Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-15
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

There II no other agency Ia the world
that can answer a. many legitimate
questions as our free Information Blu
reau In washington, D. O. This high
" organized institution has been built
up and is under the personal direction
of Frederic j. Haskin. BY keeping in
constant touch with Federal bureaus
and other educational enterprises It Is
In a position to pass on to you authorl-
tative information Of the highest order.
Submit your queries to the staff Of ex-
uerts whose services are put at your
| free disposal. There Is no charge ex-
cept 2 cents in coin or stamps for re-
turn postage. Address The Evening
star information Bureau, Frederic j.
Haskin, director, washington, D. 9.
O. When will the new part Of the
Department Of Agriculture Building be
finished?-F. r. :.
A. Work is progressing well and 1t
Is planned to have 1t completed by the
end Of March, 1880.
O. Why were the members Of the
bodvpuard Of the King Of England
called beef eaters?-L. H.
A. Many years ago, when Drawn was
priced above brains, the men compos-
| ing the bodyguard were selected for
| their great size. In order to keep them
| In physical trim, each was given an al
lowance Of 2 pounds Of beef daily.
@. What Is the oldest foreign-lan-
guage newspaper on the Western
CoaSt?-B. L.
A. The Oldest Is the French Courier
du Pacifiuues established In San Fran
cisco in 1852. Later in the same year
| German paper, the California Demo-
KRAFT, was started.
@. What Is polyphonic prose3 Was
Amy Lowell the first to write it?-F. G.
A. The term "polyphonic prose" is
sometimes used as the equivalent OF
yers libre or free verse. Free verse was
by no means originated by the late Amy
Lowell. There are examples OF 1t IN an
Gent literature, such as the Old Tesla
ment.
@. When was the first census taken
! In Great Britain? When will the next
census be taken?-L. p.
A. The first complete census in Great
Britain was not taken until 1901. Be-
fore that time authorities had estt-
mated the English population in 1870
at 4,160,221, in 1870 at SITS, 646. The
census Of 1901 showed the population
Of the United Kingdom to be 10000, $50.
Since then the census has been taken
every 10 years. The next one Will be
made In 1881.
Q. Who invented the accordion?-
8. z. G..
A. The Etude says that o form of
accordion was invented by Damian in
Vienna in 1929. A little later an Eng
lishman, Sir Charles WheatStone, took
out a patent for concertina.
@. In the Spring Of the year there
Is about q half-acre tract Of sweet
clover where the stems are coated with
silver and glitter in the sun. What
causes this?-E. p.
A. The peculiarly which you de-
scribe In the sweet clover field Is due
to q soil condition which causes the
plants to be covered with fine hair
like growth. When the sun shines upon
this at certain angle it casts a silvery
sheen.
@. VIII an iceboat run its fastest
directly before the wind?-W. M.
A. II an iceboat were running directly
before the wind and the friction Of the
skate on the ice were zero, then 1t Is
obvious that the boat would attain the
velocity Of the wind. II now the helm
Is changed so that the boat Is no longer
running directly with the wind, but at
an angle to it, say Of 80 degrees, the
sails can be 80 trimmed as to give q
component Of velocity at right angles
to the original course. This COM