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Things Not Generally Known: Tammany

St. Tammany. An Indian chief, who, in the United States, has been popularly canonized as a saint, and adopted as the tutelary genius of one branch of the New York Democratic party. Tammany was of the Delaware nation, and lived probably in the middle of the seventeenth century. His great motto was "Unite in peace for happiness, in war for defence." When and by whom he was first styled Saint, or by what whim he was chosen to be the patron of Democracy, is not known. "Straight as a Die." The most plausible reason for this is, that it refers to the perfect and symmetrical way in which a die, fixed in a stamping machine makes its impression time after time without the slightest variation, Tabby Cat. Derived from Atab, a famous street in Bagdad, inhabited by the manufacturers of silken stuffs called Atabe or taffety, the wavy markings of the watered silk resembling a cat's coat. "The Thing to a T." Originated in the T-square, used in drawing and mechanics, especially useful in making angles true.

Thirteen at Table. This superstition undoubtedly arose in connection with the supper of the twelve apostles and our Lord. A careful calculation of the question of the probability of death has been worked out as follows :- Age.