New Britain herald., 1930-03-19
QUESTIONS ANSWERED

You can get an answer to any question of fact or information by writing to the Question Editor, New ] Britain Herald, Washington Bureau, 1922 New York avenue, Washing ton, D. C., enclosing two cents in stamps for reply. Medical, legal and marital advice cannot be given, nor can extended research be under taken. All other questions will re- ceive a personal reply. Unsigned re- quests cannot be answered. All let ters are dential.-Editor, Q. Who invented the Braille system for the blind? Is it used outside the United States?
 A. The Braillc system is now in world wide use, having been adapted even to the Chinese langu- age by Dr. Murray. a Scottish mis- 1 sionary, and q Braille magazine IS published in Esperanto. Louis Braillc was born near Paris, France, | in 1909 and became blind when three years of age. He was d pupil, and later an instructor at the h. stitution des Jcunes Aveugles, Paris, and adapted the alphabet that bears his name from that invented by French cavalry officer. Louis Brailc published hisj System in 1929 and developed it further five years later. It was not given official recognition in Paris until two years after his death.
 Q. What does Lucille Mean? A. It is from the French, and means shining one. c, Was the hymn "The Little Brown Church in the Vale" written about any particular church?
 A. The Congregational church about which the hymn was written, is located at Bradford, Iowa, in the beautiful Red Cedar Valley in the northeastern part of the state. It was built during the Civil war, and still stands, surrounded by giant pine trees. Dr. w. s. Pitts, a phy- sician of Fredericksburg who helped to build the church, wrote the hymn. About 30,000 people visit the church annually. and a great many mar riages are held in this historic shrine.
 Q. Where are the largest deserts in the United States and in the world"
 A. The Great American desert is the largest in the United States, and the Sahara is the largest in the world.
 Q. What is kanaka? A. An Hawaiian, or other South Sea Islander.
 Q. In what year did Eli Whitney invent the cotton gin? A. In 1792.
 <. 1792.
 Q. When and where will the 1880 English Derby be run?
 A, It is scheduled at Epson Downs race course, on June 4.
 e. How tall is Victor McLaglan |? A. Six feet three inches.
 c. In what book in the Bible, is the verse beginning "I raised thee under the apple trcc"?
 A. Song of Solomon S5. The complete verse is: q raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth; there she brought thee forth that bare thce."
 Q. Where do the stars go in the daytime?
 A. They do not go anywhere in the daytime; they are still in the heavens, just as at night, but the bright light of the sun makes it impossible for us to sec them.
 Q. Was slavery permitted in the District of Columbia before the Civil war?
 A. Slaves were owned in the Dis trict Of Columbia before the war. C, Does the ostrich bury his head in the sand for protection?
 A, It buries it's head for the pur- pose of obtaining water which is near the surface.
 c. What percentage of the poDu-
  Llation of Massachusetts is Roman Catholicr
 4. The 1928 estimated population Of Massachusetts is 4,29O,00O. Thcrc were 1410,20S Roman Catholics ir in Massachusetts in the 1916 ccnsu, of religious bodies.
 c. What is the address Of Walt Mason?
 A La Jolla. California.
 Q. Why did Steve Hrodie iuml from the Brooklyn bridge"
 X. He was very much in need of funds at the time. and notified somc newspaper men in New York that Inc was going to take the leap. which Inc did on July f.. 1886. He had first insured his life for S2,000. No harm resulted. and immediately after tho event he signed up with Morris ant Coleman, for museum work at s95r per week for ten weeks There. after he made several leaps which brought him large sums of money Others had tried the Brooklyn bridge leap and had been killed ir the attempt.
 c. What is the derivation of tn, family name OGthout?
 A. If is q German family nam, meaning rich inheritance.