682 Mormons at New York, being the fourth company that has been brought
over this year. H. H. Evans, the secretary, said that there were in
the company 269 British, 106 Swiss and Germans, 284 Scandinavians, and
23 returning missionaries. “Every emigrant,” he added, “paid his or
her passage over. No aid is afforded them by the Mormon Church. The
majority have a little money with them, enough to establish themselves
in America. They will locate in sixteen towns in Utah. All we do is
to protect them while traveling from Liverpool to Utah. Some of these
immigrants have been years laying up money to pay their passage to this
country.” One of the Mormon immigrants did not go through to Utah. Her
name is Regina Andersen. She is a Swedish woman, spinster, thirty-five
years of age, and is afflicted with blindness. Her brother Leander and
her sister Anna, who live in Philadelphia, had heard of her intention
to go to Utah and were at Castle Garden to intercept her before the
“Nevada” arrived. They insisted upon talking with their blind sister,
and soon succeeded in persuading her to abandon the Mormon proselytes
and prepare to go with her relatives to Philadelphia. The Mormon
missionaries were strongly opposed to the woman leaving the party,
but the matter was brought before Superintendent Jackson, and the
woman was permitted to go to Philadelphia with her brother. She had
prepaid her passage to Salt Lake and did not receive her money back. In
conversation with a reporter the woman appeared not to know anything
about the peculiar institution of the Mormon Church—polygamy. Congress
could quite as consistently, and with better results to the country,
enact a law to prevent this kind of emigration, than the one they have
leveled against the Chinese. Why not meet Mormonism at New York harbor
and prevent this infamous traffic in human lives?
* * * * *
The Rev. Henry A. Powell, in his Congregational church in Williamsburg,
on a Sunday in September discussed “The sorrows of the Free Thinkers
as revealed at their recent convention,” from this suggestive text:
“The show of their countenances doth witness against them.” He stated
that over their platform were hung the pictures of Thomas Paine, R.
G. Ingersoll, and D. M. Bennett—Paine author of a book against the
Bible—Ingersoll, dispenser of blasphemy—Bennett, who not long since
served a term in the penitentiary for sending foul literature through
the mails. “How much better than such visionary wanderings is the old
story of a living Father in heaven, of a Savior who suffered on the
cross, and angel visitants to lead us from the life mortal to the life
immortal.”
* * * * *
We call the attention of our readers to the notice elsewhere
in this number of the “Chautauqua School of Languages,” the
different departments of which are to be organized into schools of
correspondence, so that students may, at their homes, study Hebrew,
German, French, etc., by corresponding with competent teachers. This
is a rare opportunity for members of the C. L. S. C., or any others
who desire, to study the languages, but are denied the privileges of
the schools. Next month we shall introduce the “Normal Work” into THE
CHAUTAUQUAN, in a few initial chapters, from the pens of Rev. Dr.
Hurlbut and Prof. R. S. Holmes, and thus extend to our readers through
the year the privilege of pursuing this course, which is a main feature
of the summer assemblies.
* * * * *
The telegraph operators have by their strike provoked a general
discussion in the press of the telegraph system of the country, besides
exciting the attention of Postmaster-General Gresham, who promises to
discuss in his annual report to Congress the practicability of the
general government assuming control of all telegraph lines as it does
of the postal service. It ought to work as well in the United States as
it does in England. Mr. Fawcett, Postmaster-General of Great Britain,
reports that “the number of telegraph messages sent in the United
Kingdom during the last year was 32,092,026.” Mr. Fawcett says that it
has been decided that as soon as the necessary increase of plant can be
made, the minimum charge for inland telegrams will be reduced from 24
to 12 cents.
* * * * *
A correspondent says, under date of September 9: “The last spike on the
Northern Pacific Road was driven this afternoon on the Pacific slope of
the Rocky Mountains, 2,500 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, and 800 miles
from the Pacific, and 91 years after the idea of a highway from the
Lakes to the Pacific was first suggested by Thomas Jefferson.”
