Evening star., 1937-11-02
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

question OF fact by toriting The Euentng
star Information Bureau, Frederic J.
Hask'n, Director, Washington, d. C..
Please inclose stamp for reply.
Q. How many people enter contesty in
this country2-L. ..
A. The number is placed at more than
ten million by the Contest News. OF
these, only about ten thousand might
be considered experienced contest solvers.
@. Did Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes
receive q Civil War pension?-T. p.
A. The Veterans Administration has
no record of any application for pension
for the late Justice Holmes Civil War
service, either by himself or a relative.
@. Do pine trees shed their needles
every year?-D. T.
A. Coniferous trees shed their oldest
needles annually. These turn brown or
yellow In the autumn and fall of. Usu-
ally they are two or three years old, and
are farthest from the tips of the branches.
@. How many clubs belong to the
Rotary Internationally. B.
A. About 1000 clubs in 80 countries.
@. When were ships first streamlined?
M. A.
A. The principle of streamlining has
been used in the construction of all
steam vessels, since all such vessels have
been designed with the idea of reducing
wind resistance to the minimum. The
Princess Anne, steel vessel built in
1896, in Chester, Pa, is the first ship
which may be called streamlined vessel
in the sense in which the term is COM
monty used-that is to designate a cer-
tain type of design. This vessel is oper-
ated by the Virginia Ferry Corporation,
FOG Front street, Norfolk, Va, and plies
between Cape Charles and Cape Henry.
q. How much money was minted last
year for use in the United States-F. D.
A. The total number of domestic coins
made during the fiscal year 1886 was
All .04O ,986, as compared with 6O9,414,2O7
in the prior year. The 1886 total con-
sisted of 1439,000 standard silver dollars.
1913 8,876,658 subsidiary (fractionaD silver
coins. 88 ,502 614 nickel coins, and 252, ,222,-
TIA bronze coins.
O. How does person become a hand
WTlLIlg e8peTl!-E. .. r.
A. There is no definite course Of in
struction concerning disputed documents.
Many of the best qualified experts began
with technical study of handwriting,
either as teachers or authors, but of
course, more training is necessary for
one who is to do this work successfully
than technical knowledge of penman-
ship.
@. What is meant by reference to
Doubling Castle?-E. H.
A. 1t is the castle in Pilgrims Prog
ress" where Christian and his companion,
Hopeful, are imprisoned for time by
Giant Despair.
@. How many colored lawyers are there
In New York City?-J. P.
A. There are 106 colored lawyers, JUS
tices and judges enumerated together.
OF these three are women.
@. What are the verses In the Bible
which seems to prophesy the autonno-
bile?-C. B.
A. Nahum, ii3-4: "The chariots shall
be with flaming torches. The
chariots shall rage in the streets, they
| shall jostle one against another in the
broad ways: they shall seem like torches,
| they shall run like the lghtnings.
@. Please tell something about the
Mellon collection of art which is to be
| housed in Washington.-H. l.. j.
| A. Andrew Mellon made his collection
| of art objects over period of more than
forty years. 1t contains something like
| hundred paintings by old masters. Mr..
| Mellon tried to buy not only paintings
| by the greatest masters, but also the
best examples of their work obtainable.
| In range it covers all the important
schools of Western European painting.
| 1t is difficult to place a value on the
| collection. The pictures and sculpture
cost about S35 100000. Lord Duveen has
reckoned that the collection has value
today in excess of S50,000,000.
@. Where is the oldest Jewish syna-
gogue in the United States?-M. T.
/ A. The oldest one in America is in
Newport, r. l., and dates back to 1853.
@. Who was Paul Bunyan?-W. r.
A. In American lumber camp legend
| he was the hero of a series of tall tales,
| current through the timber country from
! Michigan westward. He is said to have
ruled his Gargantuan lumber camp be-
tween the winter of the blue snow and
the spring that came up from China.
| His priced possession Babe the blue OK,
| measured AZ ak handles and plug of
| tobacco between the horns. The stories
| have been set down by James Stephens,
Esther Sheppard and others. In South
ern lumber camps similar legendary
figure is known as John Henry, and else
where as Tony Beaver.
| O. What is the name of the Amazon
River fish that is so dangerous?-E. H.
A. The piranha is noted for its saw
agery and will attack any -blooded
creature 1t has a double row of shark
like teeth which are capable of cutting
off human finger at a single bite. A
school of these fish will attack a man
and kill him In a few moments.
| @. Is Albertina Rasch, the dancer,
married?-E. w.
A. She is the wife of Dinlitri Tionkin,
who composed the musical score for Lost
| Horizon" and Is famous concert pianist.
@. Who created the arrow dancer
| w. H.
A. 1t is the Interpretation of Mikhail
| Mordkin, Russian dancer, who was the
partner of Pavlowa.