Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-11
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

bring the country into the hands OF
the people. The ASSOCIATION Is NAH
patriotic, half political.
O. When was the first arithmetic
text book published?-S. M. @.
A. Cookers Arithmetic, the first COM
plete manual for "numerists, was pup
liShed on the Sd of September, 1911; Dy
Sir Roger L'Estrange. Ihe autnoI'
who died before it was published, pc
came proverbial in England as master
of mathematical subjects. HIS DOCK
was best seller for nearly century
@. Which States were first settled by
Spaniards?-W. d. E.
A. The following states were nrss
settled by Spaniards: Californla-San
Diego, 1859; Florida-St. Augustine,
1866; New Mexico-Santa Fe, 1882;
Texas-San Antonio, 1890.
@. Is it true that books in libraries
are a means of spreading diseases?-
G.. w.
A. Billings a former medical officer
of New York City, holds that SO per
cent of cases of communicable diseases
are transmitted from person to person
and almost never by books. Many
libraries disregard the possible danger
from books entirely. tuberculosis may
adhere to books, especially to the saliva
moistened thumbed areas. Examlna-
ton of library books for mouth bacteria
shows streptococci in not more than
one in every 20 books This indicates
disease transfer through books Is not
great.
@. Is there any special significance
attached to the number 40?-L. l.. I.
A. Forty is number that has been
regarded as peculiarly significant. The
idea may have originated with readers
of the Bible, who notice that Moses was
40 days on the mount, Elijah was fed
40 days by the ravens, the rain of the
flood fell 40 days, another 40 days
elapsed before Noah opened the window
of the ark, 40 days was the period OF
embalming. Jonah gave Nineveh 40
days to repent, the Lord tasted 40 DAYS.
and He was seen 40 days after His
resurrection. Old English law also
featured many 40-day periods.
@. Swallows have nest on a window
cap of our veranda in July and are
Matching eggs. Will there be time for
| the fiedglings to learn to fly? 1 calcu-
late it will have to be done within
| seven weeks-F. E. P.
A. The Bureau of Biological Survey
says that the birds described are prob
ably cliff swallows, and that the period
OF seven weeks IS not TOO snort Tor the
young to be ready for their flight In
cubation ordinarily requires two weeks.
the young birds remain in the nest
two weeks, and have then three weeks
4! left to develop their strength, which is
sufficient time. 1t is likely that this
| is the second brood of the Summer.
! @. What is a Yarborough?-N. P.
A. 1t is hand of Is cards. none OF
which is above nine. The odds
against holding such a hand are 1927
| to l. 1t is named for an Englishman
who held the hand.
@. Who named the Columbia River?
r. D. E.
A. 1t was named by Capt. Robert
, Gray, who discovered it in 1871. 1t was
named for his ship, the Columbia,
which he had sailed around the world.
He was the first to carry the American
flag around the world.
| @. What statue fell from its pedestal
in Washington park early this Sum-
mer?-J. r. B.
A. On June 6, 1880, the statue Of
Nathaniel Greene fell from its PEDESTAL
| in Stanton Park