TARBELL

1871

TARPEIAN ROCK

a native of southern Europe, and got its name from being common in the neighborhood of Taranto, Italy. The bite was considered very dangerous, and was fabled to produce an epilepsy which could be cured only by dancing, until exhausted, to lively music of a particular kind. The tarantulas, using the name in its wide meaning, are dark-colored, hairy spiders, with mandibles that work up and down, instead of sideways, as is the direction in most other spiders. They live under rocks and in boles which they make in the ground and line with silk. They do not spin webs, but rush upon passing insects and other prey.

Tar'bell, Ida Minerva. A noted American writer upon historical and economic subjects. Born in Erie County, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 5, 1857, she grew up in the oil-region. She graduated with honors from Titusville High School and Allegheny College, and studied in Paris, 1891-4, at the Sorbonne and the College of France where she began to make her mark as an historical writer. She for eight years was associate-editor of The Ghautauquan, later was on the editorial staff of McClure's Magazine, and finally was an associate-editor of it.. Among her writings are Short Life of Napoleon Bonaparte; Life of Madam Roland; Life of Abraham Lincoln; and History of the Standard Oil Company. She has written extensively for magazines.

Tarifa (ta-re'fa), a famous Spanish city, is 25 miles southeast of Cape Trafalgar. It has old walls, towers, a fortress and a Moorish castle. Tarifa was founded by the Moors, who forced all vessels passing through the Strait of Gibraltar to pay tribute at this town. From this fact comes our word "tariff." The Castilians captured Tarifa in 1292 and held it in the face of several sieges by the Moors. The French besieged it in vain in 1811, but captured it in 1823. Population 11,725.

Tar'iff, a table or catalogue of duties charged on different kinds of merchandise when imported into a country. The first tariff-act in the United States was drawn up by Alexander Hamilton, then secretary of the treasury, in 1789. Its purpose was to put money into the country's empty treasury. It listed only 51 articles, and charged duties ranging from 5 to 15 per cent. Between 1789 and 1804 six acts amending or adding to the first measure were passed. The tariff of 1812 was a war-measure and doubled all import duties. The Lowndes-Calhoun bill of i8iŏwasthe first tariff-measure enacted to protect industries in addition to producing a revenue. Many manufactures had sprung up during the war, and this bill was passed avowedly to protect these young industries. It was not wholly set aside till 1842. Under it

ad valorem duties ranged from 7 J to 33 per cent. It was followed by Clay's tariff of 1824 and the "tariff of abominations," as it was called, of 1828, both of which further raised duties. The modifying tariff of 1832 endeavored to readjust duties more equally. The compromise tariff of 1833 provided for taking off one third of the duties each year until a uniform rate of 20 per cent, should be reached. The Polk-Walker tariff of 1842 owed its passage to Robert J. Walker, President Polk's secretary of the treasury. It remained in force until 1861. It threw overboard the idea of protection and aimed to be a tariff for revenue only. Duties were reduced considerably, and in 1857 further reduced to an average of 15.66 per cent. The Morrill tariff of 1861 was avowedly protective, and more than doubled existing duties, which were raised higher yet by the bill of 1883. The McKinley tariff-bill of 1890 increased duties about 6o per cent., though it also enlarged the free list. A special section which has proven to be of value, was inserted in this bill. It gave the president power to remove from the free list certain products in the case of any country which charged unreasonable duties on the products of the United States. This is known as the reciprocity section. The election of 1892 placed in power the Democratic party, which was pledged to a tariff for revenue only. Accordingly, the Wilson bill was passed and became law in 1894 This law removed duties from raw materials, and effected lower duties in general. It also provided for an income-tax, which was set aside by the supreme court. In 1896 the Republican party again came into power and the Dingley law was passed, which established a tariff on somewhat lower lines than the McKinley law. A further reduction was made by the Payne-Aldrich law, passed in 1910.

Tark'ington, Newton Booth, American novelist, was born at Indianapolis, Ind., on July 29, 1869, and graduated at Princeton in 1893. When, later, pursuing a business career, he discovered gifts in himself as a writer, especially of realistic and romantic stories. His first notable work, The Gentleman from Indiana, met with instant success, and was followed in 1900 by Monsieur Beaucaire, a novelette subsequently dramatized and produced on the stage by Richard Mansfield. In 1902 appeared The Two Vanrevels, in 1903 Cherry, in 1905 The Conquest of Canaan and The Beautiful Lady, besides In the Arena: Tales of Political Life. In 1902 he entered practical politics as a member of the Indiana legislature.

Tarpeian Rock (tar-pe'yan), at first the name given to the whole Capitoline Hill in Rome, but afterwards only to the southern part of it. Tarpeia, daughter of the governor