Evening star., 1924-09-30
Answers to Questions
BY FREDERIC j. HAskIN

Q. On what basis was the zero
OF Fahrenheits thermometer fixed
A. w. H
A. Fahrenheit adopted the coldast
temperature that he observed in the
Winter OF 1909 for the zero OF his
thermometer.
@. What is the meaning OF Erin
go bragh"?-J. b. K.
A. Erin go bragh' is the old war
cry Of the Irish. 1t means ireland
forever"
Q. What is Harry Houdini's cor
rect name and is he an American
]. c.
A. Houdinl was born on April s.
1874. in Appleton, Wis. His name
was Harry Weiss, but has been
changed legally to Harry Houdini.
Q. When was the first English
subway built?-A. S.
A. 1t was built in London from
Covent Garden TO st. Martins Lane
by the London County Council in
q. Does the peanut actually be-
long to the nut family.-S. N.
A. The peanut Is not a nut II
belongs to the same family as the
common pea and bean. The term
nut was applied to it on account
of its favor, which is similar to that
of some true nuts.
Q. Which vertebra is known as
! the axis?-L A. L.
A. The second yertebra of tho
spinal column is SO called because il
forms a pivot upon which the first
bone, the atlas, rotates, carrying the
skull.
9. What is bull baiting--F. T. p.
A. This was a sport once popular
in England, but declared Illegal in
1885. A bull was attacked BY doss
and sometimes the nostrils of the
bull were blown full of pepper to in
crease his fury. Another form OF the
sport was to fasten the bull TO a
stake by long rope and then set
bulldogs at him, one at time, which
were trained to seize the bull by the
nose. The bulldog seems to have
been developed for this sport from
q short-eared mastiff called alaunt.
@. Who coined tho expression
| while there is life there is hope"?-
NJ. D.
A. This is attributed to Cicero, the
exact Quotati being, while thu
| sick man has life there is hope"
@. What vas the name Of Abraham
Lincoln's son who died while he was
President?-F. 7.
A. This sons name was William
Wallace and he died in the White
House. March IS. 1863, at the age OF
13 years. Another son, Thomas (Tad).
died in 1868 at the age o: IS.
Q. Who applied the term "a ma
tion of shopkeepers" 10 the English?
&C. q.
A. Samuel Adams used the express
sion. in an address delivered at the
State House, Philadelphia, August J.
I776.
Q. OF what is air composed -S. r.
A. Nitrogen and oxygen. in the rs-
| ito OF 1921, respectively. are the prin-
cipal constituents of the earth's at
! mosphere.
@. Did the United States Govern
ment every pay Gen. Robert E. Lee
| for his home, Arlington?-E. S. s.
A. The heirs of Gen. Lee were re
| imbursed for this property in the
sum of s150.0o0. although the estate
! was assessed at only $4,000.
! O. What are the German names %
and Homeric?-R. F.
A. The Leviathan was formerly
the German ship Faterland, with q
tonnage OF 64.100. The Majestic was
the Bismarck. with a tonnage Of
| 5e,55l. The Berengaria was the I'm
| perator, with a tonnage of 52,022.
| The Homeric was the Columbus, with
| tonnage of 34,6s3. This ship was
J under construction during the war
! and was not completed until 1922.
| Q. What is a sunstone?-W. S. II.
| A. This is variety of aventurine.
feldspar. or olisoclase, which yields,
| emanating from crystals or fakes Of
/ iron oxide. The finest specimens,
showing a brilliant play of color,
come from Norway.
| Q. When l marry a Canadian girl,
will she have to come within the
| quota from Canada $. P.
! a. All Canadians are allowed to
enter the United States and will ex-
perience no difficulty in doing SO.
! Your wife will be admitted to the
! United States upon the payment OF
! the IS head tax. Canadian-born citi-
zens do not come under any quota,
| but are allowed to enter the United
States at any time.
Q. Is it the leaf or the seed Of the
| jimson weed that is medicinal?-R. J.
A. Both the leaves and seeds of the
| jimson have medicinal properties.
The leaves are. collected at the time
of towering, and. the entire plant is
cut or pulled up and the leaves
stripped and dried in the shade. The
leaves are poisonous, causing dila-
tion of the pupil of the eye, and arc
used principally in asthma. For the
collection of the seeds, the capsules
should be taken from the plants
when they are quite ripe, but still
of a green color. The capsules should
then be dried for a few days, when
they will burst open and the seeds
can be readily shaken out. These
should then be carefully dried.
Q. What is the size Of the new
| telescope at the University of Mich
igan?-M. L. L.
A. 1t is a refracting telescope with
| 27-inch lens. Only three of the
| kind in the United States surpass ii
| in size. The telescope is being as
sembled, but after a short time it is
| to be dismantled and taken to South
Africa for or 10 years of study Of
the southern sky, by university pro-
| fessors.
Q. Did Solomon write Eceiesias-
tes?-M. NJ. Q.
A. Scholars agree that Solomon Gid
not write Ecclesiastes- The style of
the language used is OF later time.
and proba bly, the book is a compila-
| tion of many writers. t.-E
Q. Who started the idea OF having
| a mail order business?-F G. G.
A. The mail order idea is credited
W faI