Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-04-19
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

A reader cut get the dnswer to
any question of fact BY Drtting The
Washington Evening Star Informal
ton Bureau, Frederic J. Hdskin,
Director, Washington, d. C. Please
inclose stamp for reply.
@. What are the dimensions of a
pitchers slab and how far is it from
the home plase?-F. M.
A. The slab Is 2 feet from one
end to the other and inches from
front to back. The front of the slab
is go feet inches from the rearInost
point Of the home plate.
Q. What country has the fewest
utomobiles?-B. E. r.
A. Spitzbergen is probably at the
bottom Of the list, since it has only
one car. This group Of islands lies
north Of Norway. 1t has a Summer
population of about 1900 and a
Winter population Of 1900. This
motor vehicle is an American truck.
@. Was the plot of the Merchant
Of Venice" revolving around the at
tempt of Shylock- to recover his debt,
original with Shakespeare?-A. r.
A. Robert Wilson, an actor and
playwright who died in 1900 had pre-
viously used the plot in his play. the
Three Ladies Of London" which ap-
peared in 1884. Shakespeare's "Mer-
chant of Venice" was written about
1594-98, the precise date being I'M
certain. It was not printed until
1900.
@. Do wrens return to their pre-
vious nests with the same mates each
year?-P. K.
A. Mr.. S. Prentiss Baldwin had a
number Of wrens on his farm near
Cleveland. Ohio, and he trapped and
banded them to study their marriage
relations. He found that the adults
separated after raising each brood
and sought new mates. While it was
certain that divorces were common
there was no evidence to indicate
that polygamy was practiced. An
accurate record from the parent stock
to the third generation showed an
amazing mix-up of uncles, aunts
cousins, brothers, and sisters. 1t was
noted that wrenS may flirt Some
times a pair will start to build nest
and separate after a day or two. The
record in progeny, for the particular
group under observation. was 81
young from one father and four
mothers in two seasons.
@. Has the site of jamestown
always been an island?-R. o. r.
A. 1t is now an island, but at the
time Of the settlement of the colony
it was a peninsula.
@. When was the first homestead
entry made?-O. S. T.
A. The original homestead law was
approved May 20, 1852. by President
Abraham Lincoln, to become effective
January /, 1863. On the latter date
the first homestead entry was made
at the Brownville, Nebr land Office
by Daniel Freeman for the S1a
NWl4. NEl4 NW14, and SWl4 NEl4,
Sec, 26, T. AN, r. Sc, 9Th PM,
Nebraska, containing 100 acres. The
application was numbered l. Final
proof on the entry was offered Janu-
airy 20, 1868, and final certificate
issued on the same day. The entry
was patented September /, 1869.
@. In the famous painting, The
Spirit of TO-" what air is being played
by the fifer?-P. T.
A. Since the original name of the
painting was Yankee Doodle" it
seems that would have been the tune
that was being played.
@. When was the first railroad
rail used?-T. o. NJ
A. Wooden rails for use in mines
were used as early as 1855 on a
tramroad near Barnard's Castle Co..
Durham, England. The first use of
iron plates to strengthen the wooden
rails was at the Whitehaven Col
lieries. Cumberland, England, in 1888.
In 1854 iron plate rails were laid on
a wagon way, connecting the Coal
brookdale Iron Works in Shropshire
with additional smelling furnaces at
Horsehey. The first iron rail over