The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1920-06-03
QUERIES
NOTICE TO INMATES


NOTICE TO INMATES
For the benefit Of any inmates who appre-
ciate and see the opportunity that their spare
hours give toward means of self education
through correspondent school courses, study OF
good literature, acquiring an education in our
Night Schools, or, who need helpful informa-
ton in connection with their work in our var:
ious departments, will herewith be privileged
to use the Query column You are wei.
est to yourself, The MIRROR with the kind
collaboration Of Miss Miriam E. Carey, su-
pervisor Of Institutional Libraries, will gladly
endeavor to supply the requested information.
NOTICE-In order to regulate the conduct
of this column inmates must sign their name,
register number and lock number to all queries
submitted for publication. Inmates names, Of
course, will not be published, only the initials
of each querist being used.-Editor.
OWL you please state how stone
tools and arrows were formed by the In
dians ?-L. r.
A:-They were made by chipping off
the stone by the use of stone hammers.
The use of the hammer,in this way re-
quired great skill on the part of the arti-
sans. The first stone tools were made, OF
course, by striking rough stones together.
OILS the Suez canal longer than the
Panama canal?-F. L.
A:-Suez canal, which was opened in
1869, is 90 miles long while Panama is
little over 50 miles. Suez cost less than
$1O0,O0O,0OO while cost of building Pana-
ma canal was over $325,000,000.
O:-When did ice cream first come into
USED. H.
A:-Ice cream was first introduced to
English aristocracy of the late 18th CEN
fury by London confectioner named
Gunton who is often accredited with being
its inventor. dolly" Madison was one of
the first to serve ice cream at presidential
receptions and this did much toward pop
ularizing it in this country.
O:-What is the cause of the Northern
Lights Pr. S.
A:-The generally accepted theory is
that the Aurora Borealis, or Northern
Lights, are due to the ascent of positive
electricity from the intertropical water
surfaces, which flow towards the poles,
waited by the higher aerial currents. In
the region of the poles it descends towards
the earth, and comes in contact, in high
ly-rarefed atmosphere with the terrestrial
negative electricity, which results in
luminous discharges of great brilliancy.
Intimate relations exist between sun-spots,
magnetic storms and auroras, the appear
ance of large spot on the solar disc be-
ing almost invariably accompanied by a
magnetic storm in parts of the globe.
During magnetic storms auroral displays
IL, %o1ro ~1o I,,kS Ill
coincident with magnetic disturbances.
OWL THE MIRROR please tell me if
back and white are colors Pc. S. r.
A:-Color is sensation, not material,
and is due to waves in the surrounding
ether, producing certain effects upon the
eye, as sound waves affect the ear. White
is rather a combination than a distinct
color, as Sir Isaac Newton has shown once
for all in the experiment anyone may
initiate to certain degree with an ordi-
nary glass prism. This shows that the
primary colors, red, blue and yellow, are
all contained in the white, or nearly white,
ray of light. A little deeper enquiry
proves that complementary colors, like
blue and yellow, brought to bear upon the
retina of the eye at the same moment,
leave the sensation we call white. Hence,
it is not incorrect to say that white is a
color. Black is the negation of color. 1t
implies no sensation Of light; it is the
absence of the sensation medium in fact.
1t is, commonly speaking correct to state
that black is not color.
Odd Nathan Hale, the American
patriot succeed in pettinp the inform at;on
he wanted concerning the British army
before he was captured?-L. L.
A:-Hale entered the British lines at
New York dressed as Dutch school tea
cher and was returning with valuable mil
itary information when he was captured.
On following morning he was hanged by
the British. His final words were: 81
only regret that have but one life to
lose for my country"
NOTTGE-An iDyuo Too uo;p0 <ho Nrorx, No1.