Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-04
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
By Frederic J. Ha,kin.

By Frederic ]. Haskin.
reader Gun get the dnstner to any
| question Of fact by writing The Washing
ton Evening Star Information Bureau,
Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washing
ton. d. c. Please incIose stamp TOR reply.
@. How many postmasters are there
in the United States?-A. D.
| A. On January 81, 1885, there were
45,767 postmasters in continental United
States.
| @. Can a venomous snake strike more
than its own length?-R. P.
A. The Idea that O venomous snake
can strike its full length, or even q
| greater distance, is a popular but errone-
| Gus belief. When a snake strikes from
its usual S-shaped curved position. the
anterior half of the body which is
thrown forward must be free from coil.
In striking, the snake simply straightens
out the S-shaped curve. 1t does not have
to be in this position to strike, for obser-
walton has shown that when irritated
most poisonous snakes can strike from
almost any position for short distances.
| The great length Of stroke is about
three-fourths the length Of the snake.
@. Where was Dixie" first sung?-
WR
| A. 1t was composed by Daniel Deca-
tur Emmett in 1859 for a "walk-around'
| for Bryant's Ministries and was first per-
formed at the Mechanics Hall in New
York.
@. How many locks are there at Sault
Sainte Marie?-U. B.
A. There are two canals at Sault
Sainte Marie, with FIVE locks, four on the
American side and one on the Canadian
side. The Davis and Sabin Locks 1850
feet long and 80 feet wide, are the long
est in the world. The cost of the Ameri-
can canal was 100000 900; that of the
Canadian, $2,7S1,873.
@. Will direct current hold one to
a wire or knock one away?-P. r.
A. 1t will do either, depending on the
nerves and muscles involved.
O. Was Canada ever called Nouvelle
France?-G H.
A. Nouvelle France or New France,
was the original name given to CANADA
by the early French settlers.
| @. What is a noria?-L. S.
A. 1t is a hydraulic machine used In
Spain. Syria. Egypt and other countries
for raising water. 1t consists of water
wheel with revolving buckets or earthen
pitchers. but it's modes of construction
and operation are various.
@. What was the earliest use made
of dies?-A r. T.
A. The oldest known is for the strik-
ing of coins. There are in existence
coins which were struck up" over 1000
years ago. Coming dies are still the
| highest example of the die sinker's art.
@. What is the beverage called negus,
and how did it get that name?-H. j.
A. 1t is made of wine, water, sugar,
nutmeg and lemon juice, and is so called
from Col Francis Negus. the inventor,
who lived in the time of Queen Anne.
! @. Can citizenship be conferred upon
foreigner by a State?-R. N.
| A. The Federal Government alone
| has the right to naturalize aliens. but
| the State can grant extensive privileges
of State citizenship, even the suffrage, to
foreigners not fully naturalized.
O. Who Is now head of Hull House,
in Chicago?-S. H.
A. Mrs. Adena Miller Rich has been
elected to the presidency of Hull House.
Miss Grace Abbott will succeed Mrs.
Rich as first vice president Of the or
ganization.
@. How old was King Edward VII
when he came to the English throne?-
C. r.
A. He was SO at the time of the death
of his mother, Queen Victoria, when he
became King. The coronation cere-
monies were held one year and half
later.
@. What was another name for the
Virginia reel?-M. W.
A. 1t was called the Sir Roger de
Coverly.
@. Is there statue OF Col. Llndnergh
at the National Capital?-W. H.
A. There is no statue, but there is
medallion sculpture of the head of Lind
bergh on building erected as branch
post ONCE, but now used as church.
@. When did the mathematician live
for whom Gunter's chain was named?-
E. G. z.
A. Edmund Gunter was born IN 1881
and died in 1926. 1t is believed that
Gunter was the first to discover that
the magnetic declination at one place
varies. He introduced the words "coSine'
and "cotangent" into trigonometry, and
suggested the use Of the arlthmetlcal
complement in logarthms. His practical
inventions are: Gunter's chain. in COM
mon use for surveying; Gunter's line,
the forerunner of the slide rule; Gun
ter's quadrant used to find the hour OF
the day: Gunters scale. large plane
scale used to solve problems in naviga-
ton.
@. Who was Thais?-G. M.
A. An Athenian courteSan, famous FOR
wit and beauty. She accompanied Alex
ander the Great to Asia and induced him,
during festival, to set fire to the palace
of the Persian Kings at PerSepolis.
After the death of Alexander she lived
with Ptolemy Lagi, King Of Egypt, who
is said to have married her, and by
whom she gave birth to two sons and
daughter.
@. Who succeeded DR.. Annie Besant