The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-12-13
Answers to Queries

AMBER-Inq inquirer, City. Where is amber
found? What is it?
Amber is a hard. lustrous, resinous
substance which Is found in alluvial
deposits. 1t is usually of a pale yellow
color, has sometimes a reddish or
brownish shade. but is usually of vary
ing degrees of translucency. Thales of
Miletus, b. c. 600, noticed that amber
when rubbed attracted light bodies to
itself, and this observation was the
foundation of the science of electricity,
which was named from electron. the
Greek word for amber The Romans
discovered that amber is fosilized
vegetable gum and gave it the name of
succinum or gum stone. The great
source Of supply has been from the
Baltic coast. The largest amber mines
are along the Baltic between Konigs-
berg and Memel on the Prussian coast
There, between a layer of sand and
clay 20 feet deep. is a stratum of
bituminous wood 40 TO so feet thick
Part OF these trees are inpregnated
with amber. Amber is sparingly cast
up on the Swedish and Danish coasts
and pieces have been picked up on the
shores of Norfolk, Essex and Sussex
in England. 1t has also been found
inland in various parts of Europe. also
in the United States. principally at
Amboy, n. j.. Cay Head on Marthas
Vineyard and Cape Sable. Nd.
REACHES Subscriber. san Lucas Cal. What
should be done to rid place of cockroaches?
Borax sprinl<led where the reaches
congregate, it is said, will drive them
away. A gardener recently discovered
new roach trap. He accidentally left
piece OF bacon in the bottom of a
pint fruit jar in one of the hothouses,
and the next morning was astonished
to see number of reaches vainly try
ing to climb the slippery sides of the
glass jar to get at the bacon. That gave
him an idea. He pasted strips of coarse
paper from bottom to mouth of the
jar and set the trap. The reaches
climbed on the strips of paper jumped
down into the jar and were unable to
climb up again. When the jar con-
tanned goodly number of the pests
he emptied it into a bucket of boiling
water and reset the trap. In that way
he rid his dollhouse OF reaches.
WIFE'S Subscriber. Petaluma
Cal IL man after marriage acquires prop
erty can he dispose of the same without the
consent of his wife. and If he should dispose
OF Il could she after his death have the deed
declared null and void?
The law of this state SAYS: "The
husband has the management and con-
troll of the community property, with
the like absolute power of disposition.
other than testamentary, as he has of
his separate estate; provided, however,
that he can not make a gift of such
community property or convey the same
without a valuable consideration with
out the wife, in writing, consents
thereto Unless the property comes
to the husband as gift or Inheritance
all property acquired during coverture
is community property.
SERGEANT MISUNDERSTANDING city. What
was the sentence imposed Sergeant Mason
for having shot at Charles j Guiteau. while
under arrest for the assassination Of President
Garfield?
sergent Mason. one of the soldiers
who was detailed to guard Guiteau.
fired at him in his cell September ~,
1881, with the intention of killing him,
so he confessed, He was tried by court
martial early in 1882. and was SEN
fenced to be dismissed from the army
with loss of pay and TO be imprisoned
In the penitentiary at Albany for eight
years.
cAT--Tesder. Alameda Cal What is the
superstition about eats and rain?
1t is said that when cats wash their |
ears more than usual rain is at
hand Melton in the hong ago wrote
in The Astrologer'' when the cat
washes her face over her ears wee
shall have great shore OF raine.v
TO MEASURE TREE NJ. city. Which is
the simplest method of measuring tree. rs /
to obtain its approximate height9
The Indian method. which is to walk T
in straight line from the base of the |
tree TO a point where the walker, by +
STOPPING and looking between his legs. |
can see the top of the tree, then pace /