PENUMBRA 



4577 



PEORIA 



PENUMBRA, penum'bra, a partial shadow 

 cast during an eclipse The word means almost 

 in shade. In the accompanying figure, the 

 more lightly-shaded portions show the penum- 

 bra. From the darker, cone-shaped figure, rays 



DIAGRAM ILLUSTRATING PENUMBRA 

 (a) represents the luminous body, the sun ; (6) 

 represents the illuminated half of a sphere, which 

 receives light from the luminary. The heavy- 

 shaded lines behind & represent the umbra, where 

 practically total darkness prevails. The light- 

 lod lines represent the penumbra, which is in 

 partial shadow. 



from the sun (a) are cut off by the intruding 

 body (6), and a total shadow called the umbra 

 results. If the observer is within the penum- 

 bra, he sees a partial eclipse. If he is near the 

 dark cone, the obscuring body will almost cover 

 the sun's disk; but if he is stationed near the 

 outer edge of the penumbra, the object will ap- 

 pear to encroach but little on the source of 

 lipht. In a total eclipse, the observer is within 

 the umbra, and all light is excluded. See 

 Kn.irsE. 



PEONAGE pe' on ayj, a system of enforced 

 labor formerly existing in the Spanish colonies 

 in America, particularly in Mexico. The term 

 is derived from the Spanish peon, signifying 

 day laborer, and originally referred especially 

 to Indians. As the Spanish government ex- 

 empted Indians from military service and the 

 payment of taxes and tithes, they were ex- 

 cluded from certain political and social privi- 

 leges and were at the mercy of the Spanish 

 governors. 



There were two kinds of peons. The smaller 

 claw consisted of those Indians who were paid 

 agricultural laborers, and free to make thru- 

 own contracts. The second and much larger 

 clan contained the rriminal laborers who for 

 offenses were condemned to prac- 

 tical slavery. Under corrupt officials,, this last 

 class wax ncludc most of the In- 



dians. L system was ni><>li-hl long 



ago, but the name peon is still used to refer 

 to laborers of Indian or mixed blood who 

 through ignorance are still the victims of simi- 



Peonage in the United States. This Mexican 

 custom at one time existed m thr United 

 States territory comprising the present states 

 of New Mexico and Arizona, but was abolished 



287 



by a national law in 1867. The term, even 

 since the beginning of the twentieth century, 

 was also applied to alleged abuses in the con- 

 vict labor system, especially among negro pris- 

 oners. Investigations revealed that negroes 

 were arrested on false and vague charges and 

 were fined. If unable to pay the fine, as was 

 usually the case, they were given to the highest 

 bidder to work without wages for a certain 

 period of time; at the end of this period they 

 might be rearrested and again forced into serv- 

 ice. In 1911 the United States Supreme Court 

 declared all laws permitting this practice to be 

 unconstitutional. 



PEONY, pe'oni, a group of plants with 

 shrubby or herblike stems, valued by gardeners 

 because of their large, handsome flowers. The 

 peonies belong to the buttercup family. Many 

 of the cultivated varieties common in America 

 are the offspring of two species of the eastern 

 hemisphere the common peony of Southern 

 Europe and the white peony of Siberia. The 

 large, solitary flowers of the common peony are 

 red or crimson, and very striking in appearance, 

 though lacking in fragrance. Many of the 

 Chinese peonies, a large group of hybrids, bear 

 double-flowered, sweet-scented blossoms. Large 

 species of the peony group are called tree 

 peonies, and of this division the best known is 

 a native of Japan and California. Its showy 

 blossoms, presenting a wide range of white and 

 rose-colored hues, are borne on a stalk from 

 three to four feet high. Tree peonies usually 

 need considerable care and are typical green- 

 house plants. 



A helpful book on peony culture is C. S. Har- 

 rison's M nntinl for the Propagation and Cultiva- 

 tion of the Peony. 



PEOPLE'S PARTY, in the United States, 

 the official name of the political organisation 

 better known as the Populist party. A mem- 

 ber of the People's Party was called a Populist, 

 and in the course of time the party itself was 

 commonly called by that name. See POPULIST 

 PARTY. 



PEORIA, pco'ria, ILL., the county seat of 

 Peoria County, and for a good many yean the 

 largest city in the state, excepting Chicago, 

 is located fifty miles north of Springfield and 

 150 miles southwest of Chicago. It is on the 

 Illinois Hn.-r. here expanded into Peoria Lake, 

 1 1 a fiords navigation to its mouth and to 

 LaSalle, nbovc Peoria, where connection is 

 made with thr Illinois A Michigan Canal, ex- 

 ;ng to Chicago. The railroads entering th< 

 city arc the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. 



