Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/854

 838 GLARUS GLASOOCK thai, extends N". and S. and forms the basin of the Linth, which, after receiving nearly all the other rivers of Glarus, discharges into Wallen- stadt lake. There are many other lakes, most- ly small, but remarkable for their romantic scenery. The Stackelbergerbod, a sulphurous alkaline spring at the foot of the Braunwald- berg, is much frequented. Not more than one fifth of the canton is susceptible of tillage. The most fertile land lies in the valley of the Linth, where grain and fruit, particularly cherries, are cultivated with success. Large herds of cattle, sheep, and goats are pastured on the mountains. With the exception of marble, slate, and gyp- sum, there are no minerals of much importance. Small quantities of coal are found, and there are ancient mines, now almost exhausted, of silver, copper, and iron. The principal kinds of timber are pine, beech, ash, maple, and chestnut. The most important manufacture is ScJiabziegerlcase. (See CHEESE.) The other manufactures comprise cotton, woollen, linen, and silk goods, prints, muslins, writing slates, and many articles in wood. An active trade is carried on with Germany and Italy, trans- portation being effected through a number of mountain passes, and by means of two canals which connect the Linth with the lakes of Wallenstadt and Zurich. Glarus enjoys a sin- gularly democratic form of government, the supreme power residing in a general assembly of all the males 18 years of age and upward, who meet annually to elect magistrates and accept or reject the laws proposed by the executive council of 80 members. Taxation is very light, there are few crimes, and education is almost universal. The military contingent is about 1,300 men. The chief towns are Glarus, Mol- lis, and Schwanden. The name Glarus is sup- posed to be a corruption of St. Hilarius, in whose honor a church was built in this canton about 490 by an Irish monk called Fridolin, the founder of the convent of Seckingen on the Rhine. The upper part of the valley became the property of this convent, while the lower was dependent upon the nunnery of Schannis. It was afterward subject to bailiffs nominated by the house of Hapsburg, to escape from whose tyranny the inhabitants joined the Hel- vetic confederation in 1352, and in 1388 se- cured their independence by the famous victory of Nafels. Zwingli was curate of Glarus from 1506 to 1516. The introduction of Protestant- ism gave rise to many disturbances. II. A town, capital of the canton, situated in a se- eluded Alpine valley at the foot of Mts. Glar- nisch and Schilt, on the left bank of the Linth, here crossed by two bridges, 33 m. S. E. of Zurich; pop. in 1870, 5,516. It contains a Gothic church, used by both Catholics and Protestants, a free school for 700 children, a new government house, an old town house, a bank, and a printing office. The streets are crooked and narrow, and the houses are fan- tastically painted. Cottons, woollens, muslins, and hardware are the principal manufactures. In 1861 the town was almost wholly destroyed by fire, which caused a loss of 8,000,000 francs. The environs are very picturesque. GLASCOCK, an E. county of Georgia, bound- ed S. "W. by Ogeechee river and drained by Rocky Comfort creek ; area, 225 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 2,736, of whom 819 were colored. The surface is level and the soil moderately fertile. The chief productions in 1870 were 8,831 bush- els of wheat, 52,886 of Indian corn, 8,282 of sweet potatoes, 5,405 of peas and beans, and 1,394 bales of cotton. Capital, Gibson. END OF VOLUME SEVENTH.