Evening star., 1924-07-21
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN

| Q. What does 1t cost the Govern
ment to put boy through West
| Point?-H. D.
| A. The War Department says that
the approximate cost to the United
States Government in putting a cadet
through the course at the United
| States Military Academy is $4,000 for
the four years. This includes the
overhead expenses such as repairs
and improvements to the Academy,
etc. The Approximate cost of main
| tanning and educating a cadet exclud-
ing the overhead expenses is So
253.s4 for the four years.
=. What became of the sword
given to George Washington by
Frederick the Great?-W e C.
A. Mir. Harrison Dodge, superin-
tendent of Mount Vernon, says The
Gen. Washington by Frederick
the Great is owned by the state Of
New York. When ! last saw IT, it
was in the State House at Albany
G. Does Uncle Sam credit to profit
! and loss the paper money that is con-
| sidered lost"-A. $. +.
A. The Government charged of a
! certain amount of paper money As
| lost after the Chicago fire. This is
the only time that this has been done.
| This count is not taken periodically.
! The Government does not actually
realize any profit from paper money
| which is lost, even though theoret-
| caliy II does. The money is still held
| In the Treasury vaults against out
| standing paper currency, and unless
Congress pa ssed a bill that this money
might be taken out of the reserve
fund, no actual profit would be de-
rived.
.. What is good ant e1termin-
ator for a lawn?-W. A. ID.
A. To rid a lawn of ants make
| several holes in each ant hill with a
| stick. Pour into each hole a small
quantity of carbon bsulphide. Cover
fumes have killed the ants. 1t will
| take about two ounces of material
| to each ant hill.
| stalled?-M. l.. B.
| 4. The first bathtub was installed
| in Cincinnati in lS42. The following
day ii was denounced in the news
! papers as luxurious undemocratic
vanity. Then medical men declared
| it a menace to health. In lS43 Phila- =
delphia tried to prohibit bathing be
tween November / and March - by
| ordinance In 1s45 Boston made
bathing unlawful except when pre-
/ scribed by d physician. Virginia
taxed bathtubs $50 year.
Z. How long does it take peafowl
| eggs to hatch?-L. Il.
A. The period OF incubation for
| peafowl eggs is twenty-eight days
| the same as for turkey eggs.
| q When was Charlie Ross kid
naped and how old was he"-Ci. :.
/ A. Charlie Ross was abducted
! from his home in Germantown. Phil
| adelphia. on July /. 1874. He was at
.. What are briar pipes made Of:
w. 0. n.
A. In southern Europe briar pipes
are made or the briar root, that is
! the white or tree heath erica ar
| OF the mountain laurel. also that of
smilax laurifolia and smilax walteri
| are used.
Q. In different almanacs why are
| the signs of the zodiac different for
| a given date?-J. B. B.
A. Discrepancy. is probably due to
one almanac giving the sign of the
| zodiac and another the conste LA tion
| instead. In the time Of the early
| zodiac and consultations of the same
name agreed; but in the course of
| 1000 years each sign has ''ba cked. ="
| so TO speak, into the constellation
west of it: so that the sign Of Aries
| is now in the constellation of Pisces.
| and 50 on. ON June % and 20. 1924
the moon is in the sign of Gemini.
| but in the constellation of Taurus.
G Which sex OF the glow worm
| gives light"--W. l.. T.
! A The Department OF Agriculture
! says that both sexes Of the glow
| worm give light. and that Lis hit is
! also found in the larvae of some
Speties