The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-20
HOUSTON POST LETTER box,

main OBJECT - TO supply out-of-the-way facte
and curious information. Questions Of per-
sonai interest only will net BE- answered. No
business or personal addresses Will be sivsN
All correspondence should b addressed 70 The
Letter Box, care Houston poat. OWNS 70 the
large number Of questions received. answer
can not always be given PROMPTLY
what are tho supcrstitions ccncsrnlnG cha
diamond, opal, ruby and onyx? CAP.
The diamond Is said to produce somnAmbu-
ilsm and spiritual ecstasy. and Ia the emblem
OF Innocence The opal Is tho emblem Of
hope, and ia supposed to be fatal to love, and
II given as an engagement ring will bring bad
luck According to burmese superstition, ru-
bies in the original state are colorless and
tho red hue Ii the development OF time. the
gem ripening like fruit. II changes FIRST
to yellow. then 10 green. then to blue and
finally to red, There Is a superstition that
the onyx contains an Imprisoned devil, which
wakes at sunset and brings bad dreams to the
wearcr II is the emblem of conjuEal love.
aud In Christian art Ia the symbol Of sin
certify. There Is an ancient legend that Cupid
cut the nails OF Venus with the sharp point
Of his arrows. and as the parings sank to the
bottom of the Indus river they were trans
formed into onyxes
l. What Is the spolistion BILL and what
caused ~ 2 Why did the French withdraw
their, army from Mexico leaving Emperor
Maximlllian without support C.v.w.
1. Tho spoliation act Is a United States stat
ute OF 1885, providing for the ascertainment
OF tho French spoliation cla,ms. These were
the claims Of citizens OF the United States
ssainst France for Illegal captures. ETC., prior
to the treaty OF 10000 between tho United
states and France, BY this treaty these
claims were assumed by the United States.
The hrst appropriation for their payment was
made In 1891. 2, Because OF the dissatsfac-
ton Of the United States with European en-
croaohuents upon the American continent,
and Of the more determined attitude Of this
government after the close OF the civil war,
az well "a of public opinion In France and the
Increasing complications OF Napoleon III at
home and abroad.
What is the difference between Atavism and
Chauvinism7 Tho dictionaries | have do not
explain satisfactorily. MOB,
There is no connection whatever between
the two. Atavism (from Latin atavus. an an
ccstor, q great grandfathcr's grandfather)
means 'lntermittent heredlty." reversion
through influences OF horedty to ancestral
characters, return to an early or original
type by It's modified descendants. Chauyin-
ism means. enthusiasts, unreneeting devo-
tlon to any cause. especially absurdly exas-
eerated patriotism military enthusiasm.
The word is said 10 be from the name of Nico-
las Chauvin. veteran OF the frat empire.
enthusiastically devoted to the memory and
idea of Napoleon. and ridlculed by his com
rades for his exaggerated exhibitions of this
devotion.
How many patents are issued onch year BY
the country and under what branch of tho
government? WV.
The commissioner OF patents, who is under
The direction of the secretary of the interior,
reports that for the past ten years the april
cations for patents. including reissues. de-
signs trade marks. labels and prints, have
averaged over 10000 annually. For the year
opding June so, 1899, the report 10;
Applications for letters patent .......... 1859
A Application for design patents ...,...... 2,1a2
Applications for reissue patents ...,.... VI
Applications for registration of trade
PUBLICATIONS for registration OF labels. 6i2
Applications for registration prints. ~
caveats .,....,.,......'.,'.'...'.. l,oio
Total 1890
\ y
Please give an account, Z possible. OF the
origin of the custom of clinkins glasses, In
drinking health. ALI.
The only explanation we have ever heard
was the following. given in the Notes and
Queries of New York, published in 1859:
when Prince Charles passed over into
France. after the failure of the expedition In
i715. bis supporters were bcset with spies on
every hand. It co happened that occasionally
In society they were necessitated to drink the
kings health hut 1t was tacitly understood
that the king was not King George, but tho
ding over the water To express this SYM
.ollcally, one glass was passed over another
md later down. the foot OF one glass was
touched against the rim OF another
~
What is meant by the expression. .Ruys'
inel like sadnessY' Hill
Tho ebithet refers to tho characteristics OF
Ruygdael pictures. He was the most ceie-
rated OF the Dutch landscape painters of the
seventeenth century. His fayorte subjects are
,inlplo woodland scenes. He frequently paints
coast scenes, and seq pieces with breaking
waves and stormy skies; but is at his best in
lis rendering of lonely forest glades. The
.rt OF Ruysdael. while II shows little OF tho
scientific knowledge of later painters. Is SEN
itiys and poetic In sentiment and sklilfui In
echnique In his loyo of landscape for itself,
N his delight In the quiet and solitude Of ma
ure the painter Is thoroughly modern In feel
pg.
What nation owns tho principal part OF tbs
rorid's shipping? <'nn'
No one nation owns H. Lloyd's Register OF
shipping. Just issued. shows that nngiAnd
WINS 80 per cent OF the entire merchant ships
II the world Tho United States come next,
With 300 vessels. sail and steam. and be-
ween the two nations only about 10 per cent
4 the worlds merchant tonnage 10 controfisd.
many opinions to the contrary notwithstand-
ng.
have either heard or road that ne story
4 the great Powhatan aud Pooahontas 10 only
raditionai or Ia not quite true. II that u tho
ase, why does the history msntion It az
ActY i'n'
The romantic story Of rowhAtap aad Poca-
ontss IL generally concsdsd 70 have been
sssd on fact The tendency Of modern writsrs
, destroy all these bits Of romance IN hts
,ry is being carried entirely too tar. They
rem 70 80 far now a. to oontsnd that the
ilsrim Fathers didn't land 81 PiymoWh
oek. ana that George waahinGsen dhnt cut
Is fathers cherry tree.
~