Evening star., 1937-12-08
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J, HASKIN,

BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.
reader can get the ans1per to any
question OF fact BY ,Drtttng The Evening
star Information Bureau, Frederic J.
Hdsktn, director, Washington, D. c.
Please tnclose stamp TOR reply.
q. How many people come OF voting
age each year in the United States?-
A. About 100000 reach their 21st
birthday anniversary each year.
y. What can pedestrians do to lessen
the number of collisions with automo-
biles?--C. F.
A. Greater New York Safety Council
suggests the following rules: l. Never
cross two streets diagonally at the same
time. 2. Don't cross streets in the mid
die of the block. 3. Never step into the
street from between parked cars. 4. Never
get out of parked car on the left-hand
side. 5. Stop for the red light-wait for
the green 6. Always look first to the
left and then to the right when crossing
the street. Z. Look out for cars making
right-hand turns. 8. Always walk on the
left-hand side Of an open highway.
8. Don't travel unaccompanied on the
street If hearing or eyesight is defective.
10. Children: Don't play in the street.
c. How is the Nobel Prize fund ham
dled?-W H.
A. The Nobel fund is managed by
Board of Directors, the head of which is
appointed by the Swedish government.
@. How much paper was made in this
country last year?-L. D.
A. In 1896 the total production of
paper in the United States amounted to
6,520,9l9 tons.
@. In English history, were the Wings
conservative or liberal?-C. M.
A. The Wings were liberal. They were
the anti-court, anti-clerical party as dis
tinguished from the Tories who tended
to support the old privileges of the King
and clergy.
@. What was Columbus appearance?-
w. G.
A. Columbus, according to tradition,
was OF an engaging presence, tall, we'll
formed and muscular, and of dignified
demeanor. His face was long, his nose
aquiline, his eyes light gray and apt to
kindle. His whole countenance had an
air of authority. His hair was white at
80 years of age.
@. Why is the tide so high in the Bay
Of Fundy?-H. r. B.
A. 1t is due largely to the confgura-
tion of the bay. When a tidal wave from
a deep water enters broad, deep river
mouth or bay and spends its energy up
a narrow channel at the far end, the
momentum of the water forces a tre-
mendous mass Of water inland.
@. Where is the longest bridge in
Europe?-R. E. P.
A. The new railroad and highway
bridge joining the Danish Islands of
Zealand and Falster is the longest. Its
length is over two miles.
@. What is close harmony?-F. T. S.
A. 1t is an arrangement of four voices
so that the tenor and soprano are not
more than one octave apart. The voices
and the chord are then said to be in
close position in contrast to open
position.
@. Who was Saint Dismas?-L. MEG.
A. Dismas or Saint Dismas is the ira
ditional name of the thief who was cru
Gifted with Jesus and die not revile Him.
@. For whom are the Randolph-Macon
Colleges named?-R. L. G..
A. They are named for John Randolph
~ al AT14
North Carolina.
@. How many lines and "sticks" of
type are there in the average newspaper
column?-B. S.
A. Nonpareil type is generally used
and runs twelve lines to the inch or
twenty-four lines to the stick. There are
usually ten sticks of type to a news
paper column, or 240 lines.
Palestine?-B. j.
A. The Hebrew people were Graded in
the Arabian Desert from which they
migrated in small tribal groups between
the 18th and 18th centuries, B. c., and
settled in Palestine.
0' "AAdo hAAlo VI tdA Wdo llIS
fumage?-J. H.
A. The fumage or chimney tax is men
toned in Domesday as paid to the King
for every chimney in the house. Edward,
the Black Prince, is said to have imposed
a tax of a forin for every hearth in his
French dominions. The first statutory
enactment in England required tax of
two shillings on every hearth in certain
houses to be paid to the King. The tax
was abolished in 1889.
@. How long have clearing houses been
knoWn?-C. L. S.
A. Clearing houses seem to have
existed in Toxic as early as 26oO B. c.
and in Florence by 300 A. D. They were
perfected at Lyons by 1853. BY the 18th
century their use was widespread in
Europe. The first modern clearing
houses were at Edinburgh, 176O, and
London, 1773. They were then estab-
lished in Dublin, 1876; New York, 1853,
and Paris, 1872.
-S~1S>@-