The Democratic advocate., 1909-08-13

receive the crowns, that you may be-
stow them on the ladies OF your
choice. l congratulate you, each
one, on the success you have won,
and the more on your good fortune IN
winning the favor of these handsome
young ladies who have honored you
by consenting to receive from your
hands the crowns which | will give
you to place upon their brows.
| should like to delay you, how
ever. a short while TO speak of some
incidents suggested by the occasion,
and, in the language of the usual
tournament speaker, tell OF what IN
spring auspices this day surrounds
u.s."
Not only is this the seventh annual
Farmers picnic, horse show and
| tournament held by the business men
of Mt. Airy in this grove, but this an
niversary comes on the seventh day
of the month and, as we reckon time,
on the seventh day of the week. IL
is but a coincidence tnat so much In
terest should thus center around the
/ figure seven in reference to this tour
nament, but it has all led me to
speak to you of the meaning and in
fuence of this magical symbol called
Seven"
Among all nations, the number
seven" from the earliest recorded
events, has been considered as a
sacred number, and in every system
of antiquity we find a frequent ref
erence to it. The Pythagoreans call
ed it a venerable number, because 1t
referred to the creation, and because
! it was made up of the two perfect
figures, the triangle and the square.
| Among the Hebrews, the etymology
| of the word shows it's sacred import,
| for, from the word ''shebang, seven,
| is derived the verb "shabang," to
swear, because oaths were confirmed
either by seven witnesses, or by sew
en- victims offered in sacrifice, as we
are told in the book of Genesis was
the covenant of Abraham and Abim-
elech.
The recurrence to this number is
| frequent in all Scriptural history.
The Sabbath was the seventh day;
Noah received seven days notice of
the commencement of the deluge,
and was commanded to select beasts
and fowls by sevens; seven persons
accompanied him into the ark; the
intervals between despatching the
dove were, each time, seven days
Solomon was seven years building
the temple, which was dedicated in
the seventh month, and the festival
lasted seven days; the famous gold
candlestick in the tabernacle con-
sisted of seven branches, and finally
the tower of Babel was said to have
! been elevated seven stories before the
dispersion.
Of
brew word "shebang," or seven, is
sufficiency or fulness, and the num-
! Der was thus denominated, because
lit was on the seventh day that God
completed his work of creations, and
hence" says Parkhurst, "seven was
both among believers and heathens
the number of suficiency or com
pletion."
The belief of the heathens was thai
there was seven ancient planets; the
Hindoos supposed the world to be
enclosed within the compass of sever
peninsulas; the Goths had seven de-
tiles or gods, viz: The Sun, the
Moon, Tuisco, Wooden. Thor, Frigs
and Seatur, from whose names are
derived our days of the week.
Jacob served years for Rachel, ant
told, Rachel was very fair. The sew.
en- years of plenty and the sever
years of famine were foretold il
Pharoah's dream by the seven fat anG
lean beasts, and the sevevn ears o.
blasted corn. The children of Israe
were to eat unleavened bread sever
days. Every seventh year was di
rected to be a year OF rest for al
things, and at the end of seven times
seven years commenced the jubilee
they were to observe feast sever
days after they had gathered in theil
corn and wine. Every seventh veal
the land lay fallow. Every seventh
year there was a general relief from
all debts, and bondsmen were sci
free Every seventh year the Law
was directed to be read to the people
And there were besides many Other
rules and customs in which the fig
ure seven formed a conspicuous part
There were seven Well-knOWI
champions of Christendom; the sew.
en- churches of Asia; the seven cities
name applied to Egypt, Jerusalem
4 Babylon, Athens, Rome, Constanti
nople and either London or Paris
the seven wonders of the world, the
pyramids of Egypt, the walls ant
hanging gardens of Babylon, the tenn
pie of Diana at Ephesus, the statute
of the Olympian Jupiter at Athens
the Mausoleum, the Colossus O.
Rhodes, and the Pharos or lighthouse
of Alexandria; and in the past cen
tury we had the Seven Weeks Wal
in Europe and the Seven Days Battle
around Richmond during the Cfvi
War in our own country.
These and many more reasons arr
sufficient to give significance to the
occasion we celebrate here today
Seven is not only a sacred symbol
but tits prophetic; 1T denotes com
pletness, a fullness of things. 1t i:
especially appropriate, therefore, i
seems to me, to congratulate tht
business men of Mt. Airy and of tht
adjoining counties of Carroll, Fred
erick, Montgomery and Howard, OF
the wonderful success achieved b!
them in making this farmers picnic
horse show and tournament so de
served a success, and let us hope tha
the seven and seventh anniversar.
will mark even greater achievements
/ want to thank you for your court
eous attention, and turn now to thu
deferred pleasure of crowns ant
prizes.
Orphans Court.
Monday, August 9.-Henry 2
Keeny, executor of Henry Y. Keeny
:. doooocod filed reDort of sale of rrea