The morning call., 1890-08-24

can mail steamers from New York to Liver
pool, distance 1910 miles, thence by rail to
Glasgow, $50 miles, or by steamer some
thing over 200 miles or take the steamer
from New York via Neville londonderry,
the distance being about the same.
PINKERToN-R. T., Guerneyille What
Is known to the world as "Pinkerton's
Agency" is private corporation, having
its headquarters in New York and Chicago.
Allan Pinke rton, the father of the "boys,"
and the founder of the agency, was its
head, but since his death the chief COM
mand has deyolyed upon his sen Robert.
Like any other detective agency, they have
no State or corporation authority delegated
to til EN-, but are simply the employees of
tho Sc who avail themselves of their serv-
ices. o. The city is liable for any damage
done by mob, aud is responsible for loss
the city where the riot takes place. 81
Ask the insurance company or lawyer.
The Query Column does not decide legal
questions.
RIDING AsTRIDE-B. Me-, Chino. La
dies riding astiide is not an innovation
among Europeans. Wright. in his " Do
mestic Manners of the Middle Ages" gives
a number OF illustrations from ancient
drawings showing ladies on horseback.
both astTide and sideways. 1t is the opin-
ion of MIR. Wright that ladies were taught
to ride both ways, tile sde-saddle being
considered the most courtly, while it was
thought safer to ride astride in the chase.
Cbaleer, in his description Of The Wife
OF Bath describes her as wearing pair Of
spurs, and Cbaucer lived prior 10 400 IL
is fair 10 infer that unless the wife of Bath
rode astride she would not have had need
for a pair of spurs.
THE SCAvENGER's DAUGHTER = P
L., Santa Rosa. ITO kiss the scayenger's
daughter was phrase used in olden
times in England, and meant TO be put to
the torture. William Skevington, who was
lieutenant of the Tower during the reign of
Henry VIII, invented an instrument of
torture which was called his offspring or
daughter. SkeviDgton became corrupted
into scavenger, and after that whenever
any unfortunate was condemned to be tor
tured by this instrument it was said that
he was going to kiss the scavenger's
daughter.
RAGS FOR PAPER-E. X. L., Oakland.
The earliest mention of linen rags as ma
terial for making paper occurs in an ac-
count written by an Arabian physician,
Abdollatiph, on visit he made to Egypt,
AID. 1900, in which he states that the linen
cloth found in the catacombs and used to
envelnp mummies was sold to the scrlbes
to make paper for shor-keepers The old
est known piece of linen paper in existence
is in the monastery of GOss in Upper
Syria. 1t is mandate of Fredric Ii, En-
peror OF the Romans, and is dated 1912.
LEGAL MARRIAGE AGE-J. W B. In
the United States the legal age for marriage
is q for males and IS for females; In Aus
trala, IA for both sexes; Germany, the man
tbn RAlUiItp1 tho m a
woman 10; Greece, the man IA, the woman
II; France, the man IL, the woman 10;
Hungary, the man Is, the woman 10; For
tugal, the man IA, the woman II; Russia,
the man IS, the woman 10; Switzerland, the
man IA, the woman u.
PRESENT AND ADDREssED-W F. B..
City. In the sense referred to, that is,
placed upon an envelope which is to be
handed to the persons for whom the con-
tents Of the note or letter are intended, the
words Present and Addressed" are
synonyms. In either instance the word
means ''being at hand" The latter word
is an innovation on the former, and is,
strictly speaking, an affectatlon of fashion.
PoPULAT1oN-J. G. B., City. The popu-
lations of the three cities are as follows:
Chicago. Loss, 600; Philadelphia, 1,040, 400,
and Constantinople, in 1885, 1913, &c., no later
returns from the aforementioned city being
at hand. Our correspondent Will un-
derstand that no official report has as yet
been made, but the above figures are APP
proximately correct.
CoNsoLs-W. E., City. Consols is an
abbreviation of the term consolidated an
nuities, class Of stocks of which large
portion of the national debt of Great Brit
ain is composed. The interest on consols
ic Inn artn n mar lynf rnrinD &c in
dex to the value of all other securities. The
accent is on the last syllable.
CONFEDERATE HoMEs-J. l., East Oak
land. There are at least three States that
have provided homes for Confederate
soldiers, 10 wit: Virginia, at Richmond !;
Georgia, at Atlanta, and Texas, at Houston.
Any information desired can be obtained
by corresponding with the commandant at
the homes mentioned.
LIcENsE-A. B., City. You can manu-
facture ink, iDk-erasers. mucilage. colored
crayons, or anything else You may desire
morals, but if you attempt TO sell your prod
uct you must first procure license, no mat
ter what may be the nature Of your bust
ness.
The NORTH CARoLINA-F. c. NJ, City.
You are correct as well as Ii. +. II. The
ship North Carolina, which arrived in this
port from Bath, Me-, June IA, 1850, is the
same vessel that arrived June 5, 1851, and
June 6, 1854, although each time under
different masters. Thanks for your kind
offer.
STEM-WINDERs- S. S. C., City. One
of the Oldest watch-makers in this city is
authority for the statement that the stem
winding watch was invented and manufac-
tured in England about sixty years ago, but
the name of the inventor or the exact date
of the invention cannot be found of record.
RAILROAD CHARGES C. N, Oakland
In 1861 tie Legislature had the power to
pass the law referred TO prohibiting any
railroad from charging fares in any city of
the Stale except Sacramento" but this
power of special legislation was taken from
that body under the new constitution.
BURNED MALE. p, City. The entire
mail which left San Francisco February u.
$780, was burned at Cotton, Nebr. Feb
ruary "a, 1890. February 9th the Eastern
paper mail was burned at Blue Creek.
Utah. 1t left New York February 23d and
was due here February 2Sih.
BORN AT SEA-F. c. F., Santa Paula. A
male child born at sea of foreign parents,
the ship carrying the American flag, and he
living in this country until manhood, is an
American citizen within the meaning of
Article XIV, Section l of the Constitution
of the United States.
CLARA MoRRIs-M. j., City. The last
win Theater commenced Monday, January
% oil Eah