* * * * *
Analogous to the Normal Class Bible work of the Chautauqua University
is a new movement in Russia. An organization called the _Stundists_
bind themselves to devote an hour (_stunde_) every day to the study of
the Bible. The society has grown to immense proportions, and is said to
have reclaimed whole villages from drunkenness and crime.
* * * * *
Keshub Chunder Sen, the famous leader of the Brahmo Somaj, is about to
visit Europe and America again, to preach a new development of faith,
in which Hinduism and Christianity are to be combined. Little good, we
fear, will result from the Baboo’s advocacy of an eclectic system; for
his adherents will be content to stop in that dim twilight instead of
advancing into the full glory of the divine day. The teaching of the
leader himself seems latterly to have degenerated into ceremonialism,
and he attributes marvelous influence to external things; while some of
his followers are giving themselves up with the wildest enthusiasm to
perfect a sacred dance of a complex kind, organized with rotating rings
of participants dressed in garbs of varied hue. All this mummery is a
sad disappointment for those who hoped that Chunder Sen might destroy
heathenism besides purifying it.
* * * * *
The Louisville _Courier_ of August 9, referring to the great
Exposition, speaks thus of one of the exhibitions: “Last night the
electric railway was in operation, and the locomotive with two
cars attached made the tour of the park. To-day it will be running
constantly, and visitors will see what is the latest achievement of
science. It is an event of extraordinary interest. It is the practical
demonstration of the power of electricity applied as a motor. Without
fire or smoke, with no visible agent to propel it, moved by an unseen
and even as yet an almost unknown influence, it follows the path marked
out with all the celerity and certainty demanded by the most cautious
and practical.”
* * * * *
The directors of the Western Union Telegraph Company have made
a concession to their employes by issuing the following order:
“Commencing to-day (September 1), seven and a half hours actual service
in this office during week nights will constitute a day’s work, or,
in other words, the hours of the night force will be from 5:30 p. m.
till 1:30 a. m., allowing thirty minutes for lunch. Sunday service
will be paid for the same as other over-time services, at the rate of
one-seventh of a day’s pay for each hour. All payments for over-time,
including Sunday service, or for a fractional part of a month, will be
based upon the number of week days in the month.”
* * * * *
Professor Bell is reported as saying in a recent conversation that
there are more than 500,000 telephones in use in the United States, and
the manufacturers are unable to supply the demand so as to keep abreast
of orders. He said that the progress of the telephone would have been
greater but for the opposition of the telegraph companies, who regarded
it as, in part, a competitor instead of an ally. In other countries
the telegraph companies had very generally adopted the telephone as an
auxiliary, especially at city branch offices and at small offices in
the country.
* * * * *
Lord Chief Justice Coleridge, of England, is in this country, a guest
of the American bar. English judges may be aristocrats, but they are
generally above corruption. It is to be hoped that American ideas of
judicial dignity and honor will be raised by what they may observe in
this chief of the English bench.
* * * * *
Not a few Americans were astonished at the display of local
manufactures which Ireland exhibited in the Boston “Foreign Art and
Industrial Exhibition.” Among the objects were bog-wood ornaments,
hair ornaments, furniture, marbles, sculpture, etc. The variety of
work suggests that in the not distant future the distressed country
will have manufactures and arts to employ its people. Its resources
are particularly fitted to certain arts. Thus few countries boast so
great a variety of marbles; its clay is particularly suitable for
modeling: osiers grow readily on its soil, and the natural woods are
incomparably fine. With these industries developed, and a system of
railroads through the country, much would be done toward settling the
Irish question.
* * * * *
When a woman marries, and learns that in the race of life she is
better qualified to earn the family living than her husband, it will
be helpful to have a precedent at hand by which to govern her husband.
