Evening star., 1936-10-23
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

reader can get the ansper to any
question OF fact By tDriting The Euentno
Star Information Bureau, Frederic J.
Haskin, Director, Washington, D. c.
Please irclose stamp for reply
@. How many straw polls Of the elec-
ton are being taken?-W. H.
A. Among the various polls are those
of the Literary Digest, the Crossley Poll,
the American Institute of Public Opin-
ion, the Scripps- Howard, Baltimore Sun
and American Press Association and the
Publishers Autocaster Service. There
are also a number of smaller polls being
conducted by various newspapers.
@. How many combat planes are au-
thorized for the United States?-C. M.
A. A bill passed Congress which pro-
vided that the United States should have
not to exceed 1000 combat planes. At
the present time there are many less
than that number, but more planes are
constantly being built for the Army. The
money for constructing and acquiring
these planes has not yet been appropri-
ated. The term combat planes" includes
DObil aLHly dAld 4NdNJ PtdAiCos Ala dde40AOAA
to these the National Guard and the
Coast Guard have some airplanes.
@. Are there any pictures of Christo-
pher Columbus?-M. L.
A. There is no authentic portrait Of
Columbus.
@. How many churches are there In
Washington, D. C.?-H. j. G.
A. There are 399 churches in Wash
ington. D. c., according to the latest
religious census, and 81 different de-
nominations are listed.
@. Is there an odorless marigold?
H. K.
A A new type of marigold, entirely
odorless, has been developed by David
Burpee of Philadelphia.
@. How many schoolboy patrols are
there in the United States?-G. NJ.
A. In round numbers, about 100000.
@. What is the name of the man who
is famous for making Kentucky burgoo?
e. NJ.
A. James T. Looney is considered the
master mixer Of burgoo and is present
at practically all notable Kentucky gath
erings where it is served.
@. Please tell me something about
Casper Reardon, who plays swing music
on the harp-B. A. I.
A. Casper Reardon, said to be the only
swing harpist in the world. is from Little
Falls, N. Y, is % years old, comes of a
theatrical family, and played in vaude-
vile Skits with his father and sister
when he was a child. In 1922 he went
to New York to study the harp under
Carlos SalZedo. Later he went to the
Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. In 1927
he went to the Cincinnati Symphony
Orchestra and remained there five years.
He became interested in jazz in 1929
and played it on the radio, being billed
as the Arpeggio- Glissando. In 1882 he
returned to New York City.
@. Who said that there are only three
cities in the United States worth writing
about?-L. o. F.
A. The saying that there are only
three American cities worth writing
about is attributed to Frank Norris, and
the cities he named we're New York, San
Francisco and New Orleans.
@. Isn't it considered bad luck to re-
turn borrowed penknife with the blade
open?-F. G. D.
A. One such superstition IS that
pocket knife should be returned as 1t
was handed to you, opened or closed.
@. What is Persian lamb?-E. K.
A. This type of fur comes from Kara
kul lambs three to ten days old and has
a tight, lustrous curl
@. Please give some information about
Blind Tom.-E. r.
A. Blind Tom, Thomas Bethune, a
musical freak, was a Negro slave in
Georgia who was born blind and men,
tally deficient. He showed remarkable
aptitude for music and after hearing a
piece played once could reproduce 1t
accurately on the piano. He also per-
formed other musical wonders and was
exhibited in various cities. After playing
he would generally spring up and ap-
plaud himself. He died in 1908.
@. What was the cost of the land on
WHICH Ce1tIdl FdEk III NeW 4OIk WAS
laid out?-H. NJ
A. The original cost of this land was
S., ,028, ,844.
@. When were noiseleSs typewriters
introduced?-G. w. F.
A. While earlier ones appeared in 1909,
they were soon taken off the market,
and it was in 1915 that the noiseless type
writer became practical. Steady i'm
provement has since been made.
@. How old is the Pennsylvania His
torical Society?-E. w.
A The society was organized in Phila.
delphia on December 2. 1924, and in
corporated on June 2, 1926.
@. Is Neville Chamberlain, chancellor
of the exchequer in the present Baldwin
cabinet, related to Sir Austen Chamber
lain, former cabinet member?-E. c.
A. They are half brothers, the sons
of Joseph Chamberlain by his first and
second wife, respectively. Sir Austen is
six years the elder.
A Rhyme at Twilight