Part 7

Izdubar, an early Babylonian king and hero, was most probably the Nimrod of the Bible. In a fragment of a Chaldæan tradition of the Deluge, discovered in 1872 by Mr. George Smith of the British Museum, Izdubar appears as a giant residing in the country of Accad, a subduer of great animals in the post-diluvian times, and a mighty conqueror who acquired the sovereignty, which he exercised in the city of Erech or Uruk, the earliest capital of Babylonia.

158. Where in the Bible are we told in one verse not to do a thing and in the next to do it?

“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.”--Prov. xxvi. 4.

“Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.”--Prov. xxvi. 5.

159. What did the Indians at Jamestown plant in order to raise ammunition?

It is said that, having seized a quantity of gunpowder belonging to the colonists, they planted it for seed, expecting to reap a full harvest of ammunition for the next contest.

160. When was the first bloodshed in the late Civil War?

On the 19th of April, 1861, two young men--Luther C. Ladd and A. O. Whitney--from Lowell, Mass., were killed by a mob while their regiment was passing through the streets of Baltimore on their way to the defence of Washington. This was the first bloodshed in the Rebellion. To their honor a granite monument has been erected in Merrimack Street, Lowell, and in the same enclosure is a bronze statue of Victory, by the German sculptor Rauch, to commemorate the triumph of the Northern cause.

161. What African capital was named from a President of the United States?

Monrovia, the capital of the republic of Liberia, was named in honor of James Monroe, who was President of the United States at the time of the establishment of the Liberian Republic.

162. How many people did the ship _Mayflower_ bring over?

There was on board of this single ship of one hundred and eighty tons a “floating village of one hundred and two souls,” not of resolute men only, but also their wives and children.

163. Who delivered the funeral oration on the death of Washington?

General Henry Lee, commonly known as “Light Horse Harry,” delivered the funeral oration of Washington, at the German Lutheran Church, Philadelphia, Dec. 26, 1799. A resolution of thanks was unanimously passed by Congress the following day.

164. Which is the nearest approach yet made to the North Pole?

On the 18th of May, 1882, Lieutenant James B. Lockwood, U. S. A., of the Greely expedition, reached the latitude of eighty-three degrees and twenty-four minutes on the north coast of Greenland. This was twenty-eight miles farther north than ever before known. Previous to this the greatest northing was that made by Commander Markham, R. N., who, on May 12, 1876, reached eighty-three degrees twenty minutes and twenty-six seconds north on the frozen Polar Ocean.

165. When was the price of flour made to depend upon the result of a Presidential election?

In 1840, men of business advertised to pay six dollars a barrel if Harrison were elected, and only three dollars a barrel if Van Buren were elected.

166. Which is the “Land of the Rising Sun”?

The poetical name by which the Japanese designate their country is the “Land of the Rising Sun,” which well describes its location as the most eastern of all Asiatic empires, and their national emblem represents the sun as rising from the sea. The name Japan is a corruption of Marco Polo’s term _Zipangu_, which, in turn, is a corruption of _Jipunquo_, which is of Chinese origin, and means “The Country at the Root of the Sun.”

167. Which is the “Land of the Midnight Sun”?

The Scandinavian Peninsula. “From the last days of May to the end of July, in the northern part of this land, the sun shines day and night upon its mountains, fjords, rivers, lakes, forests, towns, villages, hamlets, fields, and farms; and thus Sweden and Norway may be called ‘The Land of the Midnight Sun.’ During this period of continuous daylight the stars are never seen, the moon appears pale and sheds no light upon the earth.”--_Du Chaillu’s Land of the Midnight Sun._

168. When did the postal card come into use in the United States?

By the Act of June 8, 1872, the Postmaster-General was authorized and directed to issue postal cards to the public at a cost of one cent each. The first cards were issued in May, 1873. The invention of postal cards is attributed to Prof. Emanuel Herman, of Vienna. They were used in England, Germany, and Switzerland in 1870, and have since been introduced into other European countries. In some countries a card is attached on which an answer can be returned.