Here is one, taken from the communication of a successful working
woman to a Boston exchange. She says: “I am a milliner, and have made
between $1,500 and $2,500 a year in my business for some time past. I
married four years ago. My husband is kind and good looking, but he
never learned any trade, had no profession and could not average $500
a year. I loved him, however, but I saw that it would not do to depend
upon him, so I kept on with my business. After a time I think he got
a little lazy, and as we were both away during the day, we could not
keep house and got sick of boarding. Finally I proposed that he should
keep house and I would run the business and find the money. We have
now lived very happily in this way for two years. My husband rises and
builds the fire, gets breakfast, and I leave at 7:45 for my place of
business. He does the washing, ironing, and cleaning, and I do not know
of any woman who can beat him. He is as neat as wax, and can cook equal
to any one in town. It may be an isolated case, but I think the time
has now come when women who have husbands to support should make them
do the work; otherwise they are luxuries we must do without.”
EDITOR’S TABLE.
Q. What is the meaning of boycotting?
A. Boycott was the name of an Irish landlord whose tenants refused to
gather his crops, and endeavored to prevent his doing it. To withhold
help and patronage, or in any way to obstruct or hinder the business of
another—a meanness that is despicable—is to treat him as the tenants
treated Mr. Boycott.
Q. Was General Grant the author of the expression, “We have met the
enemy and they are ours?”
A. The above is very like to Cæsar’s “_veni, vidi, vici_,” and as a
general’s report of a great victory just won, is remarkable for its
comprehensive brevity. The words, though in harmony with the character
and sayings of General Grant, were not, if used, original with him, but
should be credited to Commodore Perry.
Q. Why was the son of Edward III. called the Black Prince?
A. Because of his black armor.
Q. Was Alexander of Macedon, who informed the Greeks before the battle
of Platea of the intended attack, their ally?
A. Not openly; but secretly he was, or the information would not have
been given.
Q. Where is the mountain lake Shawangunk?
A. The Shawangunk (Shon-gum) mountain is properly a continuation of the
Appalachian, or Allegheny chain in New York. Like the Adirondacks and
Catskills, south of the Mohawk, also outliers of the chain, it seems
separated by intervening lands of lower elevation, and the relationship
is shown by similarity of the geological formation. Look for the lake
in the same region. It is probably small, and may not be found on most
maps.
Q. Was it not Leonidas who, before the battle of Thermopylæ, said,
“The Persians are so numerous that their arrows will darken the sun?”
A. No. Those words may intimate fear of the overwhelming force of the
enemy, and the Greek historian does not mention their author, but says
that on hearing them, a brave Spartan replied: “All the better, as we
will then fight in the shade.”
Q. Which construction? “Thus were music and poetry born in the same
family, and we shall notice how that they have clung to each other,” or
“how they have clung?”
A. The latter is preferred. The conjunctive particle is not needed,
and though occasionally thus used by a good writer, only encumbers the
sentence.
Q. Who was Caius Cestius?
A. A wealthy Roman citizen of the Augustan age, a client of Cicero, of
not much distinction, though rich. A part of his estate was employed in
building for him a fine mausoleum, which remains to the present day,
though most of the contemporaneous surrounding structures have long
been in ruins. Near it lie the ashes of Keats and Shelly. After the
death of Keats, Shelly wrote of his friend: “He lies in the lovely,
romantic cemetery of the Protestants of Rome, near the tomb of Caius
Cestius, and within the mossy walls and towns, now mouldering and
desolate, which formed the circuit of ancient Rome. The cemetery is an
open space among the ruins, covered in winter with violets and daisies.
It might make one in love with death to think of being buried in so
sweet a place.”
Q. Can you give the date of Mrs. Browning’s birth in 1809?
A. We can not. No records now at hand give the day or month. It is
not best to be greatly troubled over our want of information on the
subject, as it is quite safe to conclude she was “well born” some time
during the year mentioned. Many other eminent writers have gone into
history with the same uncertainty as to the day of their birth.
Q. In whose hands was the government of the United States from 1783 to
1789?
A. Nominally in the Continental Congress—a kind of quasi central
government. Practically in the hands of the colonists and their
legislators. The war was ended and the United States acknowledged a
free, sovereign, and independent nation. But they were, as yet, united
only by the “articles of confederation” adopted in 1778; a bond of
union that was soon found inadequate to secure a strong, permanent
government amidst the perils that threatened the new republic. The
regulation of commerce, the adjustment of difficulties between
States, and the public defense were not sufficiently provided for.
