Evening star., 1926-05-01

Q. What Is the origin Of the word
cynosure?-S. l.. r.
A. The word comes from the Greek
KynoSoura, meaning "a dogs tail"
The dogs tail is another name for the
constellation of the Lesser Bear,
which contains the North star. the
fixed point around which all the other
consultations revolve. Hence the
| word cynosure is applied to one who
attracts general attention, the center
toward which all eyes are directed.
@. Is butane gas injurious to hu-
man health?-G. w. l..
A. The Bureau of Standards says
that butane is harmless when breath
ed unless the concentration is great
enough to cause suffocation through
lack Of oxygen. The only danger at
tending it's use is that from fire, since
the gas is combustible and can be as
easily ignited as illuminating gas II
| il escapes from a machine. 1t Is used
in refrigeration in the same way That
ammonia, sulphur, dioxide, etc, are
| used.
| @. What does the Canal Zone in
lclude?-C. W. w.
A. The Canal Zone is a strip of
land extending five miles ON either
side of the axis of the canal, but not
including the cities of Panama and
| Colon, which remain within the Re
| public of Panama. The Canal Zone
has an area of 553.8 square miles.
O. What was the object of the
crusades?-G. l..
| A. The objects of the religious wars
called the crusades were originally 10
insure the safety of pilgrims Visiting
the Holy Sepulchre and 10 set up
| If,1- in bal
the attack was directed against Egypt
and even Constantinople, and IN the
fourteenth century the conquests OF
the Ottoman Turks turned crusadlng
| into q defensive movement. IL Is
usual to speak OF the crUSddeS as SIX
or seven in number, but actually the
! movement was continuous Tor over
two centuries, hardly a decade pass
ing without one or more expeditions.
@. In playing exercises on the piano
how many notes are played In an
hour?-F. L.
A. Paul Kursteiner in the "Etude'
has a computation based upon
CZerny's Opus 740. He says that
when the metronome is set at 132
playing notes to the tick, in an hour
1850 notes have fallen from the
fingers.
@. How many employees are there
in the Government Printing Office
Il. j.
A. The average now is 1000. The
peak was reached in 1918, when o,3Oi
people were employed.
@. Have horses and mules been ell
tirely displaced by motors in warfare;
"A. A. c.
A. Motors take an important part
in modern warfare, but it is virtually
necessary that horses and mules be
provided to assume the burden Of
transportation in places that motors
cannot go. Soft ground, by-roads
and paths are traversed by animals
that are impractiCable for automobiles.
The Clydesdale. the Shire, the Per.
cheron, the hackney and the trotters
are used for artillery and transporta-
ton, while the thoroughbred. the
Kentucky saddle horse, the Morgan
and the Arab are the breeds which
furnish the cavalry and riding horses
Q. How much is the property worth
that is devoted to golf in this country?
N. B.
A. 1t is estimated that land and
buildings used for golf are worth
81 500, 900 900. More than 800, 900
@. How many firms have been in
business over 100 years, the firms
still remaining in the male line of
the families of the founders?-M. s.
y. Mark Sullivan. in review of
such firms, lists about 80.
Hare are had the pleasure Of serr-
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formation Bureau? Can't ace be Of
some help to you in yOur daily prob
len1SP our business is to furnish you
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ICE inrite y0u to ask as any question
of fact in 1cIich yOu are Interested
Send yOur inquiry to The EUenin0
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