The times., 1899-03-19

What day of the month IS Primrose Day in
England2 MRS L. T.
The 10th OF April Ii is in commemora-
| ton of Lord Beaconsiield. who died on that
day, in 1891, and with whom the primrose
was favorite flower.
How can get the appointment as census taser
soi my oistfiets iiusr-
The enumeration is not TO begin until
June l, 1900, and minor appointments will
not be made, probably for several months.
Applications. however, shorld be sent 10
Director Merriam.
Where should we locate the Garden Of Eden,
| 2. How would you write in figures eleven tha,.
sand eleven hundred and elevent PURPLE
Students are divided between Armenia
ana Babylonia. the preponderance OF ar
| gument and authority favoring the latter
| locality. 2. No amount Is correctly read
thus. but the amount you indicate is IL. III.
| Who was the first ruler Of Russia to assume
the title Of Car? When was the crown Of
Inglsnd lost IN a hawthorn bush. j. Where IS
Harriet b. Stowe buried. Hs
Ivan w the Terrible, 15ss-15st. .. In
| 14S5. at the Battle of Bosworth, whero
Richard Ill was overpowered. s. In the
cemetery Of the Andover Theological Semi
nary. Andover, Mass. with her husband
and son, Henry.
What was the number OF Union soldiers in tn.
army at the time Of General Lees surrender?
l. n. +.
In the Army OF the Potomac which we
take to be what you want there were on
| March 81, 1865. ten days before the sur
render, 1882 men present for duty. On
the same day the Army OF the James con-
tanned 22.724 men. the Twenty-ff.h Corps
1890, and three cavalry divisions. 1880
What influence has the moon over the wealth
err 2 Can five Saturdays occur in Feb,ary7
II so, in what year did they come last. and when
VIII such thing happen again? WA d.
None, except the differences that its re-
! flected light effects. and the range Of these
is merely from fine moonlight to entire
absence of it. Lunar periods are not rec
ogrized by meteorologists as producing
periodic weather changes. Q Five Satur-
days occur in every leap year February,
whose first day is Saturday. February OF
1886 had five Saturdays. This will be re-
peated in 1903.
What were the findings in the trial Of Emin
Pasha and what the main points in his life
subsequent TO leaving Africa? ? What was the
fate Of Tippitu Tib? 3. What is the present ad-
dress Of H. NJ Stanley? c, w
We don't know to what trial you refer.
Emin Pasha died in Africa He was muir
dered October 20, 1892, when he had nearly
completed trip from Lake Albert to the
Congo 2. His fate was to receive a monthly
pension of $50 francs from the Congo
State 8. Cadoton Lodge. near Meath,
Glamorganshire, England. aud also Rich
mond Terrace, London, S. W.
How did the word ''cop'' (policeman) orig
mate. and what is its meaningY q Docs man
have to be graduate of Annapolis to be chief
or assistant engineer aboard an American man
oi-war or revenue cutter? DlSPUTER
Cop is short for copper, and the ex-
preston is said to have arisen with an
old-time lot of London. England, policemen
who wore huge copper badges From the
same source are "copped' or "coppered.'
both meaning arrested in the slang Of
crime-doers. 2. No; the revenue cutters
are not in the navy. but are under
the Treasury Department, though seven
OF the cutters eo-operated with the navy
during the late war. Most of the navy en-
gineer officers are Annapolis graduates.
What was the origin and what is the signia-
canee of Grounding DayY' 7. VI.
The tradition is to the effect that on the
I'd OF February (CandIemas Day) the
grounding, which is the Southern name for
woodchuck, comes up from the hole in the
ground where he has slept all winter for
breath of fresh air II while he is taking the
necessary short stroll he sees his own shad-
ow. he Immediately returns TO his nest not
to appear again for six weeks. II he does
not see his shadow, he knows that winter
Is over and remains above ground. So by
this reckoning If February is a clear
day there are to be six weeks more winter.
II cloudy, winter is over. This idea may
have originated with Southern negroes
W mn are Char hun of rtn
Is there any law directing the payment o2 y
reward Of SO for the arrest of deserters from
the United States Army in time Of war? II so,
can you tell me why it is not paid? l arrested
one who deserted in July. 1s9s, yet can't get
the reward, for some cause. ]. V. C..
The difficulty has probably been occas-
ioned by a misunderstanding. Rewards
for the arrest of deserters are paid only to
such officers of the law as are empowered
to make arrests. A private watchmaD or
an ordinary citizen could not claim the
reward. A railway special policeman.
wearing police badge and authorized by
the Commissioners of the District. could
Write a letter to the Secretary OF War.
make the statement contained in your
communication, accompanying your query,
and show your authority as policeman,
and you will undoubtedly be paid the re-
ward.
Are the rails OF electric railroads charged with
electricity, and is it absolutely necessary that
they should be charged? Are such rails con-
nected with wires? l.. NJ
The common method is to supply the cur
rent from an overhead wire, the conn =
tion with the car being through a trolley
pole, and one variation of this runs the
feed wire in an underground trench, con-
nection with the cars motor being by q
pole that reaches into the trench through
a slot that is continuous between the rails.
Another variation is the third-rail system,
the third rail being between or beside the
others and serving as feed wire. In the
system of a New England railroad the sec
tions of the third rail were electrically
joined by the fishplates. 1t is not absolute
ly necessary that rails or wire should feed,
for cars can be run with storage batteries.
These have to be removed for recharg-
ing, and at present this system is too cost
ly for general use.
How and rye fermented before they
ase distilled into intoxicating iquoTs2 Please
explain the process of distiIation. C. J.
The grain is ground with a little malt
and thoroughly mixed in water at a tenn
perature of about $50 degrees. A little
yeast is added to hasten fermentation for
which the mixture is kept at a tempera-
ture Of from 20 TO 80 degrees, and which
goes on for from three to nine days For
the first part OF the fermenting period the
mixture is open to the air. but later it is
tightly closed in. The second process OF
- distillation - follows The
liquor resulting from fermentation is heat
ed to the boiling point, and gives off vapor
that consists essentially OF water and al
cohol. This yapor is condensed, generally
in spiral tube, that is kept cool with