Evening star., 1937-01-02
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.
A reader can oct the dnsper TO ary
question Of fact by rrtting The Eventng
Star Information Bureau, Frederic J.
Hdskfn, Director, Washington, d. c.
Please inclose stamp for reply
@. Isn't all gambling illegal?-G. T. q.
A. Not all. There is legaliZed betting
on horse races in various States and
on dog races in a lesser number Of
States. In at least one State. Florida,
slot machines are not banned by law,
and there are legalized gambling houses
in Nevada.
@. Where Is the gigantic statue Of
Mussolini being erected?-M g.
A. 1t is in the Foro Mussolini in Rome.
1t will be about 240 feet tall.
@. How big is q persons stomach7
IN. M. j.
A. Fully distended the human stomach
Is about the size of a foot ball. Empty,
1t shrivels to about finger size.
@. Who are the directors OF the
American Academy of Arts and Letters?
H G.
A. They are as follows: Herbert Adams.
N. M. Butler, Royal Cortissoz, w. l..
Cross, Charles Dana Gibson. william
Lyon Phelps, Robert Grant, A. M.
Huntington and Robert Underwood
johnson.
@. Is Hiawatha q real Indian name7
&C. j. P.
A. Hiawatha is name and a title
of chieftainship hereditary in the
Tortoise clan of the Mohawk tribe; it
is the second on the roll of federal
chieftainships of the Iroquois confedera-
ton. The first known person to bear
the name was q noted reformer, states
man. legislator and magician, Justly
celebrated as one of the founders of
the League of the Iroquois, the Confed-
Grafton of Five Nations. Tradition makes
him a prophet also.
@. What Is the seating capacity Of
Carnegie Hall in New York Civic. ].
A. 1t has a seating capacity Of 276o.
@. Was John Howard Payne at one
time an actor?-W. r.
A. The author of Home, Sweet Home"
made his debut as an actor in New York
City in 1909 and was successful for 30
years. He also wrote several plays, of
which "Brutus, )" Charles II" and "Clsri"
are the best known. The song, Home.
Sweet Home" was introduced in "Clari"
which was produced as an opera in
London.
@. Is it known who first made dough-
nuts with holes in them?-C. S.
A. The hole in the doughnut Is said
to have been invented by New Eng
land mariner, Capt. Gregory, when he
was a lad of Is in 1847, aboard a ship
out of Boston.
@. What Is the story of how Columbus
made an egg stand on end?-A. D. Y.
A. The story rests on the authority of
the italian historian Benzoni 1t Is
recorded that while Columbus was at
Barcelona, just before his second voyage,
Pedro Gongales de Mendoza, the grand
cardinal Of Spain, holding the highest
rank OF any subject in the land, in.
Vlted the navigator to banquet, at
which he was assigned the most hon.
orable seat. One of the courtiers who
was jealous of the honor, asked Co.
lumbus whether he thought any one else
could have discovered the Indies. Co.
lumous made no reply, but invited each
OF the guests to see whether he could
make an egg stand on one end. All
tried in vain. Columbus then struck the
egg gently on the table TO break the
shell, leaving it standing on the broken
part. In this way, he illustrated the fact
that 1t would be very simple for others
to follow the path to the New World
now that he had pointed the way.
@. How much does a Shetland pony
weigh?-R. v. r.
A. The average Shetland pony weirhs
300 to 375 pounds.
@. What was the first third party"
In American politics?-D. S.
A. The Guilds was first. It was 20
called from tertium quid, third thing.
because its members supported neither
the administration forces nor their Fed
eral opposition. John Randolph of Vir-
ginia was its leader in Congress.
O. What Is the leading flour city of
the world?-P. B.
"A. Inc Bureau of Agricultural Eco.
nomics says that Buffalo has recently
come to the front, and now leads the
world in total output of flour, while
Minneapolis Is second.
Q. When was the Universal Postal
Union organiZed?-M A.
A. In 1873. 1t followed an earlier
union formed in 1874. 1t includes prsc-
tically all nations on the globe. These
countries are declared to be q single
postal territory for the reciprocal ex.
change of correspondence.
@. When was the first concert or.
chestra formed in America ID. r.
A. The Philharmonic, founded bv
Gottheb Graupner in 1899, was the frst,
q. When did Finland become an In.
dependent country?-Kl g.
A. Finland, which had been part of
the Russian Empire, declared its indie.
pendence in December. 1917, after the
Bolshevik revolution. It became q re-
public year later, and was recognized
In May, 1919, by the nations, Including
the United States, assembled at the
Peace Conference.
q What iS the ct S;.t~-.-