The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-10-21
LONDON LETTER
ON VARIOUS MATTERS
Present Turco-Italian War Recalls Tur-
keys Experience With Naval
Terms at Building Up of
the Navy.

London, October 2l-The discussion
incident TO the present unpleasantness
between Italy and Turkey OF the unpre-
paredness OF the Turkish feet has re-
called an unusual difficulty experienced
by the founders of the original Ottoman
navy.
They were hampcred by the fact that
there We're no words in the Turkish die,
tionary for the various ropes and sails
of the warships of that day. An IN.
genions officer solved the problem by
tying different vegetables to the various
ropes and spars Of the rigging, and the
sailors received orders to "Hoist the TO-.
matol" Let 60 the potatol" until a
more formal vocabulary could be sup
piled.
Novel as this procedure was, it was
not an innovation, as ii was exactly the
method adopted by Almeida. the Portu-
guese admiral and discoyerer, when he
was Quitting feet for Just such a
descent on the Turkish colony of Mo
zambique as the Italians made ON Trip
oil.
IL was at the beginning OF the six
teenth century, and Portugal still lacked
a navy, and the Portuguese tongue was
devoid OF naval terms This fact did
not daunt the doughty Admiral Almeida.
and, hanging up strings of garlics and
onions on the port and starboard sides
respectively of his ships, he instructed
ms helsman TO garlic" or "onion" the
helm, as necessity commanded.
The report of the British prison com
mission just made public indicates that
crime is on the decrease in the kingdom.
as there is a fall of $4,000 in the mum
Der of prisoners. The commissioners de-
nounee short sentences and plead for
longer terms with a view to successful
reformatory effects The report bears
testimony TO the good moral effect OF
lectures and concerts in the prisons.
When Andrew Gibson, for thirty-sev.
en- years the driver Of an omnibus in
London, throws down his reins some
night near the end Of the present month,
the last horse-drawu bus will have FIN
ished 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 taxieab is
not as happy as the London of the days
when people were content 10 move slow
er. He said, When | started driving
folks seemed to have more time and they
were more contented. Passengers of to-
day never think of passing the time of
day with the driver. or asking ques-
tions like they used to-" At the heydey
OF Gibs6n's career. the two omnibus
companies of London owned $1,000
horses.
After an uninterrupted existence as
for over a century and a half,
Longs hotel on New Bond street has
closed its doors, In name at least IL was
one OF the oldest hotels in London. IL
was at Longs that Byron and Sir Wal.
ter Scott met for the last time in 1915.
HE dined or lunched with me- wrote
Scott, at Longs hotel in Bond street
| never saw him so full Of gaiety and
good humor, TO which the presence Of
Mr. Matthews, the comedian, added not a
little. Poor Terry was also present.
The hotel is frequently mentioned in
the literary memoirs of the day.
Joseph Yerey, 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
society of professional humorists Yerey
felt the pinch of poverty from the loss
Of his savings, which had been unwisely
invested, and he was in actual want
when discovered in obscure London lodg.
ings by local papers representative.
When his plight was made public a mum
Der Of admirers of Mark Twain interest
I'd themselves in his behalf and secured
him position as lecturer to local so
,iety for the encouragement of humor.
Just prior to his late misfortune, the