Evening star., 1935-12-27
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS

ANO w GxNO ~
QUESTIONS
BY Frederic J. Haskin.
A reader can get the GnsUer to cnv
question OF tdct BY tcritins The Washing
ton Euening Star Information Bureau,
Frederic J. Hasktn, Director, Washing.
ton, d. c. Please tnclose stamp for replv.
@. How much mail is handled by the
State Department az WaShington?-H.F
A. During the last fiscal year the State
Departments mail, incoming and out
going, amounted to 1,l70389 pieces.
Q. How does the number of people
on relief in cities compare with the
number in the country?-H. p. r.
A. On June /. 1885, there were approx
| imately 100000 relief cases on Federal
rolls classed as urban. At that time
there were about 100000 relief cases
classed as rural.
@. How many Townsend plan clubs
are now organized?-A. r.
A. There are more than 5000 in the
United States.
Q. How long do railroad rails last?-
H. T. P.
A. The average life Of rails in service
is about IS years. There are however.
some rails still in use which were laid
so years ago.
@. What is the color of the Pope's
hair?-H M.
A. 1t is black sprinkled with gray.
O. Was coffee ever considered me-
dicinal?-L. B.
A. When in 1884 Sieur de la ROGUE re-
turned to Marseille from Constantinople
he brought with him a small metal Dot
and some coffee beans, which he roasted
and brewed in it. At first the beverage
was considered a medicine and sold in
pharmacies Doctors prescribed it for
Scurvy, smallpox consumption, dropsy
and other ailments and warned their
patients against mixing it with milk.
@. How many trumpeter swans are
there since an effort has been made to
save them from extinction?-M. G.
A. When attention was called to their
scarcity there were but 10 pairs. Red
Rock Lakes, their nesting place, was set
aside as a bird refuge, and now there
are 80 or more Of these American water
fowls.
Q. Did Maj Gen. Benjamin D. Foulois
attend West Point?-G. M.
A. He did not. He rose from the ranks.
He enlisted during the Spanish -Ameri-
can War. He became a second lieuten-
ant in the Regular Army in 1901 after
examination for a commission. He re-
tires December 81, 1885, as chief of the
Air Corps.
O. What is the gross weight of the
China Clipper?-D. A.
A. It's gross weight is 81 900 pounds.
1t can carry so passengers.
@. Why is the Government hospital,
st. ElizabethS, so named?-T. c.
A. 1t took its name from st. Elizabeth's
Tract, which was originally a Catholic
settlement which had been named for
st. Elizabeth of Hungary.a The name
was considered peculiarly appropriate
due to the fact that st. Elizabeth Of
Hungary was so kind and devoted to the
! care of the sick.
@. How much money is spent for news.
papers in this country?-J. r.
A. More than 100000 year is exc
pended annually for newspapers.
@. What was the origin of the title
esQuire?-M. H.
A. 1t comes from the Latin through
old French. One form of the word was
esquire 1t was derived from escu, a
word now spelled ecu, which means q
shield. The title esquire was given to a
shield bearer or an attendant OF
knight.
Q. How old is grand opera in the
United States2-H. M. c.
A. In 1925 Manuel Garcia imported
Rossinis Barber of Seville" to New
York City. where it was produced at the
Park Theater.
O. Why was flannel colored red for
underwear and petticoats?-F. w. H.
A. 1t was because of the old fallacy
based on the association of the color red
with warmth.
@. How many people have received
free education at Cooper Union?-O. B.
A. Cooper Union was founded IN 1853
by Peter Cooper for the advancement OF
science and art. Since that time more
than 100000 men and women have been
given free education, regardless OF race
or creed.
@. DID the City of Jerusalem ever
have a moat outside the walls?-M. K. s.
A. It did not at any time in It's history
have a moat with water in it as de-
fenSe.
@. What is the difference between q
scab and a fink?-N. K.
A. Edward Levison in 81 Break Strikes"
saws that there are three names by
which a strikebreaker may be called
scab. fink or noble. The chief dinerence
between a scab and fink is that the
scab remains at work when his fellow
workers 60 on strike, while the INK
comes in for the sole purpose OF breaking
up a strike. A noble is the professional
strikebreaker who knows the business
well and acts as overseer OF the links.
@. Who first made willowware?-A. M.
A. There is no china correctly called