The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-13

main object 10 to supply ut-of-the-way facts
ana curious information. Questions OF per-
scnal interest only will not b. answered. M
business or personal ADDRESSES will b given.
Letter Box, care Houston Post Owing 10 the
large number OF questions received answers
can not always be given promptly.)
PLEASE tell me who John Alden ana his
eon were and give short history. II
John Alden and his wife. Priscilla. are
generally understood to have been ancestors
OF Longfellow the poet on his mothers side
He has paid glorious tribute TO his mother
IN the beautiful composition. "Thc courtship
Iof Miles Standish The story - OF tho
trials OF tho Pilgrims. Nearly ali the trade
tions of the time are spoken Of: historical
personases nre introduced; also the incident
Iof the return OF the Indians. But tho prin-
cipai feature OF the story is the sending BY
Miles stSndish OF John Alden to court sweet
Priscilla Mullens by proxy. The reply OF
Priscilla. why don't you sneak for your
lseif, John'"-ls known everywhere that En-
Hi'sh Is spoken And when an Indian laid
low the hEhtlng CAPTAIN with poisoned arrow
John Alden did sneak for himself and was
accented. Alden came over in the Mayfiower.
ana tho nrst American Longfeilow 10 thought
10 have come TO this country from ENGLAND
IN 1901, The poets mothers name was Wads-
worth. whose ancestor, CHRISTOPHER Wads-
worth. came from Bngland about 1851 pris-
ella Mullens tsometlmes spelled Molines and
Moieyns) was the daughter OF william Null
lens. who also came over In the Mayfiower
with his wife. son and daughter and q
servant. all OF whom except Priscilla. died
during the first winter
| ~
Have the scientists ana historians ever de-
| TRIMMED In what part OF the world the Gar
lden OF Eden waa located7 Tom r.
| arguments that have seemed sound to their
sciertine projectors have been advanced to
prove that the human race started on the
trinf OF tho Euphrates. in the heart OF Cen
| tral Asia, in Lomuria a continent supposed
TO be at present at the bottom of the north
ern part OF tho indian ocean: In Greenland,
IN Central Africa. In Central America. in
Ccyion and in the tabled continent OF Atlantis,
witch is conjeotured to have emerged from
tho Atlantic on the line OF the Canary isI-
ends and the Azores, and from which, II 1t
ever existed, both the eastern and the west-
un hemtspheres might have drawn their
Population, Ono of the most favored .'crn-
dies of the human race is the vast plateau OF
Paneir north OF the Himalayae. IN Central
Asia. Anthropologlsts find deep Significance
In the fact that In that region the funda-
mental types OF all the races OF mankind are
represented In the Plateau of Pamir or
WITHIN easy distance OF 1t are yellow people,
mack people and whites, and In the same rc-
zion philologists find the three fundamental
forms OF the human language.
~
]. Can you tell mo how the words .'grains''
ana barley corns" came to be used In con-
neotion with our measures of weight and
length! 2. What was the sc-caled Pepln's
giftg JBU.
/, From an old English book we get the
that In 1866 an English statute
was published, directing that the English
penny should weigh ma much as thirty-two
grains or wheat. dried aud gathered from
the middle of tho ear. and that In 1924 an
other statute fixed an inch as the length OF
three barley oorns and tins cut of and the
srains laid end TO ond. 9. You mean the
Donation of Pepin." It was the Eift to the
pope of the ox-Archste of Ravenna and tho
Republic Of Rome after they had fallen into
Pepin's hands through his detent of Atault.
II Is said by some authorities that this donu-
tion was really the foundation OF the tenn
poral power OF the pope-
l. What is tho nearest star to the earth and
the lens of the telescope now preparing for
the Parts Exposition and how will II compare
with the other large telescopes OF the world!
Walter.
J. According to the opinion OF some as
the star known as centauri is
he nearest OF tho nxed stars. Henderson
md Maclear, who have made extensive re-
earches on It's paralax. give it's distance at
% 00u 600, 600 miles. 2. The lens OF the Paris
oil ullI ho AZ inohes IN dInpatar
areest ever made. 1t will surpass the great
ierkcs telescope in the ratio of SO to %. and
lie Lick glass in tho ratio of 16 to in light
yrasping or space-poDetrating power.
%++
What IA the longest distance one can talk
y telephone? O.VR.
The telephone wires of the Bell system
each from Laredo. Texas to Bangor. Me.
'he extreme points have not yet been put
lto commercial connection with each other.
nd direct use at present being confined 70
Istances OF 1900 and 1900 miles. The
apacity OF the No. copper mstallic circuits.
ow In use is about 1000. A circuit which
'ould permit of a direct connection between
Iouston and San Francisco would require
opper wire at least az large as an ordinary
room handle.
Which Hebrew In America Of wealth copRi-
utes most to Dhilsnthropyf CIV.
Jacob sehiff OF New York. 4 member Of
le nrm OF Kuehn. Loeb Co. He married
Iiss Loeb and Is great banker in reor-
anizing our railroads and their systems.
IL has given away $4,000 OF which $780,
70 was given to tho school OF Semitic iitera-
ire IN Yale college. He endowed the Young
ems Jewish association In New York. His
,ntributions are systematic.
~
Please inform me who the author IT,. and
We tho full quotation. which runs something
ke this: "Fiattary Is the food OF fools, yet
lse men condescend now and then 70 seoop
al taste a bit" etc. R.L.R
The quotation Is from Dean Swifts "Osde-
US ana vanessa." and Is as follows;
'''Tis an old maxim ip the Schools
That fattery's the food Of fools.
Yet now and then your men Of VII
VIII condescend 10 take Bit
How many ships are nov building sGf ~
nted States government F.H.6
Eight frst-class battleshipS-the Kentucky,
.arsaroo Alabama Wisconsin Illinois,