Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 10.djvu/327

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WALLOONS 279 WALPOLE author of many mathematical, theologi- cal, and controversial works and papers, the most important of which are his "Arithmetic of the Infinities," and his "Mechanics." He died in Oxford, Oct. 28, 1703. WALLOONS, or WALLONS, lineal descendants of the old Gallic Belgae, who occupy the Belgian provinces of Hai- nauit, Liege, Namur, and part of South Brabant and west Luxembourg. They are superior in physique to their Flemish compatriots, and a large proportion of them have black hair and eyes. Their language, also called Walloon, is a French patois retaining numerous Gallic words, but it somewhat varies in the different provinces. The first permanent colony of New Amsterdam (New York) con- tained many Walloons, their present de- scendants being distinguished from those of Dutch lineage by their French names. WALL PAPER, for ordinary purposes consists of a tough, but not a thick paper, printed with a pattern in size colors. For expensive wall papers a rather stout paper is used, and for very cheap kinds a paper of such poor quality that it can only be pasted on walls without tearing by great care. According to the United States census of manufactures (1914) there were in the United States 48 es- tablishments, with a capital of $17,620,- 000, employing 5,689 persons and pro- ducing goods valued at $15,887,000. WALL STREET, a short street in New York City, extending from Broad- way, opposite Trinity Church to the East river. It is called the financial center of America, for it is here that the prices of stocks and securities are made, and that men become millionaires or paupers in a day. The New York Stock Ex- change, which is the dominant feature of this locality, is the most powerful finan- cial institution in the United States. WALNUT, a genus comprising seven or eight species of beautiful trees of the natural order Juglandacese. All are trees with alternate pinnated leaves, moncBcious flowers, and a drupe-like fruit, with a deciduous fleshy husk, which bursts irregularly, and a deeply wrinkled shell (putainen) of two valves, within which is the seed, curiously lobed and wrinkled, with a membranaceous testa and partial dissepiments. The common walnut (J. regia) is a native of Persia and the Himalayas, but has long been cultivated in all parts of the S. of Europe. The date of its introduction is unknown, but it was certainly culti- vated hy the Romans in the reign of Tiberius. It is a lofty tree of 60 to 90 feet, with large spreading branches. The leaves have two to four pairs of leaflets, and a terminal one. They have a fine balsamic odor when bruised ; this quality, however, being much more marked in some trees than in others. An infusion of them has been found useful in scrof- ula ; when bruised and rubbed on the skin they are eflUcacious in curing itch; and placed in wardrobes they prevent the ravages of moths. The sap is limpid like WALNUT water, but contains much sugar, so that the tree is sometimes tapped for it, like the sugar maple, and the sugar is pro- cured by evaporation; a pleasant kind r of wine is also made from it. WALPOLE, HORACE, .^EARL OF OX- FORD, an English author, 3d son of Sir Robert Walpole; bom in London, Sept. 24, 1717; was educated at Eton, and King's College, Cambridge, on leaving which he traveled two years on the Con- tinent in company with Gray the poet. Returning in 1741 he entered the House of Commons and sat for various consti- tuencies up to 1768. He always took a lively but superficial interest in politics, inclining sentimentally to extreme opin- ions. In 1747 he purchased "Strawberry Hill," near London, where he erected a Gothic villa, laid out the grounds with minute ingenuity, and made it a prin- cipal business of his life to adorn and furnish it with objects of curiosity and antiquarian interest. His maintenance was provided for by some sinecure ap- pointments. In 1757 he established a private printing press at "Stx-awberry Hill," at which he printed not only his own works but those of others. In 1791