Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-14
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

@. Who originally owned the land
| on which the White House was built?
| C. p.
A. Davy Burnes. a Scotchman.
owned a farm where the White
House and Monument now stand.
Washington had considerable difficulty
in persuading Burnes to sell, and the
latter insisted on a proviso that the
site of his own cottage could not be
taken and that no lots should be sold
for private buildings in the vicinity.
@. Does Russia have almost all
commodities within it's borders?-A.
B. W.
A The areas controlled by Russia
comprehend nearly every material
natural resource Of modern civiltza-
tion-minerals of all kinds. base and
precious; every variety of timber, ex-
cepting tropical: every character of
cereals, vegetable and fruit Landslide
ing as near TO self-contained as any
other power excepting the British
Empire.
O. What should be used to polish
pewter?-A. d. A.
A. Pewter is a soft metal, and only
very fine scourers, such as fine whit
ing. rouge or fine rottenstone mixed
Will Ollb SilOuiu OO uSCu Oii It.
O. Did Alexander Graham Bell
demonstrate the working of the tele-
phone before the ruler of Great
Britain?-M. P.
A The diary Of Her Majesty for
January IA, 1873, says: After din
ner we went to the council room and
saw the telephone. A Prof Bell ex-
planned the whole process, which is
most extraordinary"
@. While in New York City I was
surprised to see the great number of
horses used instead Of automobiles
for hauling trucks. Are there more
horses there than in most large
cities?-C. F.. s.
A. The Department of Agriculture
says that New York City uses more
horses than any other city in the
United States.
Q. To what extent are hospital
facilities used in the United States?
S. Il. H.
A. There are 6.SS6 hospitals of all
kinds. with SO2,O65 beds, of which
629,362 are constantly in use. In ad-
ditiOn to these there are 34.511 bassi-
nets, or baby cribs. for newborn in
fants. Thus 66 per cent of all hospi-
tai beds in the United States are con-
stantly filled. 1t has been found that
there is one hospital bed for every
1915 inha bitan ts The five States
having the largest hospital facilities
are New York. Pennsylvania, Illinois,
California and Massachusetts,. At the
end of the list are Delaware and Wy
oming.
O. What is the greatest number of
people who have seen a prize fight in
the past?-S. f. G..
A. The largest crowd that ever at
tended a prize fight was estimated at
100000 and that was the gathering at
| the Dempsey Carpenter fight.
@. I have been informed that YOU
have the statistics of a number of
persons who have passed the 100
year mark or more. VIII you please
give me some information on this?
Is. S.
A. There have been many reputed
| instances of persons living to a great
| age, but authorities are of the opinion
| that such reports are not entirely re-
| liable. In regard to persons living
| in three centuries, we would say that
| 1t Is recorded that a peasant named
| Petraz Carton died in 1924 in the
| village of Kapros, Hungary, at the
| age OF 1875. This man, therefore, must
| have lived partly in three centuries.
In America. Noah Raby died in 1904
at Piscatawny Almshouse, New
Jersey. at the reputed age of 1872
Mrs. Sarah Bosworth Broadway of
Eastford. Conn, was 107 years
| old in 1925, and John A. Stewart, a
! banker Of New York, was 1913 years
old in 1928.
Q. Can materials be bleached in