Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-02-10
WHAT ARE BLUELAWS
THE INVENTION OF A PREACHER KNOWN
AS LYING PETERS"
Bogus Blue Laws That Pass as Current COin-Ger-
uine Blue Laws Of the Nutmeg State
Some Of the Clrous Grimes and
Panishmsnls

times with bit of detail as TO the forbid
ding of kissing Sundays, or the Ike. The
references are well understood, 70. every
body knows that the queer rules referred
to belonged to Connecticut in the old
times, and yet not one man in ten, within
or without newspaper offices, dreams of
the Truth about the matter. The fact is
that the blue laws" the most famous in
their way Ct sny statutes in the history OF
this country, were purely imaginary.
They were given to the world in form 80
very fsrremoved from probability ss to be
grOteeque; were, Of course, at the time
taken 20: what they were pToparly worth,
aud yet have come 10 be believed in much
more firmly than many well established
facts in history by perhaps TIE mass of
the psople, and are in eveTyhoiy's mouth
as aridiculous outcome OF Yankee Puritan
ism. 1t is worth while to recall Just the
way in which these laws came into exis-
tauce.
They were the invention of Rsv. Samuel
Peters, best kn0Wn il hi5 day az Lying
Peters," end fret eaw the light in Lon
don. Peters wss born in Hebron, Conn
III 1873, went 70 England 10 be educated,
and finally became pastor OF a small Epis-
cOIalian church in his native town. He had
a good deal Of smartness, pushed himself,
and came very near bsing made, the first
bishop OF Vermont, but failed in that at
tempt and in his life hecause OF his dispo-
siti0D, which may he described rs the CON
verae of that Of The Father OF His Country
lie could not tell the truth. He lived in
conversation and in ell re wrote, generally
without purpose, 60 fer as could he seen,
about every conceivable thing and IN the
most X ravsgant way. He was rank
Toy. aud daring the Revolution Tire Sons
of Liberty drove him eway from Hebron.
He went 20 Lordon in great dudgeOn, and
there, in 1881, PUBLISHED "a General
History of Connseticu'," which takes
high rank among tie cuIiositics Of
literature. In the preface Peters
grayely declsres that, "though
Connecticut be the NEST Furnishing and,
proportionatsly the most popu!ous province
in North America, it has hitherto found no
writer 10 introduce it, in It's own right, 10
the not;ce Of the world" and he goes on to
give an account Of the colony which would
have made Munchaussn green with envy.
The simplest geographical facts are dis
torted in the widest way. A great part OF
the lies could not possibly hsye had any
m )tiVe, and even in the pats where it
might be supposed that he was trying 10
"get even" with his Prosecutors there sp-
pears a whimsical good nature, aud some
times the stories sound as if the lying had
some pu pose CT humor in them.
The laws touching Sunday and religions
matters naturally attracted his attention,
and the book has many references to them.
1t is so5erly declared that the colony lived
under q code Of "blue LAVE" which had
never been permitted TO see the light CT
print, and the imaginary rules we're given
in full. 1t SEEMS probable that Peters
wrote with a copy Of the printed statutes
described below before hin, for many Of
the 'lsws" in the queer code are little
more than the real ones exaggerated, and
few appear resrly unchanged; bat the
purely imaginary onss ere all that ever
gained currency.
A few Ct the b7st known ones Iun thus:
No enc shall travel, cook viciuals, make
bed, sweep house, cut hair or shave on the
Sabbath day.
No woman shall kiss her child on the
Sabbath day.
No one shall read common prayer, keep
Christmas or saints day, make minced
plea, dance, play csIds CT play on shy in
atrument except the drum, trumpet and
jewsharp.
Every male shall have his hair cut round,
according 20 cap.
In another part Of the book il ia declared
that 'whea caps are rot to be found they
substituted the hard shelled pumpkin,
which, being Put on the head every Sl.ur-
day. the heir is cut by the shell ell ronnl
the head" And again: THE pumpkin,
or pompior, is one Of the greats. bless
ings. and held very sacred in New Egg
land. Its skin, or shell, serves
for cans to cut the hair las already men
toned and for very useful lanthorns."
Sop.u h for the bogus blue laws, which
ere go we'll known. Now word ahout
the re3l laws of the Yankee colony IN the
old time, which are very little known and
ave vet blue enGugh-a shade more strict,
in fact. than any that went before or after.
In the first place, It may be remarked, the
very carly fraementary laws of Connect
icut we're published" By being read az
town meetings, and thence no doubt
Peters got his notions Of statutes not
given 10 the public. But this kind Of
publishing was taken only because il was
the best to be had. After the uniting OF
tie Hartford and New Athens colonies
the statutes we overhsulsd and revised,
AID in 1913 "The Book Of General Laws
for the People Within the Jurisd'c ion OF
Connecticut was printed. The book was
q thin folio Of 70 pages, is now one Of the
very rsre publications in America ard
offers eome curious rsGding.
The punishment5 establphsd noH seem
pretty severe, however, as hesidee the use
Of the stocks end the lash, there are q few
cases in which the face is branded, and for
burglary or robbery committed Sunday
the ordinary penalty is aggravated by cut
ting off the ears. The death penslsy is
affixed TO the crimes Cf idOlstTy, blaC
phemy, Thichcraf,, murder, POI. oning,
beastiali!y, man stealing, b1aiiDg
false Wline-e, lmpieiy OF sHll-
ing father or mother ard aggravated
flsl discbedience, in accordance with
the Mosaic law; snd also 20 treason, Arson,
ard, upon third conviction, burglary and
rot berry. Resistance TO authority, whether
of parents, masters, church or State, was
held in the greatest abominatiOn By the
Paritans and sternly punished. Under
s;r,;lar etaf tas in regard "a the splltiug Of
parents in Massachusetts there were several |
Trials and one conviction, and tie culp;it
only escaped the gallows by the action lin
1863 of the kirg's commissioners.
All persons are required 10 attend public
ard if any ''ChriRtiap, 50 called"
shall 'contsmptuOusly behave himself tc-
ward the word preached or the messengers
thereof = either by intcIIuptiDg him
in his preaching, or by charging him falsely
with an error.n he shall for the FIRST Offense