CHART 



1282 



CHARTISM 



death, with tusks and pointed ears, carrying 

 snakes or a large hammer. One of the best of 

 the paintings illustrating the myth of Charon 

 is by Neide. 



CHART, a map or drawing made for a par- 

 ticular purpose, in which accuracy of detail is 

 the chief requirement. The one possibly in 

 most common use is the mariner's, or hydro- 

 graphic, chart. This shows a seacoast with 

 every detail of rock, shoal, depth, sounding, 

 bank, channel, bay and harbor so exactly 

 located that a ship may be guided safely by 

 it through the most dangerous seas. The 

 topographic chart, also common, shows with 

 similar accuracy the details of any land sur- 

 face and is mainly for the guidance of mili- 

 tary men and surveyors. Climatic charts 

 present by outline and diagram the rainfall, 

 temperature and direction of the winds of cer- 

 tain localities. These are prepared daily by 

 the United States Weather Bureau and are 

 designed to be of aid to navigation, by giving 

 warning of storms, and also for the information 

 of all people whose activities may depend upon 

 weather conditions. There are also celestial 

 charts, on which stars and constellations are 

 correctly shown, and heliographic charts, 

 which locate the spots on the sun's surface. A 

 great variety of educational charts are used in 

 teaching. 



CHARTER, a written instrument or contract 

 given by a government as evidence of certain 

 . political or business privileges granted. The 

 Great Charter (see MAGNA CHARTA) granted 

 by King John is the world's most historic 

 charter, as it conferred on the English-speak- 

 ing race privileges which are the foundation 

 of the liberty of Britain, Canada, Australia 

 and the United States. Charters are granted 

 by states to banks, corporations and associa- 

 tions, authorizing them to conduct their busi- 

 ness within specified limits. A state or prov- 

 ince by charter authorizes the organization of 

 a village or city government; the charter sets 

 forth the powers and obligations of such a 

 government. See CORPORATION. 



CHARTER OAK, an historic tree which is 

 said to have concealed the charter of Connecti- 

 cut for two years. It stood where now is 

 Charter Oak Place, in the present city of 

 Hartford. Its age was computed at nearly a 

 thousand years, when, finally, it was blown 

 down in August, 1856. A white marble monu- 

 ment now marks the spot. James II found 

 Connecticut's charter a barrier to his plan to 

 make that community a part of his New 



England. So, in 1687, at his command, Sir 

 Edmond Andros, the governor-general of New 

 England, went to Hartford and demanded the 



THE CHARTER OAK 



The tree that is said to have been the hiding 

 place of the Connecticut charter. 



delivery of the charter. Appearing to submit, 

 the colonists went to the council chamber to 

 carry out the ceremony, but while there the 

 lights were 

 snuffed out and \ f '/ 

 the document was 

 carried to a hid- 

 ing place in the 

 hollow of a tree, 

 where it remained 

 until the deposi- 

 tion of Andros. 

 Early reports of 

 this incident re- 

 ferred to the tree 

 as an elm. Some 

 people declared 

 that the paper 



was hidden in the CHARTER OAK 



home of a promi- MONUMENT 



nent colonist, but Erected on Charter Oak 



' , Place, in the city of Hart- 



about 1789 the ford. It was here that the 



belief became set- famous tree stood ' 



tied that this oak had concealed the famous 



charter. 



CHARTISM, char'tiz'm, in England, grew 

 out of the, oppressive conditions under which 

 workingmen lived and was a movement which 

 attempted radical reform. The Reform Bill of 

 1832 had bettered matters somewhat, but had 

 not silenced the discontent among the labor- 

 ing classes, which by 1838 had become acute. 

 From that date until 1848 the Chartist move- 

 ment was at its height. A formal demand, 

 known as the National People's Charter, called 

 for six reforms: (1) universal suffrage; (2) 



