Evening star., 1925-03-28
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN

fornia shock of April IS. 1906: Mes
sina earthquake in 1908 and TOXIC
| earthquake of 1923.
Q. When IS Mothers day?-A. G.
A. Mothers day Is the second Sun
day in May. A red flower is worn
for a mother living, while a ''hite
one is worn for a mother who Is dead.
Q. At what ages must children at
tend school?-M l. .
A. Compulsory school attendance
ages vary in different States. In no
State are children compelled to start
to school before the age Of s. New
Mexico and Ohio are the only States
which specify this early age. In sew
eraI of the Southern States attend
ance is not compulsory after chill
dren are IA; a few States set Is as
a limit, while about 30 States require
attendance until 16 years OF age; a
few States say II, and several l8.
Q. Please explain about a persons
shadow when passing light.-LA Z.
A. A shadow Is formed when rays
of light are obstructed by an Opaque
body. Rays of light radiate in straight
lines in all directions. AS a man ap-
proaches a street lamp the light
shines on his face, and therefore his
body casts a shadow behind. In pass
| ing the lamp the shadow naturally
moves with the man, SO that when he
| Is in front Of the lamp the rays OF
light strike his back. and therefore
| cause the shadow to fall before him.
@. OF what material are the dolls
| of the Hopi and Apache Indians
| made?-H. S. w.
A. The Bureau of American Eth
nology says that the dolls OF the Hopi
| Indians are never made Of clay, but
| are manufactured from tho subter-
| ranean branch of the cottonwood
| tree. They are not necessarily rain
| gods, although the need of rain is 50
ornnipresent and these images are
! copies of certain idols which appear
on rain aItars, that they are some
| times called rain gods. They are.
| however, not gods, but dolls. and are
made by the parents and given to the
| children as playthings- The dolls or
I the Apache, as well as certain other
tribes, are often made Of adobe, ana
are probably used in much the same
| way as the Hopi dolls.
Q. How many immigrants have
been admitted since 1S44?-J. o. A.
A. There have been approximately
| 34,s7s, 4o4 immigrants admitted to the
| United States since 1874.
Q. What caused the Dayton food
"A The Dayton, Ohio. food OF 1913
was, in the main. caused by record
breaking rainfall, which was due to,
1.-THE. meeting of three opposing air
currents, one from the west, another
Ia cold stream from the northeast,
| the third a warm current from the
south. The food was accentuated by
! the conditions of the rivers flowing
| through the city and also by the
| bursting of reservoirs in central and
western Ohio. Four hundred and f1f-
| teen lives were lost, and the property
| losses amounted to $1S0,000,e9o.
Q. Was water brought from the Nile
to Palestine? What was the prophecy
about IT'D. H. S.
A a pipe laid across the Peninsula OF
Sinai brought water from the Nile from
| Kantra, and just before the capture OF
Jerusalem this water was pumped into
Palestine north of GAIA at the rate Of
thousands OF gallons per day. The
prophecy that you mentioned is an Arab
| saying over zoo years old. 1t reads.
| When the Nile flows into Palestine then
shall the prophet from the West drive
| the Turk from Jerusalem"
(The StGr ntdiistdins for the pleasure
aud profit Of its readers an Information
service under the directorsIp Of Fred
eric J. HGski,t. The scope Of the bureGE
is national and International, aud n 0
| subject is too elem eRtary or too broad to
! enlist the personal attention Of Spe-
ciGhst. Address The Star Information
Bureau, Frederic j. Hdskin, Director,
l ItCenty-ftrSt and C. streets 7borthICeSt.)