The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-30
THINGS TALKED ARouT.

"a
OF the telegraph for the Transmission of
business and social messages and for the
dissemination Of news is so general and in
creasing 50 constantly. and the value OF
I public benedt and convenience which this
| promotes, is 50 great that the readers Of the
| MORNING News will no doubt be interested
! to learn something OF the business operas
| tions OF this company - tue largest
and most wealthy of its kind tn
the whole world. The annual report
Of the president, made at the annual
meeting last week. shows that the earnings
for the transmission of messages OF all
classes were SEQ. 7O4, 270 81, against $40, 49,
64S OF the previous year, an increase of
81 ,240, 622 50. The average sn.ls collected
for the year were $50 cents per message.
against 81 cents the previous year, show
ing an increased yield of 1 mill per Elsssage
The average cost to the company was %
cents per message. being an increase Of u
cent per message over that Of the previous
year.
Pay Inspector Luther C. Billings of the
navy, paymaster of the North Atlantic
squadron, when he came to square up with
the government the other day his three
years accounts. after having audited ard
paid all the bills for the construction of
the big cruisers Chicago, Atlanta,
Boston and Dolphin, found that the
government owed him cent, for
which warrant was made out in due form,
according to the complicated system of the
treasury for getting money out of the strong
apf ic f1N
1t is considered that the paymaster disbursed
millions Of dollars under circumstances Of
exceptional difficulty. Mr. Billings ranks
as a commander, and is much nearer the
top Of the list than others Of his age. This
is because congress advanced him thirty
numbers for gallantry In the night engage
ment of the United States ship Water Witch
in Ossabaw Sound, of Savannah in 1864
when he did some great hand-to-
hand fighting with one garment on.
The reference to Mr.. Billings and his con-
nection with the Water Witch recalls the
boarding and capture of that vessel by
Lieut. Pelor. The Water Witch formed
one of the blockading squadron of the Geor-
gia coast, and was lying we'll off shore in
the sound. Lieut. Pelot with eighty men
embarked in seven barges, and reached the
Water Witch about 1870 o'clock in the
morning. A dash was made for the
steamer, and after a fifteen-minute
hend-to-haud fight, during which and
almost at the moment of victory Lieut..
Pelot fell plercsd to the heart with bull
let, when the crew surrendered. The
attacking party lost six men killed and
daI lEak
eighty-two in number, lost two killed and
fifteen wounded, Lieut.. Prendergast, com
mander of the vessel, being among the
latter. The capture of the blockader, armed
with four heavy guns, eighty prisoners
and her entire equipment, was the result Of
the bold and successful attack. Paymaster
Billings was subordinate officer on the
Water Witch. The vessel being attacked
at night and unawares, he was in bed, but
he sprang up, and, Selling his sword and
pistol. without waiting TO put on his
clothes, went into the fight as he was and
fought with such gallantry that later on
congress. as a recognition OF his services,
advanced him 10 the line Of promotion.
This year the police are to he allowed
nothing in the way Of new winter uniforms
except trousers. Those in charge of the
peace preserving department think that
last seasons coats are good enough for an
other year. Some of the policemen's coats
are we'll preserved. while others are not
what would be termed strictly presentable.
A threadbsre coat and new trousers would
hardly pass military inspection. Savan-
nah has always had the reputation of hav-
ing the best-dressed police force In the
country, but it begins to look as If a retro
grade movement had set in.
The wheelInen are considerably disap-
pointed over the refusal of the city council
to grant them the use of the sidewalks they
asked for-south of Liberty, east Of Dray-
ton and west of jefferson streets-uuder
such restrictions as the council might impose.
The bicycle, as a means CT travel, has
come to stay, and the wheelmen think thew
might have been granted the privilege of
the sidewalks in the sections of the city
beyond the most frequented thoroughfares.
without any prejudice to safety of pedes-
trians. In nearly every city in the north
and west. where twenty bicycles are
in use to one in Savannah, the
wheelmen are allowed to use the side
walks under certain restrictions. The Sa-
vannah wheelmen say they are willing to
conform to any reasonable regulation the
city may establish. 1t is not unlikely that
the council will reconsider its action and
pass Alderman Bailey's ordinance at the