The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-25
YARNS OFAPAS1 CENTURY
AVOlume of Questionable Wonders
in Bygone Ages.
Recital of Day. when Merm"ids
We're Held in Respect and -'-ari-
ners Had Experiences WIN Sc"
serpents Why the Natives OF
Greenland Never Wore Bcards.
tFrom the Kansas City star)

To know what incredible and ridiculous
things we're believed in England century
and a quarter ago concerning the strange
countries of the globe, one should READ
some Of the "compendiums and histo les
that we're published in London about that
time One of the most curious OF these Is
A book owned by c. NJ. Hines, S0l4 Durham
Avenue, which was written about the time
of the American Revolution. This book Is
called "a New Geographical. Historical,
and Commercial Grammar, and Present
State of the Several Kingdoms Of the
World" II was written by one William
Guthrie, and in 1888, had run into It's
eleventh edition. In this very popular
book of information the author solemniy
expresses his belief in such things as mer-
maids and sea serpents, and takes pains TO
relate the experiences OF men who nave
met and seen all manner OF strange beasts.
The first owner OF the book seems to
have been James Whiteside. The fly leaves
OF the book served the purpose of a family
record. and James Whiteside's name is the
first in the book He was born IN li32 ana
died in 1880. His death happened only two
wears after the book was published The
next owner was William Whiteside, born
1852. The date of his death is torn from
the book. Davis Whiteside was born in
1909. and Levi Whiteside in ISL.
Ancient. seismic SHOCKS.
On one Of the fly leaves these records are
made Of earthquakes:
December IL, 1871, the earth shuck."
January 90. 1912. the earth shuck.'
February Z. 1872. the earth shuck.
The hands that wrote these records also
''shuck." for the words are hard TO de-
cipher.
Mr.. Hines picked up the book from a
heap OF discarded volumes which he found
several years ago in an alley.
The following extracts are given from an
amusing description of Greenland:
The natives seldom have any boards be-
cause it is their Constant practice to root
them out. They are good humored and
unconcerned about futurtty. Their drink is
pure water. There are several kinds of
whales in Greenland. some white and some
black The black b In most esteem His
tongue Is about eighteen feet long, en-
closed in long pieces of what we call whale
bone. AS to the bones of his body they are
as hard as an ox's bones and of no use.
He is very thick about the head, but grows
less from thence TO the tail.
Describing the animals Of Norway. the
author SAYS: THE bears are strong and
sagacious; they are remarkable for not
hurting children; they are hunted by little
dogs. and some prefer bear hams TO those
of Westphalia The wolves, though fierce,
are shy. even of a COW or goat. The lynx
is smaller than the wolf but as dangerous;
they are of the cat kind and have claws
like tigers; they dig underground and often
undermine sheepfods. where they make
dreadful havoc Foxes are found in Nor
way. They have a particular way of draw
ing crabs ashore by dipping their tails in
the water. which the crab lays hold OF.
The glutton, or erwin, resembles a turnspit
dog. His fur is so precious that he is SHOT
with blunt arrows 10 preserve the skin IN
hurt He is bold and so ravenous that 1t is
said he will devour carcass larger than
himself and unburthens- his stomach by
squeezing himself between two close stand
ing trees; when taken he has even been
known to eat stone and mortar. The fish
eagle subsists on aquatic food, and some-