Congress could devise and recommend measures, but had little power
to legislate, even on subjects that concerned the whole. There was
still more need of an efficient executive department. Feeling that the
articles of confederation were, in the changed state of the country,
no longer sufficient, the leading statesmen wisely framed, and the
country adopted the American Constitution, giving us a strong central
government, with the least possible surrender of rights by the States
thus united.
Q. Was there any reason for calling Alexander the Great a Greek?
A. Alexander was not a Greek, though educated by Greek teachers, and,
as other Macedonians, using the Greek language. Macedon was not a part
of Greece, but held Greece as a dependency, and used her power in
expelling the Persians.
Q. After the confusion of tongues and the dispersion of mankind, into
what families lingual were they divided?
A. Into _Shemetic_, _Hametic_, and _Japhetic_. The descendants of Shem
peopled central Asia, particularly the parts about the Euphrates.
The dialect or language called Aramaic prevailed in their northern
and northeastern territory, the Arabic in their southern, and in
their central and western the Hebrew. These are cognate languages,
and profitably studied in connection. The descendants of Japheth
spread over Europe and the northwest of Asia. Those of Ham occupied
the southern part of the globe, particularly Africa. The languages
spoken in these sections, respectively, may also be grouped together,
and, however different, give evidence of a common origin. The general
division into the above three classes has been found convenient, though
the patronymics are used only to indicate remote origin and kinship.
C. S. L. C. NOTES ON REQUIRED READINGS FOR OCTOBER.
HISTORY OF GREECE.
Instead of indicating the sounds of the vowels in the Greek and Latin
names given in the notes, we follow the plan of Webster’s Unabridged
Dictionary, giving rules for pronouncing the vowels and consonants.
As the two principal marks ([= ][) ]) are in Greek and Latin used
differently from what they are in English, indicating the _quantity_
instead of _quality_, it will be found less confusing to adopt this
method.
RULES FOR THE VOWELS.
1. Any vowel at the end of an accented syllable, and _e_, _o_, and _u_,
at the end of an unaccented syllable, have the long English sound.
2. _A_, ending an unaccented syllable, has the sound of _a_ in
_father_, or in _last_.
3. _I_, ending a final syllable, has the long sound. At the end of an
initial unaccented syllable it varies between _i_ long and _i_ short
(like _i_ in _pin_). In all other cases _i_, ending an unaccented
syllable, is short.
4. _Y_ is like _i_ in the same situation.
5. _Æ_ and _æ_ like _e_ in the same situation.
6. If a syllable end in a consonant the vowel has the short English
sound.
7. _E_, in final _es_, like _e_ in Andes.
RULES FOR CONSONANTS.
1. _C_, before _e_, _i_, _y_, _æ_, _œ_, is pronounced like _s_; before
_a_, _o_, and _u_, and before consonants, like _k_.
2. _G_, before _e_, _i_, _y_, _æ_, and _œ_, or another _g_ followed
by _e_, has the sound of _j_; before _a_, _o_ and _u_, and consonants
other than _g_, the hard sound.
3. _Ch_ is like _k_, but is silent before a mute at the beginning of a
word.
4. Initial _x_ is like _z_.
5. _T_, _s_, and _c_, before _ia_, _ie_, _ii_, _io_, _iv_, and _ev_,
preceded immediately by the accent, change into _sh_ and _zh_; but when
the _t_ follows _s_, _t_, or _z_, or when the accent falls on the first
of the vowels following, the consonant preserves its pure sound.
6. Initial _ph_, before a mute, is silent.
P. 1—“Autonomy,” au-tŏn´o-my. The word is formed from the Greek
words for _law_ and _self_ and means a law unto one’s self, or
self-government.
P. 1—“Koroneia” or Coronea, cor=´=o-ni´a.
P. 2—“Antalkidas,” an-tal´ci-das.
P. 2—“Phœbidas,” phœb´i-das. A Lacedæmonian of whom nothing of
importance is known save his part in the seizure of Thebes. Phœbidas
was slain in battle by the Thebans in 378.
