Evening star., 1935-04-27
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

A reader can get the answer to
any question OF fact by writing
The Evening Star information Bu-
reau. Frederic j. Haskin, Director,
washington, D. c. Please inclose
stamp for reply.
@. When was money first charged
to watch base ball games?-W. T.
A. Admission was first charged at
base ball game July 20, 1859. The
teams were Brooklyn and New York
Fifteen hundred paid fee Of so cents
TO witness the game.
@. What would be the cost Of elm
mating all the grade crossings in the
United States?-D. M.
A. Railroad authorities say the cost
would be $4,000, 900 900 according to
engineering reports This Is about
equal to the total value Of the rail-
roads.
@ Where is Stresa?-N W.P
A. 1t is beautiful Italian village on
the western shore of Lake Maggiore
It has about 1000 inhabitants. This
meeting place of Mussolini, Sir John
Simon and Pierre Laval is noted for
its beautiful scenery, fine villas and
healthful climate.
O. Why is CASTLE soap so called?-
T.. g.
A. 1t took its name from CASTLE,
Spain.
@. What countries use blood tests
In cases involving disputed paternity
or wrongly identified infants?-L w
A. They are used in Austria, Ger
many, Denmark, Italy and Sweden
These tests do not prove paternity,
they merely indicate the possibility if
the blood is of the right type.
O. How can crabgrasS be crowded
out of lawn?-C, H. M.
A. The Department of Agriculture
says that no entirely satisfactory
method OF destroying crabgrass has
yet been devised. The most practic-
able plan seems to be to fertilize the
land heavily in early Spring, then to
keep the grass as tall as it is possible
to set the lawn mower and not water
it unless absolutely necessary. Crab
grass thrives with sunlight and plenty
of moisture and if the grass is allowed
to grow so tall that 1t shades the
crabgrass and If water is withheld, the
crabgrass is very largely discouraged
II few crabgrass plants persist it is
easy to prevent seed production by
suddenly moving the lawn closely lust
as the seed heads are forming, which
usually is in late August.
@. Is person shorter in the eve
ming than in the morning?-L L.
A. Some individuals are shorter in
he evening because the little cartileses
between the vertebrae of the spinal
column diminish in size during the
day. due to the weight or pressure
that is upon them. In some individ-
uals the difference in height between
day and night may be as much as
one-fourth to one-half an inch.
@. Is the town meeting system used
outside of New England?-M. F.
A. Quoting F. A. Ogg and ?. o.
Ray: In sharp contrast with the
anemic local government units of
the South and West are the town
governments in New England, which
are still vigorous and fourishing,
although some Of them are older than
the counties and States under which
they operate. Nowhere west Of the
Hudson does the town meeting show
any such vitality as has characterized
it in its native habitat. On the whole,
township government. outside of New
England, plays relatively unimpor-
tant role. This is especially true in
the West, where the township is an
artificial area. almost totally lacking
the social unity of the old New Eng
land town.
@. Why do some people have
hyphenated surnames?-F. T.
A. Double surnames are legitimate
where property is represented that