Evening star., 1925-01-22
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN

Q. Who was the first washington
correspondence "A. ". C.
A. James Gordon Bennett, sr.. has
said that he was the first to give the
business of ietter-writing from
washington Its present light ard
amusing character in a series OF let
ters published in the New York En-
quirer in the years 1827-1S2s. Before
that period Washington letter
writer simply gave the dull details of
both houses, the abstracts of reports
or a few sketches of the speakers"
Q. When was the first inaugural
ball held?-W. w. f.
A. In 1909, when President Madi-
son was inaugurated, for the first
time the festivities of the day were
continued into the evening and took
the form of a dancing assembly or
Inauguration ball. Both the retiring
President, Thomas Jefferson, and the
new President, James Madison, at
tended. The company numbered
about 400.
Q. A man weighs 150 pounds. How
much Is he worth If he is worth his
weight in gold?-C. d. ].
A. A troy pound Of gold would be
worth s24S.04. An avoirdupois
pound would be worth s301.43. The
price Of gold is fixed by internationa al
agreement at $20.67 a troy ounce; 100
avoirdupois pounds of gold would be
worth $45,214.50.
Q. How many Bibles are distrib-
uted by the American Bible Society
&C. A. r.
A. The latest figures are for 1928,
when 7,101, ,289 Bibles were distrib-
uted. This was an increase Of $685.
222 over the preceding year. In China
alone the increase was over 100000
copies.
Q. Why is the Mississippi River
called the Father Of Waters" Pr. S.
A. This is a literal translation for
the Indian name Mississippi
@. How many bananas are used
in this country?-W. L 2.
A. In 1923 tho imports Of bananas
to the United States were 1,044,S89
carload tons of 2,240 pounds.
Q. Whose idea was 1t to have at
Columbia University an "interna-
tional house" and what religions are
represented?-D. f.
A The idea was that Of Mr. and
Mrs. Harry Edmunds. Brahmanism,
Buddhism. Christianity, Confucianism,
Judaism, Hinduism, Jainism, Islam or
zoroastrianism are represented.
Q. Kindly tell me what is meant
by the water recovery system rela-
tive to the dirigible Los Angeles?-
l. r. j.
A. As the Los Angeles cruises
along it uses up gasoline and upon
losing gasoline loses weight, which
makes the ship lighter and gives ii
a tendency to increase the altitude
as 1t loses weight. This is a dis
advantage when landing, unless
some of the gas is Waived by letting
BILE, however, and is not TO be lost
when 1t can be avoided. The water
recovery system is an apparatus by
means of which water is recovered
from the exhaust gases of the en-
gine by condensation. The water so
recovered represents about 80 per
cent of the weight OF the fuel burned.
The recovery OF water thus compen-
safes for the fuel burned and main
tains the lift of the ship at a fixed
value.
Q. What is meant by the Arlington
time signal as broadcast?-A. 3.
A The Arlington 10 o'clock is
sent out as a check for mariners at
sea.
Q. / hear that in Copenhagen one
of the theaters has an unusual
curtain. Can you tell me about it,
w T. T.
A. You evidently refer to the
beautiful theater, the curtain of
which is in the form OF a mammoth
peacock. When the curtain is to be
raised" the peacock furls It's tail,
when the curtain Is to be lowered