169. What President worked on a ferry-boat when a young man?

In 1825, Abraham Lincoln, then in his seventeenth year, was employed by James Taylor for nine months at _six_ dollars a month to manage a ferry-boat which plied between the banks of the Ohio and also of Anderson Creek.

170. What general shot a wolf in her den by the light of her own eyes?

General Israel Putnam, of Revolutionary fame, once had a famous encounter with a she-wolf that had for several years preyed upon the flocks and cattle of the neighborhood. Having discovered her den, he entered it alone by creeping into a narrow opening, and shot and killed the wolf by the light of her own glaring eyes as she was advancing to attack him. This adventure, which gave him a wide reputation for courage, took place near Pomfret, Conn., when Putnam was but twenty-five years old.

171. What did the Indians suppose the ships of Columbus to be?

They supposed the ships to be huge white-winged birds, and the Spaniards to have come from heaven.

172. What President never attended school a day in his life?

Andrew Johnson, on account of extreme poverty, never received any schooling, and at the age of ten he was apprenticed to Mr. Selby, a tailor in Raleigh, N. C. A gentleman was in the habit of visiting the shop and reading to the workmen, generally from “The American Speaker,” and Andrew became intensely interested, especially in the extracts from the speeches of Pitt and Fox, and determined to secure an education. From a fellow-workman he learned the alphabet, and from a friend something of spelling. Thenceforth, after working ten or twelve hours a day at his trade, he spent two or three every night in study. After his marriage at Greenville, Tenn., he continued his studies under the instruction of his wife, with whose aid he learned to write and cipher, while pursuing his trade as before by day.

173. How was Napoleon paid for the cession of Louisiana?

He was paid $11,250,000 in six per cent. bonds, payable fifteen years after date. The price paid for Louisiana was $15,000,000, but one quarter of this was due to American citizens for French depredations upon our commerce.

174. When was the flag of a republic first set up on American soil?

In 1497, John Cabot discovered North America and set up--together with the standard of England--the banner of his native land, the republic of Venice.

175. What was the “Confederate candle”?

The “Confederate candle” consisted of a long wick coated with wax and resin, and wound on a little wooden frame, at the top of which was nailed a bit of tin. The end of the wick, being passed through a hole in the tin, was lighted and uncoiled as needed.

176. What was the Holy Grail?

According to some legends of the Middle Ages, the Holy Grail was the cup (said to be emerald) used by our Saviour in dispensing the wine at the Last Supper; and according to others, it was the platter on which the Paschal Lamb was served at the last Passover observed by our Lord. By some it was said to have been preserved by Joseph of Arimathea, who received into it the blood which flowed from the Redeemer’s wounds as he hung on the cross. By others it was said to have been brought down from heaven by angels, and committed to the charge of a body of knights, who guarded it on the top of a lofty mountain. This cup, according to the legend, if approached by any but a perfectly pure, chaste, and holy person, would be borne away, and vanish from their sight. This led to the quest of the Holy Grail, which was to be sought on every side by a knight who was perfectly chaste in thought, word, and act. It is to this that some of the later English poets have referred, especially Tennyson in his “Sir Galahad”:

“Sometimes on lonely mountain meres I find a magic bark; I leap on board; no helmsman steers; I float till all is dark. A gentle sound, an awful light! Three angels bear the Holy Grail. With folded feet, in stoles of white, On sweeping wings they sail.”

177. Where is the “Devil’s Wall”?

This name is given by the inhabitants of the neighborhood to the old Roman wall separating England from Scotland, because they suppose that from the strength of the cement and the durability of the stone, the devil must have built it. The superstitious peasantry are said to be in the habit of gathering up the fragments of this wall to put in the foundation of their own tenements, to insure an equal solidity.

178. Who was the youngest President?

Ulysses S. Grant, who was not forty-seven years of age at the time of his inauguration.

179. Who was “Foul-weather Jack”?

Commander Byron (1723–1786) was so called by the men who sailed under him, in allusion to his ill-fortune at sea.

