Evening star., 1938-01-06
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN,

BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.
reader can get the ansUer to any
question OF fact by ,rittng The Evening
Star Information Bureau, Frederic J.
Hdskin, director. Washington, d. c.
Please tnclose stamp for reply.
@. Do drunken pedestrians figure In
automobile accidents?-G. M.
A. A survey by the Massachusetts,
Safety Council shows that they are ale
most as great menace as drunken driv-
ers. In Az night highway accidents in
that State in 1896 almost third more
Intoxicated pedestrians were victims than
intoxicated drivers.
@. What is the fastest sport2-H. G. s.
A. Ice hockey is so considered.
ing of the 1893 Chicago Fair now used
for?-F. M.
A. 1t is now the Museum Of Science
entirely restored and Julius Rosenwald
HAS plOfluCQ Lllc 1Ol I4lC llluoCuAls
@ What day Of the week was July 4,
1776?-M. w.
A. 1t fell on a Thursday.
@. How high should a barbed-wire
fence be for confining sheep, goats and
cows?-A. A. P.
A. The Bureau of Agricultural Engi-
neering says that barbed wire is not very
suitable for sheep fence, since it tears
the wool. If used. the fence may be
three feet high. with the wires about six
inches apart. For goats. the fence should
be five feet high, made of six or seven
wires. A fence four and one-half feet
high with five wires may be used for
COWS.
@. May person publish letter that
he has received without the consent Of
the writer?-W. K.
A. This is legal question. The fol-
lowing is an excerpt from Corpus Juris,
volume 10: The writer of letter has
a right of property in the letter, superior
to that of the person to whom the letter
is sent, which entities the writer to
remedy against any unauthorized publi-
cation, either by the person to whom 1t
was sent or by a stranger. AS in the
case of art works, the common law lit
erary property may be in the sender,
while the title to the physical substance
of the letter may be in the recipient.
The recipient has the property right in
the paper on which the letter is written.
he may keep it or destroy it, and he can
recover possession of 1t when lost, even
from the writer; but he has no right to
publish it without the consent Of the
writer. It has been said that the recip-
lent of letter may publish it against
the will Of the writer where it is neces-
sary to protect his rights or to defend
his character against the writer; but this
doctrine has been severely criticized and
1t is doubtful If 1t would now be fol-
lowed"
@. Where Is the original manuscript
Of Barries Peter and Wendy"?-W. H.
A. It was recently purchased at auc-
ton in London by Gabriel Wells of New
York.
@. Is Bessie Smith, the Negro blues
singer, hving?-W. r.
A. She died last September as the re-
suit of an automobile accident. The
singer was Al years old.
@. Is the work-study plan at Antioch
College successful to the extent Of get
ting Jobs for students?-H. w.
A. Less than 2 per cent Of the grad
yates of Antioch College in the last IS
years are unemployed.
O. What States put their government
employees under civil service in 1872
G. R.
A. AS result Of 1887 legislation. Mich
igan Connecticut. Arkansas. Maine and
Tennessee adopted the system.
@. How did Sir Walter Scott hear of
the American Jewess. Rebecca Gratz,
who is believed to have inspired the
Rebecca in "Ivanhoe "?-L. T.
A. She was friend of the Matilda
Hoffman to whom Washington Irving
was engaged. She nursed Miss Hoffman.
who died of tuberculosis. Irving related
the tale of her devotion to Scott.
@. What is the origin of the express
sion, THE real McCoy"2-J. A. D.
A. There are several tales as to its
origin. Gov. AL Smith of New York
gives the following: Every small town
in the United States has what We call
an oracle, who knows little bit of
everything. The oracle of the Bowery
many years ago was man by the name
of Mccoy. so that when any matter
came up It's the real Mccoy came into
being and usually in this manner: We'll.
I will give you the low down on that
I will give you the inside story, the real
Mccoy"
I. @. When was the mace first used in
the House of Representatives?-H. E. A.
A. The first mace of the House Of
Representatives was adopted April 4.
1889. 1t was about three feet long and
consisted of 13 ebony rods. representing
the 13 original colonies. bound together
with transverse bands of silver in imi-
tation of the thongs that bound the
fasces of ancient Rome. The shaft was
surmounted by a globe of solid silver
about five inches in diameter. upon which
rested massive eagle. richly carved, of
solid silver; although the eagles wings
were outspread, he grasped the globe
firmly with his claws. This mace was
destroyed by the British when they
burned the Capitol in 1914. For % years
thereafter mace of painted pine wood
was used, until the congressional session
of 1841-42. when the present mace was
procured, which is a replica of the ono
destroyed by the British.
@. Is there mansion on the King
Ranch in TeXas?-H K.
Santa Gartr,,dic tLo eosn mn Nfo.s