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GOMPERS

780

GOOSE

SAMUEL  GOMPERS

1895, when the new struggle broke out, he with Antonio Maceo led the insurgent ranks, captured Fort Jaruco and destroyed it, and strove to make Cuba a desolation to the Spanish. Gomez, who among his fellow-patriots had the reputation of being an able soldier and clever strategist, spent much time in exile. He died on June 17, 1905.

Gom'pers, Samuel, president of the American Federation of Labor, was born in London, England, Jan. 27, 1850, where he received his education at a night-school* He learned two trades, working first as a shoemaker and afterward as a cigarmaker. Early in his career he came to this country, where he became a zealous advocate of the rights of labor and interested in efforts looking to the ameliorating of work-people of every class. He was one of the founders of the Federation, and has been continuously its directing spirit. He has edited the official magazine of the order, The American Federationist, and done much by pen and voice to aid labor-movements in America.

Gonsalvo de Cordova (gon-sal'vo da kor'-dd-va)j Hernandez, a great Spanish general, styled The Great Captain, was born near Cordova, Spain, Mar. 16, 1453. He served against the Moors and Portugal. For his masterly services against Boabdil, king of the Moors, Spain granted him a pension and a large estate. He was next sent to aid Ferdinand II of Naples, and conquered the greater part of the kingdom, with Ferdinand completely driving the French from Italy. On his return to Spain in 1498 he was rewarded by being made Duke of San Angelo. He again set out for Italy, wrested some cities from the Turks, and in 1503 completely defeated the French. He was made viceroy of Naples, but was recalled to Spain and fell from favor. He died on Dec. 2, 1515, at Granada. See Pres-cott's Ferdinand and Isabella.

Good Friday is the name of the Friday before Easter, so named to commemorate the crucifixion of Christ. In the Roman church it is observed by a solemn service, the worshipers approaching the cross on their knees to kiss the image of Christ. It is also observed by the Episcopal church.

Good'rich, Samuel Qriswold, an American author, known best by his pen-name of Peter Parley, was born at Ridgefield, Conn., Aug. 19, 1793. During 1828-42 he

published The Token in Boston, contributing tales, poems and essays. He published some two hundred volumes, mostly for the young. He died at New York, May 9, 1860.

Goodyear, Charles, was born Dec. 29, 1800, at New Haven, Conn., failed as an iron-manufacturer in 1830, and in 1834 turned his attention to perfecting a method of making rubber, which before his era always softened in warm weather. After much ridicule and suffering he succeeded, and in 1844 took out a patent for vulcanized rubber. He continued to find new uses for rubber, until it required sixty patents to cover his inventions, besides gaining for its inventor prize-medals and the cross of the Legion of Honor. He lived to see vulcanized rubber used in over five hundred ways, and its manufacture giving employment to over 60,000 workmen in the United States, France, Germany and England. He died at New York, July i, 1860. See Pierce's Trials of an Inventor.

Goose, a bird with webbed feet, belonging to a group embracing swans and ducks,

GRAY-LAG  GOOSE

but commonly larger than a duck and smaller than a swan. The Canadian goose is the kind commonly seen in the United States, the birds that, in passing over, fly north in the spring and south in the fall in V-shaped order, led by an old gander. It usually breeds in the northern portion of the continent, but has been known, rarely, to breed within the limits of the United States.

The Canada Goose is also called Wild Goose, Gray Goose and Honker, its mellow honk, honk a familiar sound. It is very large, from 36 to 43 inches in length, its head and neck are black, the plumage grayish-brown above, pale gray beneath. Far from haunt of man, in deserted osprey's nest in tree-top, or in remote marsh or on wide plain the Canada Goose lays her eggs, buff-colored, four or five in number. The Canada Goose is the most abundant of all the wild geese. The Gray-Lag Goose (see illustration) is the corresponding European form and is regarded as the wild