The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-11-08
N g York Tribune.)

If there is any one thing that the
average man would he willing to wag-
er was Of American origin it would be
h practice of dealing with offenders
against the unwritten laws of certain
rural communities by covering them
with a coat of ar and feathers. The
individuals who, shrouded In sheets
and masks made of pillow cases. Of
ficiate at these functions would doubt
less agree that they were melting out
q punishment peculiar to the United
This punishment. which is supposed
to mt particularly ones class of trans
gressions, however, was instituted long
before the United States was ever
thought of and before this continent
was v discovered.
In the time of the crusades Richard
Occur de Lion and Philip Augustus,
two of the crusading kings, conferred
together as to the policing Of their re-
spective armies and agreed upon the
penalties that should be inflicted for
infractions of discipline.
Among the punishments provided
by their code we're that whoever kill.
ed another crusader was to be cast
alive into the sea, or. II no water was
at hand. should be burned alive: that
whoever wounded another should have
his hand cut oft; that whoever struck
another should be ducked three times
into the sea, and that whoever stole
from another should have warm
pitch poured owe his head. which
should then be. powdered with feath-
ers, and the offender should afterward
be left abandoned on the first shore"
1t would seem that only the riding
upon the sharp edge of hewn rail was
OF latter day invention as a suitable
climax to the punishment, and even
this may have been practiced by the
ancient fanatics, although not includ-
ed in the prescribed code.
When we speak facetiousiy Of some
one for whom we have no reverence as
having kicked the bucket" We EN-
ploy a phrase that would seem to be a
piece Of latter day slang. but, as a
matter. of fact, 1t dates back to Old
England. when. about the ear 1875.
one Bolsover hung himself to a beam
while standing on the bottom Of a
bucket and then kicked the bucket
away. Although at first used only in
cases of suicide. 1t has been applied
without distinction.
When we take what we can get and
not what we want and call 1t Hob
sons choice" we are not referring to
the gentleman who once was famous
because of his kissing capacity and is
now endeavoring to the wits out
Of us with dire predictions Of a Jap
anese invasion.
The Hobson of the popular phrase
was another one. and his vocation was
more peaceful. although he preyed up
on the pocketbooks of his countrymen.
His given name was Tobias, and he
was the first ma in England to run
a livery stable and to rent out steeds
to the horseback riding galiants Of
that long ago day. While his stable
was we'll filled with horses. they were,
degrees Of speediness, but n choice
was permitted his customers. The
horse that stood nearest the door.
whether he was spawned, ringboned
or a thoroughbred was the. n that
the next customer had to take, and
they all were rented at the same rates.
Hence "Hobson's Choice" came to he
a synonym for no choice at all. which
Is the sense in which we use 1t today.
1t is an unfortunate thing, due to
the cost Of high living, that M in
a while some Of US are dunned for
debts that we owe and have no found
It convenient to pay. 1t Is exasperat-
ing to receive a dun" but some of
the irritated recipients might feel
moro pleasantly about It IL they knew
that tho word dun vas classical and
phrase from antiquity.
Way hack in the reign of Henry VII.
the father and Immediate predecessor
IN the throne Of the much married
Henry. there was a bailiff of the city
Of London. who rejoiced in the name
OF Joe Dun. So successful was Joe
Dun in getting money out Of delin-
guent debtors that the merchants Of
that day used to say: II shall have
to Dun him" when they were about ia
put an account in the energetic
hailif's hands, and the name Of this
pioneer professional collector Of debts
crept gradually into current Language
until IT. was adopted to signify urgent
and insiatent demands for payment.
We all IT vi drink to the health Of