, instigated by the leaders of the Fronde,
which took place in Paris on that day.
318. Why are the oceans so named?
When, on the 27th of November, 1520, Ferdinand-
Magellan swept into the calm waters of that new sea on
which he was the first to sail, he named it the 3fnr Pa-
cifico, on account of its peacefully rolling waters and its
freedom fi-oni violent stornT*.
144 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
The Atlantic is so called from the Atlas Mountains
near its eastern shores, or from the fabled island of Atlan-
tis, which was situated in its bosom.
The Indian Ocean is so called because it lies about
India and the Indies.
The Arctic Ocean lies ^lirectly under the constellation
of the Bear. Greek "Aqktoi;, a bear.
The Antarctic Ocean lies opposite to the Arctic. Greek
^avTi, against.
319. What was the " El Dorado " ?
El Dorado, or the golden land, was a name given by
the Spaniards to an imaginary country, supposed, in the
sixteenth century, to be situated in the interior of South
America, between the rivers Orinoco and Amazon, and
abounding in gold and all manner of precious stones.
Expeditions were fitted out for the purpose of discovering
this fabulous region; and, though all such attempts proved
abortive, the rumors of its existence continued to be
believed down to the beginning of the eighteenth century.
It is said that the name was at first applied, not to a coun-
try, but to a man, "el rey dorado." Sir Walter Raleigh,
in his "Discovery of the Large, liich, and Beautiful
Empire of Guiana," gives a description of the rising of
this gilded king, whose chamberlains, every morning after
having rubbed his naked, body with aromatic oils, blew
powdered gold over it through long sarhacans. After the
name came to be used as the designation of a country, it
seems to have been variously applied, and the expeditions
in search of the golden land had different destinations.
Francisco Orellana, a companion of Pizarro, was the first
to spread the account of this fabulous region in Europe.
QTJEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 145
320. What people formed the fij-st temperance
society ?
The Kechabites. " But they said, We will drink no
wine; for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father com
manded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye
nor your sons forever." — Jeremiah xxxv. 6.
321. Where is the " Bridge of Sighs " ?
The "Bridge of Sighs" is a name popularly given to
the covered passageway which connects the Doge's pal-
ace in "Venice with the state prisons, from the circum-
stance that the condemned prisoners were transported
over the bridge from the hall of judgment to the place of
execution. This bridge was built in 1589 by Da Ponte.
Hood has used the name as the title of one of his poems.
( 322. In what country does grass grow upon trees? j
The grass-tree is a native of Australia. It belongs to
the order Liliacece. These trees are especially distinguished
by their crowns of long, pendulous, grass-like leaves,
from the centre of which arises a long stalk bearing at
its summit a dense flower spike looking somewhat like a
large cat-tail. Some species have very short stems, while
others have trunks six to eighteen feet high, which, with
their singular tufts of leaves, form a striking feature in
the Australian landscape. The grassy leaves are gathered
as food for cattle, and their tender base is often relished
by man.
823. What is the origin of the phrase " To row up
Salt River " ?
10
146 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
This phrase has its origin in the fact that there is a
small stream of that name in Kentucky, the passage of
which is made difficult and laborious as well by its tor-
tuous course as by the abundance of shallows and bars.
The real application of the phrase is to the unhappy wight
who has the task of propelling the boat up the stream;
but in political or slang usage it was to those who are
rowed up,
324. Who was the " American Pathfinder"?
This title is popularly given to Major-General John
Charles Fremont, who conducted four exploring expedi-
tions across the Rocky Mountains. On one instance, when
he was intercepted by a range of mountains covered with
snows, which the Indians declared no man could cross, o-nd
over which no reward could induce them to attempt to guide
him, Fremont undertook the passage without a guide, and
accomplished it in forty days, reaching Sutter's Fort on
the Sacramento with his men reduced almost to skele-
tons, and with only thirty-three out of sixly-seven horses
and mules remaining. He is also called the " Pathtinder
of the Rocky Mountains."
325. AVhich is the largest locomotive in the world?
The largest locomotive in the world is called El Gober-
nador, built at the Central Pacific Railroad shops in Sac-
ramento, Cal., in 1883. The engine and tender are
sixty-five feet five inches long; there are five pairs of
drivers, each four feet nine inches in diameter; the cylin-
ders are twenty-one inches in diameter, thirtj'-six inch
stroke; there are twent}--six wheels, and the weight of
the engine is seventy three tons.
QUEER QUESTIONS ANL> READY REPLIES. 147
326. Whence does the cravat obtain its name?
The cravat is so called from a French regiment of light
horse called " the royal Craaafe," because they were
attired in the fashion of the Cravates or Croats, as they
are now called, inhabitants of an Austrian province, who
largely composed the Austrian army. In 1636 the French
regiment was uniformed in imitation, as the Zouaves were
at a later day, and when the neckties worn by these
troops became fashionable in civil as well as military ranks,
the name of the regiment was given to the tie.
327. Who wro^e the first English book?
Sir John Mandeville in 1356. In it he shows a correct
idea of tbe form of the earth, and of position in latitude
ascertained by observation of the Pole Star; he knows that
there are antipodes, and that if ships were sent on voyages
of discovery they might sail round the world. And he
tells a curious story which he heard in his youth, how a
worthy man did travel ever eastward until he came to his
own country again. But, on the other hand, he repeatedly
asserts the old belief that Jerusalem was in the centre of
the world, whilst he maintains in proof of this that at tbe
equinox a spear planted erect in Jerusalem casts no shadow
at noon; which, if true, would only show that the city was
on the equator.
328. Who was the first child born of English parents
in America?
Virginia Dare, who was born at Roanoke, on the 18th
of August, 1587. Her mother, Eleanor Dare, was the
daughter of John AVhiie, the governor of the colony.
