Evening star., 1924-04-07
Answers to Questions
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

". hQW rs hlledSe recRoned on the
Shenandoah?-W. l. w.
A The air speedometer used in
taking mileage aboard the
Shenandoah was made by the bureau
of standards. 1t is similar to any air
speedometer. The air passes through
cone on the outside of the ship
which in turn operates a needle on
the dial
O., Is the black walnut actually
black.-F. K. J.
A The American Nut Journal says
that this nut is regarded as black
because II almost always comes to a
person discolored by the acids in the
husk. Black walnuts, husked while
the shell is green and dropped i'm
medfately into water, have a white
shell and the nut kernel is almost
white and has not the strong taste
associated with this nut.
@. How many miles of railroad has
British South Africa?-D. O. ID.
A. There are about 900 miles Of
railway, all narrow gauge, and last
year 61,582,447 passengers were car
ried.
q. How much news print is used in
the United States?-B. T.
A. During 1923, the high record
was set for consumption of news print
IN this country. when approximately
100000 tons Of paper fed the presses
of newspapers and magazines.
@. How did the "minutemen- get
the name "A. H A.
A Civilians in Massachusetts, and
several other colonies, at the ap-
proach of the Revolutionary War.
pledged themselves to be ready to
take the field at minutes notice,
and were therefore called minute
men"
Kathryn Sellers Of the Juvenile Court
of the District of Columbia born p
H p.
A She was born in Broadway,
Ohio. December rs, 1870.
Q. Who invented dancing?-M C
discovered which did not dance The
earliest civilization of the Egyptians
included dancing and its invention
was ascribed by them to their god
Thoth.
" nat 40 puDAiO III
regard to the purchase Of Alaska at
the time we bought it?-R. ]. A
A. Probably the phrase Stewards
Folly" applied to Alaska will Indicate
as well as any words can the attitude
OF the people toward the purchase
Of Alaska. American histories fail to
emphasize the fact that this govern
ment purchased the territory called
Alaska as an appreciation of the sup
port which Russia gave to the fed
eral government during the civil
war. it seemingly was an unwise
investment, for at the time of the
purchase the public was not aware
of the enormous mineral wealth to be
found in the territory.
@. What color is the passion
fiower?@C. T. Z.
A The Department of Agriculture
says that passion flowers vary in
color. Some are pale green or white,
others are white tinted with purple,
the purple being found at the base.
E. r H.
A. Disinfectants are classed as
physical and chemical. Physical dis
infectants are heat, sunlight, diffused
light and air. Chemical disinfectants
are solid agents, such as lime; liquid
agents or solutions, such as crude
carbolic acid or gasoline; and gaseous
agents, such as formaldehyde or
carbon monoxide.
Q. How did the term "midshipman"
as applied to men at the Naval Acad-
emy originate?-C. V. Il.
A The title originated in the Brit
ish navy more than 200 years ago,
when the young gentlemen" who
were under instructions on these yes
sells for the purpose of becoming off,
GERS were given quarters amidshipS
abreast the mainmast on the lower
deck.
over Jesus head when on the cross
IL T. d.
A 1t was Roman custom to place
over the heads of the crucified their
names and the crimes for which they
suffered. The Scriptures give the in
scription over the head of Christ, but
not over the thieves According to
the Bible the inscription was written
in Greek, Latin and Hebrew.
Q. How long do trees Hve?-J. l. D.
A The bureau of forestry says that
the average age of trees is between
200 and 800 years. There are trees
in existence over 1000 years old
Q. Is it necessary for an engineer
to guide a railroad engine or does
the engine guide itself?-E. r
A The engineer does not guide the
engine. The front wheels of an en-
gine are the guide wheels and the
track determines the direction taken.
Q. Is Camp Eustis a permanent
camp? For whom was it named?
M. NJ
A. Camp Eustis, Va, is a perma-
nent coast artillery camp which was
established during the spring of 1918.
1t was named for Brig. Gen. Abram
Cor Abraham-Spelled both ways in
war records) Eustis, who was an ar
tillery officer who died in 1S43.
Q. What is meant by an ex-post-
facto law?-D. c. D.
A. An ex-post-facto law is one that
takes effect retroactively; that is, on
transactions which took place before
its passage.
Q. At what age was William Wot-
ton graduated from Cambridge? p
r. F. D
A William Wotton, one of the
most precocious of scholars, received
his B. A. from Cambridge at the age
of thirteen. His father began to
teach him Latin and Greek when he
was four years old, Hebrew when he
was five, and he entered Cambridge
in his tenth year.
Q. Will you give me the pronuncia-
ton of the Spanish authors name
"Ibanez"?-B. C.
A The name Ibanez is pronounced
E. ban-yeth. This is the maternal,
not the paternal. name of the author
AS is the custom in Latin countries,
he added to his paternal name
Blasco) the name of his mother, and
it is by the latter that he has become
known in America.
Q. Can a base ball umpire change
his deoision?-F. S
A An umpire may change his de-
cision, but he rarely does so.