The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-05-30
THE SIGNS OF OLD TIMES.
QUAINT SPECIMENS AND HOW
THEY ORIGINATED.
student OF old Things Explains the
Qneer Signs seen In Old England
The Pawnbroker's Balls and
the BARRIERS Pole.

! trading legend which. ike the noDle-
mans armorial bearings. was once
upon time u necessary part OF every
storekeeper's stock in trade. BARRIERS
and pawnbrokers still, II Is ture con-
tinue TO exhibit their we'll known SYM
bo,s the striped pole and the three
! golden balls; and In addition TO these,
which still hold their own on this side
Of the Atlantic, the curious notices
and devices which commonly dis
tinguish the public houses and gin
palaces In England are familiar 10
every visitor 10 that country. But
these are scattered remnants OF n GUS
tom which. not so very long ago. was
almost universal. In the good old
days when few people could read or
write. and when the modern system OF
numbering the houses In the street
was a convenience as yet undreamed
Of by our uninventive race. the sign
board flourished in all It's glory; and IL
will be readily understood that in
those times Il had far more import
ant part 20 play than would ever be
assigned 10 IL in our own more enlight-
ened society.
Reference has just been made 10 En-
glish public house Tor saloon BARI
signs. which are interesting because
they retain so much OF the old-world
flavor. Everyone who has amused
himself by making even "A cursory ex-
animation OF these stranded anachron-
isms during stroll through some of
the old thoroughfares OF London. or
has learned something OF their charac-
ter in the pages OF Dickens or Thack-
cry, must have been struck again and
again by the extraordinary and entirely
meaningless combination of ideas
which are presented by them. As we
turn back to their progenitors in the
BRIDESMAIDS token OF the past we find
the same cause for amusement and
surprise. What for instance, can be
the possible significance OF The Lamb
and Anchorp' Why should bull be
associated with gate. in the common
sign OF The Bull and GatePr Where
Is there any conceivable connection be-
tween an elephant and castle. which
yet flourish together over one Of the
most famous taverns in the English
tropolis?--betwee nun and three
haresP-between n goat and compasses?
What law could have governed the in
PRODUCTION Of such anomalous inscrip-
tions as The George and Cannon"
or THE Green ManPn or The Iron
Devilpm
Truly. such ''odd mixtures must at
first sight seem devoid OF any sort OF
meaning; and il is only as we delve
back into the past that their apparent
absurdity and extravaganza may be
very easily explained.
There are, indeed, several ways in
which these strange associations have
been brought about. For example
when a young tradesman decided 10
start business on his own account he
frequently followed the common prac-
tice OF adding Gas kind OF recommend
ation) his late masters sign TO that
which he himself adopted just as to-
day IL is not unusual for Jones. opening
a store. To mention under his own name
the fact that he was "late with Brown
4 CO.. In this way we may account for
such complex tokens as the Three
Nuns and Hare above referred 10.
and others OF equal incongruity.
The three golden balls still en-
ployed by pawnbrokers. have had Gu
rious history. They seem 10 have
originated with legend OF -. Nicho-
las. who. on one occasion. threw three
golden pieces into the open window OF
poor man, or--fOr accounts differ
gave three purses TO three poor virgins
to enable them 20 marry. This ST
Nicholas was the patron saint OF the
Iombards, who in the middle ages
were the great financiers Of Europe
and were the precursors alike OF the
aristocratic bankers and OF the much
abused pawnbrokers OF modern days.
The three purses Of the good-natured
saint transformed into three golden
balls. became the trading token of the
Lombard money-changcrs. from whom
they were in due course inherited by
the pawnbrokers OF the present time.
Such Is the history and meaning OF the
familiar three golden balls. though
they are iocularly said TO typify that il
Il two 10 one that the articles in pledge
will never be redeemed.
As for the parti-colored barber :
pole. that too. has it, history II
dates from the days when the barber
was also kind Of surgcon-when ne
would cut your hair or draw your
teeth with absolute impartiality.
Amongst other operations he common
~ performed that OF phlebotomy or
blood-letting, during which a pole was
grasped tightly by the patient that the
blood might how more freely. As this
pole was liable 10 be stained by the
blood. Il was painted red that the dis
celebration might not be observable.
When not In use II was generally sus-