180. When and by whom was the Pacific Ocean discovered?

During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, Marco Polo and his successors travelled far to the East, and came to an ocean of unknown extent; and they partially explored its western coast. But it was not until nearly two centuries after this, that the existence of this great ocean was established to Europeans; and the honor of its discovery justly belongs to Vasco Nuñez de Balbao, or Balboa, the leader of a Spanish party exploring the Isthmus of Panama, who, on the 29th of September, 1513, saw, from the summit of a mountain, a vast ocean to the west. Balbao prostrated himself upon the ground; then, rising to his knees, he thanked God “it had pleased his Divine Majesty to reserve unto that day the victory and praise of so great a thing unto him.” When he reached the coast he advanced waist-deep into the waves, drew his sword, and swore, as a true knight, that he would defend it, with its coast, islands, and all that it contained, for his master, the king of Spain. Because he discovered it on Michaelmas day, Balbao named it the _Golfo de San Miguel_.

181. What sect believes in the existence of one hundred and thirty-six hells?

According to Buddhist belief, there are, situated in the interior of the earth, one hundred and thirty-six hells. These places of punishment have a regular gradation in the intensity of the suffering and the length of time the sufferers live, the least term of life being ten millions of years, the longer terms being almost beyond the powers of even Indian notation to express. But however long the life, it has an end, and at its close the individual must be born again.

182. What are the sacred writings of the Buddhists called?

The _Tripitaka_ (_i. e._, “Triple Basket”) is the Bible of Buddhism. It contains one hundred and sixteen volumes, and is divided into three classes: the _Sutra_, or discourses of Buddha; the _Vinaya_, or discipline, and the _Abhidharma_, or metaphysics. They contain sublime, moral, and pure aspirations, and their author lived and died in the sixth century B. C. Buddhism has now existed for nearly twenty-five centuries, and may be said to be the prevailing religion of the world, as its adherents are estimated at from 400,000,000 to 500,000,000 souls,--more than one third of the human race.

183. What are the sacred writings of the Chinese called?

_King_ (_i. e._, “The Books”) is the collective name of the canonical works of the adherents of Confucius. It is divided into five books. These are the _Yih-King_, or the Book of Changes,--originally a cosmological essay, now, curiously enough, regarded as a treatise on ethics; _Shu-King_, or the Book of Annals,--a history of the deliberations between the Emperors Yayu and Shun, and other personages, called by Confucius the _Ancient Kings_, and for whose maxims and actions he had the highest veneration; the _Shi-King_, or the Book of Songs,--a book of sacred songs, consisting of three hundred and eleven poems, the best of which every well-educated Chinaman gets by heart; the _Le-King_, or the Book of Rites,--the foundation of Chinese manners, prescribing, as it does, the ceremonies to be observed in all the relationships of life, and the great cause of the unchangeableness and artificiality of Chinese habits; and the _Chun-tsien_,--a history by Confucius of his own times, and those which immediately preceded him. These works stand at the head of the vast literature of the Chinese, and constitute the sacred books of about 80,000,000 of people.

184. What are the sacred books of the ancient Scandinavians called?

The _Eddas_ are the sacred books of the old Scandinavian tribes. There are two works which bear this name,--the _Edda Sæmundar hins Froda_, or Edda of Sæmund the Wise, and the _Edda Snorri Sturlusonar_. The former, and older of these, contains the mythology of the Scandinavians, with some historical narrations of a romantic cast, embodied in thirty-nine poems, of unknown authorship and date, which were collected by Sæmund Sigfusson, surnamed Frodi, an Icelandic priest, 1054–1133. The second is a collection of the myths of the gods, and of explanations of the types and metres of the pagan poetry, intended for the instruction of the young skalds, or poets. It is chiefly in prose, and is the work of several authors, although ascribed to Snorri Sturleson, 1178–1241. The name Edda, which means great-grandmother (_i. e._, of Scandinavian poetry), was applied to these works by Brynjolf Svendson, bishop of Skalholt, by whom they were discovered and first brought before the notice of European scholars in 1643.

