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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1930-10-16, Page 6Britain Plans Law to Preserve Old Houses; Would Check Removal by Americans London ---For the first time au at- tempt will be made by the government to restrict by law the removal Froin Britain of buildings of historic and national interest. A measure for this purpose isnow in the Bands of Parlia- mentary draftsmen and is expected to be introduced in the coming session, The bill is designed to be an effec- tive check upon the growing tendency on the part of wealthy :foreignes, especially Americans, since the World War, to buy historic houses and other buildings and remove them piece by Piece for reerection abroad. Not long ago a piece of a fourteenth century England Cotswold cottage at Chedworth was taken down and packed into boxes, The dismembered cottage, weighing 475 tons, was placed aboard a train of sixty-seven cars and then shipped to America. The Earl of Pow- is's old half-timbered house at Lymore near Montgomery, built about 1675, without any alterations was sched- uled as an ancient monument by the Office of Works, but the Earl's offer to the nation had to be refused be- cause of lack of funds for adequate xnaintainanee. The house was auc- tioned and was purchased by an an- tique dealer, who said much of the valuable oak paneling and the ilio staircase would go to America. Meanwhile, despite the _ proposed legislation, an Englishwoman, Mrs. Amy Adams, has announced she is going to America for the sole pur- pose of selling olcl English cottages to Americans. She said she already had bought a. Hertfordshire cottage for shipment to America next year. "Since the desire for old cottages has grown in. America," she added, "I ani going to buy and sell their." When a building of historical or national interest comes under the provisions of the proposed bill, it will be illegal for the structure to be re- moved, not only out of England, but from its existing Site. It is also ex- pected that a check will be placed on striping such buildings of their fit- tings. M eat and Drink memsor, a land surveyor. Thomson looked to the Italian grimmacia, and Once Sold by Pard if this be reliable, then it may come from the Spanish gimio, monkey, in Latin simia, but it should not be for - English Forebears Referred to gotten that grimaciers were formerly a company of artists whose duty was to carve the fantastic heads used in architecture, such as. are frequently to be seen in our gargoyles, and Randle Cotgrave draws attention to this fact. But, iu Old Saxon we have grima, a war mask, including the vizor of a helmet that concealed the warrior's face. Both the comic and tragic masks of the ancients were so distorted and ludicrous as to repro- duce a facial expression. "Our phiz comes from the French vis, the face, from the Latin visus, from vise, the visage or countenance. The chain from the ph to the v is confirmed by the word visomy used by Spenser for physiognomy in days when scholars did pretty much as they pleased with the language that they used. From the Old English vis Prussia as Sprucia as Late as 1614 "Meat and drink were sold by the yard once upon a time in Merrie Eng- land," remarked that delver into an- cient customs, Dr. Frank Vizetelly. "In. those days yard meant something prepared, and it was as common to speak of a yard. of beef as it was to ask for a yard of cloth. Wine, ale and beer were served by the yard in a glass that stood thirty-eight inches high and contained two pints. The annual, feast of the Corporation of Hanley in Staffordshire the inita- tion of each member consisted of his swearing fealty to the organization and drinking a yard of wine—that is a pint of port or sherry—out of a glass one yard in length. "A word that has a very interest - we have vis-a-vis face to face. ung history is spruce with its double • Brewing Created the Stoker meaning (1) smartly or finely dress- ed' and (2) 'the fir tree' known as spruce fir. On its face, this word does not bear any resemblance to Prussia, yet on special occasions 'it was the custom among our forbears to deck one's self out in the dress of other countries. Merl who adopted the particular dress of Prussia were arrayed in a style to which the epi- thet spruce might have been applied with perfect propriety. They were appareled after the style of Prussia, or, as it was commonly - known and spoken of in those days, Spruce. The reason that Prussia should have been called Spruce instead of Pruce is to be attributed to the English fond- ness of inital S, which may have been drawn, in this case, from the German ras Preussen. Where Puss Came From "The domestic pet that competes nightly with radio songsters is com- monly known by the popular name of puss. In Friar Bacon's 'Proprecie' it figures as 'pusca ' Minsheu spelled it pusse and the term was used for both a cat and a hare. Wergwood, an English theorizer in etymology, suggested that the name was given probably as an imitation of