The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29
Answers to Queries

RATE OF INTEREST,". O.. city. Can one
VINO lends money charge more than what il
known as legal interest, per cent:
Under a contract the lender may
charge any rate of interest?
,;L.l, LAPANEsE 4, MENAeEmw- A W. Merrill.
Japan menace TO the United States?
1t is claimed that the japanese are
menace to the United States in many
ways. but the principal one Is that If
japanese immigra ton is not checked
the little brown men will overrun the
country and drive the American people
to the wall.
CITY DEsTROYED-s. B.. Oakland. Cal.
Read an account In which occurs '.and may be
destroyed as was Funchal' What docs that
mean:
That refers to the total destruction
of the city of that name on the island
of Madeira. On October 9, 1903, the city
was swept into the sea by a torrent
from a cloudburst in the mountains be-
hind it. Such was the tremendous rush
Of the waters that even the foundations
of the houses were 1t is said. carried
away with the soil, down to the native
rock. All the inhabitants except one
were swept into the sea and drowned.
That one was a babe found asleep on a
wide board on the shore, and it is said
to have been the sole survivor of that
calamity.
AfINTS-Suhscriber Oakland. Cal. How many
mints are there in the United states.
The parent mint at Philadelphia, Pa. ;
the one at Carson City equipped as an
assay office) New Orleans, San Fran
cisco and Denver.
CROSS H.. City What is the meaning. Of
InuA INF a ~. II Gow
Francisco?
The cross was erected there many
years ago by the local Catholic church
as the emblem of Christianity.
distance from the Baker street entrance to
Golden Gate park along the main drive to
the beach:
The distance is about $1,000 feet
ts THE 61aa.s PaRK IS eRosse ;ssin CITY What was
Golden Gate park in San Francisco7
The large cross in Golden Gate park.
known as the Sir Francis Drake or
prayer book cross. was erected in 1898
and unveiled with appropriate ceremon-
les January 1, 1894. il was built for the
late George w. Childs of the Phi1adel-
phia Ledger, who donated it to the peo-
pie of California as "a memorial to the
service held on the shore of brakes
bay marin county, about st. John the
Baptists day, June "a. 1879, by Francis
Fletcher, priest of the church of Eng
land. chaplain of Sir Francis Drake,
chronicler of the service" The tablets
on the cross convey the further in
formations: First Christian service in
the English tongue on our coast; first
use of the book of common prayer: one
of the first recorded missionary prayers
on our continent 1t was the original
intention of Mr. Childs to erect the
cross on the shore of brakes bay, but
it was discovered that it would be COM
paratively out of the view of the people
and that the purpose for which it was
erected would be lost,- therefore it was
decided to place it on an eminence in
the park. at point from which a part
of the bay can, on a clear day, be seen.
PHILIPPINES-G. NJ. City. Where can l
obtain literature that gives reasons why the
United States government should not retain
possession OF the Philippine islands,
Consult the index of current liter
ature at the Free Public library in
Hayes street near Franklin.
DAG0-E. c. r.. City What is the meaning
of Dago as applied to foreigners?
The name is said to be corruption
Of the Spanish name Diego by American
and English sailors. Originally it was
applied to one born of Spanish parents
in the United States, particularly in
Louisiana. 1t is now extended to span
ish, Italians and Portuguese in general
DISTANCEJ-. City. What is the distance
along Geary street from Van Ness avenue ia
the entrance to the Odd Fellows' cemetery?
About 1900 feet.