Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-11-04

Might make along street
OF Paradise.
s0AG oLO RNCLlsa CUsT0DS.
Everything must have . beginning;
and there certainly was q time when
our far of ancestors had no definite
way of weighing or measuring; when
there was no such thing - . pound
weight or Q yard-stick. To meet the
first difficulty. they began to reckon
by grains Of wheat or barley. That
ID Why our lowest weight Ii . grain.
Solmany grains, twenty. -four. equslled
the weight of . silver penny in the
reign Of Edward / and the table
now in use started from this very
simple method.
Again, that mystery to little chill.
dren first learning arithmetic, Three
barleycorns make one inch, il solved
in the same way. Three grains, laid
in order lengthwise. expressed the
shortest distance. The standard of
lineal measure was early fixed upon
in England and As tho crown had
the right to decide about it, King
Henry VIII one. day stretching out
his stalwsrt right arm. ordained that
what we call the yard should be
established ct just the length of it.
The measure known a. q mail !"
represents . certain distance from
the thumb-nsil, and the foot !" cor
responded 10 the length Of a human
foot.
In those primitive times the bakers
had an equally simplo way Of keep
ing accounts with their customers,
which was to have Q stick for each
one. and for every loaf Of bread be
bought, Q notch was cut in it %
that instead of presenting . bill. this
stick was brought forward, and the
amount reckoned up bv the "nicks |"
in It. Sir Walter Scott refers to this
usage in 1.-THE Antiquary."
Hearth-money. or smoke-farthingp.
was money paid for every chimney
in the house-s tar which went to
the king and made part OF his re-
venue. Afterwards the rate was tive
shillings for . hearth and . mans
dwelling was entered once . year by
an o0lcer whose duty 1t WAS to In.
epect. In time, however, It came to
be considered . disgraceful Law, and
was abolished. and family could
have - many fires - they thought
proper with no fear Of paid Official
nnvnfaw IN nouuk than
Benhres were long the favorite
mode ofexpressing joy ct some great
event, such - . victory, Q royal mar
riage, or coronation. Often twenty
or thirty were blazing In enc street
or lane on some festive occasion. 20
that It was like Q line Of fire, and the
heat was 20 great that people could
hardly pass BY. The night after the
coronation Of Charles II, there were
90 many bonfires that Pepys, who
kept . minute diary Of al that was
going on, says that the great city
seemed in such Q circle of light - II
It had glory round it.
Queen-money or queen gold, was
one Of the ancient perquisites Of the
queen consorts Of England separate
entirely from the rights of the king
A certain proportion of the rents due
to the crown went to her, and were
used for her wood. or her oil, or
for other purposes. Among these
were tolls upon I'll the goods Landed
ct one particular wharf, called Queen
wharf, or Queen-hythe. Some Of the
queens were involved in continual
trouble with the London merchants
about this matter. especially Eleanor
of Provence, wife OF Henry II, who
endeavored to compel vessels to un-
lade their cargoes 1t her wharf or
quay that she might enrich herself
BY the duties. The tolls and the
queen gold were claimed by most of
the queens up to the time of Eliza
beth, who, being . queen regnant,
had no right to them.
And somewhat connected with
this subject there may be mentioned
other curious customs and regula-
tions. For instance, all the whales
taken in the neighboring seas be-
lonRed to the crown; the head to the
king, and tail to the queen. Some
of the rents and taxes in the several
counties were paid in supplies for
the royal table : in poultry, fish,
cattle, and the like. by . fixed regu-
lation. One place sent hens, another
eels, which seem 70 have been q
favorite dish, and another herring
pies"
That garrulous writer Pepys, who
gives US SO many glimpses Int the
ways of the English people of his
day. says that there had been q very
hard frost, more severe than for
three years. and on the first day Of
December, 1862, he went to the park,
and for the first time in his life Ibid
see people sliding with their skeats,
which is very pretty art The
fashion had just been introduced into
England by the gentlemen who had
been with Charles ii in Holland,
where he spent some portion Of exile,
ct the court OF his sister Mary, mar
ried TO the Prince of Orange. The
Duke of York, afterwards James
III. was one Of the skaters he too
having learned in that country.
where the people are so famous for
journeying and marketing aud plea
suring on skates.
Before the strsefs Of London were
lighted, and while Is yet there were
no police regulations and no tower
clocks, d man with q bell used to 90
on certain beat. ringing it and cry
Ing the time under the Windows.
making such comments on the wea-
Their IS he cav fit, Is Past I2
O'Clock, and . stormy night 7"
Almost 5 O'Clock, and q cloudy
morning "a custom rather cheerful
than otherwise to those who CHANGED
to be lying awake. Il is this to
which Milton refers In the evening
sounds in |" Psnsefoso,"
"Save the crickst on the hearth,
Or the bell-man's drowsy charm,
To bleas the dooss from niRhfIv
harm"
alluding 10 the last lice TO the beEe
diction or good wish which this
Waterman Of the night was wont to
utter - be passed by.
The link-boys carried Iights-called
\ ~ - Al