Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-16
Ey the Associated Press.


A wrestling match decided where
one Iowa County seat should be.
New York showered Gertrude Ederle
with $50 tons of ticket tape and torn
telephone directories after she swan
the English Channel. but gave Charles
A. Lindbergh a null 800 tons when
he came back from flying the Atlantic.
4 These are few of the strange bits
Of folklore and oddities that spice the
work of $500 persons busy with the
Works Progress Administration
writer's projects.
From a mass of this material and
other more prosaic matter the w. P A.
is evolving its series of State guide
books Some already have been pub
iished and most are nearing compile
ton.
The publication dates. however, are
up to State authorities, for the w. P.
A. only prepares the manuscript which
Is turned over to some State historical
society, university or other State
agency for publication.
Almanac for New Workers.
An almanac for New Workers in
sludes, along with present day statistics
On things and places, the old story of
The Dutch purchase of Manhattan
tManhattes it was them from the
indians for so guilders To add color,
4 gives the statistics on paper showers
for visiting heroes.
Fort Dodge was the Iowa town that
became county seat through a wres-
cling match. Homer also wanted the
honor, but agreed to settlement of
the controversy by wrestling match
and John F. Duncombe, Fort Dodge
pioneer, defeated John D. Maxwell, it's
representative
Superstitions galore of Southern
Negroes have been recorded.
To hear boot owl at night is bad
luck, but little salt sprinkled by the
nearer will drive the bad luck away.
Three lights in a room are bad luck.
"A whistlin' woman and a Growing
hen are good for neither God nor
man"
Sprinkling mustard seed on the door,
step will keep away bad spirits"
Here are some of the other facts
and fables they have gathered:
Williamson, N c., in 1774 had
court house built on stills over the
river. When court convened, ladders
Which allowed descent to boats were
removed and no one could leave.
Cheraw, S. c., has large number
OF trees because an old town law re-
CURED any one seen intoxicated on
the streets to 60 to the woods, bring
back tree and plant it.
Origin of Lynch Law
Cheraw also furnishes a story of
the origin of the term lynch law" at
eributing it to the arbitrary decision
of Col. Charles Lynch. who was judge
advocate at courts martial for Gen.
Nathaniel Greene. whose Revolution
ary War camp was near Cheraw
The pioneer labor law in America
lgas adopted in 1898 by Foxboro,
Mass, and forbade more than eight
hours work in heavy industry. It also
provided for minimum wage of Sc
cents.
OSoAAS-'aeI ASc1S CSA 1dll N1lulCIl, az
Camden, S. c., dedicated in 1922, has
the steeple at the rear.
Near Webster, Mass, is a burying
ground in which the graves are
marked with field stones-large ones
for old men, small ones for young
men.
! OF mysterious origin is stone hut
near Upton, Mass, constructed of
huge untooled stones. 1t is known
to be over 300 years old. Similar huts
in ireland are attributed to sixth cen
tury picts. Iceland also has such
huts, believed built by Norsemen.
Butcher Shop Cafeteria"
In early Phoenix, Ariz., butcher
shops. proprietors killed steer and
hung 1t up. Customers chose and cut,
with their own knives, the parts they
wanted.
There was monetary revaluation as
} serly as 1878. Scarcity of wampum,
used in trade with the Indians, caused
the settlers in what is now Bergen
County, N. j., to revalue it to the