Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-01-21

WOOD ana drawers OF water.
But probably the strangest cor
ruption is that of the word VOLTS
bane." Bane is the Teutonic word
for all poisonous herbs. The Greeks,
mistaking bancs for beans, translat-
ed it kuamos, cs they did hen-bane
(huos-kuamos). Now wolf's-bane is
an aconite, with pale yellow flower,
and therefore called white -bane to
distinguish it from the blue aconite.
The Greek for white is leukos, hence
leukos-kuamos; but lukos is the
Greek for wolf, and by q blunder
leukos ,kuamos (white bane) got mud
died into lukos-kuamos (wolf-bean).
Now science steps in and makes
confusion worse confounded. Bot
anists, seeing the absurdity ofcalling
aconite banc, restored the original
word bane, but retained the corrupt
word lukos Ga wolff, and hence we
get the word wolf's-bane for white
aconitc.
China as the name for porcelain
gives rise to the contradictory ex-
rree sious, British China, Sevres
China, Dresden China, Chelsea
China, Dutch China, etc, like wood
en- stones, iron mile-stones,
brass shoe-horns, steel pens, etc.
Black lead does not contain q sin
gle particle of lead, but is composed
of carbon and iron.
Galvanized non is not galvanized.
1t is simply iron coated with zinc,
and this is done by dipping it in
zinc bath containing muriatlc acid.
Burgundy pitch is not pitch, nor
is it manufactured at or exported
from Burgundy. Tac best is a res
mons substance prepared from COM
mon frankincense, and Thought from
Hamburg; but by far the larger
quality is q mixture of resin and
palm oil.
Prussian blue does not come from
Prussia, but it is the precipitate of
the salt OF prosoxide of iron with red
prussiate of potass.
Salt is no salt at all, and has long
been wholly excluded from the class
Of bodes denominated as salts.
Whalebone is no bone at all, nor
does it possess any properties OF
bone. 1t is u substance attached to
the upper jaw of the whale, and
serves to strain the water which the
creature takes up in large mouth
fuls.
Speaking of whales reminds me
of sperm oil. which properly means
L" seed oil" Latin, sperma-from
the notion that it was spermaceti
the spawn or melt OF whale. The
spermaceti whale is the one that
gives this " seed OIL which is taken
chiefly, but not wholly, from the
head.
longitude and latitude, the great
din, sion and the little or broad
dliA i. ion of the earth. According
TO The ancient notion, the world was
| bounded on the west by the Atlantic
but extended an indefinite length
eastward. 1t was similarly termin-
atcd on the south by the tropic OF
Cancer, whence it extended north
ward, but this extent being much
less than that east and west, was
called breadth and latitude.
Kensington Palace is not in Ken
sington ut all bat in tho parish of
st Margaret, Westminster.
Jerusal EN- artichoke has no con-
noction with Jerusalem, but with the
sunlower, giracole, which it resem-
bles.
Louis de Bourbon, Bishop of
Licge, is made by Sir Walter Scott,
in "Quentin Duiward," an cold
man." whereas he was only eighteen
years of age, and a scholar at Lou
vain. He made his entry into his
see in scarlet jerkin and cap set
iauutily on one one side. A. Dumas.
Philip W., of France, was called
10 bien fortune, but never was name
more inappropriate. He was defeat
ed ut Sluys, and again on the field
Of Crossy; he lost Calais and fourth
| Of all his subjects were carried off by
+ the " black death"
Louis NV. was styled the Well
BeiuNsd, which was certainly most
s;;'@a.ar and inappropriate title for
tn.a 1t detestible and verify de-
tcs,,J. all Kings.
Al. IN means Father
Peace, fatal name for David's
rchclliOuj son.
Did You ever think, when reading
that beautiful poem, "On the Shores
of Tennessee" of the age Of Ralph
Ncryait? If not, just consider the
laps" OF time between "when lie
fought by Marion's side and the
day " when the flag went up the riv-
cr, and you vii! find it WAS about
time for him to give Pompey his
liberty.
Tie much discussed question,
Who wlote the Declaration Of lnde-
pendencc? has been so differently