Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-18

Q. How many Protestant and how
many Catholic churches are there in
the District?- d. T.
A. According to the 1924 directory
Of Washington, d. c., there are SO
Roman Catholic and 342 Protestant
and other churches.
Q. What is the Oldest Washington
golf course?-W. T. o.
A. The Chevy Chase Club, Chevy
Chase, Md, has the Oldest golf course
within the immediate vicinity of
Washington.
Q. At what degree will gasoline
freeze "A. E. c.
A. The Bureau of Standards says
| that gasoline has no definite freezing
point. 1t stiffens up slowly like
melted wax at temperatures far be-
low those ordinarily encountered even
In the Arctic.
Q. What is done to the wood of
which pipes are made SO it does not
burnP-J. G.
A. Smoking pipes are usually made
of special kinds of wood which are
very tough and close grained, which
do not crack or burn easily. Many
pipe bowls do become charred.
Q. Where were Christmas trees first
used?-C. Z. r.
A. The Christmas tree is from
Egypt, and its origin dates from a
period long anterior to the Christian
era. The palm tree is known to put
forth branch every month, and a
spray of this tree, with IL shoots on
it, was used in Egypt at the time of
the Winter solstice, as symbol of
the year completed.
.. Is it true that in sewa coun-
tries people are buried only for q
time, then are disinterred and put in
bone yard?-N. G.. L.
A. The American Funeral Director
says that in regard to temporary
burials. the custom of dumping bones
of dead human bodies after they have
lain in an above-ground grave" is
practiced today in Cuba, and, indeed.
in nearly all the Latin American
countries. They do not believe it is
practiced in any other countries than
those of Spanish origin.
Q. Can borax be made too strong?
Have heard that water only dissolves
so much.-M. p.
A. The Bureau of Chemistry says
that the saturation point of a solu-
ton depends upon temperature. At
make about per cent solution of
borax. At boiling point it is possible
to make 35 per cent solution.
Q. What is the meaning of the ex-
preston hallmark" ?-D. L. V.
a. A hallmark is the official mark
Of the Goldsmith Co. of England.
stamped on gold and silver articles
at Goldsmith's Hall, in London. to
hai
came to imply any mark used for the
same purpose by assay officers in the
United Kingdom.
Q. What is the origin of the name
Penn Yam, town in New York;
F. n. c.
A. Some Of the first settlers of the
village Penn Yam were from Penn
sylvania. while others were known
as New England Yankees. A discus
sion arose as to the name of the VIII
lage, and both parties were satisfied
by the adoption of the present name,
Penn Yam, made up from the first
syllables of Pennsylvania and Yam
kee.
Q. How many foreigners were
there in the United States in 1920,
and about how mary become natu-
rallied yearly?-J. B. S.
A. According to the 1920 census
report. there were 13,712.754 for
eigners in the United States The
number of citizens naturaIized in the
United States for five years were:
1918, $500; 1919, 1885; 1920, 51.972:
1921, 1885: 1922, 9,46S.
Q. What is the origin of the phrase,
ITO let the cat out of the bags. H.
a. The Danes claim to have originated