The morning call., 1891-01-25
THE CALLS
QUERY COLUMN.
ETicSS0n'S First Application Of The
Screw Propeller.
Origin of the Word Creole Macaulay's New
Zealander Point Candidates-Mar-
rage Of Minors Time Differences.

THE GALES Query Column is conducted with
view to aid all seekers after knowledge of gea-
eral interest.
Catch questions will not receive any attention.
No opinion will he given In ihls 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
of an advertisement. will not be answered
Every inquiry must have The true and full
name of the sender, as well as the correct resi-
dence. Any inquiry that has not the cor
rect mama ana address OF the sender viii
be- treated ms If ii WAS not signed, and the
writer need R1t expect an answer.
TIE SCREw-PROPELLER.- W, City
% The late John Ericsson was indiSpUtably
the inventor of the screw-propeller. (2) 1t
was in 1896 that he invented and patented
it. In 1887 he built a steam-tug. the Francis
b. Ogden, named after a pioneer in steam
navigation on American waters, and at that
time United States Consul at Liverpool, fit
ted her with twin-serew propellers, and on
trial towed the American ship Toronto at
the rate of five miles an hour on the Thames
Subsequently he took the lordships of the
British Admiralty on trip in their barge,
but could not induce them to believe what they
saw, though they listened 10 him with polite
but ncredulOus attention, and, despite the
practical demonstration, decided that 'eveu
if the propeller had the power of propelliDg
vessel 1t would be altogether useless in
practice, because the power being applied to
the stern 1t would be absolutely impossible
to make the vessel steer" Through Mr..
Ogden, Ericsson was presented to COmm0-
dore Qhen Captain) r. F. Stockton of the
United States Navy, in whom the inventor
found more confdng listener, who urged
his ming TO this country, and by
whose influence with the Administration
Ericsson was placed in a position to carry
out his plans. he came to America in No
yember, 1899. and in 1871 permission was
given him to furnish designs for, and under
his superintendent to construct the United
States ship of war Princeton on the very
plan which had been received with such in
difference by the Board of Admiralty of
England. She was the first steamship built
with her propeling machinery under the
water-Ilne and out of reach OF shot
CREoLE-M. K, Sacramento, Cal. o.
The term 'Creole" is equally applicable to
man or. woman. 2) The word is said to be
a negro corruption of the Spanish criaaillo,
the diminutive OF criado, meaning a servant,
follower. (3) I he term is used in the West
Indies and in Spanish America, and meant
originally a native descendant from Euro
pean tpropery SPANISH ancestors as distin-
gushed from Immigrants of European blood
aud from the aborigines, negroes and ma
tives of mixed Indian and European or
European and negro blood. The term has
come to mean in its usual sense person
born In the country but of race not indi-
genOus to 1t. irrespective OF color, and in the
English West Indies to distinguish the ne
gro born there from the African imported
at the time of the slave trade. Again, in
Louisiana 1t was applied to the native de-
scendant from French ancestors who had
settled there later to any native of Spanish
descent by either Darent and also IN meau
any person belonging TO the French-speaking
native portion of the white race The ap-
plicatinn of the term TO the negro in the
West Indies led to the idea common in some
parts of the United States, though wholly
untouuded, that it implies an admlxture
greater or less of African blood.
MACAULAY's New ZEALANDER-R. NJ,
City. Some facetious person has said
of Macaulay's famous New Zealander
that che has certainly earned the privilege
of a free seat on London Bridge by the fire.
duency with which he has pointed moral
and adorned tale" Some such person
was a familiar figure in literature long be-
fore Macaulay had fixed his habita-
ton in the far East Macaulay was
man who is said to have read
everything and forgotten nothing and
numerous are the references which might
have suggested to him the idea of the New
Zealander, which he has employed no less
tudn -FOUR tlIeS IN as many Writings. The
quotation best known is that from his Re
view OF Ranke's History of the Popes," as
follows: she (the Roman Catholic Church,
may still exist in undimiuished vigor when
some traveller from New Zealand shall, in
the midst of a vast solitude, take his stand
upon a broken arch of London Bridge 10
sketch the ruins of st. PauPs."
WEST POINT CANDIDATEs-A. C. S..
LOmpoc, Cal. % To be eligible to receive
an appointment to West Point as a cadet
one must be between the ages of IT and %
~ One must also have public school edu-
cation, though not necessarily a High School
education. 90 The candidate must be free
from any intlrmitY which would render him
unfit for military service. If he has been
addicted to the use of tobacco and liounrs
and bad habits" whatever you NAV mean
by that he will findi very difficult to pass the
medical examination, which, being con-
Quoted by surgeons of the army, is very
strict. The United States are Lot paving
young men, giving them the very best edu-
cation that the country can afford and then
position for life during good behavior,
without some prospects Of securing their
services in the future.
TINE DIFFERENCEs-J. L., San Diego
Cal. ~ The hour is earlier in San Francis
co than in New York. as you state, and not
later, and the difference in time is 8 hours.
10 minutes and 42.7 seconds. (2) You are
also right III stating that in date there is a
difference OF IS hours and Is minutes he
tween San Francisco and Sydney in Aus
tralia, so that when it is noon here TODAY il
is 6:15 o'clock in the morning tomorrow at
Sydney. The time at Sydney would be ear
lier but for the fact that between it and this
city lies the line of 1902 from Greenwich.
which is the place from which me new
day is counted.
COMMITTEE REPoRT-F. w. A., City. If
the report of the duly organized committee
of a society is unanimous, it not only suffices
but it is common practice also for the Chair
man and the Secretary only to sign it. But
this is only begging the question. The
committee cannot take action without n
majority membership, and if five constitute
the committee, 1t is as easy to obtain the
signatures OF three as it is of two of that
majority membership of three or four.
Moreover, there is nothing to prevent the
minority from presenting its report.
DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIc-A. L..
City. 1t is proposition rs self-evident as
that and make 4 that highway once
dedicated to the use of the public and en-
jOyed as such cannot be encroached upon
or indefinitely DISTRACTED and closed or
alienated Central road, described as run
ming from McAliiSter street southwest To
Ocean View House. is public highway.
MARRIAGE OF MINoRs-N. G. b. f..
City. The Civil Code describes The female
minor as person under the age OF IS, and
permits any unmarried female of tho age of