Woffington
MARGARET, a British actress; born in Dublin, Ireland, Oct. 18, 1720. She grew up a girl of remarkable grace and beauty, and, still a child, became a pupil of Madame Violante, mistress of the roperope -dancing booth. From 17 to 20 she played on the Dublin stage all manner of parts, from Ophelia to Sir Harry Wildair, and on Nov. 6, 1740, made her first appearance at Covent Garden as Sylvia in the "Recruiting Officer." Her beauty and grace, her pretty singing and vivacious coquetry and the exquisite art especially of her male characters carried all hearts by storm. Her one drawback was the harshness of her voice, yet this in no degree hindered the completeness of her triumph. Peg Woffington was always singularly independent and something whimsical in her moods, but she kept the affection of the public till the tragic close of her career. On May 3, 1757, she broke down in playing Rosalind, and left the stage forever. She died in Teddington, March 28, 1760.
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Wofford College
a coeducational institution in Spartanburg, S. C.; founded in 1854 under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church; reported at the close of 1919: Professors and instructors, 12; students, 294. President, H. N. Snyder, M. A. or WOLCOTT, JOHN
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Wolcot
(PETER PINDAR), an English poet; born in Dodbrooke, England, in May 1738. His satires involved him in many quarrels. So effective were his attacks the king, that the ministry silenced on the him with a pension of $1,500 per annum. He was an art critic of taste and penetration far beyond his time; his yearly reviews in verse of the Academy Exhibitions are much the best of his work, and still instructive. Some of his satires are: "Lyric Odes"; "An Epistle to the Reviewers"; "Peeps at St. James"; "Royal Visits"; and "The Lousiad." He died in London, England, Jan. 14, 1819.
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Wolf, The
Amongst the ancient Romans, the wolf was a fruitful source of augury, and many are the tales in which he has figured as a good or evil omen. A wolf running to the right with his mouth full was a sign of great joy. If a wolf, after he had entered a Roman camp, escaped unhurt it was regarded as a sign of defeat; and the terrible result of the second Punic war was said to have been augured from the carrying off of the sword of a sentinel in the camp by a wolf. Plutarch tells of a wolf who ate the landmarks of a proposed new settlement at Libya and thus stopped its colonisation; but later another wolf which had stolen a burnt sacrifice led his pursuers to a place where they afterwards settled in. It is said that a wolf ran off with Hiero's slate when he was a schoolboy, and this was regarded as a sign of his future greatness. The peasants of Sweden do not dare to speak of a wolf by name but call him the "grey one" or old grey": they seem to regard the pronouncing of his name as unlucky. 66
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Wolfhound
or BORZOI, a breed of dog first imported in numbers into England from Russia, about the year 1885. In shape the borzoi is like a gigantic greyhound, though covered with a soft coat about the length of a deerhound's. In Great Britain the breed has become very popular owing to the peculiar grace and beauty of the borzoi. Though supposed to be able to attack and kill a wolf, in disposition and appearance the Russian wolfhound is so excessively gentle that doubts have been In recent trials cast on his powers. with wolves in America the borzoi failed signally to accomplish the purpose for which he is intended. The Irish wolfhound was identical in shape and appearance with the Scottish deerhound. Attempts have lately been made to revive the breed, but it is admitted that pure specimens are no longer obtainable.
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Wolfram
Tungstate of protoxide of iron; occurs in Cornwall, in the Bohemian tin-mines, and in Siberia. Its composition is tungstic acid 78.77, protoxide of iron 18.32, protoxide of manganese 6.22, silex 1.25. See TUNGSTEN.
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Wolframite
a mineral occurring mostly in tin-producing districts, some- , to detriment of the tires. Crystallization, orthorhomtimes in abundance the bic, but usually found lamellar, massive. Hardness, 5-5.5; sp. gr., 7.1-7.55; luster, submetallic; color and streak, reddishbrown to black, opaque. Composition: A tungstate of iron and manganese, the proportions of which are variable, and lead to differing formulæ, though most can be represented by 2FeOWO3 + 3MnOWO3, or 4FeWO3 + MnOWO3. (võlf'räm fon esh'en-bäh), next to Walther von der Vogelweide the greatest of Middle High German poets. He was poor and with a family, and could neither read nor write; but knew French and was of noble birth, which enabled him to frequent the court of Hermann of Thuringia. His chief works were three epic poems: "Parzival" (about 1210), the greatest of German court epics; "Titurel" (about 1210?), left unfinished; "Willehalm" (begun before 1216), left unfinished; both afterward completed by other hands. He wrote also lyrics, among which were four "Day Songs." He died about 1220.
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Wollaston Lake
a lake in the Northwest Territory, British America. It is about 50 miles long and finds its outlet in the Mackenzie river.
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Wollin
an island of Prussia at the mouth of the Oder; on the N. side of the Great Haff; length, 20 miles; breadth from 3 to 10 miles. Fishing and cattlerearing are the chief employments. Pop. about 15,000.
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Woman's Christian Temperance Union
a national organization of women designed to promote temperance and other work, known for short as the W. C. T. U. The organization was effected in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1874. There are branches in every state and territory, embracing 10,000 local unions and possibly half a million members. Much has been done to guard minors by salutary laws and to promote temperance legislation. National headquarters are maintained at Evanston, Illinois. In 1883 a world organization was formed, largely through the influence of Frances E. Willard. There are auxiliaries in over fifty countries. A white ribbon is the W. C. T. U. badge the world over. See Willard ; Frances E
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