LEO 



3382 



LEON 



cardinal. When Pope Pius IX died in 1878 

 he was elected his successor at the age of 68. 

 His reign was a most notable one in the history 

 of the Church. He restored the hierarchy to 

 Scotland, established one in India and brought 

 to a triumphant conclusion the religious strug- 

 gle with Germany. A Holy Father of great 



LEO XIII 



moderation, he constantly urged Catholics in 

 all parts of the world, notably in Canada and 

 in Ireland, to refrain from opposition to their 

 legitimate governments, but he never could 

 bring himself to recognize the authority of the 

 Italian government over Rome, to the last re- 

 garding himself as a prisoner in the Vatican. 

 He was a scholar, the author of excellent Latin 

 verse, and a patron of literature. G.W.M. 



For a list of all the Popes, see the article POPE, 

 in which is also a detailed account of the method 

 of election to the Papal chair. Consult Milman's 

 History of Latin Christianity; Mann's Lives of 

 the Popes in the Early Middle Ages; Vaughan's 

 The Medici Popes; Keller's Life and Acts of Leo 

 XIII. 



LEO, THE LION, the fifth zodiacal constella- 

 tion, occupying the sign of Virgo. This is one 

 of the oldest of constellations, and was de- 

 scribed as a lion in the oldest known zodiac. 

 The principal star in this constellation is 

 Regulus, sometimes called cor Iconis, or the 

 heart of the lion. It is a star of the first order, 

 or magnitude, the stars Beta and Gamma be- 

 ing of second magnitude. There are ninety- 

 five stars in this constellation, which is also 

 remarkable for its nebulae. 



Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac, between 

 Virgo and Cancer, and is entered by the sun 



about July 22. The astronomical symbol is 

 SI, the origin of which is not quite clear, 

 though it has been suggested that it represents 

 either the breastbone or the tail of the lion. 

 According to the Greeks Leo is the Nemean 

 Lion which was slain by Hercules. 



For illustrations, see STAR ; ZODIAC. For ex- 

 planation of magnitude, see STAR. 



LEOMINSTER, lem'inster, MASS., is situ- 

 ated in Worcester County, northeast of the 

 geographical center of the state, on the Nashua 

 River. It is noted for its extensive manufac- 

 ture of celluloid and horn specialties, which 

 exceeds that of any other city of the United 

 States. Fitchburg is five miles north, Worces- 

 ter is eighteen miles south, and Boston is forty- 

 five miles southeast. The city is served by 

 the Boston & Maine and the New York, New 

 Haven & Hartford railways ; electric lines con- 

 nect with towns in all directions. Leominster 

 was settled in 1725, and was a part of Lancaster 

 until it was incorporated as a separate town 

 in 1740; it was incorporated as a city in 1915, 

 and was named for the English town Leomin- 

 ster. The population increased from 17,580 in 

 1910 to 20,839 (estimate) in 1916. 



Leominster is not excelled by other cities 

 of its size in the variety of its manufactures; 

 among these combs take the lead. Locally it 

 is known as the comb town. Celluloid and 

 horn specialties, hairpins, buttons, jewelry, toys, 

 shirts, baby carriages, pianos and furniture are 

 other important manufactures. In addition to 

 its public schools the city has a Carnegie li- 

 brary. Whalom Lake and Whalom Park are 

 adjacent pleasure resorts. 



LEON, laohri, the largest city of Nicaragua 

 and capital of the department, or province, of 

 the same name, is situated about fifty miles 

 northwest of Managua and thirteen miles from 

 the Pacific Coast. Its cathedral and the Col- 

 lege of San Roman, founded in 1678, for a 

 long time one of the most celebrated institu- 

 tions for learning in America, are among the 

 finest structures in Central America. The city 

 is connected by railway with the port of 

 Corinto and is an important trading center. 

 Population about 62,500. 



LEON, or LEON DE LOS ALDAMAS, laohn' 

 da lohs al dah' mahs, a city of Mexico, prosper- 

 ous in times of peace in the republic, is situated 

 in the southern part, in the state of Guanajuato, 

 at an elevation of 6,000 feet above sea level. It 

 lies in a rich farming section and enjoys a 

 thriving trade in wheat and other grains. The 

 principal manufactures are leather, cottons, 



