Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-09
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

Many readers send in questions sign
ed only with initials, asking that the
answers appear in the newspaper. The
space is limited and would not ac-
commodate fraction Of such requests.
The answers published are ones that
may interest many readers, rather than
the one who asks the question only. All
questions should be accompanied by the
writer's name and address and cents
in coin or stamps for reply. Send your
question to The Evening Star Informa-
ton Bureau, Frederic j. HaSkin, direc-
tor, Washington, D. C..
@. How long has chicle been used
for chewing gum?-D. NJ. A.
A. The chewing gum industry dates
from about 1860, when an American in
ventor, while making an unsuccessful
attempt to vulcanize the sap of the
sapola tree for rubber substitute, dis
covered similarity of chicle to spruce
and cherry gums, which hitherto had
been the main chewing gums known.
Q. How does the city population COM
pare with the rural in regard to church
members and Sunday school scholars?
C. T. w.
A. While the population of the United
States is almost evenly divided between
cities and country, the church figures
do not correspond. The cities have a
church membership of more than 35,-
100000, while the rural membership is
about 100000. In cities about $685.
600 children attend Sunday school, in
the country, about 485,000.
@. What gaits should saddle horse
have?-M. M.
A. The Bureau of Animal Industry
says there are two kinds Of gated sad
die horses. The three-gaited horse is
the most common. The gaitS are the
walk, trot, and canter. A five-gaited
horse must walk, trot, canter, rack, or
slngle-foot, and in addition must be
trained in one of the following three
slow gaits: The running walk, the slow
pace, or foX-trot. Occasionally a horse
can walk, trot, rack, canter. and is
trained IN all of the three slow gaits.
Such horse may be called a seven
gated horse.
Q. Do any States or cities prohibit
married women from teaching school?
j. P.
A. The Office Of Education says that
there are no State laws prohibiting
married women from teaching in the
public schools. In a recent survey made
by the National Education Associa-
ton, OF 1882 cities having a popula-
ton OF over 1000, of the number which
reported, 80 per cent employ married
woman teachers. Twenty-nine per cent
OF the cities require a woman to stop
teaching as soon as she marries. while
2512 per cent require that the woman
resign at the end of the year If she
marries during the year.
@. Is there any connection between
the derivaticns Of the words friend"
and "fiend"?-J. H.
A. Etymologically these words are
antonyms. They come from Anglo
Saxon verbs meaning Ito love" and ito
hate" respectively, and are related to
words of the same meaning In other
Teutonic languages.
@. Please give some information
concerning Reel Foot Lake in Ten
neSsee.-J. l..
A. 1t is a lake caused by a change
in the course of the Mississippi River,
part of the former bed separated
from the present channel of the river
in the form of a lake. It is located
in the extreme northwest corner of
Tennessee and part of its area also is
in the State of Kentucky.
@. Do carpets and rugs in a
choir loft reduce the reverberaticn of
sound?-T. N.
A. The Bureau of Standards says
that carpets and rugs absorb sound
and have the effect of reducing the
reverberation time of a room. The