The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-04
HOUSTON POST LETTER. BOX

and curious Information. Questions OF pc'-
scnai interest only viii not be answcred No
business or personal addresses will be given.
All correspondencc should be addressed 70
The Letter Box, caro- Houston Post owins
to the large number Of questions received
answers can not always be given promptly
According 10 recent dispatches from
abroad we learn that the International Fesce
Commission, which meets In Holland. has IN
view, among other matters the formulation
or certain rules or laws to govern the war
fare OF the future IL not some such code
Of laws already In forceg M,S.N'
Yes but the rules consist OF little more
than n taoit agreement amons civilized ma
items to recognize certain conditions more on
the line OF humsn progress and mercy than
IN previous times Thus. there is general
agreement forblddlns the use OF poison
against the enemy as unfair aud treacherous
1t IL also forbidden to assume the uniform
or display the TAG OF the foe; this, or to
mIrder those who have surrendered Ia rule
which some correspondents say has been
broken by the United States soldiers in the
philippinesl; declarations that no quarter
viii be given to any enemy are also forbid
den and the use of such arms or projecuios
as viii cause unnecessary pain or suffering
gain information concerning an enemys po-
| sitions; all unnecessary destruction of pro-
perty. whether public OF private. 1t is also
recognized as a law that only fortified places
shall be beslcged, open cities or villages not
to be subject to such a bombardment;; that
public buildings Of whatever character.
whether belonging TO church or state. shall
1 be spared. that piundcring by private SOL
diers or their officers shall DO considered
inadmisslble; that prisoners shall he treated
with common humanity; that the personal et-
fects aud private property OF prisoners, ex-
eepting their arms aud ammunition, shall be
respected that the population OF any enemy's
country shall be considered exempt from
B participation in the war unless by hostile
acts they provoke the ~ will OF the enemy
! Personal and family honor ard the religious
conviction OF an invaded people must he no"
spected by the invaders and all plllage by
regular troops or their followers strictly for
hidden.
Q who has the bid for distributing the seeds
for the agricultural department at Washing
J. ton? Kindly give what other Information
: you can about this distribution. C.v.W
Q The contract for distributing government
t seeds this year has been lot by the secretary
OF agriculture TO Charles Parker of Santa
Q Clara, Cal. Ills bid was $4,000 The total OF
a packets to be put up this year is lA,l2l56s.
c OF these IL, oss 900 arc vegetable seeds. There
G are eight assortments of these seeds and
5 each contains Ave distinct varieties. The
e list Of seeds embraces beet. cucumber, lot
e tuee. muskmelon watermelon, onion. radlsh,
l. lten. pea and sweet corn. There will be
Ia % coo packets Of field and lawn and grass
F. | ha
&c packets. Under the present system of dstri'
- hutton each congressman gets about 5000
Is packets Of tho eight Rssortmens Of voseta'
N bile seeds. about 400 Of the flower. about nifty
~ OF the lawn grass and smaller numbers of thu
te tobacco and corn. The appropriation by con
Is eress for this work amounts to $780, 900, and
ne tho difference between II and the $4,000 e
D be paid the contractor In expended In otheI
~ ways The secretary spends the sum In thu
o. purchase OF rare or special varieties OF Feeds
both foreign and domestic, and the cost o
~ handling and distributing these iS consider
y" able,
o. T. is there a magnetic pole on the cart
X that attracts tho magnetic needle away fror
~ the true north? 2 II So give the latitud
90 and longitude in which 1t Is situated,
RS so.F
e' I. Yes ~ a certain point in Arctic Amer
" lea tho following peculiar magnetic condi
~ tiona prevail First. the various lines O
declinatlon converge. second the needl
80 points vertically downward; third, the bor
rontal force vanishes aud free horlaontall
balanced needle will remain IN whatever dI
~ rcotion It chances to be placed This poin
Is commonly known the north magneu
80 pole. The exact point has been visited b
'0' various expIorers--Roas In 1891; schwatk'
IN 1879: Noumayer IN 1890. and others
ug exact location at the present time ca
not bo given. though It's position, approx
mately speaking is IN the nelghhorhood
lie latitude 10 degrees north and longitude
tn degrees west
au I. Please state the name of the taste
re- flowing river in the world7 2. What ooui
Try has the wettest climateF 3. How niue
;. erester than the land 10 the water surfa
=, IN. vorld7 b. X,
l. SO far 40 known, the sutley river,
British India, is the swlftsst flowing in q
rem world. 1t has a descent Of $4,000 feet in
Ia miles an average Of So "a feet to every mil
3 ireland seems to enjoy that distinetic
ngs Il it said there are on average 2os rainy da
not IA every year in that country. g. The ar
I ~ oil ths WlOle buTidNe VI luV "pi'N 10 NS''NN
GUS 600 square miles OF this area lDoOo.t
'wn square miles is covered with water. The
.ual ciac ocean covers $4,000 900 square miles;
Is Atlantic 25.oooOOO. and the Mediterrane
ayy lOOO. 900.
tai 49,
ana Is ANYTHING being done since the e1pediu
the of the University OF Pennsylvania In the W
Isle OF research among the ruins OF Babylonia'
Il IS K.o.M
oiee Archaeological interest among Germans
not lust now alive and an expensive expediu
we is nttng out for Ave years service. II
rest be under the direction OF tho Orient soeit
mes in connection with the directors Of the ho'
Ting German museum. The expedition will 70
'ool- way Of Beyroit aud Basdsd which last pia
Of II is only two days Journey from Babylon
out scene Of the proposed excavations.
S, It 44@
mo Can you tell me how tho word cop
nave applied to a policeman, originAtedf
hard C.D.v
&C. One authority says II came from the to
o al constable OF police which was USED
quiet England half a century ago. o. p"
ths YOU look through court reports In the hies
of fart