148 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
329. What are the " Horse Latitudes " ?
Seamen give this name to a bauli or region of calms in
the Atlantic Ocean, about the parallels of 30-35 degrees
north. The name is said to be derived from the circum-
stance that vessels formerly bound from New England to
the West Indies, with a deck-load of horses, were often
delayed in this calm belt of Cancer, and, for want of water,
were obhged to throw the animals overboard.
330. What city is called " Porkopolis "?
Cincinnati, one of the greatest American pork markets,
is popularly so called.
331. Who was the "Iron Duke " ?
Arthur Wellesley, K. G., Duke of Wellington. Ac-
cording to the Rev. G. R. Gleig, this sobriquet arose from
the building of an iron steamboat, which plied between
Liverpool and Dublin, and which its owners called the
"Duke of Wellington." The term "Iron Duke" was
first applied to the vessel; and by and by, rather in jest
than in earnest, it was transferred to the duke himself.
It had no reference whatever, at the outset, to any pecul-
iarities or assumed peculiarities in his disposition; though,
from the popular belief that he never entertained a single
generous feeling toward the masses, it is sometimes under-
stood as a figurative allusion to his supposed hostility to
the interests of the lower orders.
332. Where is the "Island of St. Brandan"?
This marvellous flying island, the subject of many tra-
ditions, is represented as about ninety leagues in length,
lying beyond the Canaries. This island appears on most
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 149
of the maps of the time of Columbus, and is laid down in
a French geographical chart of as late a date as 1755,
in which it is placed five degrees west of the island of
Ferro, in latitude twenty-nine degrees north. The name
St. Brandan, or Borandan, given to this imaginary island,
is said to be derived from an Irish abbot who flour-
ished in the sixth century, and concerning whose voyage
in search of the Islands of Paradise many legends are re-
lated. Many expeditions were sent forth in quest of this
mysterious island, the last being from Spain in 1721; hut
it always eluded the search. The Spaniards believe this
lost island to be the retreat of their KingRodrigo; the
Portuguese assign it to their Don Sebastian. " Its reality,"
says Irving, " was for a long time a matter of firm belief.
The public, after trying all kinds of sophistry, took refuge
in the supernatural to defend their favorite chimera. They
maintained that it was rendered inaccessible to mortals by
Divine Providence, or by diabolical magic. Poetry, it is
said, has owed to this popular belief one of its beautiful
fictions, and llie garden of Armida, where Kinaldo was de-
tained enchanted, and which Tasso places in one of the
Canary Isles, has been identified Avith the imaginary San
Borandan." The origin of this illusion has been ascribed
to certain atmospherical deceptions, like that of the Fata
Morgana.
333, Where is the " Island of the Seven Cities " ?
This imaginary island is the subject of one of the pop-
ular traditions concerning the ocean, which were current
in the time of Columbus. It is reiiresented as abounding
in gold, Avith magnificent houses and temples, and high
towers thai shone at a distance. The legend relates that
150 QUEER QUESTIONS AM) READY REPLIES.
at the time of the conquest of Spain and Portugal by the
Moors, when the inhabitants fled in every direction to es-
cape from slavery, seven bishops, followed by a great
number of people, took shipping and abandoned them-
selves to their fate upon the high seas. After tossing
about for a time, they landed upon an unknown island in
the midst of the ocean. Here the bishops burned the
ships to prevent the desertion of their followers, and
founded seven cities. This mysterious island is said to
have been visited at different times by navigators, who,
however, were never permitted to return.
334. Why has March 25 been adopted as " Moving
Day " in many parts of our country ?
Until the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, in 1752,
the English legal year began on the 25th of March.
Consequently on that day all leases, etc., expired, lands
changed hands, elc. This custom still survives in many
parts of our own country, and March 25 is our "Moving
Day." Under the name of Lady Day, the 25th of March
is still one of the regular quarter-days in England and
Ireland for the payment of rent.
335. Who was Lalla Rookh?
This heroine of a poem of the same name by Moore
is the daughter of the great Aurungzebe. She is be-
trothed to the young king of Bucharia, and sets forth,
with a splendid train of attendants, to meet him in the
delightful valley of Cashmere. To amuse the languor, or
divert the impatience of the royal bride, in the noontide
and night halts of her luxurious progress, a young Cash-
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 151
merian poet had been sent by the gaHantry of the bride-
groom, and recites, on these occasions, the several tales
that make up the bulk of the poem. With him she falls
desperately in love, and by the time she enters the lovely
vale of Cashmere, and sees the glittering palaces and
towers prepared for her reception, she feels that she would
joyfully forego all this pomp and splendor, and fly to the
desert with the youthful bard whom she adores. He,
however, has now disappeared from her side, and she is
supported, with fainting heart and downcast eye, into the
presence of her tyrant; when a well-known voice bids
her be of good cheer, and, looking up, she sees her
beloved poet in the prince himself, who had assumed this
gallant disguise, and won her affections without any aid
from his rank or her engagement.
336. Which is the " Land of Steady Habits "?
Connecticut is sometimes so designated, in allusion to
the moral character of its inhabitants.
337. Which is the " Lumber State " ?
Maine. The inhabitants of this State are largely en-
gaged in the business of cutting and rafting lumber, or
of converting it into boards, shingles, scantlings, and the
like.
338. What was the "Bible of the Greeks " ?
This name is sometimes applied to the works of Homer
and Hesiod, as they put into writing the beliefs concern-
ing the gods.
339. Who was the " Prince of Destruction "?
152 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
This name was conferred upon Tamerlane, or Timour
(1335-1405), one of the most culebrated of Oriental con-
querors, who overran Persia, Tartary, and Hindoslan, his
conquests exteuding from the Volga to the Persian Gulf,
and from the Ganges to the Archipelago. lie was pre-
vented only by the want of shipping from crossing into
Europe. lie died just as he was making vast preparations
for the invasion of China. No conquests were ever
attended with greater cruelty, devastation, and waste of
life.
