Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-04-28
ORIGIN OF CUSTOMS
How Some of the Things That
We Now Consider Ordi-
nary Were Started.

Tattooing, or the custom of perma.
nently marking the skin with colored
designs, Is of ancient origin. This
practice is forbidden in the Scrip.
lures: so il may be inferred that II
was customary among other tribes
than the Israeltes. The custom of
tatooing among civilized nations is
fast dying out. though there are u
few establishments TO be found where
1t is still done. Among these is one
ON the Bowery in New York, where
the operator advertises performing
the operation in thirteen different
colors.
Tattooed marks have played an i'm.
| portant part i'm the conviction and nc.
Quittal OF criminals. The absence on
the claimant of these marks known
10 have been on the body of Roger
fichborne was an important point in
the famous Tichborne trial, and there
are many incidents on record where
tattooed marks have sent men 10 the
sailows or stayed the hand OF the
| eXecutioner.
In some countries tattooing had
religious significance; hut in olden
times 1t was practised merely as n
method of adornment. The Japanese
| and New Zealanders are famed as
expert tastooers, and good work.
| man can cover mans back with all
manner OF elaborate designs in sin
gle day. Some authorities assert that
| tattooing was put on the body in an.
cient times as Il substitute for clothes.
The First Coined Money.
| When metals were first used for
payment they were simply weighed
| The next step was to issue pieccs of
gold and silver which had been
weighed; and then in time it l,acame
the custom to mark the exact weight
and value on each piece This was
first done in Assyria and Babylonia,
where shekels or pounds Of gold and
! silver have often been found
The idea of coming money was first
| conceived by the Greeks of Iona in
the seventh century B. C. These peo.
pie stamped on each coin their city
arms and seal, thus giving the guar
anty OF their State for the correct
weight and value of the coins. The
custom spread rapidly among all the
Greek Provinces and into Italy.
The oldest gold coins are the yell
low shekels of Babylonia.. These
were stamped only with the arms of
the country, which thus made itself
| responsible for their proper weight.
Nearly all of the more modern coins
derived their weight from the scale
OF value established by the old shek.
els of Babylonia.
Visiting Cards.
Visiting cards owe their origin TO
the Chinese, who from the earliest
times observed the greatest ceremony
in the matter of paying calls. The
cards which they used for this pur-
pose We're large and colored a brigh,
| red.
When Chinaman desires to mar
ry. his parents communicate the fact
TO professional match maker who
at once runs over in her mind the
eligible Young women Of her acquaint-
J ance and selects the one she thinks
VIII make the most fitting bride. She
then makes a call on the Young wom-
ans parents, armed with the pros
| pective bridegroom's card OH which
are written his ancestral history.
name. and the date of his birth. If
the suit is acceptable. the brides
card is sent in return: and If the
prophecies for the wedding are good,
the particulars of the engagement are
written ntwo large red cards and
sent to the friends of each family.
Early Use of Iron.
| 1t has been popular l,alief that iron
was little known to the ancinnts: hut
lepsius believes that the Egyptians
fused II for hand Instruments, and