New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-04
CHANCES HERE AND THERE.

How nearly up to date the Century Dictionary
has been brought is shown by the fact that II contains
the substantive combne7 which had its origin during
the famous Broadway bribery Investigation six years
ago The word is properly marked recent and the
statement Is made that il first used In the course
Il this inquiry. Unfortunately, however, the author
Of this new Use Of an Old word Is not mentioned.
4 good many people remember that 1t was first
given to the world by Alderman Duty. Of Duffyve.
and it wOuld seem 10 more than right that his name
should have been inscribed in this great dictionary.
Ike fly In amber responsible for nm addition to
the language The omission Is not acuonab!e, OF
course but perhaps by the Use OF proper influence
Duffy might In the next edition the Insertion
Of his sole claim 10 Immortality At any rate. The
Tribune is bound 10 do its best 70 that the eX
Alderman Of Duryville Is not deprived of an honor
that Is indlsputaby his. II IS not gwen 10 every
man 10 coin a word or-what is the equivalent OF
doing soto impress a now meaning upon an Old
one that shall at once come mo current ,h use SEa
only * the fact established by the appearance OF the
word in the Century Dictionary" bGt IL Is to be
observed that the Illustration q lis which follows
the definition is taken from Harpers Magazine
A canvasscr for the Century Dictionary by the
way. that he has bad unexpected success In his
work. lie is of experience, and when the prop
cstion was frs made to him to take hold Of the work
no hestatcd some time before accepting the OFFER for
he did believe there would be any large demand
for dictionary constructed on so elaborate scale and
costing much money. AZ hrst when tho work was
only partly completed he had considerable dhculty
making it's merits but IL has been constantly
growing. Naturally. he has had some curious and In
,ecsting experiences ON occasion he called upon
a minister having cbarge of large church. who had
beard Of the die onary. HIS first question was
as To wherein It better thap the Worcester he had
been using. The canvasscr proposed to compare a
page two. Before they had gone down q single
column the preacher found dozen or more words IN
lie Century that were not in the Worcester, and
lc
AID that he had met two Roman Catholic priests in
the course Of bis travels who objected to The new
dictionary. after examining IT, account Of the Gcfnl
tons Of crtoin Church terms; and hat. too in spite
the catholic Church had been revised BY the late
Monci.nCr prrstOnS In contrast with these two men.
he poSq Of anoer pest the HM ead q en- n%o
all that were published at he time-vere ;ent Tor
examination after personal InerVieW me ne ,s et"
to keen The dictionary ?" Yes answered the priest
:. am s6prv to saw that do not see how we can pos
sbly get along without it,
Extremes may rot have met this year. remarked
n about town. but we have certainly had some
most extraordinary weather since the 1st Of last
January. Let Just call your attention TO one or
two things. happen 10 remember most distinctly that
on tie 18th OF April started out in the morning with
IA light overcoat on my arm, having tina: morning put
lighter undcrclohing than had been wearing during
the winter. | was around and about all day. and did
90 home until pretty late ut night but not once dlo
| have occasion to put OF ny overcoat all that day
Thai experience without precedent III my IIt
heretofore to the best Of nv knowledge and belief
Now let give you the other extreme. on the
Wednesday night before Christmas was ont late-in
fact it was wednesday morning before went lone hone
that i, within less than tweny four hours of Christ
mas Itself. Yet on my way home that morning tOOb
of the light overcoat I had been wearing and carried
It on my never did the like of that before
Here we're two extremes certainly; leave It to the
crowd TO determine whether they met or not
There is one church not a thousand miles from the
City Hall which always gives = Christmas enter tain
ment TO the sunday school children, and which for
over twenty years has distributed TO the children
those occasions oranges brought from orange grows
in JAMAICA The minister says that II lie ever goes 10
jamaica he means 10 search out that grove and pro
uouDce a Blessing bcncdotiOn upon IL. 1t speaks
well for the good havor Of the Changes that they are
extremely popular in the sunday school