340. What was the ' ' Luz " ?
This name was given by the old Jewish rabbins to an
imaginary little bone which they believed to exist at the
base of the spinal column, and to be incapable of destruc-
tion. To its ever-living power, fermented by a kind of dew
from heaven, they ascribed the resurrection of the dead.
"Hadrian (whose bones may tliey be ground, and his
name blotted out!) asked R. Joshua, Ben Ilananiah,
' How doth a man revive again in the world to come?'
He answered and said, 'From luz, in the backbone.'
Saith he to him, ' Demonstrate this to me.' Then he took
luz, a little bone out of the backbone, and put it in water,
and it was not steeped; he put it in the fire, and it was
not burned; he brought it to the mill, and that could not
grind it; he laid it on the anvil, and knocked it with a
hammer, but the anvil was cleft, and the hammer broken."
Lightfoot.
341. Who was the " Queen of Hearts " ?
Elizabeth, the daughter of James I., and the unfortu-
nate queen of Bohemia, was so engaging in her behavior,
that she was so called in the Low Countries. When her
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 153
fortunes were at the lowest ebb, she never departed from
her dignity; and poverty and distress seemed to liave no
other effect upon her but to render her more an object of
admiration than before.
342. Why is New Jersey sometimes called
*' Spain " ?
New Jersey receives this sobriquet from the fact that
Joseph Bonaparte, the eldest brother of Napoleon, and
ex-king of Spain, once occupied the extensive grounds
and mansion called Point Breeze, at Bordentown, in that
State. Here he lived for some years under the title of
Comte de Survilliers, endeared to the inhabitants by his
liberality and gracious manners, and he was elected to
many philanthropical and learned associations. An act
was passed in 1817 by the Legislature of New Jersey to
enable him, as an alien, to hold real estate.
343. Who were the " Roundheads " ?
In English history this nickname was given, in the
reign of Charles I., to the Puritans or parliamentary
party, who were accustomed to wear their hair cut close
to the head. The term was soon extended in its applica-
tion so as to include all the adherents of the Parliament,
whether Puritans or not. The origin of the term is not
certainly known. Some attribute it to the circumstance
that staid and serious j^ersons at the time of the civil wars
were used to wear black skullcaps reaching down to the
ears. Others say it was because the Puritans wore their
hair short, while the opposite party, the Cavaliers, Avore
theirs in long ringlets. According to Ilaydn, the Puritans
were in the habit of putting a round bowl or wooden dish
154 QUEER QUESTIONS AKD READY REPLIES.
upon their heads, and cutting their hair b}' the edge or
brim. Still another account is, Ihat Queen Henrietta
Maria, at Stratford's trial, asked " who that round-headed
man was," meaning Mr. Pym, her attention having been
directed to him " because he spake so strongly."'
344. "What was the origin of the expression " Simon
Pure " ?
This expression, which means '' the real man," had its
origin in the name of a Pennsylvania Quaker iu Mrs.
Centlivre's comedy, " A Bold Stroke for a AVife." Being
about to visit London to attend the quarterly meeting of
his sect, his friend, Aminadab Holdfast, sends a letter of
recommendation and introduction to another Quaker,
Obadiah Prim, a rigid and stern man, who is guardian of
Anne Lovely, a young lady worth £30,000. Colonel Feign-
well, another character in the same play, who is enamoured
of Miss Lovely and her handsome fortune, availing himself
of an accidental discovery of Holdfast's letter and of its
contents, succeeds in passing himself off on Prim as his
expected visitor. The real Simon Pure, calling at Prim's
house, is treated as an impostor, and is obliged to depart
in order to hunt up witnesses who can testify to his iden-
tity. Meantime Feignwell succeeds in getting from Prim
a written and unconditional consent to his marriage with
Anne. No sooner has he obtained possession of the doc-
ument, than Simon Pure reappears with his witnesses,
and Prim discovers the trick that has been put upon him.
34.5. What was the origin of the phrase " To catch
a Tartar '" ?
QUEER Questions and ready replies. 155
An Irish soldier, in a battle against the Turks, shouted
to his commanding officer that he had caught a Tartar.
"Bring him along, then," said the general. "But he
won't come." " Then come along yourself." " Arrah!
an' so I would, but he won't let me," answered Paddy.
Hence arose the saying "To catch a Tartar," meaning to
be outdone.
346. Which is the oldest street in New England?
Leyden Street, in Plymouth, Mass. It is so called in
memory of the Dutch city where the Pilgrim Fathers had
stopped for a season.
347. What was the origin of the phrase " To haul
over the coals " ?
One method of extorting money from the Jews, by the
kings or barons, was at one time to haul them over the
coals of a slow fire, until they yielded to their demands;
hence this phrase, meaning to scold, to take to task.
348. Which is the " Maiden Town " ?
Edinburgh is so styled from a monkish fable or tradi-
tion that it was once the residence of the daughters of
Pictish kings, who were sent to this stronghold for protec-
tion in times of war and trouble.
349. What was the '' War of the Roses " ?
This name is given to the civil war which raged in
England from the reign of Henry VI. to that of Henry
VII. (1452-148G), on account of the badges or emblems of
the parties to the strife, — that of the house of York being.
ix white rose, and that of the house of Lancaster a red rose.
156 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
350. "Which was the first American bird taken to
England ?
The turkey. When John Cabot returned from his dis-
covery of the American continent, he took two of these
birds and three savages as liis booty.
351. What was the origin of " S " ?
There are several theories for the origin of the sign of
the American dollar : —
1. That it is a combination of U. S., the initials of the
United States.
2. That it is a modification of the figure 8, the dollar
being formerly called a "/yiece of tt'jht^'' and designated
by the symbol |.
3. That it is derived from a representation of the
" Pillars of Hercules," consisting of two pillars connected
with a scroll. The old Spanish coins containing this were
called '■'■ jjiUar dollars.''^
4. Tliut it is a combination of H. S., the mark of the
Roman money unit.
