Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1889-08-08

eneu ana aeepened, tnus addlng 70 the
cost. For channel steamers going from
| Ireland or to the west coast of Scot
land, England or Wales to the east
| coast or the Continent, the canal would
be decided benefit, for not only would
their voyage be shortened. but the
rocky and dangerous coast of the North
| of Scotland would be avoided. The
canal passes through the coal and oil
districts of Scotland-a fact which
affords additional argument in favor
of the scheme. Another consideration
which carries much weight is the IA
cility gained for the rapid passage Of
battle ships from one shore to the
other, rendering defense in time of war
more effective. Looking. therefore. to
principal pros an cons as stated. the
question is worthy OF serious consider
alton. The canal is the property Of
the Caledonian Railway Company, and
they are taking no action, meantime,
in the matter.-London Engineering.
HISTORY OF SEALS.
Their Origin and Use on Omeial D0cur
ments and Papers.
A seal is an impression on wax or
any soft substance made from die of
metal or other material The stamp
with which the impression is given is
also called seal. Allusion is made in
the Bible to seals. and they are found
in very ancient remains from Egypt,
Assyrih and Babylon. The use of the
seal PASSED from the East to Greece,
and thence to Rome, and has been
common in all the European States.
With most of the ancient nations the
seal was placed in ring, whence
''annulus" came to be a Latin name
for seal. The ancient seals were al
ways in circular form, but they APP
peared later in other forms. The de-
vice and form of old seals indicate
partly their periods. so that the study
of ancient seals is an important branch
of archaeology. The Egyptians kept
the impression on kind of clay;
while wax was used by the Greeks and
Romans. The Byzantine Emperors used
an impression in lead and sometimes
in silver and gold. Colored wakes
were not made till about the ninth
century. and then only emperors and
kings might use red wax. Green wax
was used in medieval times by ecclesi-
astical houses and by municipali-
ties. Blue seals are very rare,
and Charles V. of Germany, is
said to have been the only European
monarch who used this color. Certain
Bishops and grand masters of sacred
orders sealed in black. Private persons
commonly used yellow wax. The most
ancient mode of sealing was probably
that of applying the wax directly to
the parchment. When the instrument
was written upon two or more leaves,
an incision was made in them in tho
form of a cross, on which the wax was
stamped, so as to hold all together. !
The seal was also sometimes placed on
the enSs of strips of parchment run
through the several sheets, this being
almost necessarily the case when the
seals were of metal. Seals were not
much used in England in Angio-Saxon
times, but they came into general use
after the Norman conquest; Edward
the COnfessor, however, first adopted
a great seal for England. About the
thirteenth century sealing became in
England a legal formality. necessary
to the authorization OF deed. Indeed,
the seal itself served to make the deed
valid without a signature, but in
Charles U.'s time law was passed re-
quiring that certain documents should
also be signed. The old common law
definition of a seal is that given by
Lord Coke as "wax with an impress
sion," but IT has long been held that
wafer Or other tenacious substance on
which an impression can be made may
serve the purpose of Il seal. In many
of the States Of this country neither
wax, wafer, nor any other substance is
required, a scroll or ring made with
the pen in imitation of the seal Or as
marking its place. having all the valid
ity of the more formal application.
The significance of the seal as now
used in law is that it implies deliber-
ate and fully considered act on the
part of him who affixcs it.--ChicagQ
Inter Ocean.