The San Francisco call., 1909-11-28
ANSWERS TO QUERIES

BRYAN's voTEs-subscriber Lompoc, Cal
How many electoral votes did William j. Bryan
receive in 1900 and in 1905?
In 1900, 155; in 1908 he received 1e2.
Which line first operated cable ears in San Fran
eisco-the Market street or Clay street:
Clay street.
STOKES. H. n. Langlois. Ore. What was was
the name of the woman connected with the
killing of James Fisk in New York Janusry 4
1872?
Josephine Mansfield.
MARYLAND-J. II. ", Langlois. Ore. What
during the days of the civil war for singing
Maryland. My Maryland" F." aud was imprisoned
for doing?
Can any of the readers of this de-
partment enlighten this correspondent?
MASCOT Subscriber. City What is the
origin and meaning Of the word ''mascot'?
The word mascot was introduced into
literature by means of the comic opera
La Mascotte." written by Audran. The
term was in common use, however,
long before that time by gamesters
and sporting characters generally in
France.
1t was used to signify that some OBJ
iect animate or inanimate, like the
luck penny or rabbits foot, brought
good fortune to its possessor.
The word is further traced back to
the patois of Provence and Gascony,
where a mascot is something that
brings luck to household. There is
little doubt that it is etymologically
derived from the word masque (masked
or concealed), which in provincial
French is applied as ne coiffe is in
the more polished French-to child
born with a caul. The caul is a thin
membrane which sometimes covers the
head of an infant at birth and has
from the earliest times been regarded
with superstitious feeling.
The child born with it was esteemed
highly fortunate and was believed to
be destined not only to be lucky him
self, but to be the source of luck in
others, and the caul itself was esteemed
of great virtue, and high prices were
often paid for its possession.
Magical virtues were ascribed to this
object in medieval times and to this
day some persons preserve this with
religious care, believing 1t to be a
certain charm against drowning This
superstition is supposed to have come
originally from the orient In low
Latin the word masca means a sorcerer,
which also indicates the kinship of the
ideas in these similar words.
IRELAND-C. f. H., Holiister; Cal. Who
were the earliest inhabitants of Ireland?
ireland was inhabited before the
dawn of history by Iberian Cone of the
original people of SPAIN or pre-Aryan
tribes like other parts of western Eu
rope Legends of Ireland record the
successive invasion by five races, in
Guiding Nemedans, Firbolgs, Tuatha de
70
Irish legendary history the AIilesians
descend from King Milesius of Spain.
whose two sons are said to have con-
quered Ireland about 1900 p. C.
HORSESHOE OVER THE DooR-Subscriber.
Oakland Cal. Whence came the idea that a
horseshoe nailed over door will keep evil
spirits away?
The superstition that associates the
horseshoe with good luck is very cid.
1t is said to prevail not only among
English speaking people. but in all
races of Europe and southern Asia
Antiquarians are undecided whether
it's origin has to to do with the ma
terial of which the horseshoe is made
or it's shape.
The ancients believed that iron as
a metal had great secret powers and
they drove iron nails into their walls
as a protection against pestilence.
The Arabs. when oyertaken by severe
storms in the desert. cry out "Iron!
IRON" which they think will propitiate
the evil spirits who have raised the
storm
The Scandinavian races think that
the spirits can be driven away and
witches kept at bay by knife stuck
in the house or nails driven UP. These
races have held from time immemorial
the idea that it was lucky to find a
piece of iron.
AS horseshoes are the form in which
stray iron is most frequently found it
is naturally the form to which the SUI
perstition has longest clung.
As regards the form of the horse
shoe there is no doubt among the an
clients that the crescent form was much
favored as having lucky or preserva-
tive powers. Ornaments were shaped
in that way to drive away evil spirits.
The Chinese have their tombs suilt in
a semi-circular form like horse shoe
and the Moors use the same form in
their architecture.
1t may be stated that in the nlythol-
ogy of Europe horses were regarded
as luck bringers. and superstition
once supposed that horses Eoof
placed under a bed would cure certain
complaints If the occupant of the bed
was affected by them.
The horseshoe may be said to unite
Within itself three luck elements. It