.5. That it is a combination of P. and S. from the Span-
ish j^e.so duro, si'.'nifying hard djAlar. In Spanish accounts
peso is contracted by writing the S over the P, and pla-
cing it after the sum.
352. By whom was the Northeast Passage dis-
covered ?
By Prof. Adolph Eric Xordenskjold, a Swedish ex-
plorer, who left Gothenburg, Sweden, July 4, 1S78, in
command of the T'er/a, and arrived in .Japan in .July, 1879,
after lying locked up in the ice about nine months. There
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 157
were peculiarly favorable conditions which enabled him
to do what others have so often failed to do, but it is
something of a triumph to have in any case achieved a
work so hazardous and remarkable, and Prof, Nordensk-
joUl can enjoy a distinction which he has fairly and hon-
orably won.
353. "What kind of goblets were formerly considered
as preservatives against poison ?
Goblets made of rhinoceros horns were formerly held
in high estimation as preservatives against poison. The
kings of India were accustomed to have their wine served
up in these goblets, as they imagined that if any poison
were introduced into the cup, tlie liquid would boil over
and betray its presence.
354. What was the origin of the phrase "To have
a bone to pick with one " ?
A Sicilian father, at the marriage of his daughter, after
the feast gave the bridegroom a bone, saying, "• Pick this
bone, for you have undertaken a much harder task.''
Hence arose, it is said, the above phrase, meaning to have
an unpleasant afl'air to settle.
355. WTiat was the origin of the phrase " To throw
dust in one's eyes " ?
'' To throw dust in one's eyes " is to mislead. The
phrase arose from a Mohammedan practice of casting dust
into the air for the sake of "confounding" the enemies
of the faith.
156 QUEER QUESTIONS ANL) READY REPLIES.
356. What is the meaning of the phrase "By
hook or by crook " ?
It probably means " foully like a thief or holily like a
bishop," the hook being used by footpads, and the crook
being the bishop's crosier.
357. Who was the " Scourge of God " ?
This title is often given to -Attila, or Etzel,the famous
king of the Iluns, and one of the most formidable invad-
ers of the Roman Empire. His father, Mundzuk, was
succeeded by his brotheis Octar and Rbiia-; and on the
death of Ehuas, in 434, Attila and his brother Bleda
together ascended the throne. Their dominions are said
to have extended from the Rhine to the frontiers of Chinn.
Attila was superstitiously reverenced by his countrymen;
he was said to possess the miraculous iron sword of the
Scythian god of war, and he proclaimed himself to be the
man-child born at Engaddi, who was destined to rule over
the whole world. At the head of an army of 700,000
men he gradually concentrated on himself the awe and
fear of the whole ancient world, which ultimately expressed
itself by atfixing to his name the well-known epithet of
the " Scourge of God." This name was first given him,
it is said, by a hermit in Gaul. In the year 453, on the
night of his marringe to a beautiful Gothic maiden, called
Ildiko, or Hilda, he burst a blood-vessil, and expired, to
the unspeakable relief of both Europe and Asia. His
body was put in a coffin of iron, over which was one of
silver and a third of gold. He was buried secretly at
night together with a mass of treasure and arms, and the
captives who dug his grave were slaughtered by the Huns
in order to conceal his tomb.
QUEER QUESTIOXS AXD READY REPLIES. 169
358. Who bought the first United States postage
stamps ever sold ?
The first postage stamps in this country were issued in
accordance with an act of Congress, approved March 3,
1847. They were of five and ten cent denominations, and
the date of issue was appointed as July 1, but there was a
delay in the work and the time ran over a montli. On
the 5lh of August, the Hon. Henry Shaw, of Lanesbor-
ough, Mass., the father of the late well-known Henry
Shaw, Jr. ("Josh Billings"), called to see Postmaster-
General Jolmson on business. While there the printer
came in with several sheets of the stamps. Mr. Johnson
handed them to his visitor to inspect, and Mr. Shaw
bouglit two of the stamps, — the first two ever issued.
The five-cent stamp he kept as a curiosity, and the ten-
cent stamp he presented to Gov. Briggs, of Massachusetts.
359. Who have been the acting Vice-Presidents of
the United States during the several vacancies in that
oflfice?
William Harris Crawfoid, of Georgia, became Vice-
Prcsi'lent on the deatli of George Clinton, April 20, 1812;
and after the death of Eibi-idge Gerry, Nov. 23, 1814,
John Gaillard, of South Carolina, served as Vice-President
until March 4, 1817. After the resignation of John C.
Calhoun from that office on Dec. 28, 1832, it was held
by Hugh Lawson White, of Tennessee, until the 4th
of March, 1833. Samuel Lewis Southard, of New Jersey,
and Willie Person Mangum, of North Carolina, served
as Vice-Presidents during the administration of Tyler;
and William Rufus King, of Alabama, swerved in like
160 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
capacity duriug Fillmore's term. During the administra-
tion of Frankim Fierce, David R. Atchison, of Missouri,
and Jesse D. Bright, of Indiana, were acting Vice-Pres-
idents. During President Johnson's term, Lafayette
Sabine Foster, of Connecticut, and Benjamin Franklin
Wade, of Ohio, held the Vice-Presidency. The successor
of Henry Wilson, upon his death, Nov. 22, 1S75, was
Thomas W. Ferry, of Michigan. When Vice-President
Arthur hecame President, his successor was David Davis,
of Illinois, who was succeeded, in turn, by George F.
Edmunds, of Vermont. After the death of Vice-President
Hendricks, the Senate chose John Sherman, of Ohio, as
his successor.
3G0. Why are the ' ' Hoosiers " so called ?
The term " Hoosiers," as applied to the citizens of
Indiana, is derived either from husher, a term synonymous
throughout the West with bully or rough, as many of the
early settlers were bullies and men of great physical
strength, or from the rough exclamation of these people
when one knocked at a door, '' AVho 's yere V "
3G1, A71iy is the passion flower so called?
