The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-17
COMMENTS CULLED FROM
 PAPERS HERE AND THERE

A certain class of people who are al- ways worrying themselves over trifies have for many years importuned the post office department to issue mourning stamp to be used on mourning envelopes. They assert that there is no appropriate ness between an envelope with black edge and a glaring red stamp in the cor ment to issue a black stamp so that their aesthetic tastes may be satisfied.
 The postoffice department has given much consideration to this subject, but has been unable to comply with the re- quests The laws of the Universal Postal union require that the lowest value stamp shall be green, the domestic stamp red, and the stamp for carrying foreign mails shall be blue. Considering these re- strictions the department does not deem it wise to make a change. It has been suggested that the three-cent stamp now issued in purple might be printed in black so that persons desiring to use mourn ing stamp on their envelopes may do so by paying an extra cent. But as purple is mourning color. why not use the three-cent stamp as it Is?
 The English people are constantly look ing for new worlds to conquer. In their pleasures they resemble the American In this respect. The newest resort of the English tourist is the Altai mountains in Siberia.
 ''The enterprising Englishman has found a new playground. the Altai mountains in Siberia. This range stretches from Tomsk to the Chinese border. So far as any record shows the only attempt to explore this range until last winter was made by Professor sapozinoisov of Tomsk university In 1900 who. with four com panions. ascended the south side of the range to the height of 1S,300 feet, and es- timated that Baluka. the principal peak, was l4,5O0 feet high. Last winter s. Tur- ner an Englishman, set out with party of natives, and under most difficult and trying conditions ascended Baluka to the height of 17.soo feet. One night he camped on the shore, of lake which was appar- entity frozen to its very bottom. About twelve feet from shore they dug down in the ice to the depth of six feet and struck earth. The mountains are not particular ly picturesque or imposing.
 The Shamrock has arrived of American shores. The dainty craft and her genial owner, who will come over in a fortnight. will receive royal welcome from the peo- pie of this country. Accompanying the rev challenger is convoy of three ves- sells, the whole representing heavy ex- penditure of money and the best watch building skill of the old world.
 The American yatchsmen are more con- fident of victory than ever after the brill liant showing made by the new cup de- fender, Reliance, in her recent trials In open sea- and brezes light and fresh. Un- less the Shamrock is about fourteen min utes faster than her consort under such conditions as those of last Thursday, the much coveted cup Is apt to remain on this side of the pond while longer.
 A great many people make use of the phrase, "He does not know enough to come In out of the wet" Probably not one in twenty knows the derivation of the saying. The grammarian Athenaeus sug- gests a possible origin that sounds piaus- ible anyway.
 According to the entertaining gram marian referred to- town in Greece under stress of evil circumstances borrow ed money from rich man. who took as