185. What are the sacred writings of the Hindoos called?

The _Vedas_ (“Knowledge”) are the sacred books of the Hindoos. These books are of great antiquity, but of uncertain date. There are four books: the oldest is the _Rijveda_,--the Veda of praise; next, the _Yajurveda_,--the Veda of sacrifice; the _Samaveda_,--the Veda of chanting; and the latest the _Atharvaveda_, which is made up after the manner of the _Samaveda_, but containing additional extracts from the _Rijveda_; its object is to teach how to appease, to bless, to curse, etc. Each of the Vedas contains a _Sanhita_, or collection of hymns, and an accompanying _Brahmana_, or commentary. They are written in Sanskrit.

186. What are the sacred writings of the Persians called?

The _Zend-Avesta_ (“Commentary and Text,” _Avesta_ being properly the sacred text; and _Zend_, its interpretation into more modern and intelligible language) is the Bible of the ancient Persians and of the modern Parsees or Guebres, who number about 7,000 in Persia, and 200,000 in India. It is ascribed to Zoroaster, who is said to have written 2,000,000 verses, covering 12,000 cow-skin parchments. In its present fragmentary state, it consists of the _Vendidad_ of twenty-two chapters, being the one surviving part (the twentieth) of an original work of twenty-one parts; the _Yazna_, of seventy-two chapters; the _Visparad_, of twenty-three chapters; twenty-four sections called _Yashts_; and a few fragments. It is, next to the Bible, the best of the sacred writings.

187. What are the sacred writings of the Mohammedans called?

The Koran, or _Al-Coran_, (“The Reading”), is the book of faith of the Mohammedans, or of about one seventh of the human race. It is a single volume of one hundred and fourteen chapters, of very unequal length, written in Arabic, and containing the doctrines and pretended revelations of Mohammed, “The Prophet,” whose followers number about 201,000,000.

188. What are the sacred writings of the ancient Japanese?

The _Kojiki_ (“Book of Ancient Traditions”) is the Bible and oldest monument of Shintonism, the ancient religion of Japan. It is written in pure Japanese, and was composed by order of the Mikado Gemmio, A. D. 712, and first printed about 1625. Shintonism has no moral code, and consists chiefly in the imitation and deification of illustrious ancestors, emperors, heroes, and scholars, the veneration of fire and light, and the inculcation of obedience to the will of the Mikado. Its adherents now number only about 14,000,000, as Buddhism is now the prevailing religion in Japan.

189. What are the “Seven Bibles of the World”?

They are the _Scriptures_ of the Christians; the _Zend-Avesta_ of the Persians; the four _Vedas_ of the Hindoos; the _Tripitaka_ of the Buddhists; the five _Kings_ of the Chinese; the two _Eddas_ of the Scandinavians, and the _Koran_ of the Mohammedans. Of these the _Scriptures_ are the oldest and the _Koran_ the most recent.

190. What President wrote his own epitaph?

Thomas Jefferson wrote his own epitaph, as follows: “Here lies buried THOMAS JEFFERSON, author of the Declaration of Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia.”

191. When was the first national convention for the nomination of candidates for the Presidency and Vice-Presidency held?

National conventions for the nomination of candidates were unknown before 1830. In 1830, an Anti-Masonic national convention was held, in which the party resolved, among other things, to put forward candidates for President and Vice-President, and a second convention was called to meet in Baltimore, in September, 1831, to make the nominations. In 1832, that being the election year, the Democrats held a national convention at Baltimore, to nominate a Vice-President, it being generally understood that Jackson was to be re-elected.

192. Who was the first President nominated by national convention?

Martin Van Buren in 1835. The Whigs, his opponents, held no such meeting, and contented themselves with supporting Harrison as the nominee of the Pennsylvania State Convention. In 1839 the Whigs nominated Harrison in national convention, and elected him triumphantly. Thenceforward, the practice of holding national conventions became general with all parties.

193. Where were the different Presidents nominated?

Van Buren, at Baltimore, 1835, by the Democrats. Harrison, at Harrisburg, 1839, by the Whigs. Polk, at Baltimore, 1844, by the Democrats. Taylor, at Philadelphia, 1848, by the Whigs. Pierce, at Baltimore, 1852, by the Democrats. Buchanan, at Cincinnati, 1856, by the Democrats. Lincoln (first term), at Chicago, 1800, by the Republicans. Lincoln (second term), at Baltimore, 1864, by the Republicans. Grant (first term), at Chicago, 1868, by the Republicans. Grant (second term), at Philadelphia, 1872, by the Republicans. Hayes, at Cincinnati, 1876, by the Republicans. Garfield, at Chicago, 1880, by the Republicans. Cleveland, at Chicago, 1884, by the Democrats.