It was named by the early Spanish settlers, who fancied
it to be a representation of our Lord's passion.
The leaf is symbolic of the spear that pierced his side.
The five anthers, the marks of the wounds.
The tendrils, the cords or whips.
The column of the ovary, the upright of the cross.
The stamens, the hammers.
The three styles, the nails.
The filamentous i^rocesses, the crown of thorns.
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 161
The calyx, the glory or halo.
The white tint, purity.
The blue tint, heaven.
It remains open for three days and typifies his three
years' ministry.
362. Which is the " Petrified City " ?
Ishmonie, in Upper Egypt, is so called on account of a
great number of statues of men, women, children, and
animals, which are said to be seen there at this day, and
which, according to a popular superstition, were once
animated beings, but were miraculously changed into
stone in all the various postures and attitudes which were
assumed by them at the instant of their supposed tran-
Bubstantiation.
363. What was the origin of the phrase " That's
a feather in your cap " ?
" A feather in your cap " is a mark of distinction. It
originates with the wild tribes of Asia and America, who
add a new feather to their head dress for every enemy
slain. A Caufir of Cabul adorns himself with new
feathers for every Mussulman killed by him. The custom
was a common one among the Lycians and other nations
of antiquity, and, in fact, in one form or another seems to
be almost universal at the present time.
364. Why is the Baldwin apple so called?
The famous Baldwin apple was discovered by Col.
Loammi Baldwin (1745-1807), a distinguished citizen of
Woburn, Mass. While surveying land in Wilmington (in
the same State), he observed a tree on the laud of James
11
162 QUEER QUESTIOW8 AKD RBADT RIPLIM.
Butters, much frequented by woodpeckers. Curiosity led
him to examine the tree, and he found thereon apples of
excellent flavor. The next spring he took from it scions
to engraft into stocks of his own. Others in his neighbor-
hood did the same till the apple was extensivel}' cultivated.
Some named the apple Butters' apple, from the locality of
the origiual tree; others called it Woodpecker's apple,
from the birds which caused the discovery; but one day,
at an entertainment of friends at the house of Col. Bald-
win, it was suggested that the name " Baldwin apple," in
honor of the discoverer, was the most appropriate, and it
has since been known by his name. The origiual tree
was destroyed by the famous September gale in 1815.
365. Why was the White House so called?
The home of the Presidents was named in honor of the
White House, the Virginia home of Martha Washington,
in New Kent County, in which her wedding occurred.
Washington had many pleasant memories of that resi-
dence, and it was he who suggested the buililing of a
" White House" for the Presidents. The house is con-
structed of Virginia freestone, which is excessively
porous, and consequently would be very damp in the inte-
rior, were it not for a thick coat of white lead, which is
applied about once in ten years at a great expense.
3G6. "Who was the first woman hung in the United
States ?
Mary Dyer, a Quakeress. On the 27th of October,
1659, a gallows stood on Boston Common, and three con-
demned Quakers, William Robinson, Marmaduke Steven-
son , and Mary Dyer, were led out to execution. They were
QUEER QCESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 163
accompanied by the trainband, and drums were beat to
drown their testimony. Tlie town was put under guard
of thirty-six soldiers against apprehended trouble. The
woman walked between her two companions, holding each
of them by a hand. The marshal asked her, "If she was
not ashamed to walk, hand in hand, between two young
men ? " She replied, " It is an hour of the greatest joy I
can enjoy in this world. No eye can see, no ear can hear,
no tongue can speak, no heart can understand, the sweet
incomes and refreshings of the Spirit of the Lord which
I now enjoy." The two men were hung and buried
beneath the gallows; but Mary D3'er, after having the
noose put round her neck, was pardoned and sent to
Rhode Island. The next spring she returned. On the
gallows the second time, June 1, 1660, she was oflfered her
life if she would promise to keep out of Massachusetts.
Her reply was, " In obedience to the will of the Lord I
came; and in his will I abide faithful to the death." She
did so.
367. AVho are the " Blue-Noses"?
This name is popularly given to the inhabitants of Nova
Scotia or New Brunswick. It is supposed to have been
originally applied from the effect upon the more prominent
parts of the face of the raw easterly winds and long-con-
tinued fogs which prevail in these provinces. Others say
that it was first applied to a particular kind of potatoes
which were extensively produced by the inhabitants, and
that it was afterwards transferred to the inhabitants them-
selves. Others trace its origin to the custom among cer-
tain tribes of the aborigines of painting the nose blue as a
punishment for a crime against chastity.
164 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
368. Who was the " Handsome Englishman "?
This name was given by Turenne to the celebrated
John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722), who
was no less distinguished for the singular graces of his
person, than for his brilliant courage, and his consummate
ability both as a soldier and a statesman.
369. What great general was fired at fifteen times
and yet escaped unhurt?
In the battle of Monongahela, July 9, 1755, an Indian
chief with his braves especially singled AVashington out.
Four balls passed through his clothes and two horses were
shot under him, yet he was not harmed. Fifteen years
later, Washington made an expedition to the Western
country with Dr. Craik, an intimate friend, and a party
of woodsmen, for the purpose of exploring wild lands.
While near the junction of the Great Kanawha and Ohio
Rivers, the old Indian chief came a "long way" to see
the man at whom he had fired a ritle fifteen times without
hitting him, adding that " he was then persuaded that the
youthful hero was under the special guardianship of the
Great Spirit, and immediately ceased to fire at him." He
was now come " to pay homage to the man, who was the
particular favorite of Heaven, and who could never die in
battle."
370. What was the origin of "bigot"?
This word is of uncertain and disputed etymology.
There are several theories of its origin.
1. That it was first applied to the Normans from the
oath uttered by RoUo, the first Duke of Normandy, who
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 165
was obliged to kiss the foot of liis father-in-law, Charles
the Foolish, in return for the province of Xeustria.
