Wedgwood
JOSIAH, an English potter; born in Burslem, Staffordshire, England, July 12, 1730. He received little education, and went to work in his brother's factory at the age of 11. An incurable lameness, the result of smallpox, which subsequently compelled him to have his right leg amputated, forced him to give up the potter's wheel. He removed for a time to Stoke, where he entered into partnership with persons in his own trade, and where his talent for ornamental pottery was first displayed. Returning in 1759 to Burslem, he set up a small manufactory of his own, in which he made a variety of fancy articles. His business improving, he turned his attention to white stoneware, and to the cream-colored ware for which he became famous; and he succeeded in producing a ware so hard and durable as to render works of art produced in it almost indestructible. His reproduction of the Portland Vase is famous. He also executed various paintings on pottery without the artificial gloss so detrimental to the effect of superior work. Josiah Wedgewood's numerous improvements in pottery created the great trade of the Staffordshire potteries. He died in Etruria, near Newcastle-under-Lyme, Jan. 3, 1795. See POTTERY.
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Weeds
plants found troublesome in tillage. Some one has defined weeds as plants out of place. Some farmers insist that weeds be exterminated on their farms. They cut fencerow weeds and sow grass in their place, take pains that no weeds go to seed, and clean all their seed with care before planting. It is difficult to free a farm from weeds, and difficult to prevent seeds from blowing over from the premises of an untidy neighbor. Then, too, some weeds spring up and mature seed between the time of the last cultivating and the harvesting of the crop. In irrigated regions where every drop of moisture is precious, there is a particular reason for keeping the soil free from weeds. It is said that a crop of weeds draws three hundred times its own weight of moisture out of the ground and allows it to evaporate through its leaves. The irrigating farmer aims to secure clean tillage. We may name over a hundred common weeds but scarce a dozen are troublesome. If all the fertility now going to raise weeds were expended in producing useful crops, the world's productiveness would no doubt be doubled.
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Weehawken
a town in Hudson co., N. J.; on the Hudson river and on the West Shore, and the New York Central, and other railroads; opposite New York City. It contains a public and parochial school, and has two large reservoirs belonging to the Hackensack Water Company. It is said to be the largest coal shipping depot in the United States. Here are the coal docks of the Erie and Pennsylvania Railroad Companies and those of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company. Weehawken is noted as the dueling ground of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Pop. (1910) 11,228; (1920) 14,485.
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Weeks
JOHN WINGATE, an American public official, born in Lancaster, N. H., in 1860. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1881 until 1883 served as midshipman. and unti en- Resigning from the naval service, he ervice, he gaged in banking in Boston. He became active in politics and served as mayor of Newton, Mass., and as chairman of National Convention in the Republican Na 1904. He was elected to the 59th Congress and was re-elected up to and including the 62d Congress. In 1912 he was elected United States Senator, but was defeated for renomination in 1918. He was a member of many patriotic societies. He was appointed Secretary of War by President Harding in March, 1921.
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Wei-Hai-Wei
a port of north China, on the Shantung promontory; about 40 miles E. of Chefoo and 115 miles S. E. of Port Arthur. The harbor, about 18 miles in circumference, is deep, and is sheltered on the N. by the small island of Liu-Kung. The port, formerly a Chinese naval station, was captured by Japan in her war with China in 1895, the land forts being taken Jan. 30 and the island Feb. 7. Admiral Ting, who had supported the forts with the Chinese fleet, offered terms of surrender that were accepted, but he committed suicide, his example being followed by Commodore Liu and the commander of the military garrison, and the Japanese took possession of the fortifications. After destroying the land defenses they withdrew leaving a garrison on the island. Their occupation was only temporary. By a convention signed at Peking, July 1, 1898, Wei-hai-wei was leased to Great Britain as an offset to the concessions granted to Russia in the Liaotung peninsula, the period of occupation to be determined by that of Russia at Port Arthur. In 1905 when Japan took over the lease the British lease was made to run as long as the Japanese occupied Port Arthur.
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Weide
the most eminent of the old German lyric poets of the class of Minnesingers; born about 1170. His earliest patrons were Duke Leopold VI. of Austria and his son, Frederick. Subsequently he visited, for shorter and longer periods, the courts of most German princes, who were in favor of an imperial as against a papal policy. The Emperor Frederick II. provided him with a small estate near Würzburg, where he seems to have always retin retired when disgusted with traveling, the courts, and intrigues. He was a politician and reformer as well as a poet, and his verses breathe a liberalism far in advance of his times; while the subjects of his favorite love songs are noble women. He died in Würzburg, about 1230.
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Weights of Castings
To ascertain the weight of a casting in any of the various metals, obtain, first, the number of cubic inches contained in the casting, and then multiply that number by the weight of a cubic inch of the metal employed. For the weights of various metals, cubic inch and cubic foot, see WEIGHTS OF METALS.
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Weihaiwei
a district on the northeast coast of China directly south of Port Arthur . It has an area of about 285,000 square miles and 150,000 inhabitants. In 1898 China leased this district to Great Britain for so long a period as Russia shall remain in possession of Port Arthur. The territory includes an excellent harbor and the walled town Weihaiwei. Great Britain has the right to erect fortifications and to defend the territory. Otherwise Chinese administration is not to be interfered with. This station was acquired for the purpose of watching the Russians in Port Arthur. At the close of the Russo-Japanese war the Russians were forced to retire from Port Arthur, but nothing has been heard of returning Weihaiwei to China. It is about 1,200 miles distant from Hong Kong , the British center of Chinese trade. A considerable trade is carried on. See Hong Kong
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