The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-21
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

| How may the age and date Of silver articles DO
aeecrtained by the hall mark J have under.
there any authority on the subject you couia Sug
| gest me 10 rcadi T. L.
The marks upon plate made In Great Britain are
designed 10 show In addition to the warrant OF hnc-
ness. the maker and the place and year OF stamping
| An ordinary piece OF Engllsh silver plate mas
| four and sometimes nve marks. The INST Is that
Of the maker. which mus, be the nrst letters OF MS
| Christian and surname. The second mark Is dif-
| ferent for each Of the assay Offices. LONDON
marks with the leopard's head OF the Company OF
Golcsmlths, Birmingham with an anchor Chester
| with Its city arms OF three CARDS and sword
| sheffied with crown. Edinburgh with caste.
| Glasgow with . tree. hsh and bell, and Dlbnn
With the harp crowned. Former assay ofiocs cx-
listed al Bristol, Exeter. Newcastle .on Tyne. Nor.
wich and York. The third plate mark Is tho lion
PEASANT, supposed to be the soverelgns marx
The fourth mark Is q letter which dates the ar
ucle. The NTH mark now and sin 20 1890 foregoae.
10 tho sovereigns bead Impressed upon such ar
ticles a were char ,caole with duty. Each assay
ofnce selects certain type Of letter for Its date
mark AID each year adopts the next succsedln g
letter In that alphabet until the cycle Is complete.
Then Z now alphabe, Is adopted AMI a new cycle
begins. Having aoquaint lance with tho dis.
ungulshiug marks OF the several assay oflces and
tho initial year OF each date cycle, IL 10 possible
70 determine the date OF the mark OF any English
plato made since lAss Inscriptions dealers we
plece Of small value and 10 build up around the
mark q modern fabrication with far moro silver
and better chance OF bringing good price: there
Tore hall mark needs expert substanuation In
doubtful cases. II would DO impossible 10 enter
upon any details without tho use Of Illustrations
For those and for full discussion Of how 10 use
the marks should consult such works a.
Crppss English Plato Marks" and 'old English
Plate" and Chaners "Han dbook 70 Hall Marks
on Colo and Silver Plate
seyers months sso Suss!,on "a. :qb1 MY
believe unanswered. The White Fort and Fort
her e sof Vas
street and midway between Gens.voort and Little
$cs and the Afa s a.
v.l.n,!ne: Manual q is!S.in giving the Location nH N
s. a While For, Can you Inioi n, Us what par foTi
historyi wv, V.
There b no little obsouri,y az 70 the history OF
Fort Gansevoor!. well known TO oil New Yorkcrs
~ tho old white fort Thr site was purchased
by the United States July p, 1871. and sold to the
city Of New York In $50. AS 1t was a maiden fort
|, has LET, no mark on the annals OF horrd war
II would appear that at the time the Site was pur
chased Fort Gansevoort was In existence. for on
May "a 1878. the Common C,uncl's comullttce
defense mcinohalzed Congress In these terms
while We readily admit that large expenditures
have been made for the erection OF Notifications
In this port yet We are at the same time constrained
10 State that tho important works at
Fort Gansevoort are In q very imperfect state.
In August and September Fort Gansevoort was
completed by the same enthusiasm OF voluntary
labor which built Fort Clinton uhe later Castle
Gardcn) At the same time. Two cuts OF the old
white fort arc eGtant Ono shows II ns a low rect.
angular structure At the waters edge. with seven
embrasurcs on the river front. The other, sketch
OF a baptism In the North River shows the for
with water on three sides and surrounded by open
woods. aud having seven embrasurcs on tho south.
ern faoe.
when and Why WAS the Island Of Guam used as a
sailing port for vtAsela whose destination was 10
be Kept asecreH Us CKEAR
A question charged with past history. though
not quite correct In the statement OF fact. A
vessel taking out clea for Gum, no, bound
on any secret cruise. bu, going In sfsrch Of .
market and from pom TO port until satisfied. This
one Of the convenient nctions OF the English law
whereby = ship might 60 rowing despite the law
that clearance was from one port to another
definite port and vessel notably on course might
be obnoxious TO q suspicion OF piracy. In con.
nection With . clearance from the customs each
vessel about TO sail had to give full days notice
70 tho postal authorities and TO hold itself In
readiness 10 take q mail TO Its announced drstna.
ton. At some period In the sixteenth century
Spain servcd notice on the Powers that Guam was
In the care Of the Holy once. Naturally no mali
wac deliverable 10 those who might be undergoing
tho tuquisltlon. Any vcsael might clear for Guam
without need OF notifying the postal authorities.
and similarly any v~ssei on the high seas anywhere
might claim to Be on the way TO Guam or to have
been prevented entrance by Ia authorities. The
Notion was convenient one and It continued long
after the Holy Once had ceased to be an object OF
dread 10 srafanng folk. Guam has passed from
Spain and the United S,atcs puts obstacle In
the way Of any vessel that might come 10 is
hAroor but In English ports vessels still clear for
this Guam of the legal Notion. they sail far out
the seas OF decisions and anchor In tho por,
OF presidents with hawsers Of red tape.
what is the derivation Of the word -s.oon.- tn.
usua! term for house steps. Is Il a corruption,
and how SOL Which Is tho correct term. -s,oop'
Could with Sc 's called ese1 so or or
steps' Is ssoop common In tho United Stamst
r. NJ S.
A word OF tho b,st. a,i It belo1ys right here In
Nav YORK AMI 50 up along Hendrix Hudson's own
river as far as Fort Ori'y,. above all II belongs
with the Bolw,re. II Is no corruption. II Is not stem
a lad Ter co nd never h, stoop. Our Dutch pred.
eo.ssors among the Manahattoes sc, before their
doors raised AMI rallied platforms each with
bench or 50 for socllol!ty, and differing fro a
porcl or veran Ia In that they we're not covered.
For these aduncts OF New York life the Dutch
name was sioep whose proa unc!ation Is exactly
thst which our wori retains despite the slight alter
alton In the spelling. Dlednch Knickerbocker
Introduces Hardkoppig Piet In a happy frame
found him. according TO CUSTOM SIN oklng his after.
moo, pipe on the stoop bench the porch OF his
house" Outside Of the immediate valley OF the
HUI ison River the use OF stoop Is sunicienty I'm.
common 10 argue that the user Is New Yorker |
In the chronicles Of the Bosr War the good old |
stoep found 70 exist among the nghting farmers
Of South Africa
Please give few facts relating 70 West Point
- 10 ago. &C.. AID cost, II there is any.
JOHN J. EscHENBRENSKn.
When q vacancy exists at Yves, Point from your |
district the Congressman will nominate one pin. |
cipai and two alternEtes. Though under no obli- |
cation 70 do So Members OF Congress most com. |
monty oIer these appointments TO competitive cx.
animation. Having secured the nomination. the can
didate must pass the entrance examination al the |
Academy The requirements are not severe. they
call for greater information than Is required to
graduated from high school, The limits ,pon age |
" candidates are between IL and e. The mini |
mum height Is S feet inches at the age Of H. |
feet Inches at 10: the minima OF weight are sim.
LARRY 100 and ITO pounds There is no cost attached
10 study at Yves; Point In fact, the cadet Is paid
,uca vii! defrav his needs. outside of cloth.
ng boad. lodging and textbooks which arc furnished