When told by his companions what he must do, he ex-
claimed, " Ne se, Bigot " (Xot so, by God): the king and
the court mockingly called him Bvjoth, whence the Nor-
mans were called Bigothi.
2. That it is from bigot, an old Norman word, signify-
ing as much as De par dieu, or our for GocVs sake, and sig-
nifying a hypocrite, or one that seemeth much more holy
than he is.
3. That it is a corruption of Yisigotha, in which the
fierce and intolerant Arianism of the Visigoth conqueror
of Spain is handed down to infamy. The woid hiijos
occurs in an old French romance, cited by Roquefort, in
the sense of a barbarous people.
4. That it is from the Low Latin Begictta, one of the
appellations of the nuns called Beguines, who, without
having taken monastic vows, were united for purposes of
devotion and charity, and lived together in houses called
heguinages.
5. That it is derived from the Italian higotto, or high-
iotto, a devotee, a hypocriie.
6. That it is from the Spanish higote, a whisker, hom-
hre de higote being a man of spirit.
371. Who was the " Beautiful Rope-maker " ?
This sobriquet was given to Louise Labb (1526-1566),
a French poetess, who married Ennemond Perrin, a rope
manufacturer. She wrote in three difterent languages.
She was distingnished for her extraordinary courage at the
siege of Perpiguan.
166 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
372. "What was the origin of the expression "A
Sardonic smile " ?
Some derive it from the Greek acaoEiv, to grin like a
dog; but the second and more probable derivation is that
it is from an herb growing in the island of Sardinia
(Greek I^agdco)- This herb, the Ranunculus sceleratus.
has, when eaten, a contractile power on the muscles vi
the body, and particularly those of the face, so that those
affected by it seem to laugh. It was an old belief that
those who eat it would die laughing, hence Homer first,
and others after him, call laughter wliich conceals some
noxious design Sardonican. This same plant has a caustic
power, so that if the fresh-pulled leaves are laid on the
skin, they produce pustules, as if caused by fire.
373. Who was the first circumnavigator of the
globe ?
Ferdinand Magellan, though he did not survive to
return home with his ship, well deserves the title of the
" first circumnavigator." He discovered the strait, which
now bears his name, Oct. 20, 1520, the day dedicated
in the Catholic calendar to .St. Ursula and her eleven
thousand virgins, hence he called it " The Strait of the
Eleven Thousand Virgins." The strait was passed Nov.
28; and though he had not quite reached the Spice Islands
when he fell in conflict with the people of the isle of Ma-
tan, April 27, 1521, his task was virtually accomplished, as
he had before been as far east as the Spice Islands. The
expedition, reduced from five ships and two hundred and
thirty-=:ix men to one vessel and eighteen men, reached
'"'an Likar, Spain, Sept. 6, 1522, after an absence of three
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 167
years lacking fourteen days, under the guidance of Juan
Sebastian del Cano. This vessel, the Vitoria, was the first
to make the circuit of the globe. As a reward Cano was
ennobled with the globe on his coat-of-arms, and the motto,
" Primus circumdedisti me."
374. Which is the " City of Oaks " ?
This name has been given to Raleigh, the capital of
North Carolina, which possesses many fine streets shaded
with native oaks. These oaks were wisely spared during
the first settlement, and have since attained a giant
growth.
375. Why was Gen. Grant sometimes called "Un-
conditional Surrender " Grant ?
The origin of this sobriquet is to be found in the fol-
lowing note: —
Headquakters, Army in the Field,
Camp Near Donelson, Feb. 16, 1862.
Gen S B. Buckker,
Confederate Army.
Sir, — Yours of this date proposing armistice, and
appointment of commissioners, to settle terms of capitu-
lation, is just received. No terms except an unconditional
and immediate surrender can be accepted.
I propose to move immediately ui)on 3-our works.
I am, sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
U. S. GRANT,
Brig. Gen,
168 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
Gen. Buckner surrendered Fort Donelson and fifteen
thousand men the same day, and after that U. S. Grant \v;;s
often said to signify " Unconditional Surrender " Grant.
376. When, where, and by whom was the first
watch made ?
"Watches were first made at Nuremberg, Germany, in
1477, by Peter Hele, a cl ck-niaker, and were accounted
"a wonder of the world."' It required nearly a yeai's
labor to produce the first watch. It varied nearly an hour
a day from the true time, and required winding twice a
day. The price set upon it and its fellows by the inventor
was equal to SI, 500 in gold at the present day. It was
egg-shaped and about the size of a goose egg, hence it
was sometimes called the " Nuremberg animated egg."
The statement made by some, that Robert, king of Scot-
land, had a watch about the year 1310, is doubtless errone-
ous. The invention of spring watches has been ascribed
to Dr. Hooke, and by some to Huygens, about 1658; the
anchor escai)ement was invented by Clement, in 1680;
the horizoulal watch by Graham, in 1724; the repeating
watch by Barlowe, in 1G76; and Harrison produced his
first timepiece in 1735.
377. What famous men of antiquity were killed by
lice?
Lice appear to have been a great plague among the
ancients, and many persons suffered from the disease now
known as Morbus pediculosus, or Phthiriasis. Among the
most famous persons who died of this " creeping sick-
ness " were Acast. s, the son of Pclias, Alcman the poet,
Pherecydes the theologian, Callisthenes the Olynthian,
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 169
Mucius the lawyer, Eunus the fugitive, who stirred up
the slaves of Sicily to rebel against their masters, and
Lucius Cornelius Sulla, dictator of Kome, although the
immediate cause of the latter's death was the bursting of
a blood-vessel. Plutarch thus describes, in substance, the
case of Sulla. In consequence of his excesses, his cor-
rupted flesh at length broke out into lice. Many were
employed day and night in destroying them, but the work
so multiplied under their hands, that not only his clothes,
baths, basins, but his very flesh was polluted with that flux
and contagion, they came swarming out in such numbers.