the sound made by a cat hi spitting. Another scholar however, pointed out that the hare, when spoken of by those who used Latin, was called lepus. Others introduced the name carelessly into the Norman French, and later spoke a jumble of languages, of which Latin formed no small part, intro- duced the tern which became a fam- ilar word, and was not long before the first syllable of the noun le was explained as the French definite ar- ticle le, and lepus became le puss. "One etymologist says that the word stoker is from the Irish stoca, a servant boy; a helper, adding that the final a of other languages often becomes er in English, as in Spanish daga, English dagger. But the original stoker came from the Dutch, in which language it was a term used in. brewing, and it ap- pears in dictionaries of Bailey and Phillips—one looks after a fire, and some other concerns in a brewhouse. It is allied to the Middle Dutch stock, propably from the use by the stoker of a stock, or thick stick in stirring a fire and arranging the logs, and this ,is the same word as the Old French estoquer. Middle English stoken, to stab. A stock rapier was a stabbing rapier and so we see that from stab- bing to stoking is but a step. "The story of pier is also an in- teresting one, and Skeat traces it from he Anglo-French Pere, a, stone. It is defined as a mass of stone -work, forming a pier or pile of a bridge. Objections have been offered to this etymology of Dr, Skeet's on the ground that in the first place, the piers of bridges were very generally made of wood and not of stone, it would not have to be called simply a pier. The piers of a bridge are one thing and stones are another. The phrase a bridge with wooden piers is quite common. "Only the theoretical student of words would identify the gooseberry with St. John's berry, yet according to Fox Talbot in Germany, plants of this genus are known as Sohannis- beeren, that is John's berries, because they are ripe about the time of he feast of St. John, midsummer. In Low German and in Holland the fruit named after him is Jans-beeren, and the word has been carelessly, andig- norlmantly corrupted into Gans-beeren, of which our English gooseberry is a literal translation. Gans in Ger- man signifies a goose. Curious History of Dupe "Th'e word dupe has a curious his- tory. It originally meant a dove or pigeon, the most simple and guile- less of creatures. Webster and Littre both claim that the word came from the old French name for the hoopoe, probably on the ground that Randle Cotgrave described lube as a trooper, a bird that bath on her head a great crest or tuft of feathers, and nestles in ordure. "Even at the present day, trustful and simple persons are frequently Called pigoons, The French have corrupted pigeon, used in the sense of dupe, into bejaune, a 'novice; a simple, ignorant, unexperienced ass.; a rude, unfashioned, homebred, hoy- den; a sot; nitric; dolt; noddle; one that's blanket and hath nought to say when he liatli most need to speak; so Cotgrave wrote, it into, the record. "Grimace is another word with "The real origin of pier is said to be altogether different from this. It meant originally a landing place on the seashore or the banks of a river and as seamen often landed from their ships at night, It was necessary to keep a light burning to guide them to the landing spot. This light was the pyr or pyre or beacon, a pier or lantern by the shoreside. From the pier or light at the end of a jetty, the sense was extended to include the landing place, and ultimately was ap- plied to all structures built over water or raised from it, which were called piers. Lindbergh's Light ;r lSgf ^<` yr .yi;pt •:r;�t:;t.ka, 4k•u3. x !.eN hn . .. Fascist Italy Bans the House Fly And Orders New Rules Enforced The house sly, which is, along With the mosquito, one of the chief pests in France and Italy where win- dows aro eescreene.d, will no ,longer find toleration in Fascist Italy, Mus- solini's government began its cam- paign 'against the fly a year ago, directing attention toward the breed- ing places and stating that extermina- tion indoors was by no means an ef- fective method of prevention. But the 'public has not responded to the Fascist order with the whole hearted enthusiasm expected of, it. A new order: has now been issued to the prefects of the' kingdom remind- ing them that the campaign of pre- vention is to be strictly enforced along the lines .outlined previously by Professor Antonio Berlese, head of the Entomological Institute of Fier - , erica. Professor Berleses's directions de- mand attention to the fact that flies deposit their eggs on decaying matter and, if their larvae are to hatch out, this matter must remain undisturbed for a period of two weeks. All re- fuse that cannot be destroyed should Lindbergh Beacon, most powerful searchlight in world, recently placed upon top of Palmolive building iu Chicago, from where its light shaft carries for many miles. for the panacea of the Greeks was for financial, assistance to