Evening star., 1934-11-26
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

@. How long has chewing gum been
made?-H. s.
A. The chewing gum industry dates
from about 1860, when an American
inventor while making an unsuccess-
full attempt to vulcanize the sap Of the
sapola tree for q rubber substitute
discovered similarity Of chicle to
spruce and cherry gums, which
hitherto had been the main chewing
gums known.
@. Please give the date Of King
Alberts death?-A. T.
A. King Albert I of Belgium fell TO
his death while mountain climbing, on
February II, 1884.
O. What is the Indian population7-
w. M. M.
A. The Indian population Of the
United States In 1880 was 332,3s7.
Q. Please give some information
about the mud hen.-N. c. 8.
A. The term mud hen" is o nick
name for the coot or similar water
fowl. The coot, Fulica americana, is
q bird of the small creeks and the
shores of shallow lakes and ponds
where marsh plants grow abundantly.
| The foot Is half webbed, an excellent
arrangement for running on water
when the wings lend their assistance.
The coot never rises on the wing with
out a preliminary run on the water OF
| from so to $50 feet. It swims and
dives quite well, but as a rule 1t prefers
to live, as do the rails and ballinules
! to which the term mud hen" is also
applied, in the edges Of heavy marsh
vegetation. Here it can pick up its
living of buds, blossoms, seeds, aquatic
insects and snailS, and also hide from
its enemies. The coot is not a member
Of the duck family. but belongs to the
rail family. Ralidae and the order
Gruiformes, or crane-like birds.
@. When was Ohio put on Eastern
standard time?-D. r.
A. The entire State Of Ohio was
placed In the Eastern standard time
zone. effective April 3, 1927.
Q. Where is Sweetheart Abbey
8. j.. M.
A. This old religious house is in
Scotland, near Kirkcudbright.
@. How much Of the motorists dol
lar spent for gasoline goes for taxes?-
G. B.
A. Out Of every dollar spent for
gasoline 80 cents goes to pay taxes.
@. From whom did the United
Safes Government acquire the White
House grounds and when2-N. v. 3.
A. BY act approved July 16, 1870,
Congress accepted district Of terri
tory not exceeding 10 square miles, to
be located on the Potomac River, and
authorized the President to appoint
three commissioners to survey the
area under his Jurisdiction. The act
also empowered the commissioners to
accept such land on the eastern side
Of the river within the said district as
the President should deem proper for
the use of the United States. The site
selected by the President was that
area embraced in the old city located
between Rock Greek on the west,
Florida avenue on the north, the
Eastern Branch on the east and the
Potomac River on the south. Within
, this site the President, before the city
was laid out into squares, selected II
parcels for use Of the United States.
Among these was Appropriation No. !.
extending from and including La
fayette Park down to B street north
(now Constitution avenue). For these
II parcels the United States Govern
ment paid the original proprietors at
the rate of f25 per acre,
Maryland currency (about $66.6D in
lawful money Of the United States.
The original proprietors Of the land
constituting the White House grounds
we're Samuel Davidson, who owned the
upper part, and David Burnes. who
owned the lower part, the dividing
line running from the northeast cor.
ner to the southwest corner.