The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-23
HOUSTON POST LETTER BOX.

Cribs department 10 intended 10 answer
Questions that are Of general interest It's
niain object is to supply out.of-the-way facts
/ and curious Information. Questions Of per-
! sonsl interest only viii not be answered. No
eusiness or personal addresses win be eiven
! All oorrcsnondencc should be addressed to The
! Letter Box. care Houston Post. owlng to thv
large number Of questions received answers
can not always be given promptly,
Please give the rules FOR playing progressive
, ouchre after the head table rings the bell tn
uains me RUE followed In cass the score at
any particular table 10 sven at the time the
bell is ring. subscriber.
u the trump has been turned the hands are
PLAYED out. In case the score at any particu-
lar time Is even when the bell is rung, both
sides are credited with the game and they cut
to see which side goes up or "prosrssses.
railroads IN Cuba and Porto Rico; where they
ale located, and so forth, Also state who are
their officers and the chances a man from
this country would have 10 get NS.ion,,,
There are ten railroads in Cuba. The Fer
rotarriles unidos Is the most important. Tho
company controls four lines. with 1000 miles
of main line. connecting Havana with Matsn-
Sns. Batahano. Union. Guanaiay ard passng
through the most populous parts Of the coun-
try The Western railway has line COM
pleted from Havana TO pinsr del Rio. tho ceu-
ter OF the tobacco growing district. distance
! Of I06 miles. The other companies are; Ferro-
| carriics cardenns-Jucaro, connects csrdenas
ara Santa Clara; Ferrccarril dc Matansas.
connects Matanzss and Murga and Matangas
| ard Gusrciras; Ferrocarril Do Sesua la
| Grande, runs between coucha and Cruces,
| Ferrocarri Cienfuesos- Santa Clara. connects
| those towns, Fsrrocarrlles Unidos de Caiba-
rien, connects Caibarien with Placetas; Ferro-
cGrfil de Puerto Principe Nuevitas; Fcrrocar-
| ri de Guatanamo, and the Marianne railway.
which runs between Havana and Marianao.
In Porto Rico there are about 1877 miles OF
| railroad completed and about 10 miles under
construction. The principal line connects San
Juan with Areclbe, We do not know the
names OF the road officials either In Cuba or
Porto Rico, Even u we did. such a list would
be too long for publication. Your chances OF
securing employment In Cuba or Porto Rico
are only fairly good
Please explain the causes OF the troubis
about the Samoan islands, NON
| Plainly speaking. the German consul and
TIE German party at Samoa wanted one chief
wanted another. An American, as chief Jus
tee. interpreted the Berlin treaty TO mean
tia, Mataafa. the German candidate, could
not assume tho office. But his followers took
possession and created provisional govern
nent. which was recognized by the German
consul. Nothing was done then because no
American forcea were on hand. The German
party was in full possession when the flagship
Philadelphia appeared. and the Mateafa party
Was ordered by Admiral Kautz to dispense, In
tho name OF the powers. The German consul
issued counter proclamation, caying that
Acmral Kautz spoke falsely and that the
provisional government was recognized by
Germany, The natives were thus encouraged
10 dlsobey the American order and the com
bined American and British forces landed aud
took possession OF ApiR, and Maltetoa Tanu
was installed Ms king, Incidentally, the Ger
man war vessel, the Fake, was ordered by
the American admiral to remain In the harbor
and was not permitted to depart theretrom to
give aid to the Mataata party. All that has
come OF It is the suggestion OF Germany to
appoint a high commission to investigate the
situation and recommend revision OF the
methods of the protectorate.
Please inform me when and where was the
FIRST electric car run and by whom invented
Are there anv electric cars In the city OF Lou
don? R.O.k.
The first electric railway was constructed by
tie firm OF semens g. Hslske Of Berlin and
tested at the exhibition In that city In 1879
Tic line was OF two-foot gauge and 200 feet
long. The current was conveyed TO the car.
which was of sufficient sise to carry twenty
passengers, by a third rail placed in the center
Of the track and supported upon insulating
wooden blocks. The great success OF this oS
permental limo led these constructors 10 build
soon afterward the Niohterfelde line, near
Berlin, for actual traffic, which was put IN
operation In May. 1851. II WAS constructed
on the two rail system, both rails being placed
on insulating sleepers
!; VIII You kindly give me a list OF the prin-
ripal works by Rudyard Kipling, with ths |
eutn of their publication? q Also state where |
born and when2 Wis. |
l. The following are the titles OF Kiplings
principal publications: Departmental nit |
tiss.' 1886 "Plain Tales From the HIS"
1887; SOLDIERS Three, I'm Black and white"
Tho Story OF the Gadsbys," Under the Deo- |
dsrs." Phantom Riokshaw.'' Wee Willie
wnkie." lsss-sa; "Llfe's Handicap" $780,
THE Light That Failed" 1891 "Barrark |
Room Ballads" 1892 MANY Inventions, -
le'5i 'Ihe jungle BOOK, 1894; Second jun
gle Book" 1895; Tho Seven Seas" 1896: "sol-
dier Stories" 1896; Captains Courageous"
1897. 2. He was born In Bombay. In 1865.
fEes? NIX
The fading OF colors by the sun Is duo TO
two causes. Fret. there may be an oxidation
OF the substance used In tho dyeing, Just as
rust is an oxidation OF metal. Sometimes,
however. the change In color may arise from
change In the combination OF the ingredi-
euts, this change being caused by the heat of
tie sun. which deeomposes the various sub
stances OF which the dye is made Color is
due TO the absorption OF some Of tho rays of
light, and the reflection OF others. and the de-
gree of absorption or reflection depends upon
the way in which the atoms OF matter are ar
ranged in the dye.
What country has been most CONSTANTLY en-
gaEed In war during the piosent century,
CIT.
Turkey has been engaged In war thirty
eight years OF The present century--consider-
ably more than one-third OF the time Spain
comes next wish thirty-one years OF war:
Frarce has had twenty-seyen years; Russia