194. When and by whom was the first national political platform adopted?

The first national political platform was adopted by the Democratic convention at Baltimore, May 5, 1840.

195. Which is the “Blue Hen State”?

This is a popular name for the State of Delaware. This sobriquet is said to have had its origin in a certain Captain Caldwell’s fondness for the amusement of cock-fighting. Caldwell was, for a time, an officer of the First Delaware Regiment, in the war of the Revolution, and was greatly distinguished for his daring and undaunted spirit. He was exceedingly popular in the regiment, and its high state of discipline was generally conceded to be due to his exertions; so that when officers were sent on a recruiting service, to enlist new men, in order to fill vacancies caused by death or otherwise, it was a saying, that they had gone home for more of Caldwell’s game-cocks; but as Caldwell insisted that no cock could be truly game unless the mother was a blue hen, the expression _Blue Hen’s Chickens_ was substituted for game-cocks.

196. What State is called “The Dark and Bloody Ground”?

Kentucky, of which name the above is said to be the translation. The phrase is an epitome of the early history of the State, of the dark and bloody conflicts of the first white settlers with their savage foes; but the name originated in the fact that this was the grand battle-ground between the Northern and Southern Indians.

197. Who was the author of “Greenbacks”?

Salmon Portland Chase (1808–1873), President Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury, and afterwards Chief Justice of the United States. The financial policy which carried the nation through the civil war was mainly the work of Mr. Chase. One of its essential features was the issue of United States notes, known as “Greenbacks,” which bore no interest, but were made legal tender.

198. What battle of the Rebellion was fought above the clouds?

This far-famed “battle above the clouds” took place on Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, on the morning of the 23d of November, 1863. A dense fog hung like a hood over the mountain, as the Federals under Hooker charged the Rebel fortifications. His troops had been ordered to stop on the high ground, but, taking advantage of the fog, and carried away by the ardor of the attack, they sprang up the almost inaccessible slopes of the mountain with resistless energy, and swept over the crest, driving the enemy before them. The Union flag was carried to the top; and before two o’clock in the afternoon, Lookout Mountain, with its cloud-capped summit, was swarming with Federal soldiers. Grant is reported to have declared the so-called “battle above the clouds” to be “all poetry, there having been no action there worthy the name of battle.”

199. Why was John Quincy Adams so named?

The origin of his name was thus stated by himself: “My great-grandfather, John Quincy, was dying when I was baptized, and his daughter, my grandmother, requested I might receive his name. This fact, recorded by my father, has connected with my name a charm of mingled sensibility and devotion. It was filial tenderness that gave the name,--it was the name of one passing from earth to immortality. These have been through life perpetual admonitions to do nothing unworthy of it.”

200. What President was the oldest when elected?

William Henry Harrison, who was sixty-eight years of age when inaugurated. The average age of Presidents, when elected, has been fifty-seven years.

201. What colony was founded as a home for the poor?

Georgia, the thirteenth American colony, was founded in a spirit of pure benevolence. The laws of England permitted imprisonment for debt. Thousands of English laborers, who through misfortune and thoughtless contracts had become indebted to the rich, were annually arrested and thrown into jail. Whole families were destitute or starving. To provide a refuge for these downtrodden poor of England, and the distressed Protestants of other countries, James Oglethorpe, the philanthropist, a member of Parliament, appealed to George II. for the privilege of planting a colony in America. The petition was favorably heard, and on the 9th of June, 1732, a royal charter was issued, by which the territory between the Savannah and Altamaha Rivers, and westward from the upper fountains of those rivers to the Pacific, was organized and granted to a corporation for twenty-one years, _to be held in trust for the poor_. In honor of the king, the new province received the name of Georgia.

202. Who was the “Colossus of American Independence”?