The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-06-25

l caFpf N. G.. l.
1t is supposed to be Asia The fish made
its appearance in Germany about 500 years
age.
| Could not typewriter be invented which
| would print the notes in music for the Of
musical composers and ecpyistsi W NJ c.
There is such a machine the invention
of Frank VIM. of Worcester Mass. 1t
has forty-four keys, nine being for num-
erals and the others for notes.
How much powder is needed to FIRE shot
from modern rapid-6re gum Z. c. II.
The question is rather vague one. but
II may be generally stated that projectiles
for the modern rapid-hre gun require
about half their weight in powder to FIRE
them.
What viii be the wealth of stanford University
| after the provisions Of Mrs. stanford's gifts arc
| carried out? C. l.. W.
The present estimate of its value places
it at S3s, 100000. A part OF this sum Is in
Southern Pacific stock, which, OF course,
is likely to vary in value.
What States produce the salt used in this
eountry? MP A.
New York produces more than any other
State. Michigan stands second The two
| together furnish nearly l20G0 0e0 barrels
per year. as against less than 100000
produced in other States.
Can animals COUNT FIRM
A Russian physician. DR.. Timovien,
who has spent some time in studying this
subject, says that crows can count ten.
dogs twenty-four, and cats only six He
found horses which were apparently able
to count twenty or twenty-five. Scotch
! shepherds tell stories about their collie
| dogs which indicate that these animals
can count the sheep under their charge
Is Latin required in the study Of dentistry9
2. What is the length OF time required for the
! completion Of the dental couTses 3 Would a
sccond-class teachers certificate be sufficient to
secure entrance into a school? PEDA.
In most schools it is not necessary. but
some knowledge OF it is helpful 2. This
varies with different schools. but usually
\ is three years. 3. We don't know; but you
| can easily find out by picking out your
school and writing to its superintendent
for information.
What Is the verdict of history as to Cen
George d. Mcclellan? VIDETTE.
Mcclellan was not good general-cer-
| tainly not great one He had the love
of his men in an unusual degree. but they
| gradually learned that he could not lead
! them to victory. He was good organizer.
| and did his best work in developing the
armies under his command. McCIeilan's
only vietory-Antietam-is generally con-
sidered drawn battle, and military crit
les agree in denouncing him for allowing
Lee to escape across the Potomac.
Is it not true that the Likeness of young
woman of Philadelphia IS on silver dollar,
although It is popularity called the Goddess OF
Liberty? J. II.
] The young woman whom you are think
ing of was Miss Anna Williams, OF Phil
| adelphia. Designer Morgan selected her as
an American type Of beauty and sketched
her. You see. he had either 10 choose a
model or to draw entirely from his imagi-
nation. She did not know until two years
later fer what purpose the sketch was
| used.
What Is the origin Of Cupid? > Who was St
| Valentine? LUCILLE
Cupid was the Roman name for the god
of love and correspondent to Eros of Greek
mythology. As to his paternity, the an
clients held different opinions. but he was
usually represented as the son of Venus
2. st. Valentinus was Christian martyr
| beheaded in Rome in the third century.
He was OF loving and charitable dispO-
sition, and the day is observed in comment
Grafton OF him, but the sending of mes
sages like the valentines of today dates
back long before his time.
How many men participated in the Civil War,
and how many were lost on each side? p. D. B.
There were 2,77s, 3O4 enlistments In the
Northern armies. The deaths were 359,-
52S. The Confederate records OF enroll
ment and deaths are very incomplete. Fox
puts the total enrolment at over 100000,
and admits that many will deem that es-
innate far too low. AS to deaths, he
quotes Gen. J. B. Fry's figures, 1873, SCI.
These are from admittedly incomplete re-
turns. nearly all of AIabama's rolls being
missing, besides many lesser items.
Tell me something of Mr.. F. c. Burnand
from whose article on Thackeray in the Pail
| Mall Magazine for July you quote in your
issue Of the 2ith instant P. W. B.
Burnand is the editor of Punch" and.
We think. divides with Alfred Austin, the
Poet Laureate. the dubious honor of being
the greatest ass known in modern English
letters. However strong a statement this
may seem to be, ample proof of its truth
is afforded in the article now running in
the Pail Mall Magazine, to which you
refer.
Where and when did the custom Of burying the
| dead with the head to the west originate? >
| Do all nations bury their dead in this manner2
| W. L. Y.
We do not know where this custom
originated, and think, indeed, but that it is
more common TO place the head to the
east, a custom that is thought by some TO
have had at one time some religious sig
nificance. Some tribes of savages bury
| their dead in a sitting posture, others place
them in trees or on raised platforms, and
among civilized folk there is no uniform
method of dispostng OF the body within
| the grave.
What is the cause of the peculiar perspective
presented by japanese paintings? L. II.
The general answer to this question is
that the shadow is omitted. But there Is
a reason for this. which is explained by
Lafcadio Hearn in an essay on Japanese
art He says that the artists in that coun-
try preferably paint landscape in the full
light of noon, when the sun is directly
overhead. and the shadows are almost nom
existent. This produces the curiously lu-
minous effect of Japanese pictures. The
only shadows tolerated in this school OF
art are those seen by moonlight, which are
more ghostly in effect than the shadows OF
morning or evening.
What IS the value of England's commerce with
| her col0niesg ,. What is the value of frances
! commerce with her colonies3 g. What are con-
sidercd the chief reasons against our holding CO.
lonial possessions? j. 5. p.
In 1897 her imports from British pos
sessions were e94,0lS, 933 and her exports
to the same were 8S0.675 063. 2 For a year,
made up in part of 1896 and 1891 France
imported from her colonial possessions