Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1900 — An Old Saw that la Senseless. [ARTICLE]

An Old Saw that la Senseless.

In olden times when a person died it was customary to toll the church bell a ceftaln number of times to indicate whether it was a man, woman of child. For a woman it was tolled three times and for a man thrice three times. The stroke of a bell was called a"teller,” and hence it was nine tellers for a man; or, as folks said in those days, “Nine tellers mark a man.” This saying, which was continued long after the tolling custom was finally became converted into the present saying, “Nine tailors make a man,’’ which is devoid of both sense and reason.—Ladles’ Home Journal.