STOCKHOLM. tury, rebuilt in the eighteenth and restored in 1892; the Riddarholms Kyrka, a Gothic struc- ture with a jjerforated iron spire 290 feet liigh, and tlie burial place of Swedish kings: the Tyska Kyrka {German Church), a German Renaissance building of the seventeenth century; and the con- spicuous Katarina Kyrka crowning the heights of Sodermalm. The royal palace, on the north- eastern corner of the Stadsholm, was begun in 1697 in the Italian Renaissance style, and is a large and beautiful rectangular building with four wings inclosing a quadrangle. At the west- ern end of the island stands the Riddarhus (knight's house), containing portraits and armo- rial bearings of Swedish nobles. Noteworthy also are the new opera house, finished in 1898; the handsome Renaissance building of the National Museum, built in 1850-G6, opposite the royal palace on the Blasieholm ; and the large and im- posing new building of the Northern Museum, begun in 1808, in the Djurgard. Although Stockholm has no university, it has numerous establishments for higher technical and popular education and an excellent elemen- tary school system. The Royal Library had in 1899 381.900' volumes and 11,000 manuscripts. There are the National Museum, containing fine art collections and a collection of Swedish antiqui- ties; the Northern Museum (Nordiska iluseet) for Scandinavian ethnologj- and archfeology ; a museum of natural history : a biological museum showing groups of Scandinavian mammals in their natural surroundings; an astronomical ob- servatory; and numerous scientific and literary associations, the principal of which are the Swedish Academy, the Academy of Sciences, and the Academy of Fine Arts, History, and Archfe- ology. Stockholm is the largest industrial centre of Sweden next to Goteborg. There are iron foun- dries and machine shops, breweries, sugar and cotton mills, and tobacco factories, and manu- factures of furniture, soap, food ]iroducts, and miscellaneous articles^ while shiiibnilding is also carried on. The city ranks first among Swedish ports in the value of imports, and third in ex- ports; the imports in 1897 amounted to SS-SOT,- 520, and the exports to .$860,680. The chief ex- ports are iron and timber. In 1900 the .ship- ping at the port amounted to 22,55 entries and clearings with a total of 964,.367 tons, but in the number and tonnage of its home vessels the city is exceeded by Goteborg. The approaches to the harbor are intricate and rendered somewhat dangerous by rocky reefs, but the harbor itself is good and provided with dry docks and exten- sive wharfage accessible for large ships. Up to 1895 the harbor was closed by ice about twenty- five days in the year, but recently a new ice- breaker has been put into service to keep it open. The city is, in general, very progressive in the matter of public works. The population in- creased slowly during the first half of the nine- teenth century, having been 75.000 in 1780 and 93.000 in 1850. In 1890 it was 246.454, and in 1901 303,356. Stockholm was founded in 1255 by Birger Jarl, and was for centuries confined to the Stadsholm and Riddarholm, which were fortified. It was several times besieged and taken by Danish armies, and its wooden buildings were often de- stroyed by fire until they were supplanted by stone structures. In 1520 the city was the scene 585 STOCKTON. of the 'Stockholm Blood Bath,' when the Danish King Christian II., in order to strengthen his jiosition in Sweden, had a large number of Swedish nobles decapitated on the Stortorg. Con- sult Wattcnbaeh. t^tockliolm, ein Blicl: auf Schwcdois Uauptstadt (Berlin, 1875). STOCKING FRAME. See Knitting. STOCKINGS. See Hosiery. STOCK'POBT. A manufacturing town in Cheshire. England, on the Mersey, at the junc- tion of its main feeders, 6to miles southeast of Manchester (Map: England, D 3). Its pros- perity is of modern date. The streets lie on the slopes of a narrow' gorge, and are irregular and occasionally precipitous; to the south they rise in terraces above the river. The principal build- ings are the court-house, market hall, mechanics', institute, infirmary, and the institution for the blind, deaf, and dumb. The free grammar school was founded and endowed in 1487. The town possesses seven fine parks, the chief of which is Vernon Park, which contains a nniseum. Stock- poi't owns an electric lighting plant, street rail- ways, sewage w'orks, gas, water supply, and mar- kets. It has extensive manufactures of cottons, woolens, silks, machinery, brass and iron goods, shuttles, and brvishes. Population, in 1881, 59,544; in 1891, 70,263; in 1901, 78,871. STOCKS. An apparatus of wood, much used in former times for the punishment of petty of- fenders. The culprit was placed on a bench, with his ankles fastened in holes under a movable board, and allowed to remain there for an hour or two. The period of the first introduction of the stocks in England is uncertain, but in the second statute of laborers, 25 Edward III. ( 1350) , provision is made for applying the stocks to unruly artificers. Combined with the stocks was often a whipping-post for the flagellation of vagrants. The use of stocks was general in the English colonies of North America and was em- ])loyed frequently for the punishment of conuuon scolds. STOCK'TON. The county-seat of San .Joaquin County, Cal., 78 miles cast by north of San Fran- cisco; on an arm of the San Joaquin River, at the head of navigation, and on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe and the Southern Pacific railroads (Jlap: California, C 3). It is in a region noted for its great natural beauty and equable cli- mate and is very attractive. The State Hospital for the Insane is here, and there are also a public library with over 36. .500 volumes, the San Joaquin County Law Library, Saint ilary's College, and Saint Agnes Academy. The county court-house, constructed at a cost of .$300,000, tlie high school ($150,000), the post-office, county jail, opera house. Masonic Temple, Saint .Joseph's Home, and the County and the Pacific hospitals, are also noteworthy features. In addition to possessing large grain, live stock, and fruit interests. Stock- ton has considerable industrial importance. Agri- cultural machinery and implements, flour, foun- dry products, window glass, lumber, leather, beer, fuel briquettes, canned goods, and woolens constitute the leading manufactures. The gov- ernment, under the charter of 1889, is vested in a mayor, chosen biennially, and a unicameral council. Stockton was founded in 1849 by Charles M. Weber, the owner of a large ilexi- can grant, and was named in honor of Robert
