The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-04
QUERIES AND
ANSWERS

Query-What is the legend OF the Acan-
thus, which is the ornament OF Corinth-
ian columns; A. N. G..
Answer-It is said that Callimachos
lost his daughter and set basket of
flowers on her grave with a tile to keep
the wind from blowing II away. The
next time he went to visit the grave an
Acanthus had sprung up around the
basket. which SO struck the fancy OF
the architect that he introduced the
design in his buildings.
Query-Who instituted tho Bannatyne
Club. and from whom did 1t take its
name? B. ]. S.
Answer-It was a literary club insti-
tuted in 1885, by Sir Walter Scott as a
medium of publication for rare works.
illustrating Scotch history. poetry and
literature. 1t took it's name from George
Bannatyne to whose energy in reserch
the preservation of much early Scotch
poetry is due. The Club was dissolved
In 1859.
ouery-what became of "the black
rood of Scotland" and what was it.
Answer-lt was lost during the period
| of the Reformation. 1t was said to be
a piece Of the true cross, or rood. and
| was set in an ebony crucihx. 1t was be-
| quethed to the Scottish nation by Mar
| garet, the wife of King Malcolm, at her
| death.
Query-When was the degree OF M.
| D.. first conferred? f. ii. r.
Answer-rhe degree was first con-
| ferred near the beginning Of the four
tenth century. The first recorded In
stance was In the year 1929, when Will
( liam Gordenio received the degree OF
Doctor of Arts and of Medicine at the
| college of Asti. Italy. Soon after this
| date, the degree was conferred by the
\ University of Paris.
Query--What is the ancestry Of Eu-
| genie, former empress OF France.
p. NJ. B.
Answcr--Her grandfather. kirkpatrick.
| who hailed from the north of Ireland.
settled in Malaga, and engaged in large
grocery trade. He married Mademol-
selle Grevigny, daughter of wealthy
grocer of Brugcs, Belgium. They had
two remarkably handsome daughters. one
of them married Count dc Teba, after
ward Count Montijo, of very ancient
Spanish house; reckoning in its annals
such distinguished names as Alfonso
PREF do Guzman and Gousalvo de Cor
dova. Eugene was, before her union
with Napoleon III, Countess Montjo.
Query--What Is the source OF WASH
ngton Irvings story OF rip Van Win
! kle?" j. w. NJ.
Answer-A German legend given by
3Otmar in his ,'Yolks-sagan." entitled
der ziegenhirt.'' Peter klaus, a goat
herd of siltendorf, is the hero Of the
tale, the scene OF which Is laid on the
Kyffhauser.
Query-lyhat is a ''palindpome?"
L. M. A.
Answer-"A pallndrome" Is q word,
sentence. or verse that reads tho same
forward and backward, from left to
right, or from right to left. The Latin
language abounds with "palindromes.'
but there are few good ones In Eng
lish. The following will serve as 6
specimen:
liable was ere I saw Elha."
Query-Who was the inventor OF the
postage stamp and when was It frs
z used? IT, b. II.
Answer--Iames Chalmers, printer o
, Dundee. 1t made Its first appearance
! in 1888 was adopted in England. In De
y cember of that year. The United Statns
Switzerland, Bavaria, Belgium ant
France began their use soon after.
Query-Where and when was the yenu
> dc Medci fopnde ~ M. q.
I AnswerIn the villa of Hadrlan. nea
Ivoli, in the seventeenth century. !
: was taken to Florence by Cosmo a
j Medc and placed insthe tribune OF tn
4 IJTiz
Query Can YOU call to mind an In