Evening star., 1937-02-04
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

A reader can get the ans,oer to any
question OF fact BY ,Critinq The Euening
Sta. Information Bureau. Frederic J.
Hdskin, Director, Washington, D. c.
Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. How much money has been realized
from the Presidents birthday balls in
former years?-D. r. r.
A. In 1884 the amount received from
the birthday balls was approximately
81 ,015,000. In 1885 1t was approximately
81, OIL 900. The amount in 1896 was esti-
mated at approximately 81, 100000.
@. Has Los Angeles the largest area Of
any American city?-P. s.
A. Greater Los Angeles has an area OF
1,474.34 square miles, but Greater Pitts
burgh exceeds this with an area Of ,62605
square miles.
@. Is there trailer camp at Mammoth
Cave, Ky?-J. F.
A. The Mammoth Cave Operating
Committee has begun work on a trailer
camp which it is hoped will be completed
by the time the Summer touring season
begins.
@. Is Lenin's widow living?-H L.
A. Nine. Ma dezhd a Konstantinova
Krupskaya, LeninS widow, Is living in
Moscow, where she is active as speaker.
@. Has there ever been a completely
flreproof passenger ship?-J. L.
A. What is said to be the first one will
be launched this month when the Cath
crime. owned by A. H. Bull g. Co., is
completed. The furniture, all trimmings.
and doors are made OF bakelite and
asbestos. The joiner bulkheads and all
sheathing are Of metal and asbestos. The
fire screen bulkheads of steel are insu-
lated with asbestos and covered with steel
metal. Even the draperies have been
treated with flreproof solution.
@. In dog racing, how far ahead Of the
dogs Is the mechanical rabbit kept
N. S.
A. 1t is kept about 20 feet ahead.
@. How many grains are there In the
average bushel OF wheat?-L. &c.
A. There is a wide variation-between
about 446,600 and 971 300.
@. How many miles has Mrs. Roosevelt
travelled since she became mistress Of the
White House2-J. H.
A. Mrs. Roosevelt travelled $1,000 miles
the first year, $4,000 miles the second
year and $4,000 miles the third year.
@. Where is the monument to Sam
Davis, the Confederate hero?-E. H.
A. His statue Is on the Tennessee State
Capitol grounds at Nashville, Tenn.
@. Who conceived the idea Of having
chain newspapers in the United States?-
H. w.
A. Benjamin Franklin was the first
proponent Of the chain newspaper idea
He did this by setting up in business
young journeymen printers, supplying
printing office equipment, paying one
third of the running expenses and re-
ceiving one-third Of the net profits. He
established such branches in seven Diff
ferent places: Charleston, S. c.: Antigua
and Jamaica in the West Indies New
York City, Lancaster. Pa; New Haven.
Conn, and in Georgia.
@. Some maps carry name Baja
California. What does Baja mean?-
A. L. B.
A. The word is Spanish, meaning lower.
Baja California is the peninsula of Lower
California.
Q. Please give some information about
Eddie Bergen, the ventriloquist.-G. S.
A. Mr.. Bergen is a native of Chicago
and attended Northwestern University.
He began his stage career on the Chau-
tauqua circuit having an act that included
ventriloquiSm, magic and cartoons Sub
sequently he played in this country and
abroad in an act called The Operation"
In addition to appearing on the radio,
stage and In night clubs, he has made .
number Of movie shorts.
@. Please explain the emblem of the
Ancient Arabic Order of Mobiles OF the
Mystic Shrine.-W. D. w.
A. The emblem is a crescent formed of
tiger claws, denoting strength and fury.
The crescent has been q religious emblem
In all ages In the East, and In some coun-
tries 1t is political ensign. The ancient
Greeks used it to denote the universal
mother Of all living things. The two
horns on the crescent point down to
denote the setting moon Of the old faith
and the rising sun of the new faith In
brotherhood Of all mankind.
@. How many one room school houses
are there7-E. w.
A. There are still 1882 in operation
In the United States.
@. Where did the "flu" start at the time
Of the World War? And this year,
T. 8. L.
A. In 1918, in June, the first reports of
the pandemic of influenza began to reach
medical attention. At that time Il was
epidemic In Switzerland, England, India
and Brazil. Before the epidemic ended
It's extension was practically worldwide.
There have been since that time scatter
ing cases, and during this year the disease
has reached epidemic proportions in the
united states, although it Is less severe
In type than in the 1918 outbreak.
@. What Is the best wood to burn?-
w. H.
A. Hickory, of the non-resinous woods
has the highest fuel value per unit volume
OF wood. 1t burns evenly and holds the
heat.
Should be Inclusive.