Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-05-27
QUEER. SIGNATURES.

ne pIdCIiCe VI siSuiuS 40 Hiooo vi 6N'H6
formal assent to written contracts or charters,
is probably as old as, and in one sense we may
say older, than the art of handwriting.
Amongst all peoples the art of authenticating
document was accomplished by the most H.
literate persons, either by afixing stamp
with the signet ring they carried, or by imlta.
ting the process of signing by some other and
ruder device. Conspicuous amongst these
more rustic maneuvres was that which Glib
bon mentions as adopted by Theodoric, the
great Ostrogoth King of Italy. He had
gold plate made, in which the first few letters
of his name were cut in the Greek character,
and when a paper had to be signed by him,
the plate was laid upon it, and his Majesty,
passing the pen along the paper in the inter-
stices of the metal. traced by these means the
Royal signature, which he could never remem-
ber in any other way. A still more barbar'
GUS and ungainly device was that which was
invented, or at least practised, by the Turkish
Sultans of Iconium, when that town was their
capital They simply dipped their hands in
the bowl of ink presented to them, and laying
it fiat upon the paper, or papyrus, left the In
delible impress of it in gigantic and most
conspicuous shape. A somewhat similar hab'
it is reported from India, where land owners
in the Mahratta country are, or were until
lately, accustomed to dip their thumb in the
sandal dye and by pressing it on the paper,
leave their sign manual, or, as in this case, 1t
should perhaps be called their sign dignital.
This was in the case of rajahs or zimandars,
who could not write their own names but it
is said that in another part of India Brah.
min who was highly educated resorted to
practice very like that of the Icorian Sultans
whenever it was his intention to make very
generous and comprehensive grant, the char.
acter of which he thought would be well typi.
fed by the mark Of the open hand. The orr
gin Of the "mark" with which illiterates now
sign is enveloped in some doubt; but it would
be quite wrong to suppose that the cross they
now use was employed in very early times
On the contrary,it it is said that for many cen.
turies after the Dark Ages, those who could
not afford to wear ring or keep signet, used
to make some special or peculiar mark, such
as an arrowhead, in which it was supposed,
and perhaps rightly, that their autograph
could be recognized.
1t is we'll known to any bibliophile that
William Shakespeare spelt his name in several
different ways In France, Malesherbes spelt
his in at least five different ways at different
times Raphael signed most usually in Latin,
but sometimes in Italian. Napoleon altered
the spelling both Of his Christian and his
surname. So Mary Queen of Scots, whose
English was most feeble, signed indiferently
as "Mary," "Maria," and "Marye." A num-
Der of persons have dropped the conclusion
of their names and signed with the first sylla'
BILE, either making a sort of illegible scratch
to represent the other letters, or simply omit
ting them altogether, as did Theodore.
The GULF STREAM.-At a recent meeting
of the Society of Austrian Civil Engineers,
Mr.. Carl Englehardt gave an interesting ac
count of the natural supply of heat on the
continent of Europe He showed that GER
tain European countries are favored over 9th.
er parts of the world by the natural influences.
of the upper Etesian Winds. the desert Of Sa-
hara and particularly the Gulf Stream.
When the Sahara was still sea, the climate
of Southern Europe and Northern Africa was
many degrees colder than at present Many
thousand years ago, before the isthmus Of Pa
mama had been raised above the level of the
sea, the Gulf stream flowed between North
and South America. That was the glacial
period in Northern Europe. Scandinavia
and Finland were covered with ice, moose
and reindeer abounded in Italy and Spain,
ard the South Of Europe was inhabited by
race similar to the Laplanders The Vosges
and the Black forest were covered BY gla.
cers. Through the rising of the Central
American isthmus, the Gulf stream was turned
eastward and Europe emerged from the ice
period.
In how comparatively short time the eli
mate of country can change, is proved by
Greenland, which was discovered 1872 years
ago, and owes its name to the .verdant valleys
and blooming meadows which greeted the eyes
of the first settlers. Even 450 years ago
Greenland had over two hundred towns and
villages, and was bishops see Through
the elongation of the coral reefs Of Florida,
the Gulf stream has turned more toward the
west coast of Europe, and Labrador and
Greenland have now the climate Of the Arctic
circle. The mean temperature of the most
southern point of Greenland is the same as
that of Norway, six hundred miles further
northward.
The DETECTION of the Gulf stream will
probably increase, as the Florida banks adj
vance to finally join the Bahama and Tortu-
gas Islands, and the influence of the Gulf
stream will at last be lost to Northwestern
Europe. The consequence will be decrease
in the area of cereals in Europe, a considera.
BILE lowering of temperature, and a general
reaction in the march of civilization on the
Eastern continent Some thousands Of years
will, however, elapse before this can be &C.
complished.
HOME LIFE A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
One hundred years ago not pound Of coal
or cubic foot of Illuminating gas had been
burned in the country. No iron stoves were
used and no contrivances for economising
heat were employed until DR.. Franklin in
vented the iron. framed fireplace which still
bears his name All the cooking and warm
ing in town, as we'll as in the country, were
done by the aid of a fire kindled on brick
hearth or in the brick ovens. Pine knots or
tallow candles furnished the light for the
long Winter nights, and sanded floors sup
piled the place of rugs and carpets. The
water used for household purposes was drawn
from deep wells by the creakipg sweep. No
form of pump was used in this country, so
far as we can learn, until. after the commence
ment of the present century. There were no
friction matches in those early days BY the
aid of which fire could be easily kindled,
and if the fire went out upon the hearth over
night, and the tinder was damp, so that the
spark would not catch, the alternative re-
mained of wading through snow mile or so