P. 2—“Leontiades,” le-on-ti´a-des; “Ismenias,” is-me´ni-as;
“Pelopidas,” pe-lop´i-das; “Mellon,” mel´lon; “Charon,” ka´ron;
“Gorgias,” gor´gi-as; “The´o-pom´pus.”
P. 3—“Hegemony,” he-gĕm´o-ny. Leadership. Formed from the Greek word
for guide or leader.
P. 3—“Polymnis,” po-lym´nis.
P. 3—“Sparti,” spar´ti; the sown-men. The dragon from which these
ancestors of the Theban patricians sprung guarded a well near the site
of the Cadmeia. The men whom Cadmus had sent there to draw water had
been killed by the monster, and in return Cadmus had slain it, sowing
its teeth as Minerva advised. Fearing the armed men which sprang forth
he caused a quarrel among them, in which all but five were slain.
P. 3—“Kadmus,” cad´mus. The mythical founder of Thebes, the son of a
king of Phœnicia and the brother of Europa.
P. 3—“Simmias,” sim´mi-as. The two principal speakers, besides
Socrates, in Plato’s “Phædon” are Simmias and his brother.
P. 3—“Tarentine,” ta-ren´tine; “Spin´tha-rus.”
P. 3—“Grote.” (1794-1871.) An English historian, famous chiefly for his
History of Greece.
P. 4—“Lysis,” ly´sis. An eminent philosopher driven out of Italy about
510 B. C., during the persecution of the Pythagorean club. He spent
the remainder of his life in Thebes, where he was held in the greatest
honor.
P. 4—“Pythagorean Brotherhood,” pyth´a-gō´re-an. See p. 119, Vol.
1, Timayenis. As a political and social power the brotherhood died out
before the death of Pythagoras, though the sect still lived and kept up
their religious observances.
P. 4—“Kadmeia,” cad-me´a.
P. 5—“Polybius,” po-lyb´i-us. (204-122 B. C.) A Grecian historian.
P. 6—“Leuktra,” luke´tra; “Mantineia,” man´ti-nei´a; “Megalopolis,”
meg=´=a-lop´o-lis; “Kleombrotus,” kle-om´bro-tus; “Agesilaus,”
a-ges-i-la´us; “Kithæron,” ci-thæ´ron; “Naxos,” nax´os; “Chabrias,”
cha´bri-as.
P. 7—“Timotheus,” ti-mo´the-us. The son of the famous general Conon.
P. 7—“Tegyra,” te-gy´ra; “Harmost,” har´most; “Orchomenus,”
or-chom´e-nus; “Polemarch,” pōl´e-march.
P. 8—“Chæroneia,” chær´o-ne´a.
P. 8—“Eurotas,” eu-ro´tas. The largest river of Laconia.
P. 9—“Zacynthus,” za-cyn´thus. Now Zante; called by Homer the “Woody
Zacynthus.”
P. 9—“Korkyra,” cor-cy´ra. Now the island of Corfu, one of the Ionian
islands belonging to the nomarchy Corfu of the kingdom of Greece.
P. 9—“Periplus,” pĕs. A rare word from the Greek, meaning to sail
around a sea or coast.
P. 9—“Iphikrates,” i-phic´ra-tes.
P. 9—“Poseidon,” po-si´don. The Neptune of Roman mythology, the god of
the sea.
P. 9—“Helike,” hel´i-ce; “Bu´ra.”
P. 10—“Kallias,” cal´li-as. An Athenian family famous through several
generations for its wealth.
P. 10—“Autokles,” au´to-cles; “Kallistratus,” cal-lis´tra-tus.
P. 10—“Bœotarch,” bœ-o´tarch. One of the chief civil officers of Bœotia.
P. 10—“Xenophon,” xen´o-phon.
P. 11—“Philo-Laconian.” Friendly to Laconia.
P. 12—“Ephors,” ěf´or.
P. 14—“Helikon,” hel´i-con.
P. 14—“Kopais,” cop´a-is. The largest lake of Greece.
P. 14—“Kreusis,” creu´sis. The harbor of the city of Thespiæ.
P. 14—“Krissæan,” cris-sæ´an; “Thespiæ,” thes´pi-æ.
P. 16—“Deimon,” dei´mon; “Sphodrias,” spho´dri-as.
P. 16—“Kleonymus,” cle-on´y-mus. The dearest friend of Archidamus, the
son of Agesilaus.
