Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-03
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
By Frederic ]. Hdskin.

By Frederic ]. Hdskin.
A reader can get the Gns,Uer to am
question OF fact By tDrttino The Washing.
ton Epeninq Star Information Bureau,
Frederic }. Haskin, Director, Washing
ton, D. c. Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. How many men we're killed In
| the construction of Boulder Dam?-A. D.
A. Eighty-nine men lost their lives In
this mammoth operation.
@. What does p. 3. X. mean?-B. NJ.
A. 1t means private branch exchange.
Any board outside of the telephone
companys Offices is private branch
exchange.
@. Who originated the serpentine
dance?-D. s.
A. Loie Fuller. She became interna-
| tionally famous as a dancer and q
dancing teacher and spent many years
Of her life in France. She was born In
1870 and died in 1923.
@. At what age can q calf be called
baby beef?-R. F.
A. Baby beef must be from good
choice or prime animals of the beef
breeds, either steer or heifer. from 7
to 10 months of age, and weighing from
800 to l 200 pounds.
@. Are there any pensioners on the
rolls for the War of 1912 and the Mexi-
can War?-H. M.
A. Four dependents of veterans Of the
War of 1912 and 30l dependents of vet
Grams of the Mexican War are receiving
pensions.
O. What is the origin of the express
sion, barber-shop tunes?-J. w. H.
A. According to Sigmund Spaeth, in
ancient days men who were temporarily
denuded of their ruff1es and choker
stocks sat around in barber shops. In
those days instead of being provided
with magazines to pass the time, they
were given musical instruments which
naturally led TO vocal accompaniment.
@. Why are there fireplaces behind
the bench in the new Supreme Court
Building?-B. S.
A. In the original Supreme Court
chamber in New York there was a fire.
place. Sentiment suggested the con-
struction Of freplaces in the new
building, in memory of the old.
@. Who designed the Gingerbread
Castle at Hamburg, N. J?-T. NJ.
A. This castle, constructed for the
education and entertainment of both
children and adults. was designed by
the late Joseph Urban.
@. What Is supposed to be the I'M
DERIVING motive in IbSens play, The
Wild Duck"?-E j.
A. In this play Ibsen sought to exhibit
the folly of obedience to any mere
formula of conduct. He also wished to
make clear the dangers of a shallow
idealism and challenged his admirers to
decide each case of conduct on its own
merits rather than according to some
nicely worded law discovered in his plays
| Quite aside from its central meaning,
the play is of interest as depicting with
minute fidelity q curious group of
| characters.
Q. Where were the first waterworks
in the United States?-F. G.
A. The first pumping plant installed
to provide water for municipal purposes
was that at Bethlehem. Pa, about 1850
The first municipal water supply system
built in America was that of Boston
in 1852.
| @. Where did Baron Won Steuben spend
his latter years?-E. ?.
A. At the close of the Revolutionary
War he was refused pecuniary re-
Enumeration which he had asked Of the
Colonies in the event of their success.
To recuperate his fortunes. abandoned
for their cause, he was subsequently,
awarded several grants of land, among
them township in Northern New York,
where he spent the remainder Of his
life in a log cabin, within the present
limits of Utica, N. Y. A monument to
his memory was unveiled there August
3, 1914.
@. Who said 20, Liberty What crimes
are committed in thy name"?-E. L.
A. These we're the farewell words of
Nine. Roland when she was led to the
guillotine. Her husband, who had
escaped from Paris, committed suicide
when he heard of her condemnation.
| @. What is the distance from San
Francisco to Honolulu and from Homo
lulu to Manila?-D. Y. T.
A. The distance from San Francisco
to Honolulu is 2091 nautical miles and
from Honolulu to Manila is 1859 nau-
tical miles via the north end of Luzon,
Philippine Islands.
Q. How long has marble been used
for bureau and table tops?-K. L.
A. From Elizabethan England come
records of marble stone table tops in
1888, although it was not until the
early part of the eighteenth century that
marble appeared as an important fur
nishing feature in England. Its use in
Italy most probably predates this, since
the natural resources there and the
architectural character of the furniture
would both encourage the use of marble.
| Q. Does the ostrich hide its head in
the sand when pursued?-L. j. w.
A. The theory is entirely without
foundation. The ostrich is not a par
ticularly intelligent bird, having a very
small brain capacity in comparison with
its size, but it depends upon its fleet
ness of foot to escape from its enemies
and never resorts to the method in
question.
@. How old is the firm of Scribner g.
| Co.?-A. M.