Evening star., 1936-01-27
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY Frederic ]. Hoskin.

BY Frederic J. Hoskin.
A reader cdn get the dnswer to am
question OF fact by Drttin0 The Wdshtng-
ton EDenin0 Star Information Bureau,
Frederic J. Hdskin, Director, Washtng-
ton, d. c. Please inclose stamp for reply.
Q. How long does 1t take voter to
register his vote when a voting machine
Is used?-A. s.
A. The average length Of time is less
than one minute.
@. How many people in the United
States have been sterilized?-E. r. B.
A. Approximately 10000 persons have
been sterilized under eugenic laws in 18
States.
@. Was Andrew Carnegie pacifist?
s.. T.
A. International peace was the end
toward which he directed his efforts.
He gave literally of his money, time
and effort to advance this cause In
which he so heartily believed.
@. In what book or play is there a
character named Bob Acres?-E. J.
A. He is character in Sheridan's THE
Rivals" celebrated for his cowardice and
his peculiar method of allegorcal
swearing.
@. What is the name of the prod used
by an elephant trainer?-W. r.
A. 1t is called an ankus.
@. Please give a history of soap.-A. T.
A. Soap, both as medical and cleans
ing agent, was known to the anclents.
Pliny speaks of two kinds, hard and soft,
as used by the Germans. He mentions
it as originally a Gallo invention for
giving a bright hue to the hair. 1t is
probable that soap came to the Romans
from Germany. Although soap is re-
ferred to in the Old Testament, authori-
ties believe that ashes of plants or other
such purifying agents are implied. The
earliest kinds of soap appear to have
been made of goats tallow and beech
ash AS early as the thirteenth century,
however, factory for making soap from
olive oil was established at Marsellle.
Soap making was introduced into Eng
land during the next century.
@. How long did it take to send anti
toxin into Nome, Alaska, by dog team
about 10 years ago?-P. c.
A. 1t was in 1925 that relays OF dog
teams took the serum from Nenana to
Nome. 1t took 5i2 days to travel the 655
miles The temperature was so degrees
below zero, F., and blizzard was blowing.
O. By whom and how old is the poem
beginning, AN old man, going lone
highway" r. B.
A. Building the Bridge" by Will Allen
Dromgoole, was published in her BOOK
Rare Old Chums," in 1898.
@. What is meant by lustrum?-H. H.
A. This was the solemn offering made
for expiation and puriflcation by one OF
the censors in the name OF the Roman
people at the conclusion OF the census.
The animals offered in sacrifice were q
boar, a sheep and a bull. They were led
around the assembled people on the
Campus Martius before being sacrificed.
AS the census was quinquennial, the
word lustrum came to signify period
OF five years.
@. How many periodicals are pub
lished by Lloyds?-E. L. M.
A. Lloyd's publishes six periodicals
connected with ships, cargoes and ship
ping law, OF these the best known Is
probably Lloyds List and Shipping
Gazette.
@. Please give a biography Of Mrs.
Russell Sage. H.
A. Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage was
born at Syracuse, N. Y, IN 1928. She
was graduated at Troy Female Seminary
in 1847 and, in 1869, married Russell
Sage. After the death of her husband
she began to devote his large fortune
to educational and religious purposes.
In 1915 the aggregate of her gifts ex-
ceeded S23.000,000 the most important
being SlO,O0000G for the establishment OF
the Russell Sage Foundation. She died
in 1918.
@. How many ballots were taken for
presidential candidate in the Democratic
Convention which nominated John w.
Davis?-M. II. T.
A. Davis was nominated in July, 1924,
on the 103d ballot.
O. What is agio?-R. H.
A. 1t is the rate at which the money
of one country exchanges with the money
of another country. The term is also
applied to the rate at which a par
ticular kind of money, such as gold,
exchanges with another kind OF money
within the same country.
@. How long has cholocate been used
as a food?-J. B.
A. Chocolate was used by the natives
of Central America long before Columbus
crossed the ocean. 1t is said that when
Cortez conquered Mexico he found the
Emperor of that country drinking choco-
late from a golden cup.
@. Why is Portland cement so called?
III. B.
A. The name is due to Joseph Aspdin,
a bricklayer of Leeds, England, who, in
1924, patented the method of making
cement and thought that the hardened
product bore a slight resemblance to a
famous building stone found on the
Isle of Portland.
@. In what year did DR.. Coue visit
this country to disseminate his doctrine
of autosuggestion, Every day in every
way / am getting better and better?
". r.
A. He arrived in New York January
4, 1923.
@. How much money is spent In New
York CITY on New Year celebrationS2