GOLDEN FLEECE 



2527 



GOLDENROD 



the edict issued in 1356 by Charles IV of 

 Germany for the purpose of decreasing the 

 confusion attending imperial elections. The 

 decree limited the number of electors to seven 

 (three prelates and four lay princes). Frank- 

 fort was declared to be the place of election, 

 and Aix-la-Chapelle that of coronation. The 

 important questions of the dependence of the 

 imperial office on the Pope, and the latter's 

 authority to investigate and approve elections, 

 were ignored. 



GOLDEN FLEECE, in Greek mythology, a 

 fleece of gold which was guarded by a dragon 

 in a grove sacred to Mars, in the city of Col- 

 chis, on the shore of the Black Sea. That 

 Jason might prove himself worthy of the 

 throne of lolcus, which he claimed from the 

 usurper Pelias, his uncle, he was commissioned 

 to bring back the Golden Fleece. He started 

 on this perilous adventure with a band of 

 heroes, who sailed in the ship Argo. Many 

 were the thrilling experiences which the Argo- 

 nauts encountered, but Jason secured the 

 Fleece and returned to lolcus to demand the 

 abdication of the wicked Pelias. See ARGO- 

 NAUTS; JASON. 



GOLDEN GATE, THE, the picturesque chan- 

 nel which connects San Francisco Bay with 

 the Pacific Ocean. Anyone who has crossed 

 the bay, even in an unromantic ferry boat, and 

 has looked out through the Golden Gate at 



THE GOLDEN GATE 



sunset has seen a picture which he is not likely 

 te forget. The channel is in effect but a moun- 

 tain pass a mountain pass with a branch of 

 the ocean overspreading it. On either side the 

 mountains which border the -great bay break 

 off rather abruptly, forming bold promontories, 

 "on which the sea breaks heavily." The pas- 

 sage between, which is deep enough to admit 

 the largest seagoing steamers into the peaceful 

 harbor, is one mile, wide and four miles long. 



Some accounts -say that Drake named the 

 Golden Gate far back in the sixteenth century, 

 but J. C. Fremont in his Memoirs claims the 

 honor for himself. See SAN FRANCISCO. 



GOLDEN HORN, a name given to a beauti- 

 ful harbor, an inlet of the Bosporus, on which 

 stands the city of Constantinople. It is six 

 miles long, about half a mile wide at the widest 

 part, and more resembles a river than a har- 



THE GOLDEN HORN 



bor. It is deep, well sheltered and capable of 

 accommodating 1,200 large ships at anchor. 

 On the eastern shore of the Golden Horn 

 are the beautiful suburbs of Pera and Galata. 

 The city of Constantinople now consists of 

 a collection of towns and villages on both 

 sides of the Golden Horn, Galata, magnifi- 

 cently situated overlooking the harbor, be- 

 ing the modern, business center the location 

 of banks, post offices and steamship offices. 

 Pera is the residential section, occupied by 

 European business men and embassies and the 

 most modern and fashionable hotels and shops. 



There is an old expression to the effect that 

 when one has seen Naples he may be content 

 to die, as nothing more beautiful remains to 

 be seen. The fascination of the Golden Horn 

 is equally great, and its beauties, once seen, 

 can never be forgotten. For illustration of the 

 great city, see CONSTANTINOPLE. F.ST.A. 



GOLDENROD, the most familiar and abun- 

 dant of North American late summer and early 

 autumn wild flowers. It is such a general fav- 

 orite that it has been chosen the national 

 flower of the United States, and the state 

 flower of Alabama, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, 

 North Dakota and Nebraska. It has a slender, 

 wandlike stem, smooth or hairy, which bears 

 thick clusters or graceful plumes of compound, 

 bright yellow, deep golden or white flowers. 

 The leaves, smooth or hairy, even or tooth- 

 edged, may be seen swaying by dry roadsides, 



