Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-10-26
OUR LONDON LETTER

Special Correspondence OF The Argus.p
London.-The discussion incident to
the present unpleasantness between
Italy and Turkey of the unprepared
ness of the Turkish fleet has recalled
an unusual difficulty experienced by
the founders of the original Ottoman
navy.
They were hampered by the fact
that there were no words in the Turk
ISL dictionary for the various ropes
and sails of the warships of that day.
An ingenious officer solved the prob
lem by tying different vegetables 10
the various ropes and spars of the rig
ging. and the sailors received orders
to Hoist the tomato" Let go the
potato" until a more formal vocab-
ulary could he supplied
Novel as this procedure was. it was
not an innovation, as it was exactly
the method adopted by Almeida. the
Portuguese admiral and discoverer.
when he was outitting a fleet for just
such a descent on the Turkish col
ony of Mozambique as the Italians
made on Tripoli.
II was at the beginning of the 10th
S--tury. and Portugal still lacked 4
navy. and the Portuguese tongue was
devoid of naval terms. This fact did
not daunt the doughty Admiral Al
media. and hanging up strings of gar
lie and onions on the port and star
board sides respectively of his ships.
he instructed his heImsmen 10 gar
lie or onion" the helm. as necessity
commanded
The report Of the British prison
commission Just made public indicates
that crime is on the decrease in the
kingdom, as there is fall of $4,000
in the number of prisoners The
commissioners denounce short sen
fences and plead for longer terms with
a view 10 successful reformatOry effects.
The report bears testimony TO the good
moral effect of lectures and concerts
in the prisons.
When Andrew Gibson, for - years
throws down his reins some night near
the end of the present month, the last
horse-drawn bus will have finished
its final trip through the streets OF
the worlds metropolis
Gibson shakes his gray head sadly
over the prospect and declares that
the London of the notorious and taxi
cab is not as happy as the London Of
the days when people were content
I
started driving folks seemed 10 have
more time and they were MORE con
tented. Passengers Of today never
think Of passing the time Of day with
the driver. or asking questions like
they used TO" At the heydey OF
Gibson's career the Two omnibus com
panies of London owned $1,000 horses
After an uninterrupted existence as
a hosiery for over a century and
half, Longs hotel on New Bond street
has closed its doors. In name at least
il was one OF the Oldest hotels in Lon
don. It was at Longs that Byron and
Sir Walter Scott met for the last time
in 1915. He dined or lunched with
me- wrote Scott. at Longs hotel in
Bond street. l never saw him so full
of gaiety and good humor. TO which the
presence Of Mr. Matthews. the come
dian, added not a little. Poor Terry
was also present" The hotel IS fire.
quently mentioned il the literary mem
Oirs Of the day.
Joseph Eerey. friend and courier OF
Mark Twain during nine Of the Euro
pean tours made by the American hui
morist. has been rescued from want by
q society OF professional humorists
Verey felt the pinch Of poverty from
the loss Of his savings, which had
been uaWiseiy invested. and he was IL
actual want when discovered in OBJ
scure London lodgings b. a local pa