invaded na- the most celebrated herb—panakcia, tions in. time of war and the second. signifying `all -heal;' hence, a remedy was the rejection by the assembly of for all diseases, and the author of a project to modify the League coven - this bright thought advises us to con- ant and harmonize it with the Kellogg ciderthe other name of the plant in support of his point of view—heart's- ease, that is, a cure for all woes. Warlus Once Horse -Whale "The horse -whale of old is the wal- rus of to -day. It is sometimes spoken° of as the seahorse. In Iceland it is rendered kross-hvair. The name is said. to have been given to it from the noise that the small auimal makes, which is said to resemble the neigh- ing of a horse. "The term asparagus is one of doubtful origin. It has been traced to the Latin from the Greek aspara- gos, In Medieval Latin it occurred as sparagus, and was found in Eng- lish in the form sparagi as early as the year 1,000. One scholar traces it to asparagous, the windpipe. Cot- grave explains the French esperge, as "the herb sparage or spargus," which Skeet lir©nouunced mere cor- ruptions of the Latin 'word. The French aspereges is .a holy water sprinkler, a terns derived from the Latin aspergere, to sprinkle, yet the asparagus of modern times scarce- ly seems suited for the purpose of Winkling, much less so when tied up in bunches. "The etymology of the word pansy is traced by Skeet to the French pen - sea, a word from which we get the beautiful idea of 'the flower or thought Which oar simple molars have loved or remembrance,' yet our friends, the v' n to play, dile Of them derived it •frOrtl etymological scholars, will not allow , Street in Germantown, grim, Menage claimed for it agri- that pansy le to be traced to panacea, intense velocitya 28 Nations Sign ew Peace Pact Project Assures Financial Aid to Invaded Nation Geneva—Action taken during the present meeting of the League of Na- tions indicated as the session near- ed a close on October 2nd that the; League was firmly convinced that war -like penalties constitute the best. guarantee of security and peace. Two developments pointed to this conclusion. The first was the adop- tion and signature of the convention Pact outlawing war. Twenty-eight nations signed the i convention offering financial assis- tance to invaded countries. Of these r 22 were European countries. There were five •abstensions — Germany, Italy, Hungary, Switzerland and Lux- emburg. Under the convention the League will be able to utilize immediately the Weapon of economic isolation against any invading nation. The League can strengthen an invaded nation with loans and renewed economic as- sistance. Many experts expressed the convict- ! tion that this would be sufficient to gstifle war. be attacked in the Spring, .oelug sprayed with a solation of molasses., arsenic and water. The fires are readily attraoted by the mixture and feeding eagerly upon it die within an hour. It is essential however, that the spraying should be kept up re, gularlY throughout the Sumner; which is the breeding season. The :3erlese method has been sue cessfully .used ,at the Summer resort of Montecantini, by the hotels on the Lido, and a large tuberculosis sani- tarium near Milan, as well as the Royal Palace of Sau Bossore, near Pisa. Professor Berlese Inas guar- anteed to keep a town as large as Florence completely free from flies within a three -miles radius if •his method of treatment is rigorously applied. Under the new Fascist order to the prefects. of Italy the Berlese method is to be put into force. An heaps of refuse, all town, village or city dumps, all manure heaps on farms, as well as butcher shops, slaughter houses and other places which,flies are likely to infest are to be protected against fly incubation. Ontario Centre Of Flour Industry Friend—"What's the matter with your thumb?" Victim—"I hit the wrong nail." The chief centre of the flour milling industry in the Dominion is Ontario. This province with a production value of $106,486,000 hi 1928, accounts for more than one-half of the total pro- duction of the Dominion. Quebec, Al- berta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are responsible for almost the entire balance. Among the four, Quebec conies first, with a production of $29,- 338,000; Alberta second, with $21,- 005,000; Manitoba third, with $18,- 788,000; 18;788,000; and Saskatchewan fourth, with $15,781,000. The other two pro- vinces, in which the milling industry figures among the leading industries, are British Columbia and 'Prince Ed- ward Island, in each of which the pro- ductionnvalue is under $2,000,000. The expansion of Canada's milling industry during the war was due to the export trade, and Canada has since then held her own among the flour exporting countries of the world. To -day, Canada is exceeded as an ex- porter of flour only by the United States. Since the opening of the cen- tury, export of flour by the Dominion has multiplied more than tenfold. In the fiscal year 1900, exports of wheat flour