Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-24
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

The answers to questions printed here
each day are specimens picked from
the mass of inquiries handled by our
great Information Bureau maintained
In WASHINGTON, D. C.. This valuable
service is for the free use Of the public
Ask any question of fact you may want
to know and you will get an immediate
reply. Write plainly. inclose 2 cents
in coin or stamps for return postage
and address The Evening Star Informa-
ton Bureau. Frederic j. Haskin, di-
rector, Washington, D. c.
@. Does a broadcasting company
have q course in correct speech for its
announcers?-A. B. +.
A. Both the National Broadcasting
Co. and the Columbia Broadcasting Co
maintain q course of instruction for
their announcers In their New York
City studios.
@. How did boxing attain It's sudden
popularity?-A. B.
A. 1t became popular in 1917, when
the Government, through its directors
of training camp activities, adopted II
as an important means of fitting I'M
trained men quickly for rigorous soldier
life.
@. How old Is Rudolph FrimlP-F. r.
A. He Is 40 years old. He was born
in Prague, Bohemia.
@. Why are snowfakes of different
sizes?-L. r.
A. Snow consists Of minute white
crystals. The crystals Of water are
hexagonal prisms, and water IN the
crystalline state in the atmosphere
shows all the various shapes that this
form Of capitalization can take. Hav-
ing once started, the crystals may grow
either along their central axis. giving
rise to long thin prisms, or along their
six axes to form hexagonal plates
Sometimes the growth is uniform, but
at others the growth along the axes is
more rapid than in the space between
This gives rise to star-shaped crystals
| In cold regions the crystals are small
because there is little water vapor pres
ent from which they can grow. When
crystals form at a temperature near the
/ freezing point, they grow to their larg-
est size When the air is full OF large
crystals collisions may take place, Sc
that they become interlocked.
@. Please give a biography of the
man who wrote the letter to Dear
Virginia" in answer to the question "Is
there a Santa Claus"?-K. 8.
A. Francis Pharcellus Church, the
author Of the famous letter, was born
in Rochester, N. Y, February %, 1889
and died there April II, 1906. He was
graduated with honor from Columbia
College in 1859. He began the study OF
law but put 1t aside to write. He was
editor of the Galaxy Magazine and with
his brother managed the Army and
Navy Journal Some Of his finest work
was done for the New York Sun, In
which the Santa Claus letter appeared
@. What Is the urban population OF
the United States?-L. L.
A. According to 1880 census. 1t Is
so, 954,823. The rural population Is
SO ,820,223.
@. How did Decoration day become
established?-F. o. L.
A. Before the close Of the Civil War
May 80 was observed in several sections
of the Southern States in honor of the
soldiers killed in that war. In the
North there was no fixed celebration I'M
til 1868, when on May Commander In
Chief John A. Logan Of the Grand
Army of the Republic issued general
order designating May 80, 1868, for
the purpose of strewing with flowers or
otherwise decorating the graves OF COM
rades who died in defense OF their coun-
try during the late rebellion" BY 1910
it was a legal holiday In all States and
Territories save Alabama, Alaska, Ar