Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-18
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY Frederic ]. Haskin.

| BY Frederic ]. Haskin.
reader can get the ans,Der to any
question of fact By ,Dr:ttng The Washing
ton EUenfno Star Information Bureau
Frederic J. HGsEetn, Director, Washing
ton, D. C.. Please incloSe stamp Jor reply.
@. How many trees are there on the
White House grounds?-J. F. A.
A. On the Is acres comprising tie
White House lawn, there are 345 trees
Of 81 varieties. These have been trans
planted from all parts of the United
States, many having been planted by
the Presidents themselves.
O. Please give some information about
the Janizaries.-M. P.
A. The Janizaries, an infantry force
OF Turkey, were first organized by Siltan
Orkhan about 1880. Later their number
was increased and they were given spe-
cial privileges 1t was their boast that
they never fed in battle and that they
were the nerve and sinew Of the Otto
man army. They were kept in barracks
In Constantinople and few other cities
Some constituted the Sultan's body
guard and in time they became so dan
gerous that their frequent instructions
resulted in efforts to disband them. In
1926 they rebelled because of a proposal
to form a new militia, the Sultan,
Mahmoud II, having displayed the flag
of the Prophet, and supported by their
commander in chief defeated the rebels
and burned their barracks, many OF
them perishing in the flames. A roya
proclamation abolished the corps. Some
$4,000 were executed and fully 20,00J
were banished.
@. How far have telephone converse
tons been held over long distance
M M
A. A 23,0O0-mile circuit is the longest
ever established. The circuit went from
New York to San Francisco over land
wires, and from there through Java,
Amsterdam and London by short-wave
radio. The voices covered the distance
in one-Quarter of a second.
@. What is the origin of calling cards?
H. M. 3.
A. The use Of cards of Identification
AL oONAd1 uPOoCo ~ SORPOoCd W 41dfC
had its origin at the court of Louis
XIV Of France. In ruder form the
custom dates from earlier times. The
Chinese employed such mediums of
communication on calling at the houses
of absent friends. They were used in
Germany as early as the sixteenth cen
fury. Under Louis XIV cards were fin
iShed with delicate engravings, showing
some fanciful landscape, or a view OF
the town or place where the person
resided.
@ How early did Gen. William Boot
of the Salvation Army become a COL
vert?-R. T. w.
A. At Is he underwent the experienc
of religious conversion and became
revivalist preacher.
O. Please give a formula for prepa-
ration to catch insects on trees.-W. B. s
A. A preparation such as is used or
f1ypaper may also be spread on tire
trunks for catching insects. The in
gradients are: One pound resin, 3l2 o..
molaSses. 81 OF. boiled linSeed oil. Boi
the three together until they get thic.-
enough, and then spread on the trees.
@. When was the League of Red eros
Societies established?-R. w.
A. The League of Red Cross Socie-
ties was formed in 1919 on the pro-
posal of H p Dawson, president Of the
War Council of the American Rec
Cross. by the Red Cross Societies o.
France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan and
the United States, for the purpose OF
developing and intensifying the hu-
manitarian activities of the Red Cross
in time of peace.
@. Who first used the expression
belles-lettres in literature?-K. L. M.
A. The term appears to have been
first used in English by Swift in ITO.
@. What is the origin of the word
bead?-F. @.
A The word is derived from the
Saxon verb biddan, to pray. Origi-
nally associated with the beads on
rosary, it has now been extended TO
mean almost any pierced object that
can be strung.
@. About how many horses does each
trainer care for in a racing stable?
M. C.
A. A competent trainer averages IS
horses in his stable. Some care for as
many as go.
@. Please give a brief history Of cal
culus-K. L. G.
A Excluding anticipations, especially
of Indignation, which reach back at least
to Archimedes (287-212 BC0, calculus
may be traced back to Barrow's Lee
tones" 1669-7e), on which Newton col
Elaborated. Barrow used the differential
triangle as early as 1854. Newton was
working with Series at Cambridge in
1866.
@. How long have Mammoth and
Dixon Caves in Kentucky been known
to exist?-R. B.
A. Both caves are mentioned in public
documents of record in 1893. 1t has
now been proved that Dixon Cave Is q
continuation of Mammoth. -.
@. What caused the death of Queen
Victoria PA. G.
A. Queen Victoria's ailment was prin-
cipally general debility. She had SUI
fered for some time from rheumatism
and aphasia, as well as falling eyeSight,
but drove out in fair health the 18th
of January, 1901, and apparently took
a slight cold. Her illness was brief
and painless and her death entirely
peaceful.