The San Francisco call., 1910-11-21
Answers to Queries

BINoCLE.Card player, city. How is the
word describing the German game sometimes
written ''pinuchle' and 'penuckle' properly
written
Fosters latest edition of HoyIe says:
The word binocle' is spelled in many
different ways, all of which are, how
ever phonetic equivalents of the cor
rect one. The word is probably derived
from the French word 'binage, which
was the name given to the combination
Known as binocle,' and which seemed
a better term than 'Cinq cents as the
game was no longer 500 points up. In
all German works on card games the
name is spelled as we give it; but the
pronunciation of the initial b in the
German is so near p that pinocle' is
nearer the correct spelling than any
other form. There is no authority for
the introduction of the letter H. which
has led some persons to think the word
a compound of bis and knochle,' and
has given rise to the forms: binochIe
pinochle, pinuchle, pinucle. penucie pc
nuchle, penuckle and pinuckle, all of
which may be found in various works
on card games.
SHOWER OF FIsH-Is there any record of
showers Of fish, falling to earth? What pro
duces them?
The Book of Days says that ION
the goth day of September, 1888, ap
English officer residing in the neigh
berhood of Calcutta saw a quantity of
live fish descend to earth in a smart
shower of rain. The fish were about
three inches In length and all of the
same species. On April II. 1928. Major
Forbes Mckenzie of Foddery In Ross
shire while walking a field on his farm
saw great portion of the ground COW
cred with herring fry three to four
inches in length fresh and entire"
There are records of showers of frogs
and insects and in Norway of a shower
OF rats. 1t is believed that winds,
whirlwinds and waterspouts are the
chief cause of this phenomenon.
SEAL-H. G. R.. Oakland. When and by
whom the great seal of California designed
and what does the female figure in the center
represent or signify:
The seal was designed by Major
Robert Selden Garnett. L. s A, but
he, not wishing to present it to the
authorities. allowed Caleb Lyon, one
of the clerks of the constitutional con-
vention held in Monterey in 1S49, to
present it as his own production. The
central figure represents Minerva, who
sprang full grown from the brain OF
Jupiter. She was introduced in the
design a type of the political birth
OF the state of California without hav-
ing gone through the probation term
of territory.
TOMBS-R. F.. Sausalito. State whether or
not the Tombs in New York city built
on the site of the old building. Where Is it 10
Gated?
Lieutenant W. n. Sullivan. in charge
of the bureau of information, to whom
your question was submitted, replies:
The new Tombs building is erected
upon the site of the old one. on the
block bounded by Elm, Franklin, White
and Centre streets.
CLEARING HOUSE FIGUREs-F. G.. Cfty.
What were the highest clearing house figures for
San Francisco since January. 1908 and what,
were the figures for the same month for Los
Angeles?
San Francisco, September. 1910, s5o,-
953,s32; Los Angeles, $17.441, ,094
WOOD TAR--C. J. A, Los Gatos What is
wood tar produced from!
1t is made from the resinous wood of
various pines.
DEBTS OF NATIoNs-w. y. c.. City What
is the approximate debt of each OF the follow
ing nations-Japan, Germany, France and Eng
land?
The latest compilation gives the fol-
lowing; Japan. $s32,445,79S; German