New-York tribune., 1904-09-04
QUEER BIOGRAPHIES.
Some of the Earliest Used in Amer-
ican Schools.

For a score OF years after Biographies began to
be introduced into the schools Of America. says
Clifton Johnson IN THE New-England Magazine"
they depended largely the use OF a globe TO
make clear the divisions OF the earth II was not
long, however, before nearly every book vas ac-
cOmpanied by an atlas. and this continued custom
airy to about 1850.
Jedidiah Morse was the pioneer among American
authors OF school Biographies The earliest rival
20 contest the field with Morse's books was
small volume OF questions and answers compiled
by Nathaniel Dwight, and published at Hartford
In 1885 Below some Of the curious bits OF in
formation the volume imparts:
9. What are the Russian funeral ceremonies?
.1A;ny "A Lhey are singular ar L4e priest Prays' ana
then buried with a passport TO heaven, sisEed BY
Sas bss Ssh9R ana & an0[aeF Ia nc %e4 @ 7si P1 Ss
people return TO the house whence they went, and
eo0Mn i9s DO 55EGS for about t0rg da during v
'(' ATe they Rs any 1sf lakes RsS In seofand5
A There are many; but two are very remark
able. One near Lochness IS on the TOP o. hill
almost two miles high. This lake small, but II
has never been sounded. nor does It ever tr5sze.
Q. What the persons and characters Of the
A They are generally lean. Iaw-boned and have
high cheek bones, which IS chaTacteTlstcaI Ieat-
What are the diversions Of the sy} ssqts1 kind.
such as dancing golf and eHTiing, The golf : a
ball. the extremity OF the bat being loaded with
lead. and the party which strikes The ball with
fewest strokes into hole prepared FOR the pHT-
6 What are the customs and diversions Of tbs
A There are few customs existing in ireland
howings and presenting their c0rpsss in the streets
10 excite the charity OF strangers tner c2nyiylal
which are usually attended with .Qlarrelling
a Yo1nfain near Grenoble euts iams which
Will burn PAPER stTaT Tt sis st 0 esae Ti o th s
place is an inaccessible mountain in the form q
q What curfosities are there in Portugal?
A There are lakes into which stone being cast
O. What do you observe Of the inhabitants OF
a. They are chiefly pagans and tdolaters In Eyo
where the people ace governed by klnS WAo Is
zion waits on him ana informs him that it IS IA
tiSuing for him to bear the burden OF government
fhSnks them and retires to his apartment as il 70
sleep and directs his women 20 stransle MN. 1nI
after he expires they deStroy al 4 I11nS yST EfI
belonged to him or to tneasstye 1 ana y-TS a.
g. Give a concise description Of the Giages and
A The nrst inhabit part OF the Conso coast;
the latter I've i've, N i 1he sr NsS9GG eSt their r Born c
dren; and their friends who die are eaten y thse
where there is a market in which human desh g
sold. although other meat exists IN plenty. tAey
oners or slaves are daily killed for the kings table.
Q. What are the characteristics CT the Ho''s2-
a They are the most aojest Ct The human nun race sacs.
live upon carriOn, old leather, shoes, and every
thing OF the most loathsOme kind dress themselves
in sheep's skin untanned turning the wool 70
their flesh IN the winter, and the other side n
the summer Their dress serves them Tor q ped
at night for a covering by day, and fOr winding
sheet when they die
One geography that had a marked Individuality
OF its own was thick little volume, mostly N
verse. entitled The Monitors Instructor" pub
lished at Wilmington In 1904. In the prose portion
OF the book are several curious paradoxes- Here
Is one of them;
Three men went Journey, IN which thclsl
their heads travelled IL yards further than theE
feet. all returned alive, with their heads on
The solution explains that IF any person shoua
travel round the globe. the space travelled oy hs
head will exceed that his feet travelled By ahoaI
the number OF yards mentioned
Cummings's Geography. 1871 apologies II 10
preface for adding another ''to the number or sees
raphies. already great as to obstruct rather
than promote improvement During the previous
decade Lewis and Clark had made their 1oGrs y
across the continent. and ind mention O.
the stony Mountains II was number of Yeas
before the name Rocky substituted TOT SS'-,sa
Concerning the Andes IN South America, w -, -
told: These amazing mountains, in cOllpatisse.
sures In some places mile wide. and deep - -
proportion; and there are others that run u-i~e'
ground. and resemble IN extent province. -.
Adamss Geography, ISIS is divided mo tH-e0
parts. The following Is from Part II: ,s
"A mountain Is a vast prOtu herance or the e..I .Ir
In w-HaIupshire. but in the United States.