He went frequently by day into the bath to scour and
cleanse his body, but all in vain; the evil generated too
rapidly and too abundantly for any ablutions to over-
come it.
378. Who was the " American Fabius " ?
This sobriquet is often given to George Washington,
whose military policy resembled that of the Roman gen-
eral Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, who conducted
operations against Hannibal by declining to risk a battle
in the open field, harassing him by marches, counter-
marches, and ambuscades.
379. Who were the " Seven against Thebes "?
They were the seven leaders of an expedition designed
to place Polynices on the throne of Thebes, from whic i
he had been driven by his brother Eteocles. Their nami>
were Adrastus, Amphiaraus, Capaneus, Hippomedon
(Argives), Parthenopseus (an Arcadian), Polynices (;i
Theban), and Tydeus (an ^olian). The expedition wa-
a failure, as the chiefs were arrogant and boastful, and
170 QUEEK QUESTIONS AND READV KKPLIES.
despised signs sent by the gods. Adraslus, "who escaped
by the swiftness of his horse Areion, the gift of Hercules,
was the only one saved. Ten years afterward, a second
expedition, conducted by their more pious sons, the
Epigoni, Avho acted in obedience to the will of heaven,
was crowned with success.
380. Who was the " Sage of Monticello"?
Thomas Jefferson (174.3-1826), third President of the
United states, was often so called from the name of his
country seat in Virginia, and in allusion to his wise states-
manship and great political sagacity.
381. What was the origin of the term "Johnnies,"
as applied to the Confederate soldiers during the late
Rebellion ?
This term Johnnies, or Johnny Rebs, is said to have
originated in a taunting remark addressed to a rebel
picket, to the eifect that the Southern States relied on
" John Bull '' to help them gain their independence,
and that the picket himself was no better than a " John
Bul>"; an accusation which he indignantly denied, saying
that he would " as soon be called a ' nigger ' as a ' Johnnv
Bull.'"
382. What was the '' Day of Corn-sacks "?
The 3d of January, 1591, is so called, in French history,
from an attempt made by Henry IV. to surprise Paris on
that day. Some of his officers, disguised as corn dealers,
with sacks on their shoulders, endeavored to get possession
of the gate St. Honore; but they were recognized, and
obliged to make a hasty retreat.
<iUBSR ^iUESTIONS AND READY KEPLIB8. 171
383. Who we'-e tb^ " Copperheads"?
This popular iiickriap-.e originated in the time of the
late Rebellion, and was applied to a faction in the North,
which was very generally coui^idercd to be in secret sym-
pathy with the Rebellion, and to give it aid and comfort
by attetni)ting to thwart the measures of the government.
The name is derived from a poisonous serpent, called the
copperhead (Tfigonocephalus contortrix), whose bite is
considered as deadly as that of the rattlesnake and whose
geographical range extends from forty-five degrees north
to Florida. The copperhead, unlike the rattlesnake, gives
no warning of its attack, and is, therefore, the type of a
concealed foe.
384. What was '^ Symnes' Hole " ?
An enormous opening imagined by Capt. John Cleve
Symnes (1780-1829), a visionary American theorizer, to
exist in the crust of the earth at eighty-two degrees north.
Through this opening, he thought a descent might be
made into tlie interior of the globe, which he supposed to
be peopled with plants and animals, and to be lighted by two
small subterranean planets, named Pluto and Proserpine,
which diffused a mild radiance.
385. Who is the " Quaker Poet " ?
This name is often given to John Greenleaf Whittier,
a noted American poet, who was born of Quaker parent-
age and is a member of the Society of Friends.
The name was also given to Bernard Barton (1784-
1840), an English poet of some no e, and a member of the
Society of Friends. His poems fill eight or nine volumes,
the " Household Verses " being among his best produc-
tions
172 ' QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
386. Who was the " Newton of Antiquity " ?
This title has been given to Hipparchus, who flourished
in the second century B. C. He was the most celebrated
of the Greek astronomers. He calculated the length of
the year to within six minutes, discovered the precession
of the equinoxes, and made the first catalogue of the
stars, 1081 in number.
387. What are the eight motions of the earth?
1. Diurnal rotation on its axis.
2. Annual revolution in its orbit.
3. Precession of the equinoxes, which requires 25,816
years for the equinoctial points to make a complete revo-
lution of the ecliptic.
4. Change of perihelion. In the year 4089 B. C. the
earth was in perihelion at the autumnal equinox. It is
now in perihelion on the 1st of January. In the year
17267 A, D., the long cycle of 21,356 years will be com-
pleted, and for the first time since the ci'eation of man
the autumnal equinox will coincide with the earth's peri-
helion.
5. Change in the obliquity of the ecliptic. The orbit
of the earth vibrates backward and forward, each oscilla-
tion requiring a period of about 10,000 years.
6. Nutation caused by the moon. This movement
requires eighteen and three fourths years for completing
a revolution.
7. Planetary perturbations.
8. Translation through space, the greatest of all.
388. Which is the floral emblem of the United
States ?
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 173
The violet is the national emblematic flower of our
country. Perhaps it is symbolic of the native modesty of
Americans.
389. Who was the first white child born in America ?
The first of which we have any record was Snorre
Thorfinnsox, who was born at Straumfjord (Buzzard's
Bay), in the present State of Massachusetts, in the year
1008. He was the son of Thorfinn Karlsefne and his
wife Gudrid. From him the famous sculptor, Albert
Thorwaldsen, is lineally descended, besides a long train
of learned and distinguished men, who have flourished
during the last eight centuries in Iceland and Denmark.
390. What king wrote an essay against tobacco?
King James I., of England, issued in 1616 a Counter-
hlaste to Tobacco, in which he describes its use as " a cus-
tom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to
the brain, dangerous to the lungs, and in the black, stink-
ing fume thereof nearest resembling the horrible Stygian
smoke of the pit that is bottomless."