P. 17—“Ægospotami,” æ´gos-pot´a-mi.
P. 17—“Peiræus,” pi-ræ´us. The principal harbor of Athens, situated
about five miles southwest of the city.
P. 18—“Archidamus,” ar-chi-da´mus.
P. 18—“Pheræ.” A city of Thessaly, the site of the modern Velestino.
P. 18—“Ægosthena,” æ-gos´the-na.
P. 19—“Aristotle,” ar´is-to-tle.
P. 19—“Epiknemidian,” e-pic´ne-mid=´=ian; “O-pun´tian.” The inhabitants
of Eastern Locris were divided into two tribes: the Locri Epicnemidii,
inhabiting the northern and the Locri Opuntii the southern part.
P. 20—“Panarkadian,” pan-ar-ca´di-an. Belonging to all Arcadia.
P. 20—“Tegea,” te´ge-a; “He-ræ´a.”
P. 21—“Dorians,” do´ri-ans; “Lacedæmon,” lac´e-dæ=´=mon; “Kephisus,”
ce-phi´sus. There are four rivers in Greece which bore this name. One
the chief river of Bœotia, two in Attica (one of which is its chief
river, and the one here referred to), and a fourth in Argolis.
P. 22—“Phliasians,” phli-a´si-ans; “Helots,” hē´lots, or hĕl´ots;
“Kinadon,” cin´a-don.
P. 22—“Periœki,” per-i-œ´ci. From the same derivation we have the word
“periecians,” or “periœcians,” meaning those who dwell on the opposite
side of the globe, in the same parallel of latitude.
P. 22—“Ithome,” i-tho´me. A strong fortress had stood on the mountains
for centuries.
P. 23—“Peltasts,” pel´tasts; “Pol´y-phron”; “Pol´y-do´rus.”
P. 24—“Larissa,” la-ris´sa.
P. 24—“Pharsalus,” phar-sa´lus, now “Phersala.” Chiefly celebrated for
the battle fought there between Cæsar and Pompey in 48 B. C.
P. 24—“Aleuadæ,” a-leu´a-dæ; “Amyntas,” a-myn´tas; “Krannon,” cran´non;
“Eurydike,” eu-ryd´i-ce; “Perdikkas,” per-dic´cas; “Pausanias,”
pau-sa´ni-as.
P. 25—“Alorus,” a-lo´rus; “Oneium,” o-nei´um.
P. 26—“Pammenes,” pam´me-nes. A Theban general, and a friend of
Epaminondas.
P. 26—“Dyonysius,” di´o-nys´i-us.
P. 28—“Susa,” su´sa. The Shushan of the Old Testament; the winter
residence of the Persian kings.
P. 28—“Rescript.” The answer of the Roman emperor when consulted on any
question was called the _rescript_.
P. 29—“Drachmæ,” drăch´mæ. A silver coin of the Greeks, worth about
eighteen cents.
P. 30—“Chersonese,” cher´so-nese´; “Chalkidike,” chal-cid´i-ce.
P. 30—“Byzantium,” by-zan´ti-um. Now Constantinople.
P. 31—“Kynos Kephalæ,” cy´nos ceph´a-læ.
P. 31—“Magnesians.” The inhabitants of Magnesia, the most easterly
portion of Thessaly. It contained the two mountains, Ossa and Pelion.
P. 31—“Phthiotæ,” phthi-o´tæ.
P. 32—“Ænianes,” æ´ni-a´nes. An ancient race originally near Ossa, but
afterwards in Southern Thessaly.
P. 32—“Pallantium,” pal-lan´ti-um; “A´se-a.” Towns of Arcadia.
P. 33—“Isidas,” is´i-das.