Evening star., 1935-11-14
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY Frederic ]. Haskin.

| ny fTederic J. Hdskin.
reader can get the dns1Cer to ann
question OF fact BY t0riting The Washino-
ton Euening Star Information Buyeou
Frederic J. Haskin, Director. Wnshjno.
ton, D. c. Please inclose stamp for renIv
@. What was the educational status
Of men received in Sing Sing Prison
during 1935?-M. B.
A. Thirty-six attended college. 10
trade school. 202 high school, lob com.
mon school and 63 received no schooling
at all.
@. How many Germans have been the
recipients of Nobel prizes?-M. L.K.
A. Thirty-two Germans have been
awarded Nobel prizes.
@. OF what does safety glass consist2
j. G. L.
A The safety glass that Is extensive
ly used in automobiles consists Of two
sheets of glass sealed together by
plastic, such as celluloSe nitrate or cellu-
lose acetate.
@. How many cars were on the Sky
line Drive on Sunday October 20, 1895?
e. H. c.
A. On that date 1892 automobiles
Travelled over the Skyline Drive in Shen-
andoah National Park.
@. Please give some information about
Biltmore House at Asheville, N C-M. G..
A. The house was built at a cost Of
million dollars nv ha OF @ GEORGE
w. Vanderbilt. Construction was begun
in 1890 Richard Hunt New York archi-
tect, designed the house along lines that
reflect the influence Of chateaus Of the
French Renaissance. The exterior is Of
hand -tooled Indiana limestone. The
foundations of the house cover four acres
Of ground. Frederick Law Olmsted
planned the gardens and grounds OF the
estate Biltmore House contains 40
master bed rooms, besides servants quar-
tiers. baths, drawing rooms, huge BAN
ouet hall and library, kitchens courts,
billiard rooms and galleries. 1t was COM
pleted in 1895. The estate comprises
$4,000 acres.
@. How much does 1t cost for one
unit of city fire department to go TO
fire?-R. T. S.
A. It is estimated that the cost is
about SIS.
@. Why was Julian Hawthorne. son OF
Nathaniel Hawthorne, imprisoned?-G.
NJ T.
A. Julian Hawthorne was convicted
of violating the postal laws in connec-
ton with mining promotion.
@. What is meant by gingerbread
work?-E. NJ.
A. 1t refers to anything which is
snowy but worthless. The alluSlon is TO
the gingerbread cakes fashioned ike
men, animals, etc. and profusely DEC
Grated with gold leaf or Dutch leaf, which
looked like gold. commonly sold at fairs
up to the middle of the nineteenth CEN
tury.
@. Why does the eagles head on the
Presidents flag turn left instead OF rlght
as it does on the great seal OF the United
StateS?-J. E. F.
A. The origin of the flag of the Pres
ident of the United States can not De
traced to an official document and there
fore the exact reason for turning the
eagles head to sinister instead OF 10
dexter as in the United States seal can
not be definitely stated. 1t was prob
ably for the simple reason OF diterentlat-
ing 1t from the Older symbol.
G. What is punk made Off. S. A.
A. Punk. also called German tlnder,
is a spongy combustible substance pre-
pared from a mushroomlike fungus found
on certain trees. 1t is manufactured
chiefly in Germany. The fungus is gath
cred, peeled and the brown, spongy ma
terial remaining is sliced and beaten
until quite soft. 1t is converted into
punk by boiling in strong solution OF
inter and then drying. The punk USED
in America is compressed into sticks.
@. Did Benjamin Franklin obtain
patent on his stove?-E. M.
A. We find no record OF his having
obtained a patent. In l742, after ms
stove came into use, the Governor OF
Pennsylvania was so pleased that ne OIL
fered Franklin patent. Franklin, now
ever, declined because he said as we
enjoy great advantages from the lnven-
tions of others, We should be glad OF an
opportunity to serve others by any in
vention OF ours
@. Please give some informat ton ABOUT
Michael Pupin.-G. M.
A. Michael IdvorSky Pupin 1855
1885,, physicist and inventor, was porn
in Serbia. He came to this country in
1874 and was educated at Columbia UNI
versity, where he became professor OF
electro-mechanics in 1901. He is noted
for his discoveries in X-ray and his in
vention of numerous electrical devices,
especially those connected with teleph-
onv. He is the author OF the auto
biographical From Immigrant to In
ventor" and of ''Thermodynamics OF Re
versible Cycles in Gases The New
Reformation" and "Yugoslavia."
@. What country was referred to AS
the nation of gentlemen?-W. j. H.
A. George w on a visit to Scotland
in 1882 referred to that country in those
words.
@. Why was the Battle of New Or
leans important in our history?-F. c. s.
A. The last battle of the War OF 1917
between the United States and Great
Britain was fought at Chalmette, near
New Orleans, La, January 8, 1875 and
was known as the Battle of New Orleans.
Although the battle was fought after
the Treaty of Ghent had been signed, 1t
had important results. Schouler, the
historian, says that it was the only battle