The San Francisco call., 1909-04-19

SWEEPING THE GRAYE-Suhscriber, City
What is the significance Of the Chinese sweeping
the graves of the dead? Am told that the Chi
nese attach great Importance to this matter.
A writer on Chinese customs says:
THE sweeping of the grave, the
placing of paper on the outside of the
tomb and on the tombstone indicate
that the dead has descendants yet liv-
ing. The Chinese say that If a grave
is not swept and cared for at the fes-
tival of the tombs, which is Using
Ming, in the first part OF the third
month. or early in our April, some one,
probably the original owner of the
ground or his descendants. will likely
disturb the tombstone more or less or
commit some depreciation on the grave.
If in the following year 1t should not
be swept and repaired and paper de-
posted upon it, other more serious en-
icroachments will doubtless be made,
and in a very few years, unless a
claimant should appear and annually
attend upon the grave, in accordance
with established customs, all traces of
ground be cultivated or sold to another
for a burial place of the dead"
I ICE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. City. When was
there fee skating in the Mechanics pavilion in
Lsrkin street?
Joseph NJ. Cumming, secretary OF the
institute, gives the information that
the pavilion was rented to an ice skat-
ing association for a term of six
months. commencing January Is. 1894.
The association got into difficulty in
April following, but the show continued
nearly the whole term of the lease.
ELEcTIoNs-s.. Oakland. Cal when are
municipal officers elected in San Francisco?
Every year?
Under the present charter the first
election for municipal officers was held
on the first Tuesday after the first
Monday in November, in 1899. and
every two years thereafter.
ALTITUDE-A. R.. City. What is the alti-
tude of San Francisco and of New Orleans?
San Francisco is six feet above the
level of the ocean, and New Orleans is
two feet These are the figures fur
nished by the United States geodetic
survey.
TAx--M.. Albion. Cal. II person pays taxes
! in full property and holds a receipt for the
same, can an extra tax be added month or
two after the payment?
Not knowing the particulars of the
case you have in mind suggest that
you call on the county tax collector
for an explanation.
sTEELHEADs-su Subscriber Potter Valley Cal.
What IS steelheada Is its tail forked or
square.
The steelhead (Salmo Gairdneri) is a
large trout weighing from Is to 90
pounds. The tail is truncate instead
of being forked.
sAdoA-s.. City. Please tell how best to OBJ
tain information regarding the United States
possessions in Samoa:
You can find such Information in the
free public library in Hayes street
near Franklin in the encyclopedias and
in periodical literature
DIVER SKINS-T. r.. City. Where can find
recipe for tanning diver skinss
In the free, library in Hayes street
near Franklin you Will find a num-
Der of books on tanning.
! KNIYES-N- A p. Stockton, Cal AS
this department does not advertise any
private firms or products it can not
publish the address of the firm that
manufactures the knives named in your
letter
WHAT Is LovE-one who wants to know.
City Please explain in the query department
what love is2
To answer this would require more
space than this department. can devote
TO any one question. If you will go
to the free public library in Hayes