Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 10.djvu/332

LEFT WANAMASEB 284 WAR chisel into cubes of about two inches in lengfth and one-third of an inch square. This piece of shell is then se- curely wedged into a vise made of two pieces of wood connected with a hinge in the center. The jaws of the vise are opened and the shells inserted. Then the vise is closed tightly and held by pressure against the grindstone. In this manner, in a short time, the edges of the shell are rounded, and then the drill is brought into use. The workman sits at a three-legged table, the top of which is fashioned from the half of a log, the under side still retaining the original bark covering, and, affixing one end of the drill to play freely in a button on his jacket, he next takes up a whalebone bow, similar to the kind used by jewelers, and, giving the cord a turn about the spool on the drill, he works the bow rapidly back and forth, from right to left, till the sharp end of the drill penetrates through the cube of shell from end to end lengthwise. When a sufficient num- ber of cubes are completed they are then smoothed and polished with emery paper and strung on wires, precisely the same as children string beads, and they are then ready for the market. The wampum that is made from the streaked, bluish parts of hard clam shells is the most beautiful and therefore more valuable, and is harder and tougher to work. The price paid for the products of this almost obsolete industry is 14 cents a running inch on the string, and the average amount of money made by these shell artisans is about $6 a day during the season. WANAMAKER, JOHN, an American merchant; born in Philadelphia, Pa., July 11, 1838; began his career as an errand boy in a bookstore; was after- ward employed as a retail clothing salesman; and in 1861 established, with Nathan Brown, the clothing house of Wanamaker & Brown, in Philadelphia. In 1876 he founded a large department store in that city and subsequently con- verted the A. T. Stewart building on Broadway, New York, into a similar store. In 1889-1893 he was Postmaster- General. He was long active in reli- gious work, and early founded the Beth- any Presbyterian Sunday-school, in Philadelphia, which soon became one of the largest in the United States. WANDEROO, or WANDERU, in zoology, the Macacus sile7ms, from the S. of Hindustan, especially the country bordering the Malabar coast. It is about 2 feet in length, tail 10 to 12 inches. The wanderoos have long, slim bodies, covered with black hair, tail of the same color, tufted. The head looks very large, because of a mane, or ruff, and beard which sticks out round the face. This mass of long hair is either gray or white, and adds to the sly look of the broad face, soft dull eyes, and broad muzzle. Also, any species of the genus Semnopithecus. S. la'sinus is the great wanderoo. WAPENTAKE, or WAPENTAC, a name formerly given in some of the N. shires of England, and still retained in Yorkshire, to a territorial division of the county corresponding to the hundred of the S. counties. The word means "weapon-touching" and refers to the custom of the chiefs of a particular dis- trict meeting at a certain day at a specified spot, when the head chief alighting from his horse, raised his spear in the air, and the inferior chiefs, also on foot, touched this spear with their lances, and so acknowledged their fealty. WAPITI, the name given by the North American Indians to Cervus canadensis, a native of North America, ranging from the Carolinas to lat. 56-57° N. It is closely allied to but considerably m^ WAPITI larger than the stag, standing about 54 inches at the shoulder; yellowish brown on the upper parts; sides gray, long coarse hair in front of neck, like a dew- lap; antlers large, brow-tine duplicated. It frequents low grounds, or woody tracts near savannahs or marshes. The venison is of little value, as it is coarse and dry; but the hide makes excellent leather. It is called also, but errone- ously, the elk and gray moose. WAR, a contest between nations and States (international war), or between parties in the same state (civil war), carried on by force of arms, and re- sorted to either for purposes of advan-