The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-01-08

Tt is not little remarkable that until
the present century the word ma
hopanv," though now in common use,
was not to be found in any dictionary.
But the reason of its absence IS plainly
accounted for by the fact that up to the
end of the last century the word was
not known in England. The story OF
its first introduction is but another IN
stance of art and chance meeting to-
gether.
DR.. Gibbons. an eminent physician
in the neighborhood, then fashionable,
of Covent Garden. had Il brother,
West Indian sea captain, who had
brought over some planks of mahogany
as ballast in his ship. AS a house was
in the course of being built by the doc
for in King street. Covent Garden. his
brother happened one day to take it INTO
his head that the planks, which had
done work for himself, might be OF ser
vice to the doctor; so he sent them to
King street. The carpenters. however,
found the grain of the wood too hard
for their tools, and so they threw the
planks aside. Soon after this Mrs. Glb-
bons wanted a candle-box, and was
anxious, rs she told her husbsnd, to
oct one that mice could not nibble. \
bright thought struck the doctor. He
would have one made out of those bits
of hard timber that were lying about
the back yard.
He called on his cabinet maker. one
| Wallaston, and explained to him what
he wanted. Mr.. Wallaston tried, found
his tools not equal to the wood, and was
inclined to give the job up. declaring 1t
was too hard by far. The doctor was
man not easily to be beaten, and accord
ingly said that he must get better ana
stronger tools. The tools were ordered
and got. Mr.. Wallaston set himself to
the task with hearty good will, and
the work was done. Mrs. Gibbons had
the new candleboX brought to her. and
declared that it was excellent. 1T re-
sisted the efforts of the mice, which had
PLAYED terrible havoc with the candle
ends when defended by deal only. The
doctor caught the infection, and vowed
that he himself would have bureau
made ont of the same planks. The tools
of Mr.. Wallaston were again called INTO
play, and the bureau was made. The
next step was to polish it; and here, too,
/ fortune favored nlIh Ihc l'ii>h ""'
all that could be desired; paint was I'M
necessary.
The doctor was so rejoiced at his
triumph that he invited his friends
from Bedford and Tavistock streets,
and from the Piazza, to see and admire
it. Among others who came was the
Marchioness of Buckingham. Her lady
ship "came, saw, and was conquered. -
She begged the doctor to give her some
OF the spare planks, and commissioned
Wallaston to make a bureau for her
boudoir at Stove. and another for her
.lrawing-room in Pail Mall. This done,
King and Queen were called in to see
the wonderful wood; other commissions
for ''the Queens house" followed; Mr..
Wallaston had more work for his new
tools than he could get through, and at
most remunerative prices. His fortune
""o maui. Ti.s'.---~.l aeon came into
general use, and in twenty years there
was not a gentleman in town or in the
country either, who did not exchange
his oak or beech-wood dining-table for
one of mahogany. The word is now. it
is almost needless to add, embodied in
our dictionaries.