BLUEFIELD 



7S_> 



BLUE LAWS 



public record of the position taken by the 

 United States in that struggle, and it also re- 

 s' .ils the difficulties that confront a nation 

 attempting to preserve a strictly neutral atti- 

 tude in a world-wide war. 



The nations involved in the great European 

 conflict also issued from time to time state- 

 ments of their position and the diplomatic cor- 

 respondence pertaining to the war. These 

 volumes were named according to the color of 

 tin ir binding, and included the Belgium Gray 

 Book, the British White Paper, the German 

 Whit,- Book, the French Green Book and the 

 Russian Orange Book. 



BLUEFIELD, W. VA., the distributing point 

 for the large coal region in which it is located. 

 It is in Mercer County, close to the southern 

 border of the state, 100 miles west of Roanoke, 

 Va. Transportation is provided by the Nor- 

 folk A Western Railroad. The place was 

 settled in 1888 and was incorporated in 1893; 

 the commission form of government is in opera- 

 tion. In 1914 the population was estimated at 

 13,974, an increase of 2,786 since 1910. The 

 area exceeds five square miles. 



Bluefield has extensive coal and coke indus- 

 tries and is the shipping point for vast Poca- 

 hontas coal fields. There are large wholesale 

 houses and railway shops here. The Federal 

 building, state normal school and two sani- 

 tariums are the principal buildings. 



BLUEFIELDS, an important seaport, the 

 capital of the department of Zelaga, on the 

 Mosquito Coast in Nicaragua. It has a land- 

 locked harbor, and is connected with Galveston 

 and New Orleans by direct lines of steamers. 

 Large quantities of bananas and other tropical 

 fruits are exported to the United States. From 

 1655 to 1850 Bluefields and the surrounding 

 territory formed a British protectorate. A form 

 of government by a native chief was then 

 established, but in 1894, under the name of 

 Zelaga, the district was incorporated with Nica- 

 ragua. Population, about 5,000. See MOSQUITO 

 COAST. 



BLUEFISH, a sea fish, common on the 

 eastern coasts of America and the most de- 

 structive fish in northern seas, for it preys 

 incessantly on smaller fishes. It is allied to 

 the mackerel, but is larger, growing to the 

 length of three feet or more, and is much 

 esteemed for the table. Bluefish are taken in 

 nets and by hook, furnishing great sport by the 

 latter method. New York City alone uses 

 $250,000 to $300,000 worth of bluefish in a year. 



BLUE FLAG. ' See Iws. 



BLUE GRASS, the grass that has made the 

 pastures of Kentucky famous and which gave 

 that state its popular name of "Blue Grass 

 State." The name is applied because of the 

 bluish tinge of its seed pods in the month of 

 June. It is also called spear grass, or meadow 

 grass. In favorable soil blue grass will reach 

 a height of two feet. It has many long, narrow 

 root leaves, and is one of the best pasture 

 grasses known, though it is not as valuable as 

 some other grasses for hay because its yield 

 is less. It is an excellent park and lawn grass, 

 and thrives best on clay soils containing lime. 



BLUE LAWS, the name applied to a set of 

 laws regulating the conduct of the members of 

 the colony of New Haven, Conn. These were 

 once supposed to be genuine and binding upon 

 the deeply-religious people, but now are known 

 to have been the product, in large part, of the 

 imagination of Rev. Samuel Peters, a minister 

 who was driven from the colony to England, 

 and who thereafter devoted himself to ridi- 

 culing the Americans. Among those laws which 

 he declared had been passed were the fol- 

 lowing: 



No one shall be a freeman or have a vote 

 unless he is converted and a member of one of 

 the churches allowed In the dominion. 



No one shall cross a river on Sunday but an 

 authorized clergyman. 



No one shall run on the Sabbath day, or walk 

 in his garden, except reverently to and from 

 meeting. 



No woman shall kiss her child on the Sab- 

 bath or fasting day. 



No one shall travel, cook victuals, make beds, 

 sweep houses, cut hair or shave on the Sabbath 

 day. 



Whoever wears clothes trimmed with gold, sil- 

 ver, or bone lace above two shillings by the yard, 

 shall be presented by the grand jurors, and the 

 selectmen shall tax the offender at 300 pounds 

 estate. 



No one shall read common prayer, keep Christ- 

 mas or saint-days, make minced pies, dance, play 

 cards, or play on any instrument of music, except 

 the drum, trumpet and Jew's-harp. 



Every male shall have his hair cut round ac- 

 cording to a cap. 



No gospel minister shall join people in mar- 

 riage. The magistrate may join them, as he 

 may do it with less scandal to Christ's Church. 



A man who strikes his wife shall be fined 10. 



A woman who strikes her husband shall be 

 punished as the law directs. 



When parents refuse their children convenient 

 marriages, the magistrate shall decide the point. 



A drunkard shall have a master appointed by 

 the selectmen, who are to debar him from the 

 liberty of buying and selling. 



Whoever publishes a lie to the prejudice of his 

 neighbor shall sit in the stocks, or be whipped 

 fifteen stripes. 



