Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-06-03

for notices over tous lines
OrthOgraphical Innovations.
Many celebrated persons, without entering
into au photographed crusade aud revolution
iziDg the Euglish spelling like James Ephln-
steuc, man of considerable learniug-who
commenced a treatise on that subject thus
10 dhcze hoo pcz,s dhe large w,rk, sue
cnct vew of luglish photography may be az
piczng, as to odiers Indispensable, have,
nevertheless, in aquiet way, entered their lro-
test against the fashion OF their time Milton
wrote sovrau, for INSTANCE, therefor, hightb, III
which last be was followed by Laudor. who al
so wrote Aristotles on analogy OF Empedocles,
which is rarely, except in ayouog ladies nnlsh,
ing school, pronounced Empedocle, though he
hcstated to write Brute or Lucrece on the
analogy OF Terence, nor 90 the analogy OF PIlny
did he venture TO speak of Marus by that
name for which Byron cunleSses Ills preteren.
tial passion. Tcuuy son has adopted plow The
timid Cowper was bold enough to write Greco.
iau in his translation of Homer, after the fash
ion of Greece. Larduer wrote cIandestln,
famin, (iu words of this kind the hoa ''e''
seems not only useless but iljurlous,) per3ue,
sale, piasface 4 sample OF Mltt3rd'> pecu-
liari,ies Is iiaud, cDdevor. He considered Inc
IS in the former word, what indeed 1t Is,
graft of ignorance. Hare, lately followed by
Furnival, held it so much OF a baseness to spell
lashiouably that he rouudly abused sucn pot.
bcllicd words as spelled for spelt in the pre-
terites Of weak verbs, aud gave US prcacht,
etc, with such genltve plurals as genluses,
and threw into the bargain luvey and
atcheye He also maintained that mute
''c'' should be expunged when not soften
inga preceding consonaut, or lengthcunga pre-
ccding vowel. byron, fading it impossible to
determine but from the context whether read
be past or present, wrote radde, though lie
might have written red Ike led, there bciug
little fear of its being coniounded will the color.
Thirlwail inveishcd against cur established
SYSTEM if the result oil custom and accident
may be called system. as mass oil anomalies,
the growth Of ignoranc: aud chance, equally
repugnant to good taste aud common sense.
But Notwithstanding the good bishops TRADES,
the British public never, never will be slaves,
even to an academy. They cling to their old
spelling with an impuIslon propoTtioned to its
Inconvenience, and are as Jealous of any en-
croachmcnt on their preScriptive domain as OF
trespass on their right III the pubic parks.
We knew what would become OF Eoghsh 10y
atty if her most gracious majesty were to take
it toto her royal head TO close ST. Jamess.
Tyrwhitt, aware OF this, coutented himself
with but few varieties, such as rune, spelling
which Derivation, analogy, and ancient use
alike support. acd coui, which being obvious
ly derived from con adds in its present site to
the unnecessary anomalies III our language.
The obtaining orthugraphy arose cut OF ualter-
mily probably with would from will aud SHOULD
trom shall, aud even lu these words the Il
has unfortunately long ceased TO be pronounc-
ed. With regard to rime, it were perhaps bet
Il ,,Sn II grnn hnn
frcst The EIlzatethan impur!ty OF the ''h'
has been traced TO Daniel. 1t is lever found
in Milton or Shakespeare. 1t arose most ike
" from the notou that the word was connect
ed with rhythm The learned Trench, 10 his
"English Past and Present. 1868, cuflOusly
enough discatds "" iu ryma as a modern mis-
spclIiug.-ConhW Mngnsiae.
DEAD SHOT ON CooNs-A raccoou put in
an appearance on Central avenue, near Allen
street, Yesterday. hoodlum saw the coon
and W mt for it with brick The coon flew
from danger, and went for liberty and tree.
He got both. ilood,um, not having his climb
lug trowerS on goes Tor pistol and Il crowd.
The crowd aud pistol rcturocd 10 a few mo
ments and took birds 'seyc view Of the coon,
and then held consultation as to the best
mode OF Capturing him.
While the crowd was talking coon, q stranger
with faded countenance came along 0a slow
march and Inquired tho cause of the gathering
of the multitude One of the hoodiums said,
.'Lnok up there" The stTa ger cast his
weather eye up the tree and allowed it TO
wander along the limb until it came 10 the
60 10, when i, rested. The stranger then elc-
waited his ind X fiji e and placed it alongside
of his nose. lie remained in brown study
about two seconds, when he said, : / IN dead
shot on caons Bring mc Il pistol and be ready
to sw ,ep up the remains.
The li<tol was handed to he stranger. As
soon as he took the pistol in his hand he com
mertcl to trewbc, and one Of the crowd said
he was in splendid condition to shake car
pets. Tho Stranger gave him wi:hcriag
glance aud then said, Il always cultivate Il
tremblc in my pistol hand when 90 shooting
coons, so as to scatter the shot and give the
coon an easy DEATH Having expanded IN
his shooting cloquencc, he invited the crowd to
stand back. They did so. The strang. r then
ri waited the pistol slowly, but before he got it
up rs high as hi, shirt.collar it went off sud
denly. Instead Of shooting the coon, he placed
the entire charge Of the pistol 10 he right arm
of Maurice Fitzgerald, who resides at No. 429
Central avenue.
As soon as the stranger discovered the coon
did not drop from the tree, he dropped from
the view suddenly, and was last seen coming
down Washington avenue looking tor some.
thing to quiet his nerves --llbany Post.
Hon. Robert TOOInIDs.