Evening star., 1924-10-10
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. H4SkJN


loween " c.
A. Halloween is relic OF pagan
times. In England the Influence of
Druidical ceremonies is evidenced in
the ancient Halloween fires Certain
OF the customs which used to prevail
In England were survivals of Pomona,
the goddess of fruit. Halloween is
called by this name because the fes-
tival falls on the evening of October
81, which is the eve or vigil of All
Hallows, the festival of All Saints,
which falls on November I.
@. What man has been a candidate
for President the oftenestc-P. +. NJ.
A. Eugene Debs leads the list, since
he has been a candidate for this Office
four times. once oftener than Mr.. Bryan
and Mr.. Cleveland.
Q. How fast does radio travel?-
M. S. K.
A. According to Capt T. J. j. See,
Government astronomer at Mare Island
navy yard, San Francisco, an authority
on the theory of ether. radio waves
travel round the earth at d velocity
of 165, 900 miles per second They are.
therefore, considerably slower than
light, which travels $4,000 miles per
second.
Q. How many chain stores are there
in the United States and how long
have they been in existence7-R. c. NJ.
A. 1t was recently estimated that
there are more than 1000 separate
chains, with 10000 unit stores, in the
United States. The chain idea is more
than 60 years old.
Q. What is meant by a level sur
face"o-K =. L.
A. A level surface is one that is at
every point perpendicular TO the di-
rection of gravity, as distinguished
from a plane surface. The surface of
water in a quiescent state is a level
surface.
Q. What has become Of Breshkov-
skaya, the "Idttle Grandmother Of the
Revolution"?-T. Z. l.
a. According to recent GiSpa tcheS
she has settled in Czechosloyakia,
after being exiled from Russia by the
boIshevik regime. She is deVoting
herself to the education of the chill
dren of the Carpatho -Eussian peas
ants.
Q. Is it true that there is d nation
at present having no national debit
L. A S.
A. This is true of the little princi-
pality of Liechtenstein. In this coun-
try there is neither a public debt nor
taxes.
Q. What was the average period of
training in the service before going
overseaS?-B. A. n
A The average American soldier
who fought in France had six months
training here, two months overseas
before entering the line and one
month in a quiet sector before going
into battle.
Q. Has cigarette smoking increased
or decreased in the last three years:
Il NJ. a.
A. Government figures show that
cigarette smoking has increased al
most 80 per cent within the last three
years. During the month of July,
1924, Treasury figures show that
6,5Ss,000,000 cigarettes were manu-
factured in the United States.
@ Please give me something by
which can approximate the value of
a billion dollarS?-R. S. T
A. According TO an address of Pres
ident Coolidge $4,000, 100000 equals
the value of all the passenger auto
mobiles produced throughout the
United States in 1922, plus the value
VI an Tic H1otcf 1t uChSy pIuS the Nalue
of all motor cycles 1t exceeds the
amount paid in dividends by all the
railroads in the United States for five
years. 1t represents one-half of the
gold mined and bullion in the United
states at the present time
Q. When was the United States
ship st. Louis, recently condemned.
built, and was she American built?
M. c. T.
a. The s. S. St Louis was built
by Cramp at Philadelphia at the great
shipbuilding firm of Cramp, and was
christened by Frances Folsom Cleve-
land, Wife of the President, 1895
The ST. Louis was taken over by the
Government in the Spanish American
War and used as scout cruiser
This W as the vessel that cut the Span
ish cable in 1898, and was again
pressed into service for the United
States in the World War.
Q. What time should a champion
ship game of base ball be Played
E. c. c.
A. Every championship game must
commence not later than two hours
before sunset.
Q. Is it true that printing news