Evening star., 1937-06-16
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.


Star Information Bureau, Frederic j.
Hdskm, Director. Washington, d. c.
Please irclose stamp for reply
@ How many horses are racing on the
major race tracks in the United States?
A D.
A. The Jockey Club says that there
are probably about 30 race tracks that
might be considered in this classification.
The number of horses racing in the
United States in 1886 was l0,756.
q. How many persons become OF voting
age in the United States each wear?
j. o. C.
A. Slightly over two million persons
reach the age of 81 each year.
@. Please name the rulers who are now
In eXile.-J. H. H.
A. The rulers in exile at present are
William II of Germany, Alfonso XIII Of
Spain, Ferdinand of Bulgaria, Halle Sc
lassie of Ethiopia, Frederick Augustus OF
Saxony. Prince Otto of Hapsburg, heir
to the throne of Austria and Hungary,
may be added.
q
in the Philippines?-W. L. M
A. There are about 700 species, about
half of which are found only there
@. How fast do bullets travel?-E. M.
A. Military rifles drive their bullets at
speeds of from 1000 to 5000 feet per
second. The Gerlich bullet, one of the
speedieSt, is capable of travelling almost
a mile second
@. When will it be possible to order
copy of the proposed Government bull
letin showing pictures of each United
States postage stamp?-H. F.
A. This book is now ready for distri-
button and is called "A Description of
United States Postage Stamps Issued
by the Post Office Department from July
l, 1847, to December 81. 1886" The
price is 25 cents for paper cover and IS
cents for cloth-bound edition and is for
sale by the superintendent of documents,
Washington, D. C.
@. What is the name of the poem which
begins over the river and through the
wood to grandfather's house we CO.?
Il. G.
A. 1t is Thanksgiving Day." by Lydia
Maria Child.
@. What was El Paso formerly named?
w. F.
! A. Before being won from Mexico in
| 1886, the town was known first as Ponce
de Leon Ranch and later as Franklin.
@. Are the children of trailer families
! given free public schooling in Florida?
! Il. H.
A. Trailer pupils in Florida must pay
fee of four dollars the term for gram
mar school and eight dollars the term
for high school.
| @. Does astigmatism cause cataracts?
"A. R.
| A. AStignatiSm is a defect Of vision
! due to an abnormal curvature of the
| front surfaces of the eye, so that clear
| image does not fall on the retina. Prop
| erly fitted glasses correct the trouble by
| focusing the rays to form true image
| If correct glasses are not worn, there
is eyestrain which may cause headaches,
indigestion, and other nervous symptoms,
as we'll as local irritation. Cataracts are
| not caused by astigmatism.
@. Who is acting Mayor of New York
City when Mayor La Guardia is away
| from the city?-R. G. V.
A. William F. Drummer, president Of the
Board of Aldermen.
@. What songs did Ethel Waters sing
in the musical comedy. "As Thousands
Cheer" ?-F. w.
A. TO Be or Not to Be Heat Wave"
and I've Got Harlem on My Mind"
were sung by Ethel Waters.
@. What accounts for the museum or
sideshow freak known as the Leopard
Man?-R. F.
A. The person, physicians explain,
suffers from vitligo, a disease which
attacks the pigment of the skin, bring
ing about the spotted condition. The
cause of the disease is unknown, and it
is said not to affect the general health
of the patient.
c. Who called England right little,
tight little island"?-C. S.
A. Thomas Dibdin used the charac-
terization in his The Snug Little Island"
@. Are there many covered bridges in
Vermont?-L. M. K.
A. There are more than 200.
@. Please list some books that give
experiences of people who have been
confined in mental institutions and later
have recovered-D. w.
A. "A Mind That Found Itself" by
Clifford Beers; Asylum" by William
Seabrook. and "A Mind Mislaid," by
Henry Collins Brown, are all books of
this type.
@. Did Jim Fisk corner the gold mar
| ket?-E. F. S.
A. Jim Fisk did not succeed in COR
nering the gold market in September,
1859, when his attempt to do so precipi-
tated the crisis known as Black Friday.
Fisk, through his partner Belden, re-
pudiated contracts amounting to many
millions of dollars.
@. Was Boake Carter born in England?
| F. D. A.
A. Boake Garter was born in Russia,
where his father was in the British con-
sular service. He was educated in Eng
land, came to this country in 1920, and
became a naturalized citizen of the
United States in 1888.