Evening star., 1937-01-28
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN,

III rhEDEhIC !. HASkIN.
A reader can get the dnsUer to any
question Of fact by tDrfttng The Evening
Star Information Bureau, Frederic J.
Haskir, Director, Washington, D. C.
Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. How much gold and silver went into
industrial consumption in the United
States last year?-T. G.
A. The figures for 1886 are not yet
available. In 1885 the f1gures-subject
to revision-were: Gold, $25929, ,497;
silver, 41,192,023 fine ounces.
@. Where Is the sword surrendered by
Santa Anna at San Jacinto in 1852
j. L. H.
A. When Santa Anna was captured
and brought before Houston he was
dressed as a private soldier and had
no arms.
@. How are lighthouse tenders named?
e. F.
A. Since 1865, lighthouse tenders have
been named after flowers, trees, and
plants. The Orchid, Violet, Jasmine,
Crocus, Ivy and Willow are typical names.
@. When was the Venus de Milo
found?-A. r.
A. 1t was found in 1920 on the Island
of Melos, Greece.
@. What is the density of the popu-
lation of Alaska?-J. A.
A. The average number of inhabitants
to the square mile is one-tenth of one.
This may be compared with continental
United States, with density of Alb to
the square mile.
@. Who were the most popular movie
stars of 1936?-H. K.
A. A personal popularity contest, con-
Quoted by the trade magazine Box Office
showed the following preferences: Clark
Gable, Shirley Temple, Astaire and
Rogers, Robert Taylor, William Powell,
Myrna 10y, Claudette Colbert, Norma
Shearer, Gary Cooper, and Fredric March.
@. What are the earliest examples OF
Gothic architecture in the United States?
C. r. S.
A. The Gothic revival of the nineteenth
century manifested itself in thes United
States as early as 1889, when Richard NJ.
Upjohn undertook the design of Trinity
Church, New York. OF the same time
was the Church of Holy Trinity, Brook
lyn, New York designed by Lefevre.
Grace Church, New York, by James Rem
wick and by the same architect, st.
Patricks Cathedral, New York, are among
the most successful efforts of the period.
The Gothic style was for the most part
restricted to churches.
@. What Is the percentage of illiteracy
In Soviet Russia?-C. H.
A. According to government statistics.
80 per cent of the Soviet citizens are
literate.
@. How did the word blackguard origi-
nate?-E NJ.
A. The term was used in the sixteenth
century with reference to the lowest
menials of a noble house, the scullions
who cleaned pots and pans. 1t was also
used of the hangerS-on of an army camp
and of vagabonds in general.
@. Does Louisiana still have the news
paper license tax enacted by Senator
Huey Long?-E. w.
A. On February 10, 1886, the newspaper
license tax was unanimously invalidated
by the United States Supreme Court on
the ground that it abridged the freedom
Of the press.
Q. Why did Charles Dickens use the
pseudonym Boz2-E. j.
A. A younger brother of the author had
In childhood received from the latter the
nickname of Moses, which, being face
tiously pronounced through the nose, be-
came Boses, and being shortened became
Boz.
@. Do all the farms in the United States
show the effect of soil erosion?-H. w.
A. About one-third of the acres Of land
show little OF no soil erosion.
@. Where Is Black Rock Desert?-
w. r.
A. This is tract of nearly 1000 square
miles north of Pyramid Lake, in Nevada.
@. What was the name of the man who
claimed he was John Wilkes Booth?-
G. M.
A. The one whose claim has persisted
was known as John st. Helen and later
as David E. George. Some years ago the
mummif1ed body of st. Helen was eX-
hibited about the country.
@. Please give some information about
the inventor of the Gatling gun.-H. w.
A. Richard Jordan Gatling was born
In Hertford County, N. c., in 1918. While
boy he assisted his father in the inven-
ton of machine for sowing cottonseed.
Subsequently he invented rice-sowing
machine, later adapted to sowing wheat in
drills. He graduated in medicine at Gin
cinnati, but before establishing himself
in practice conceived the basic idea of the
gun which afterward made him famous.
In 1861 he built the first types of the
revolving battery gun now known as Cat
ling This was improved in 1865 and
Immediately adopted by the United States
Government. In 1886 he invented new
gun metal of steel and aluminium. Con-
gress soon afterward voted him $4,000
to perfect new method of casting can
non. He died in 1903.
@. Have the perfumes in musk and
civet ever been produced synthetically?
w. H.
A. The chemical compounds In musk
and civet used in perfume making have
been chemically duplicated by scientists
in the Du Pont laboratories.