Ashley – Assignee
Ashley
a borough of Pennsylvania in Luzerne co., on the Central of New Jersey and the Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton railroads. It practically forms a part of Wilkes-Barre, being only one mile distant from that city. It has coal mines and railroad shops. Pop. (1910) 5,601; (1920) 6,520.
Ash Wednesday
the first day of Lent, so called from a custom in the Western Church of sprinkling ashes that day on the heads of penitents, then admitted to penance. The period at which the fast of Ash Wednesday was instituted is uncertain.
Asiphonata
or ASIPHONIDA, an order of lamellibranchiate, bivalve mollusks, destitute of the siphon or tube through which, in the siphonata, the water that enters the gills is passed outward. It includes the oysters, the scallop shells, the pearl oyster, the mussels, and in general the most useful and valuable mollusks.
Asoka
an Indian sovereign, who reigned 255-223 B. C. over the whole of northern Hindustan, grandson of Chandragupta or Sandracottus. He embraced Buddhism, and forced his subjects also to become converts.
Aspen
a tree, the populus tremula or trembling poplar. The tremulous movement of the leaves which exists in all the poplars, but culminates in the aspen, mainly arises from the length and slender character of the petiole or leafstalk, and from its being much and laterally compressed.
Asplenium
a genus of ferns, of the natural order polypodiaceæ. Several are natives of the United States. The dwarf spleenwort is a very beautiful little fern.
Aspromonte
a mountain of Italy, in the S. W. of Calabria, where Garibaldi was wounded and taken prisoner with the greater part of his army, in August, 1862.
Assal
a large salt lake in the district of Adal, in eastern Africa, nearly 9 miles from the coast of the Bay of Tajurrah. It is nearly 600 feet below the level of the sea. Abyssinian caravans resort to Assal for the purpose of carrying off the salt, which is thickly incrusted on its shores.
Assegai
a spear used as a weapon among the Kaffirs of South Africa, made of hard wood tipped ed with iron, and used for throwing or thrusting.
Assembly
CONSTITUENT.
Assembly
NATIONAL.
See
Assignee
a person appointed by another to transact some business, or exercise some particular privilege or power. Formerly the persons appointed under a commission of bankruptcy, to manage the estate of the bankrupt on behalf of the creditors, were so called, but now trustees, or receivers.