Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-08-29
INFORMATION IN BRIEF.

JOHN CHINAMAN's great holiday, corro-
spending to the American Christmas, falts
on December D.
A GREAT deal of the English holly in tia
marKet, over which the syndicate poets 60
into ecstacies at this season of the year, il
really grown in New Jersey swamps.
SLoYD is the new word which looks like
slang, but is not Sloydltes, according to
the Toronto Globe, are persons interested
In introducing manual training in the pub
lie schools
TEE slot device for eusnaring pennies,
niclzels, quarters and dimes originated in
England, and was imported 10 this country
by Erastus Wiman, who, it is said, owns
the American right to the invention
PAwNBRoKING, or the business of lend
ing money on pawns or pledges, appears
to have originated with the Italians at a
very early period in the worlds history.
The greatest pawnbroking establishment
in the world is the Mont de Piete, in Paris,
established by royal command in 1717.
THE Philadelphia Ledger says that while
December 81 is, by sort of common con-
sent, reckoned the .' shortest day" in the
year-that Is, between sun-up and sun
down-it is not SO in strict fact The I'D
is precisely the same in shortness, for
while sunset is one minute later on that
day, sunrise is also minute later, leaving
things even at the close.
BISCUIT in pottery is the term applied to
porcelain and other earthenware after the
first firing, and before it has received the
glaze and embellishments. In this condi-
ton the ware is very porous, adheres to
the tongue when placed upon it. and allows
water to percolate freely through its pores.
Tho unglazed bottles employed in cooling
water are examples of biscuit ware.
THE small letter ''i'' was formerly written
without the dot The dot was introduced
in the fourteenth century to distinguish ''i''
from ''e'' in hasty and indistinct writing
The letter ''l'' was originally used where
''j'' is now employed. The distinction be
tween s'i'' and 'sj' was introduced by the
Dutch printers at a comparatively recent
date, and the s.j'' was dotted because the
"i,'' from which it was derived, was writ
ten with a dot.
TEE Society of Friends, commonly called
Quakers, having but one accepted standard
of faith and discipline, were remarkable for
their unity until about 1925, when Elias
Hicks, a distinguished and influential
preacher, boldly enunciated Unitarian doc
trlnes. This produced much dissatisfaction,
and the hitherto united and peaceful so
ciety exhibited two parties, called respect
lively Orthodox or Trinitarians and Hicks
ties or Unitarians. The breach widened
and finally separation took place, the two
parties assuming distinct organizations
This still exists, and it is not at all likely
they will ever unite again.
In Mexico the Christmas holidays begin
on the 10th Of December and end with the
dawn of the 18th. Nine consecutive nights
are spent in feasting and jollification. but
ON Christmas Eve every body attends mid
night mass, and afterward feels in duty
bound to visit nine different churches ans
spend a few minutes in prayer at each
Therefore, until daybreak on the 25th the
streets are filed with people, and so it hap
pens that when jewellers and worshlpers
have retired to their homes to seek needed
rest, Christmas itself is the most quiet and
uninteresting of all days in the Mexican