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ULM

1965

UNCLE SAM

come from a family of Christians from Cap-padocia, taken prisoners by the Goths. He was learned in Gothic, Greek and Hebrew and made a Gothic alphabet of 24 characters, modeled after the Greek. He translated the Bible, all but Kings, into Gothic, and his Bible was in constant use among their cities. It is the earliest specimen of any Teutonic language. He became bishop of the Goths in 341, and settled with the Christian part of the nation near Nicopolis, persuading them to practice agriculture and the arts of civilized life. He died at Constantinople in 381. Consult Scott's Ulfilas, Apostle of the Goths. See GOTHS.

Ulm, a city of Wiirttemberg, is on the Danube River, 45 miles southeast of Stuttgart. It has one of the largest Protestant churches in Germany, one of the earliest libraries, with a remarkable collection of antiquities, and strong fortifications. Its pipe-bowls are noted and, with fine flour, make a large part of its trade. Ulm was an imperial city of Swabia (q. v.), and in the 15th century had within its walls and in the surrounding region belonging to it nearly 100,000 inhabitants. It suffered in nearly all the great German wars, and is the site of the defeat of the Austrian general, Mack, by Napoleon, Oct. 17, 1805. Population 51,820.

Ulysses (u-Us'sez) or Odysseus (5-d/isf-soos}, a Greek hero. He was ruler of Ithaca, and feigned insanity to avoid taking part in the siege of Troy (q. v.), To show that he was crazy he plowed the sand on the seashore, but Palamedes exposed his deception by placing his infant son in the furrow, when he quickly turned the plowshare aside. Unsuccessful in his mission to demand the return of Helen, he joined in the ten years' siege, being one of the most prominent of the Greek leaders. He fought with Ajax for the prize of Achilles' armor, which he gained, and was one of the Greeks hid in the wooden horse, who captured the city. On the island of the Cyclops, when six of his companions were eaten by the giant, he put out the giant's one eye, and escaped by tying himself and his companions under the bodies of the sheep, which carried the men with them when let loose from the cave. At the island of ^Eolus that god gave Ulysses a bag containing the favorable winds, but the bag was opened by his followers, and, the winds escaping, the ships were driven back to the island. Circe the sorceress changed part of his followers into swine, but he overcame her spells with the help of Hermes. He passed the island of the Sirens safely by filling the ears of his followers with wax und tying himself to the mast. At Tri-Aacria his followers, while he slept, killed pome of the cattle of Helios, which they had H>een warned not to touch, whereupon a great storm arose, the ship was wrecked, and all on board were drowned but Ulysses.

He lived seven years on the island of Ogygia with the nymph Calypso, returned at last to Ithaca after 20 years of absence, and slew the suitors of Penelope, his wife, with the help of Athen£ and of Telemachus, his son. The Odyssey gives the story of his wanderings.

Um'bel, a cluster of flowers in which the pedicels arise in a cycle from a common level, resulting in a flat-topped cluster. Often umbels are compound, each branch of the main cycle terminating in a cycle of pedicles bearing flowers. A cluster characteristic of the great family umbelliferas. See INFLORESCENCE.

Um'bria, a country of ancient Italy, between the Adriatic Sea and Etruria or Tuscany. The Tiber and the Rubicon were among the principal rivers. It was one of the most powerful states in central Italy, but was conquered by the Romans in 308 B, C. The region is comprised in modern Perugia, a province of the kingdom of Italy. The area is 3,748 square miles, the population 685,042.

Un'alas'ka, one of the Aleutian Islands, the extension seaward of the Alaskan peninsula, which separates the Pacific Ocean from Bering Sea. The island lies at the passageway for steamers from San Praii-cisco, Portland, Ore., and Victoria, B. C., proceeding to St. Michaels, the mouths of the Yukon and to Cape Nome. The chief village adjoins Dutch Harbor, and is named Unalaska, the population of which is about 400. The islanders are principally Aleuts, who support themselves by fishing; there also are a few Russians and Americans. Captain's Bay, a naval rendezvous, is the sheltered waterway in front of Unalaska town. It is 2,060 miles from Portland, Ore., and 2,344 from San Francisco.

Un'cas, an Indian chief of the Mohican tribe in Connecticut. The Mohicans (q. v.) were a band collected by Uncas after he had left the Pequot tribe, to which he belonged. He sided with the English in the war against the Pequots, and was so friendly with them that the Indians turned against him. In the wars which took place Uncas captured and killed the chief of the Narragansetts. Serveral tribes made war against him, and the Narragansetts would have starved him out of his stronghold had not the English sent him supplies by night. He was called a cruel and wicked man, but was faithful to his English allies. He died, very old, in 1682.

Uncle Sam, a nickname for the American nation, is a playful extension of the initials U. S. tor United States. It corresponds to "John Bull," the nickname of England, as an attempt to personify a nation. It is said that the term originated in a jest made at Troy, N. Y., in 1812. An inquirer was told that the initials U. S., which occurred on certain goods purchased for the govern-