Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-06-14
DUCKING A SCOLD.
A Custom Quite Popular at One Time
in This Country.

IN InS SOunuy.
Nowadays If woman forms the
habits of talking too loud and too long
or insists upon saying unpleasant
things in wrong places and at wrong
seasons there are several things which
may happen to her X she is a person
of some social standing her husband
may get z divorce. or If she belongs
in one of the lower strata be may
leave her without that little Formally.
II she makes life too upbearable for
the neighbors she may possibly be ar
rested and fined. If she lives in Eng
land and interrupts the proceedings of
parliament. calls names, cbases dign1-
taries to cover whenever they show
themselves in public and knocks on
policemen's helmets she is called suf-
fragette and sometimes imprisoned
But even the most "obstinately oppro-
brious and virulent woman" 10 quote
the stately Addison. may be confident
that she will escape the punishment
melted ont 10 her sister of old. What
ever happens. she won't be sentenced
to the ducking stool. In many ways
modern life IL tame and lacking IN
dramatic incident for a self assertive
lady. and even the English suffra gettes
complain that they are not taken Sc
rfously enough
No such claim could have been made
in the past. say between the fifteenth
and eighteenth centuries when gar
more rigid views prevailed on the sub
ject of feminine self repression. a.
those days magistrates were unani-
nous IN the conYiCtiou that "meekness
Is We chojScst ointment for a woman"
and IL was ueId Il crime 10 speak dis
corntully' OF those in authority. civil
or ecclesiastical a woman must not
even indulge IN too great freedom OF
speech III the privacy OF her own home
and neiGHhorhood- Sometimes she did.
and then she was attended to in Il sim
pie yet spectacular manner.
She was bound securely TO 4 stout
chair firmly fixed to the end of long
beam. arranged 10 work up and down
on the principle OF the seesaw. on
the edge OF river or pond. On the
bank at the other end 4 man worked
the contrivnnce by means of a strong
chain. and she was given u ducking.
which lasted unit justice was salts
fed or reform was promised. the popu-
lace OF course gathering in large NUN
beers TO assist AT the function
In England the practice was SO gen.
erai that each town had its ducking
pond conveniently located where petty
Offenders OF various kinds were disci-
pinned. The pond for the western part
OF London was what is now a portion
OF Trafalgar square. Charing Cross
Many OF the old ducking stools are
still in existence as curiosi ties. In the
days OF their activity they were kept
in the church porcheS. where they
doubtless pointed a moral as to the
naughty spirit which goeth before 4
fall.
The FIRST colonists brought the insti-
tuition TO this country. although ii new
er lourished Ia New England In fact,
there are no authentic records Of the
actual use of the ducking stoos in
these colonies. although a number OF
women were sentenced to be so pun
ished. They had. however. other meth
DDS OF treatment for ladies OF shrew-
fish disposition, one OF these being
the wearing OF q cleft stick upon the
tongue
In the central and southern colonies
the custom was quite popular In the
seventeenth century ducl1ing stools
were in every county In Maryland. and
in 1775 one was placed ST the confu-
ence OF the Ohio and Monongahela riv-
ers- In Virginia the penalty was often
employed. and in 1854 a Thomas Hart
Iy OF that colony wrote. IL is said. TO
Governor Endicott OF Massachusetts, 4
giving detailed account OF a ducking I
TO zone Betsey. wife Of /
John Tucker. who by violence OF her |
tongue had made his home and ye |
uncomfortable" After |
the machine be adds: -Ye |
rope was slackened by ye officer, and 4
We woman was allowed 10 so down 1
under ys water for ye space Of half
minute Betsey had 8 stout stomach 4
and would not yield until she had al 1
lowed herself to be ducked Eve SEVERAL 1
times" After she promised TO ''sin no 4
more" Betsey was united and allowed 1
TO walk home in her wetted clothes,
q hopefully penitent woman"
The duckfng stool prevailed longer
In America than In England In the
old country It does not seem to have
been used later than 1909. but In GeOr-