Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-10-31
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Any reader can get the answer 20
any question by writing Every Evening
Information Bureau. Frederic j. Haskin
Director. Washington, ID. @. This offer
applies strictly 20 information Tho bu-
reau cannot give advice on legal, medical
and financial matters. 10 does not at
tempt 20 settle domestic troubles nor 70
undertake exhaustive research on any
and briefly. Give fun name and address
and enclose two cents in stamps for re-
turn postage. All replies are sent direct
TO the inquirer
O. Please explain the origin Of Hall
lowe'en? V. C..
A. Halloween is a relic of pagan
times. In England the influence OF
Druidical ceremonies Is evidenced in
the ancient Halloween fires. Certain
Of the customs which used to prevail
in England We're survivals of the fes-
tival Of Pomona. the Goddess of fruit.
Halloween is called by this name be-
cause the festival falls on the evening
Of October 81, which is the eve OF
vigil of All Hallows, the festival of All
Saints, which falls on November 1.
q. Do any States in the United
States tax timber lands on the yield
basis? f. t.
A. The Forestry Service says that
the tax on yield Of timber lands is
commonly known as the severance
tax, that IS, a tax on the amount of
timber cut AS far as we are able to
ascertain, this tax is found only in the
State OF Louisiana.
| q. What official rank did a chaplain
of the Revolutionary Army hold? ID.
r. c.
A. The War Department says that
an act Of the Continental Congress.
passed July S. 1776, provided that a
chaplain be appointed for each regi-
ment in the Continental Army, and
that their allowance be increased to
SsS LIS month. The rank held by
chaplains in the American Army dur
ing the Revolutionary War has not
been ascertained, nor has it been
ascertained whether, the rank was the
same for all chapiains in the Conti-
mental Army at any given time. OF
whether the rank differed in the milf
tia OF the several colonies of States
that furnished troops for mat war.
Q. II the earth should cease TO ro-
tate, would bodies at the Equator
weigh more or less than they do now.
w. f. b.
A. The Naval Observatory says /:
the earth should cease to rotate, the
weight of bodies,at the Equator would
be increased by the 1-2SS part.
Q. How large is the largest pear
in existence2 s. O. T.
A. The largest pearl of which ther,
is a record, is in the Hope collection
in the British Museum. Ii weigh.
three ounces and is four and one-hali
inches in circumference.
Q. What is the Decameron? w. c
/ A. This is a collection OF 10e shor
stories by Giovanni Boccaecio. pub
iished in 1853. Ten Of the tales ar,
represented as told one each dav fol
ten days by three men and seven wo
men during the plague near Florence
Italy, IN 1S4S. They range from tn,
/ pathetic to the grossly licentious. an,
are preceded by powerful descrip
tibn Of the plague.
II q. Which is the higher hand i,
poker, three fiyes and q pair of ace
or three skies and a pair of queens
4 IL. A. II.
Il A. The winning hand is decided b
Il the value Of the three of kind. Thre
skies and pair Of queens, beats thre
hves and a pair Of aces.
II g. What is Escorial? T. B. S.
III a. The Escorial is the largest build
ing In Spain. Composed OF a monas
terry, church, college, tomb and palac,
It is built on height OF 2,700 fee
above the sea. about 27 miles north
west OF Madrid. It was built betwee
1908 and 1854 by Philip III, and tn
bodies OF all the spanish kings sine
Emperor Charles Y are buried ther
with the exceptions OF Philip an
Ferdinand vi.