The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-22
THE CALLS
QUERY COLUMN.
Opening Up thes Basin of the Con-
so River by Railway.
Wrecks Of the King Philip and Atlantic.
Military Ezemptions-Salmcn and Fish
ing-Names of Mountains.

THE CALLS Query Column is conducted with
view TO AID all seekers after knowledge OF gen.
eral interest
Catch questions will not receive any attention.
No opinion will be given In tins column regard
ing the reliability or character OF any person or
firms In this city or elsewhere.
Questions, answers 10 which are in the nature
oil an advertisement, will not be answered.
Every Inquiry must have the true and full
name OF the sender, as well as the correct resi-
denee. Any inquiry that has not the cor.
rect name and address of the sender Will
be treated as IL Ii was not signed, and the
writer need not expect an answer.
@SoNGo RAILRoAD-W. Ii. L. Griffin. Ga.
ltS%<Sx The Sahara Railway Is as yet not much
10y more than project, with four several
routes marked out for examination and
exploration. The road which you undoubtedly
refer TO In your query is that of the Congo the
survey for which has been completed and the
work of building begun. The road will connect
Matadl, the head OF navigation on the lower
river, with Stanley Pool, above which are navl-
gable waterways aggregating 5000 miles. In Or
der TO avoid the mountainous lands which ex-
tend almost unbrOkeDy along the river In this
Cataract region II was found necessary to lay the
route Tor The most part about thirty mites south
OF the river. Without this railroad the Congo
basin Is, in the words of Stanley, mot worth two
shilllngs," the cost OF transporting ion Of mer-
chandlse from Nivi opposite Matadi, around the
rapids TO Leopoldville. a distance of 200 miles,
being more than 1000 francs. while its Transport
talon from Antwerp to Viv is only 3S francs.
Above Stanley Pool there are 1000 miles Of un-
Interrupted steam navigation as far as Stanley
Falls, and more than six times that distance on
tile C0ngos great tributaries traversiDg pToduc-
tive regions. The Belgian COmpagnie de Congo
Pour lie Commerce OF PIndustrIe undertook the
survey OF the route aud raised a capital Of ,250,-
oOo francs for the purpose. The company was
organized on February 8, 1887, and In May fol
lowing The engineers left TO begin the reconnals-
sanca OF the route and finished observations at
Stanley Pool In November, 1888: AT Matadi,
whlcn Is little below Nyi, Is the last point on
the estuary where large vessels can unload, and
Inc road IN some places almost touches The Por-
tuguese boundary. II will have narrow gauge
road and tile 30.tOn locomotives VIII draw load
oil My tons at the average rate OF eleven miles
an hour, reducing 10 two days the time of transit.
which Is one month by the existing methods of
earn lage on The beads OF p0rtsrs or on the backs
OF animals. The Belgian Chamber voted in July,
1889, 10 subscribe two-ffths Of the required
capital, estimated at 25,00O,0 900 francs. The
line VIII have length OF 435 kilOmeters or 294
miles, with no tunnel or steep gradient. the long
est bridge OF 100 meters span. and the sharpest
curves radius OF 90 meters. There VIII be only
one track, with sdngs, and traffic Will be carried
on only IN the day time.
MILITARY EXEMPTIONS i H., CRYSTAL
Springs and q. C.. San Mateo, Cal. Section 1936
OF the Political Code says that 'al officers, musi
clans and prlvates OF the National Guard who
comply with all military duties are ell.
titled 10 the following privileges and exemptions.
viz: Exemption from payment OF poll tax, road
lax and head tax OF every description; exemption
from jury duty and from service OH any posse
comilatus," and all the above named "who
nave faithfully served 10 the military service of
this State for the space of seven consecutive
years aud received the certificate OF The Adju-
tant-Genefal certifying the same, are thereafter
exempted from further military and jury duty
eXcep. IN time of war" Now IL must be obvious
to you that The above cannot include "any per-
son who has served for one or more enlistments
in The United States Army" But pursuing
ney-Genetal Hart passing upon Section 1886, as
affected by the new Constitution, ruled that
members OF The National Guard Of California
are exempt from road tax and jury duly. They
are not exempt from uo taxi evidently basng
this ruling on Section - of the Constitution Of
1879:
1he Legislature shall provide for the levy and
collection OF an annual poll tax of not less than two
dollars on every MAZE inhabitant of this State
u and under 30 years of age except paupeTs idiots
Insane persons and Indians not taxed
The National Guardsman has facetiousy
argued that lie might come III under the classt-
call0n oil idiots" but stlll nothing is said OF
"enllstmcnts in the United States Army as an
exemption from poll tax, nor as regards road
poll tax IN the codes save by Section 1852, as
amended by the Legislature in lSS7-SS, Tor those
who were honOrably discharged ana served our
ing the War OF tue Rebellion.
