Whortleberry
hwur't'l-ber-ry. See Blueberry
Only in Aiton's Encyclopedia
Single-source entries: W (44)
These 10 listings are so strange that each appears in only one of the 7 encyclopedias we compared. They include such classics as Whortleberry, Whymper, Wichita Falls.
Whymper
EDWARD, an English traveler; born in London, England, April 27, 1840. He was famous as a mountain climber; was the first to ascend the Matterhorn and other great Alpine peaks; ascended several of the greatest of the Andes; and traveled in Greenland. He published, and himself illustrated, "Swiss Pictures" (1866); "Scrambles Among the Alps" (1869); "Travels Among the Great Andes of the Equator" (1892); etc. He died in 1911.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Whyte-Melville
GEORGE JOHN, an English novelist; born near St. Andrews, Scotland, in 1821. A captain in the Coldstream Guards, he retired from the army, in 1849, but served in the Turkish cavalry during the Crimean War. Among his works were: "Captain Digby Grand" (1853); "The Gladiators" (1863); "Sarchedon" (1871); "Katerfelto" (1875); etc. He wrote also a volume of "Songs and Verses" and translated Horace's Odes; etc. He died Dec. 5, 1878.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Wichita Falls
a city of Texas, the county-seat of Wichita co. It is on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas, the Wichita Valley, and the Fort Worth and Denver City railroads. It is an important industrial center, and has manufactures of automobile trucks, window glass, candy, stoves, pottery, etc. Pop. (1910) 8,200; (1920) 40,079.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Wick
the county-town of Caithness, Scotland; on the Wick river, at its entrance to Wick Bay; 161 miles N. N. E. of Inverness. Wick is one of the great centers of the herring fishery, and to this industry everything is subordinated There is some fine rock scenery in the cultural products. The merchants are neighborhood. Pop. about 8,000.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Wickersham
GEORGE WOOD- WARD, an American lawyer and public official, born in Pittsburgh. Pa., in 1858. He was educated under private tutors, at Lehigh University, and at the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania, from both of which institutions he later received honorary degrees. In 1880 he began the practice of law in Philadelphia, removing to New York in 1882. When he was appointed Attorney General of the United States in 1909, by President Taft, he resigned his membership in the law firm of Strong & Cadwalader, returning to the practice of law at the end of his term, in 1913. He was a member of the New York City and State Bar Associations, and of the American Bar Association, and a trustee of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. In 1915 he served as a delegate at large GEORGE WOODWARD WICKERSHAM and as the chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the New York State Constitutional Convention. During the World War he served as a member and as the vice-chairman of the district board of the city of New York under the Selective Service Law.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Widdin
a town and fortress of Bulgaria, on the right bank of the Danube; opposite Kalafat; 18½ miles from the Serbian frontier, and 130 miles E. S. E. of Belgrade. It is the seat of a Greek bishop, and has an important citadel. The difficulty of attacking the fortress is greatly inc increased by the flat, swampy character of the ground. It manufactures gold and silver filigree and saddles, and has considerable fishery, and trade in rock salt, corn, wine, and agriprincipally Jews and Bulgarians. Widdin is the Bononia of the Romans. In 1801 it was the scene of the defeat of the Hospodar Michael Sutsos by Paswan Oglu, and here in October, 1853, Omer Pasha began the hostilities against Russia by crossing the Danube and occupying Kalafat, whereafter ensued several battles in the neighborhood between the the chief on April Turks and Russians, the 6 and 19, 1854. In the war of 1877-1878 Widdin was occupied by 10,000 Turks. Osman Pasha was commandant, and it was from Widdin he made his unexpected early march to Plevna-the scene of his his victories, and his heroic defense. By the Berlin treaty of July 13, 1878, it became part of Bulgaria. Pop. about 17,500.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Widener
PETER A. BROWN, an American capitalist; born in Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 13, 1834; was early engaged in the meat business, in which he acquired a large fortune. Turning his attention to politics he was appointed to fill out the unexpired term of Joseph F. Mercer as city treasurer of Philadelphia in 1873, and in 1874 was elected for a full term. He became president of the West Philadelphia Passenger Railway Company, vice-president of the Union Pas- Philadelphia Traction senger and the the Companies; a director of the Continental and Empire Passenger Companies; and in 1902 was head of a syndicate organized to acquire large street railroad interests in New York C City. In 1897, he gave his city residence in Philadelphia, valued at $600,000, for a branch of the Free Lending Library; in 1898 presented a collection of 500 rare books valued at $28,000 to the library; and in 1899 undertook the erection and endowment of a combined home, hospital and industrial school, in Philadelphia, at a cost of $2,000,000. He died in 1915.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Widow Bedott Papers, The
The, a series of humorous papers published by Mrs. Frances M. Whitcher under the name of Widow Bedott or Priscilla P. Bedott in 1847 and in book form in 1855. They first appeared in a Philadelphia paper, Neal's Saturday Gazette. They were very popular. Widow Bedott's sayings are still quoted.
Only in Aiton's Encyclopedia
Wieland
CHRISTOPH MARTIN, a German poet; born in Oberholzheim, Germany, Sept. 5, 1733; was educated at the University of Tübingen; appointed Professor of Philosophy in 1769 at Erfurt; and three years afterward went to Weimar as teacher to the sons of Duchess Anna Amalie. Here, or in the immediate neighborhood, he resided till his death, being a member of the circle to which Goethe, Schiller, and Herder belonged. The early period of his literary life was devoted to pietistic or at least serious poetry such as "The Nature of Things" (1752); "Twelve Moral Letters in Verse Anti-Ovid" (1752); ); "The Trial of Abraham's Faith" (1753); in the second period he produced the romances "Agathon" (1766); and "Don Sylvio de Rosalva" (1764); the poem "Musarion" (1768); and a prose translation of Shakespeare (8 vols. 1762-1766); while in the third and ripest period were written the romantic epic of "Oberon" ; "History of the Abderites" (1784); "The Republic of Fools" (1786); "The Secret History of Peregrinus Proteus" (1791); etc. He also published translations of Horace, Lucian, and the "Letters of Cicero." He died in Weimar, Germany, Jan. 20, 1813.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia