The San Francisco call., 1910-04-01
Answers to Queries

GLASS-A. s, City. Is it true that glass bot
ties porous Have been told that If a corked
and sealed bottle is sunk below a stated distance
in water in time it will I'LL with water and that
the seal Will not be disturbed.
Glass is said to be impermeable to
air and water. What you refer to is a
trick performed by the boatmen on the
lake of Como They let down an empty
bottle well corked and sealed into the
water to a depth of so yards or more
and when brought up in short time it
is found 70 contain an quantity of
water. This leads the visitors to be-
| lieve that the glass is porous. But
such is not the case. Under the pres
sure of four atmospheres the sealing
wax and cork become impregnated and
! the water filters through them into the
bottle. This has been proved by the
sealing of the mouth of bottle with
glass by means of a blowpipe and low
ering the same to a greater depth than
in the lake named and after the bottle
had remained below the surface for half
a day it was taken UP, but 1t did not
have any water in it,
HAWKS BELLS-Subseriber. Alameda. What
are hawks bells" term used by architects
and what. is the origin?
The term is a technical one used by
architects to describe an ornament
much in vogue in the thirteenth and
fourteenth centuries 1t Is IN the form
of a ball inserted in the cup of a flow
er and is called by some authorities on
architecture ball flowers" 1t is usu-
ally placed in rows a equal distance in
the hollow of a moldinG, frequently
by the side of mullions. 1t is an orna-
ment very common in old English ca
thedralS. The name Hawks Bells" is
beneved to have been given because of
a supposed resemblance to the small
bell usually attached by a strip of
leather to the leg of a trained falcon.
ANswER-F. c.. City. What is the meaning
of n. S. V. P on invitations to social func-
tiops! Is ii necessary that such should be added
to invitation?
1t means Answer, if you please"
In other words. it is, a request that
the recipient shall state il he or she
will attend the function. 1t should be
placed on every invitation if the host
will come, that arrangements may be
made accordingly.
CALIFORNIA Reader of Queries. City. Which
country first had possession of California?
The political history of the state
says: Spain held the first title to
California and our right to the coun-
try. following the chain through Mex
leo back to Spain, was derived from the
treaty of the partition of the ocean of
1894"
STOCKS e ,sA's. 1subserihsr city. Why is the in
ket value OF the property called watering
stock?
1t is said that such a metaphor was
derived from the practice of some milk
vendors adding water to the milk in
order to increase their profits without
the investment of extra capital.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Oakland. What are the
names of the five longest rivers in the world,
and their length?
Missouri Mississippi. 4.1s4 miles; the
Nile, 1920; Yangtze, 3,15s; Amazon,
3,063, and Yenise, 1850.
ORAToRS-Miss NJ, Petaluma who was the
author of Il have orators, more than my
tears, to plead my innocence" and where does
This is by Ford in THE Lady's Trial.
act Q. scene ?.
observation-disclosures, Oakland Is it right
to pronounce the name of the second month of the
year without sounding the first ''r'' for in
stance "Febuary'?
There is no rule that permits the
slurring of the first ''r-"
ACCOUNTANTS L. c.. City. Where shall
apply for Information as TO examinations for
certified accountants?
To the secretary of the state board
of accountants, 32o Sansome street, San
Francisco
MoTTo-Subscriber City What is the motto
of Oklahoma. the latest state admitted in the
American union?
Labor omnia vincit Labor conquers
all things).
CENSUS-F. X. City Were there $1,000
school children in Santa Clara county in 1907?
The school census for that year shows
17.434.
APPoINTMENTs-s.. City. Who appoints the
supervisors of the census?
The president with advice and con-
sent of the senate.
WRITER'S ADDRESS-Subscriber. Fruityale
Where is the home OF Margaret E. Sangster, the
American writer:
Glen Ridge, N. j.