KING PHILLIP WRECK-H. A. D., City. On
Friday, January %. 1873 the ship Western
Shore, bound for Seattle, the barks King Phillip
for Port Gamble aud the Don Nicholas dying
tie Bolivian fag}, bound for Victoria were towed
out TO sea about the same time and left in mid
channel. There was no wind and the bar break
Ing, The vessels drilled OIL the beach about two
miles south of the Cliff House. The King Phillip
hndlng herself In This dangerous condition let go
her two anchors, but neither would hold, and she
drilled broadside on the beach that night and
became total wreck. Pope Talbot owned
her. She WAS valued at $4,000, carr led no in
surance, however, and the wreck as It lay on the
beach was sold for $1,000. She was built In 1S56
at Alva, Me-, ana was OF 1883 tons. he Don
Nicholas WIS towed back into port that same
afternoon, while the Western Shore was towed
oil ON Sunday, her anchors holding and saving
her IRON the late OF The King Phillip Captain
Biinn, who commanded the Western Shore, was
Killed, however, by the sudden slipping of the
ha|ser while IN tow OF the Richard Holyoke.
SALMON AND fISHING-S. D., La Grange, Cal.
a. According to the Political Code IL Is unlawful
to catch salmon with seine net "the meshes
OF which are. when drawn closely toge. her
and measured inside the knot, less than 71s
inches IN length" (2j Speckled trout, brook or
salmon trout, or any variety of trout, cannot be
taken between November 1st and April LIST of the
following year; nor salmon between August 31st
and October Isl OF every year; nor shad OF salmon
between sunrise of each Saturday and sunset OF
the following sunday; nor salmon on the Eel
River other than between September l5ln and
November Goth OF each year. ETC. But an act
concerning trout in Sskiyou County permits the
catching OF trout with hook and line all times
and seasons Of the year IN that county.
COLOMBIAN RAILRoADs-w. II. L. Griffin.
Ga. On February 26, 1889, the Minister OF Pub.
lie Works of Colombia made a contract for the
construction and working of railway to con-
meet Bogota with Zpaquira under Government
subsidy oil 900 for each mile In operation.
In June the same official made a contract for the
construction and running OF a road between the
Pacific Coast part OF Buenaventura and the city
Of ManZales, aud stimuli aneously a third for
tramway In the city OF Panama. On July goth
lnO In ps IHAnt aft Tia
Sabana Railroad OF twenty-four miles, connect
Ing BOgota with an upland region in the Andes
called the Sabana.
JANE PoRTER-M. E. L.. Freeport, Wash.
The life and reputation OF Jane Porter Q776-.
1850, one OF the earliest of English female nov.
ellsts, are closely linked with those OF her sister
Anna Maria u7So-1932), ana her brother, Sir
Robert ker Porter Q775-1S42). Jane Porter's
novels are "Thaddeus of arsaw' QS03l, Scot
fish Chiefs" OSLO, THE Pastors Ffreslde"
QS15). Duke Christian of Luneburg'' 1924
"Comng QUIZ 1929 and "The Field of Forty
Footsteps" QS2Sl aud In connection with her
sister Tales Round Winter Hearth" 1890.
SHIP ARKANSAS. C., City. Corroboratlng
the Q. C.'s answer of last week identifying the
bones of the hulk unearihed on Pacific street.
you will find the following In a foot-nota OF Vol
ume VI, Bancr0frs History OF California QS4S-
go:
Southwark stretched the wharf extension of Pa
ciic street solid structure 80 feet wide, OF which,
the proposed 500 feet to cost 500 900 On its north
side. beyond Battery street, lay the storage ship
Arkansas.
MOVING FROM PRE- EmPTIoN TO PURCHASED
LAND. de p, Moscow, Idaho. II you own
and move from purchased land to land on which
you have filed a presumption claim. It will inter-
fere with your proving up on the latter You
cannot prove 10 on presumption claim If you
leave abandon a residence land of your
own to settle on this" United States Revised
Statutes. 2260)
HE Is NOT So PRIyILEGED-J. NJ, City.
The proprietor of a cIub-room where card or
other gambling is carried on for money is not
allowed 10 sell spirituous liquors by the glass
without retail lguor-dealers license.
MOUNTAIN NAMEs-M. E. L., Freeport
Wash. Mounts Whitney and Shasta were named
respectively after Professor Josiah Dwight
Whitney, who made the geological survey OF
California. besides the governmental surveys of
the Territories. and after The Shasta tribe OF In