from Canada amounted to only 768,000 barrels. Ten years later they totalled 3,064,000 barrels. In 1920, they amounted to 8,863,000 barrels, while for the fiscal yearaJ.929 they were 11,406,000 barrels. In the fiscal year which closed in March last there was a decline, owing to the general slackness of the grain trade, to 7,893,- 000 barrels. It is clear, however, from comparative figures, that over period of years Canada has been ad- vancing as a flour exporting country, while the United States has scarcely held her own. As evidence of this, it niay be stated that, while in 1928 the flour exports of the United States were 430,000 barrels less than in 1913, these exports from Canada were 5,- 843,000 barrels greater than in the year before the war. Wash the Soap First When washing in public places, do you ever think of examining the soap before using it? If it is not a fresh tablet, have you wondered whether the person using it before you was in a good state of health or whether that person was suffering from some skin disease? Be on the safe side, there- fore, by washing the soap first, and guard the health of others by wash- ing the soap after you have used it. Kind Old Gentleman.—"How did you lose your eye, my poor man?" Tramp "Lookin' fer work, sir." Teacher—"Now, Peebles, tell me which month has twenty-eight days." Peebles—"They all have, teacher." Stora Wrecks Fuu'y on Trees Pa., after trees had boon lID ootocl by an electrleal storm that 'lashed the Mennonite Exodus Stopped. by Soviet Soviet Demands Return of. 30,000 Memmonites Who Await Chance to Emi- grate to Canada • Paris,—Soviet Russia is writing an- other uother tragic chapter in the pitiable story of the Mennonite exodus. Some months ago 30,000 Mennonites were colleted in a forest on the out- skirts of Moskow, awaiting permission to leave the territory of the Soviet republic. Their land had been expro. priated. Their rights granted by Peter the Great and Catherine had been repudiated, and their goods had been dispersed. In spite of difficulties and a charge imposed on migrants of $150 for a passport, about 6,000 Men- nonites ennonites reacred the German frontier, mostly on foot. They found shelter in an abandoned military camp. The Red Cross kept then from starvation. Stubbornly the set aside other pro• jects, determined to reach Canada, where the advance guard of their movement had landed. in 1925 and 1928. Separated, they felt they would be lost. They had settled in Russia in 1701. Their numbers had grown to 3,000,- 000, chiefly on the Ukraine, and they had helped to make it one of the rich. - est wheat belts in Russia. The tragic sequence of events in their expere ence during the past year is lost if it is forgotten that their determination was to remain -united in migrating to Canada, a -country which has al. ways proved hospitable to their people In the Meantime the centralized economic system of the Soviets spread inexorably from the cities to the coun- try. Soviet commissioners issued these decrees: (1) Enrolment of the Mennonite youths in the Red army. (2) Inventory and seizure of the summer's crop and stocks of cereals, (3) Order to speak Russian and teach. in the schools. (4) Prohibition of old agricultural methods and obligation to follow So- viet organization of agriculture. Tragic Experience The Mennonites resolved to quit the inhospitable country en masse. The Soviet government began its mea- sures of repression. All authorization to leave the coun- try has now been definitely refused, The Soviet is demanding that the Ger. man Government deport the escaped Mennonites who are encamped at Konig. There, under the most heart- rending conditions, these unfortunate people have for months been waiting for a chance to get to Canada. But the Soviets are inexorable. They consider the Mennonites fugitives as Russian citizens who must answer for insubordination. For the Mennonites return to Russia means the abandon- ment of all hope,' Peacock Feathers Arrives Tacoma, Wash.—A large shipment of peacock feathers from China at rived here recently on the Hiro Maru, These gaily colored plunges are used in making of fans, drapery and other decorations. It is considered unlucky for Chinese to pantile peacocks or the feathers, so Manchu laborers are employed on the pea fowl ranches, The feathers were consigned to Nes York. Golfer—"Terrible links, caddy, ter. Able!" Caddy—"Sorry, sir, thee(' ain't links—you got off them .an hour ago." "Father," said Clementine, "do you enjoy Bearing me sing?" "Well," was the answer, "1 don't know, but it's rather soothing in a way. It makes me .forget my other troubles!" In an English examination paper ,a class of small girls was asked for the opposite of certain words. In ono paper the opposite to "permanent" was given as ' Mareelle." This is on1a the dounterl)art of a notice seen in a hairdresser's recently, which de- clared:—",i, the undersigned, do here- by city With guarantee' that any permanent wave executed by tis will Iast for at least six to ten Months." J