Evening star., 1924-04-12
Answers to Questions
BIZ FREDERIC j.. HAsKIN.


! track are there In the Washington
navy yards. A j.
! A. There are eight and one fifth
| miles of railway trackage in the
Washington navy, yard. d T. -
! Q. Mr.. Work speaks of a conven-
! tion called. the. assist in auction
bridge" What does he mean?-A.
C. S. -.
A. Milton c. work, says that "the
assist" means raising partners suit
rather than making any other declar-
/ alton after an intervening adverse
bid The jump" is raising the part
ner's bid in the absence of an inter-
| vening adverseibid.'
Q. How soon should a lawn be
mown In the spring?-A. G. r.
| A. 1t should be cut as soon as the
| grass has started to grow. 1t should
! then be given a dressing of acid phos-
| phate, three pounds, and sulphate of
ammonia, one pound, to each forty
| square yards
| Q. When did we get-the Philippines
! and what is the total population OF
| the islands "A. /.
/ A. The Philippines were ceded to
| the United States by the treaty OF
Paris, 1898, following the Spanish
J American war There are 1888 is
I lands. The largest, Luzon, contains
! 40,S14 square miles. and Mindanao
| the next, s6,9o6 miles. The popuia-
| tion is estimated at l0,35o,640.
Q. Where was the Burnt War De-
partment?-T. +. c.
| A. The War Department. was housed
! in building on the south side OF
! Pennsylvania avenue between 2lst
| and ed streets, and this was de-
| stroyed by fire in 1907 The black
q ad Co. Nra1 a a.
the building was known as the Burnt
| War Department"
| Q. How long have rats been in the
| United States?-M. V. w.
! A. Thd date of introduction of the
rat into America is very doubtful, but
| the black or Alexandrine rat seems 20
| have come first and was gradually
| driven westward by the larger ro-
| dents. They were doubtless conveyed
rat found its way to Europe about ehe
! beginning of the sixteenth century,
| but the brown rat did not reach Eng
| land until about 1928.
@. why do the gold and silver coins
! of the United States have q miilec
| edge?-E. L. d.
| A. They are milled to make 1t easy
| TO detect a loss of weight caused by
scraping the edge.
@. How many negroes are In busi-
| ness for themselves?-J. r. G.
| A. There are estimated to be at the
! present time $4,000 negroes engaged
| in their own business and manufac-
| tories, with a volume Of business OF
$500. 100000.
@. What is an iconoclast?-N. M.
] a. The word "iconoclast" is derived
! from Greek word 'ikon," meaning
| ian image breaker" Figuartively
| used, an iconoclast is a term applied
10 a person who breaks down estab-
lished customs and beliefs.
| Q. Please settle an argument
friend claims that the word 'ceme-
F.! and that in England they said
| 'churchyard." Is this true?-H K. NJ
/ A Both the word cemetery and the
| word churchyard have been used fol
many centuries in England. The wore
| cemetery was originally applied t
as early as 1887 in England. The
word churchyard. on the other hand
appears in the old English choronicle:
at about the year 1854.
Q. Could you look up for me the
! grades made in a civil service exami-
nation by a few applicants for posi-
/ tisns?-L. Fl.
! A. Civil service grades are not
| made public and the only way to find
the percentages made by applicant,
! is to inquire of the applicants.
Q. Is the Beaux Arts Paris, a gov
| ernment institution?-E p.
! A. The Beaux Arts is one of the
4 five academies of the Institute DE-
! France. 1t is subsidized by the gov.
| ernment The general fund of the
4 ;pr ic hyy .
| of ten under the presidency of the
| minister of public instruction. Each
! of the academies has an independent
| government The subjects taught a.
| the Beaux Arts are painting, sculp-
/ ture, architecture, engraving and mu-
| sic.
Q. How many yards are there in G
! pound Of grocer's wrapping cord?-
T. r.
/ A There are several weights OF
| grocer's wrapping cord; however
l there are about 200 yards in a pounc
of lightweight wrapping cord
Q. Please give date of first Spar.
tanburg Officers Training SCHOOL,
| F. E. D.
| A. The first officers training schoo
! was held at Spartanburg, S. c., from
May IS to August IA, 1917.
| Q. To what extent did slavery exist
4. e. \. Nebraska before the civil war;
| A. Slavery existed only to a small
! extent in Nebraska The first census
of Nebraska october "a. 1864. showed
only thirteen negro slaves. From
held in Nebraska, mostly at Nebraska
| City. There was one auction sale Of
| slaves on December 5, 1860, in the
4 streets of Nebraska City, when two
slaves were sold. The Legislature
abolished slavery in 1861.
Q. Why is a rulers cabinet SC
| called?-C. L. NJ
| A The term cabinet" referred
| originally to the closet or priva t.
consulted with his most trusted ad,
visers.
| Q. Is there such a thing as mill
snake that sucks cows?-M H.
| A. There are snakes which hav,
been found to obtain milk by suckint
the teats of cows. The so-caiIed milk
loving snakes, in the United States
| are known as the black snake, ol
racer; the milk snake, or coIuberexi
nuis.
/ Q. Does any plant that grows hav,
a black blossom?-W. S.
! "A. The Department of Agricultur,
says that there is no flower that ha.
! absolutely black blossoms. Certain
varieties of pansfes are almost blacl
and Scabiosa is very dark.
@. What state has the most mile.
of railroad?-F. B. f.
| A. In 1922 Texas led with 1879
miles of railroad. Illinois ranked sec
| ond, with 1880, and Pennsylvania
| third, with 1870 miles go. ~
/ s(Hdue you asked H1skinf he doe,
not knoU- all the things that people 1sI
/ him, but he knotcs people toho do k11oto
/, Try htrt. State your question pldinl,
and briefly. IRctose g cents In stomp,
/ tor. retnrn postage. Address Erederic. ]