Evening star., 1935-06-29


ton Evening Star Information Bureau,
Frederic J. Hdskin, Director, W1shino-
ton. d. c. Please inclose stamp for reply
@. How many people are employed on
the New York Stock Exchange?-C. @.
A. There are 2.400 employees.
@. Please give the history of the
'MarseillaiSe. Il. M.
A. The French national anthem was
composed, both words and music, In
one night april "A, 1922 by Claude
Joseph Rouget de Lisle, French cap
tain Of engineers, who happened also to
be a musical amateur. The need of a
marching song for the French had been
expressed by the mayor Of Strasbourg,
where De Lisle was then quartered, and
the world famous hymn was his re-
sponse. 1t derived its name from the
fact OF its having been sung with such
enthusiasm by the troops on setting out
from Marseille for Paris.
of punishment abolished in England?
n. M.
A. 1t was abolished in 1916 except for
PNIJuly dllA dllO pei
jurer, Peter James Bossy, was the last
to stand in the pillory at the Old Bailey
for l hour on June a.. 1880. 1t was
finally abolished in 1887 at the end OF
William Tvs reign.
@. What were the earliest schools for
the blind?-F. H.
A. Education Of the youthful blind In
Europe began IN Paris in 1874; that in
the United States, in Boston, New York
City and Philadelphia in 1882 and 1888.
These earliest schools and four others
are incorporated, residential State -aided
institutions. Four others are under the
auspices of the Catholic Church. In
1887 Ohio established the first State
supported school for the blind, and
many States quickly followed.
O. Who was called the modern st.
George of the pen?-E. M.
A. This expression was applied TO
Thomas Mast, the famous cartoonist.
Q. Please give the origin Of the term
four hundred as applied to Society.-E. r.
A. The term originally applied to New
York society and is said to have arisen
in 1892 when Mrs. William Astor asked
Ward McAllister, a leader of society, to
assist her in cutting down the invitation
list of her annual ball to 400 persons
as that was as many as her ball room
would accommodate McAllister was
heard to remark afterward that there
were really only 400 people living in
New York who had any claim to be
called society. The remark was re-
peated and spread rapidly, becoming
commonly used.
@. How old is Omaha, the race horse?
a K M
A Omaha was born March "a, 1892.
O. How many Big Brother and Sister
organizations are there?-D. H.
A. There are SIS Big Brother or Big
Sister organizations united in q ma
tional federation. They attempt to keep
boys and girls who have begun to show
behavior problems from becoming delin-
quent. to improve their environment and
to help them with their various per
sonal and family problems.
@. Please describe the eruption of
Krakatoa in the 1800S.-E. w.
A. In the Summer of 1888 an eruption
occurred on the small volcanic island of
Krakatoa in the Sunda Strait, whose
effects we're tar-reaching. The finer par
ticles of the volcanic dust attaining the
higher layers of the atmosphere were
diffused over a large part Of the sur
face of the earth. Within the tropics
they were borne along by air currents
at a rate of 73 miles an hour from east
TO west until within period Of six
weeks they were diffused over nearly
the whole space between latitudes 80
degrees north and IS degrees south.
Eventually they spread northward and
southwark and were carried over North
and South America. Europe, Asia, South
Africa and Australia. 1t was reported
at the time that ashes fell on the decks
of vessels at sea many miles distant
from the source of the eruption.
@. Was the A. A. A. program of much
benefit to the wheat growers?-S. M.
A. The major achievement of the
wheat program in its first two years was
the increase in income of wheat growers
as group by probably more than $780,
900, 900 above what they otherwise would
have received.
O. Who won the Houghton Miflin lit
erary fellowships?-K. M.
A. The two Literary Fellowships of
81 900 each. offered in January by
Houghton Miff1in Co. to encourage young
writers, have been awarded to Jenny
Ballou of New York City and E. P.
ODonnell of New Orleans.
O. What is the superstition attached
to the mandrake plant-P. d.
A! The root of the mandrake OF his
tory, namely the mandrag ora, Is sup
posed to become forked and resemble
the human form. In this condition 1t
was used as an aphrodiSiac. 1t is allied
to belladonna and has poisonous quail
ties In ancient times human figures
we're cut out of the root and special
virtues aScribed to them. 1t was also
thought that mandrakes could not be
uprooted without producing fatal
effects, so a cord was fixed to the root
and around a dogs neck so that when
the dog was chased he drew out the
mandrake. Another fallacy was that
small dose made q person vain of his
beauty and a large one made him an
idiot; yet another belief was that the
mandrake utters a scream when 1t Is
uprooted. 1t was supposed to Ne
creature having life. engendered under
the earth of the seed of some dead
person put to death for murder.
@. How old Is the town Of Saybrook,