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CORWIN

463

COTES

THOMAS CORWIN

embrace carriage and wagon-shops, door and window-screen factories, besides wire and wire-cloth, wall-paper, drop-forgings and carriage-trimmings establishments. It is a shipping point also for agricultural and dairy produce. Population, n,5°4*

Cor'win, Thomas, was born in Bourbon Co., Ky. in 1794, but was brought up in

Ohio. He became a lawyer, and was noted both as a speaker at the bar and for his keenness in sifting and massing evidence. He was chosen state representative, member of Congress and later, senator, acting with the Whigs. He was opposed to the Mexican War as unjust. He was elected governor of Ohio after a

thorough canvass, speaking in every county and delivering a brilliant speech in support of General Harrison, then Whig candidate for president. In 1850 he became secretary of the treasury under Fillmore. A member of Congress again, in 1858, and supporter Df Lincoln in 1860, he was in favor of a compromise on the slavery question, which, he hoped, would avoid war. He became minister to Mexico in 1861, and died at Washington, D. C., Dec. 18, 1865.

Corymb (kor'tmb), a flat-topped .flower cluster, in which the pedicels of the flowers are of different lengths, arising from the axis at different levels. The outer flowers bloom first. See INFLORESCENCE. Coshoc'ton, Ohio, a city, the seat of Coshocton County, on the Muskingum River and on the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis and Wheeling & Lake Erie railways, about 70 miles east-northeast of Columbus. It was settled early in the last century and incorporated in 1833. Its manufactures include novelty-advertising establishments, wooden-novelty works, machine-shops, glass-factory and other "plants." It has a public library, churches and schools, and owns its own water-works. Population, 9,603.

Cos'sacks, a race first known in the i oth century in the region south of Poland and Muscovy. Their name has been said to mean an armed man, a coat, a saber, a goat, etc. Their race-stock is just as uncertain; probably they sprang from mixed Slavonic, Tartar and Circassian tribes, though some hold them to be Tartars, and others almost purely Russians. They fought against the Turks and Tartars, ana

were very powerful in the i5th century. Poland and Muscovy employed them to guard their boundaries; while Cossacks are to be met with in the outposts of Russia in Siberia, Central Asia and the Caucasus. Sometimes living near hostile peoples, they formed a cordon of settlements along the borders of territory they held; sometimes living in the midst of enemies, they gathered in separate camps, ever ready for attack or defense. They are a democratic people, choosing all their officers for one year only. Every Cossack, too, might be elected to any post, even the highest, that of hetman. There were two branches: the Little Russian and the Don Cossacks. Descendants of the Don Cossacks now form part of the cavalry of the Russian army, and stand fatigue, hunger, thirst and cold with the greatest patience. Though for a long time thought to be fierce savages, late travelers say that in ability, cleanliness and enterprise they are above the average Russians, and in the i8th century an Englishman who had lived with them affirmed that they were "a civilized and very gallant as well as sober people."

Costa Rica (kos'td re'kd) (meaning rich coast), a republic of Central America, reaching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with Nicaragua on the north and Panama on the south. It has an area of 18,400 square miles. Aside from the few Indians, the people are sprung from the Spanish settlers. The country is rich in gold, silver and copper, but its chief trade is in coffee, bananas and bar-gold, and it has been called the Coffee Republic. Costa Rica was discovered by Columbus, and a settlement was founded, probably in 1502, on his fourth voyage. It became free from Spain in 1821, and has had several constitutions, with a president and congress chosen every four years. It is held to be the best governed republic in Central America, though it is in default in meeting the principal and interest of its public debt. Costa Rica has an army of 1,000 men (infantry and artillery) besides 5,000 militia; though on a war-footing the republic can command about 150,000 militia. The state also has one gunboat and one torpedo-boat. In 1909 the value of its exports was $8,176,257; while its imports amounted to $6,109,938. There are 75 post-offices. The railways extend aboiit 300 miles. The bulk of the trade is with the United States the latter supplying Costa Rica with bread-stuffs and ironwork. The state-church is Roman Catholic. The capital is San Jos£ (population, 26,682). The other chief towns are Cartago, Alajuela, Limon, Pun-tarenas and Heredia. Population, 351,176 and about 3,500 aborigines.

Cotes, Mrs. Everard (n£e Sara Jean-ette Duncan), Canadian and, latterly, an Anglo-Indian, novelist, was born at Brant-