The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-24
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS

| MAscoT-subscriber City. The word mascot
! is gamblers slang for luck piece, fetish or
talisman, or thing supposed to bring good
| luck to its possessor. Recently it has been
| applied to person who is supposed to be
source of good luck or be source OF good for
| time. The word was introduced into literature
| nv means of the comic opera s'La Mascotte,"
| composed by Audran. but it was used long be-
/ fore that by the sporting fraternity of France,
| who applied it toobjects animate or inanimate,
| which brought good fortune to the individual
| who possessed IL. 1t is traced even further
| back to the patois of Provence and Gascony,
! FRANCE where mascot is something that
| brings iuck to the house. If is probable that
| the word is derived from masque, which in pro-
| yineial French is applied TO child born with
| a caul, which the supersutlous regard as an
| omen of good luck.
| Trsrs FOR GoLp-L K. R., City. The follow
ing are the tests for the presence of gold in so.
luton: Protosulphate OF iron gives brown
| nrecinitate. which acquires a metallic luster
when rubbed; protochloride of tin preferably
| containing a little perchloride) gives a violet
purple or blackish precipltate, 1nsolube in
muriatic acid; sulphurettea nyorogen and
nrecipitate insoluble in simple acids ammonia
gives a reddish yellow preeipitate eliminating
| gold), with tolerably concentrated solutions,
either at once or on boiling the hquld'
SPECIAL AGENT B. J., City. A person wish
ing to become special. agent OF the Treasury
of the United States in what is known as the
Secret Service Department must send his ap-
Hcation to the Secretary of the Treasury and
he will be sent q blank form winch he must fill
out in his own writing. He then mas 10 return
this to the Office from which it came, and if it
is fayorably received he must wait MS chance
to secure a position. There is no special ex-
animation, and the positions do not come I'M
der the rules of civil service.
MOISTURE AND TEMPERATURE-W. T. L., City.
A cubic foot of air at the temperature OF zero
(FahrenheiD can contain only 3 OF grain of
water vapor; at 80 degrees 1t can hold 2. ID
grains; at % it can contain 6.S grains, ana at
50 it can hold 1896 grains. These hgureS
show that in summer the air can hold ABOUT
nine times the quantity OF dampness tnat air
can when reduced to the temperature OF 1reez-
ing.
ART LEAGUE-Mrs. j. B., City. The Students
Art League in this City is located on Mont
gomery avenue, near Washington street. The
charge to those who wish to take instructions
there is: Any single class, So a month two
classes, So so; all classes, so. This includes
drawing and painting in life, head, still life
and sketching. The league is open every day
except.Sundays. Miss Jennie Heynemann is
the secretary.
| G1NsENG-J. ", Oakland, CAL The ginseng,
which is so valuable in the Orient for its
medicinal qualities, is not grown in California.
| Some years ago an attempt was made to Guilt
vate it in this State, but it did not prove
successful
| DOLLAR OF 81" Worley," City. Dealers
charge from so cents to 81 25 premium on
| minted at San Francisco, Philadelphia or New
| Orleans.