Evening star., 1936-08-18
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. H4SKIN.

| bI FhEDEhIC J. HAShIN.
reader can get the dnsDer to any
question of fact by tDriting The Eueninq
Star Information Bureau Frederic J.
Haskin. Director. Washington, D. C.
Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. How much money is invested In the.
liquor business?-N. X.
A. About $5O000O,OO0 More than
1000. 900 workers are employed.
@. What proportion Of the people who
attempt suicide succeed in killing them
selves?-W. E. r.
A. About one-third succeed In the
United States.
@. What breed is the motion picture
dog Buck?-K. B.
A. He is half st. Bernard and half
Newfoundland. He weighs 200 pounds
and has great strength. He has been
insured for 81 100000 during the taking
of motion picture in which he has
part.
Q. What percentage of American
homes is equipped with electric irons,
refrigerators. clocks and washing ma
chines?-F. H. L.
A OF all homes wired for electricity
81 per cent have electric irons, "a per
cent have electric refrigerators. AZ per
cent have electric clocks and 40 per cent
have electric washers.
@. How many Negroes have attended
West Point?-K. M.
A Sixteen colored cadets have been
admitted to the United States Military
Academy, four of whom successfully
completed the course and were gradu-
ated.
@. How large do sponges growth. d.
A. Unusually large ones may measure
about feet IN circumference.
O. Why is the expression alma mater
used with reference to a university
K. r.
A A statue of the Virgin Mary over
the portals of a university in Germany
was known as alma mater or fostering
mother. Thus the term was adopted
by all students and applied to their
universities.
@. What is deliquescence?-M H. r.
A. This is the property displayed by
certain substances of absorbing water
from the air so that they become wet or
even dissolve in the absorbed liquid.
Substances possessing this property are
called deliquescent. Examples are caustic
potash, caustic soda, magnesium chloride
rol0 hn loc+
being extensively used as drying agent.
@. How many bridges are there across
the Ohio River? How many dams?
ID. w
on the Ohio River between Pittsburgh
and Cairo.
Q. What is elecampane?-K. w. r.
A. This is a tall herbaceous plant
1nula helenium) of the composite fam
ily native to Europe and naturalized
in America. 1t sometimes grows feet
high. has coarse. wrinkled leaves clasp
ing the stem and bears large yellow
flowers The root contains an aromatic,
acrid resin used in medicine.
@. What is Doppler's principle?
e. r. L.
A. In case a sounding body. such as
a whistling locomotive. is approaching
a listener. the pitch of the note is higher
than when the source of the sound Is
at rest or receding. In other words. the
frequency of the sound waves is appar-
emily increased when the sound is ap-
preaching and decreased when it is
moving away. This principle holds true
also regarding light.
@. How many Ford cars have been
made?-S. L. K.
A. On Mr.. FordS recent 73d birthday
anniversary it was stated that the a.
500000th Ford had been assembled.
Q. Who first thought of cooking eggs7
M. L. C.
A. The first method of cooking eggs
was that employed by Egyptian shep-
herds, who cooked them without fire.
The eggs were placed in a sling which
was turned so rapidly that friction
heated them to the right degree.
@. How old is the game of Coz
H. R. T.
IA LIE JdpdIleSe game WHICH re-
sembles chess is 1000 years old.
Q. What would be the force eXerted
per square inch on plate glass window
by wind blowing at $50 miles per hourt
&C. D. C.
A. The National Bureau of Standards
says that the force exerted would be
anywhere from y to n pound per square
inch, depending on the location of the
window in building. shape of building
and direction of wind.
@. What is John OGroat's House?
H. r.
A. This is a spot on the north coast
of CaithneSS, Scotland. IA miles north of
Wick and Ia miles west of DuncanSby
Head. 1t is the mythical site of an
octagonal house said to have been
erected early in the sixteenth century
by John Groot, Dutchman. who had
migrated to the north of Scotland by
permission of James w. The site of
the traditional building is marked by
mound and flagstaff.
@. What is the standard for ripeness
required for marketing Florida oranges?
B. C.
A. They must contain at least eight
parts of sugar to one of acid.