391. What metals are valued at over $1,000 a
pound ?
Vanadium, — a white metal discovered in 1830, is valued
at $10,000 an avoirdupois pound.
Rubidium, — an alkaline metal, so called from exhibiting
dark red lines in the spectrum analysis, S9,070.
Zirconium, — a metal obtained from the mineral zircon
and hyacinth, in the form of a black powder, $7,200.
Lithium, — an alkaline metal, the lightest metal known,
S7,000.
174 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
Glucinum, — a metal in the form of a grayish-black
powder, $5,400.
Calcium, — The metallic base of lime, $4,500.
Strontium, — a malleable metal of a yellowish color,
$4,200.
Terbium, — obtained from the mineral gadolinte, found
in Sweden, $4,080.
Yttrium, — discovered in 1828, is of a grayish-black
color, and its lustre perfectly metallic, $4,080.
Erbium, — a metal found associated with yttrium, $3,400.
Cerium, — a metal of high specific gravity, a grayish-
white color, and a lamellar texture, $3,400.
Didymium, — a metal found associated with cerium,
$3,200.
Ruthenium, — of a gray color, very hard and brittle ;
extracted from the ores of platinum, $2,400.
Kiobium, — previously named columbium, first discov-
ered in an ore found at New London, Conn., $2,300.
Rhodium, — of a white color and metallic lustre, and
extremely hard and brittle. It requires the strongest heat
that can be produced by a wind furnace for its fusion,
$2,200.
Barium, — the metallic base of baryta, $1,800.
Palladium, — a metal discovered in 1803, and found in
very small grains, of a steel-gray color and fibrous struc-
ture, $1,400.
Osmium, — a brittle, gray-colored metal, found with
platinum, the most infusible of known metals, $1,300.
Iridium, — found native as an alloy, with osmium, in
lead-gray scales, $1,000.
302. Wliich is the " Granite Citv " ?
QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES. 176
Aberdeen, Scotland, is so called, because the material
employed in its buildings consists chiefly of light gray na-
tive granite. This granite has been quarried near this
city for over three hundred years.
393. Where is the '-Gate of Tears" ?
Bab-el-Mandeb (i. e., the "Gate of Tears") is the
strait which connects the lied vSea with the Indian Ocean.
It derives its name from the dangers attending its navi-
gation, or according to an Arabic legend, from tlie num-
bers who were drowned by the earthquake which separated
Asia and Africa.
394. What philosopher thought the sun was a huge
fiery stone ?
Anaxagoras (500-428 B. C.) taught that the heavens
consisted of a solid vault of stones, elevated above the
earth by the surrounding ether, and that the sun was a
huge fierj'' stone about the size of the Morea, the southern
part of Greece. For this theory he suffered banishment,
as the Greeks thought it impious thus to rob the sun,
which they believed to be Apollo, of his divinity.
895. Who was Zopyrus?
This distinguished Persian, noted for his remarkable
i' stratagem, was the general of Darius Hystaspis. After
■ his master had besieged Babylon, which had revolted from
; him for twenty months in vain, Zopyrus resolved to gahi
; the place by the most extraordinary self-sacrifice. Ac-
cordingly, one day he appeared before Darius, with his
. body mutilated in the most horrible manner ; both lii^
'. ears and his nose were cut off, and his person otherwise
176 QUEER QUESTIONS AND READY REPLIES.
disfigured. After explaining to Darius his intentions, he
fled to Babylon as a victim of the cruelty of the Persian
king. The Babylonians gave him their confidence, and
placed him at the head of their troops. He soon found
means to betray the city to Darius, who severely punished
the inhabitants for their revolt, and appointed Zopyrus
satrap of Babylon for life, with the enjoyment of its en-
tire revenues.
396. How did the swallow obtain its name?
According to Scandinavian tradition, this bird hovered
over the cross of our Lord, crying "Nt"aZ«/ svala!^^
("console ! console I '') whence it was called svalow^ the
bird of consolation.
There is a curious story that this bird brings home from
the sea-shore a stone that gives sight to her fledglings.
" Seeking -with eager eyes that wondrous stone which the swallow
Brings from the shore of the sea to restore the sight of its
fledglings."
LONQFELLOW'S EvANGELINB.
397. Who was the " Sailor King " ?
William TV. of England was so called, because he en-
tered the navy in 1779, at fourteen 3-cars of age, and con-
tinued in the service till 1827. He passed from the rank
of a midshipman to that of a captain by regular promo-
tion. In 1801 he was made admiral of the fleet, and in
1827, lord high admiral.
398. What became of the chains of Columbus?
Columbus was carried home in chains from his third
voyage. Alonzo de Villejo, captain of the caravel in
which the illustrious prisoner sailed, would have removed
QUEER QUESTIONS AXD READY REPLIES. 177
the fetters ; but Columbus would not cousent to this. He
would wear them, he said, until their Eoyal Highnesses,
by whose orders the}^ had been affixed, should order their
removal ; and he would keep them ever afterward " as
relics and as memorials of the reward of his services."
According to his sou Fernando, he always kept them
hanging in his cabinet, and he requested that when he
died they might be buried with him.
399. Which is the Samian letter?
The letter Y. It was so called because its Greek origi,
nal was used by Pythagoras, the philosopher of Samos-
as an emljlem of the straight, narrow path of virtue,
which is one, but if once deviated from, the farther the
lines are extended the wider becomes the breach.
" When reasorr, doubtful, like the Samian letter,
Points him two ways, the narrower, the better."
Pope's Dunciad.
The same letter was also used to represent the sacred
triad, formed by the duad proceeding from the monad. It
is sometimes called the Pythagorean letter.
400. What was the origin of the term "'Mugwump" ?
This was a word borrowed from the Indians by the
New England pioneers. It meant "chief," "head of
all," in the Indian tongue; and was used by the pioneers
humorously, much as a person does "Big Injun" when
he intends to be jocose.
Finis.
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