Evening star., 1939-11-16
Huskin's Answers
To Readers Questions
By Frederic J. Huskin.

BY Frederic J. H1skin.
A reader can get the answer to ann
question OF fact by ,0riting The Eue.
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Hasktn, director, Washington,
D. c. Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. Ho- much did Somerset Vaughan
receive for the story from which Rain"
was dramatized?-E. M. H.
A. George Jean Nathan, one of the
editors Of the Smart Set, purchased the
story from the authors agent for 5000.
G. What is the origin Of the platinum
fox fur that is SO expensive?-W. B. D.
A. The progenitor of the platinum
foxes was male born in 1888 on silver
fox farm in Norway. He was the only
light fox in the litter and was rejected
by most of the breeders. One of them,
however, took the animal and mated
him with straight silver foxes. In the
ltters were hybrids showing the light
color of their father. In 1885 the first
platinum furs were sold at auction at
Oslo for good prices. Next year two
particularly light pelts brought $1,000
and there was an immediate demand for
breeding animals. Pairs have been sold
for as high as $500.
@. Who is DR.. l. @. on the radio?-
H. M. S.
A. DR.. 7. @. is Walter Lewis, whose
professional name is Lew Valentine.
@. Is it true that the houses built for
Admiral Byrd's expedition are made of
Southern pine?-W. H. F.
A. Prefabricated houses made of long
leaf Southern pine lumber at Shamrock.
Fla, will be erected at the two bases in
the Antarctic. The buildings were de-
signed by Maj. A. l.. Violante, Quarter
master Corps of the United States Army,
who selected the material because of its
great strength and durability. The
houses are said to be strong enough to
stand up under weight of 300 pounds
to the square foot, or more than Is feet
of snow.
@. What are some of the largest mag
nets in the United States?-W. r.
A. There is an 80-ton magnet at the
University of California radiation labora.
tory at Berkeley which generates 4,5OO.-
0O0-volt neutron rays, IA times more
lethal than X-rays. This power is so
great 1t is not safe to approach closer
than SO feet. One of the largest magnets
OF its kind is one weighing 10 tons re-
Gently built in the laboratories of the
University of Chicago. 1t develops
tons OF pulling power in the 7A-inch
space between its poles.
@. For what do the initials r. I p.
stand?-J. s. H.
A. They are an abbreviation Of the
Latin phrase requiescat in pace, may he
rest In peace.
@. Where is Ascension Islandp-
T. M. B.
A. Ascension Island is an isolated
island located 700 miles northwest of st.
Helena IN the South Atlantic Ocean. It
is approximately IS square miles and has
about 200 inhabitants, most Of whom are
government employees and their families.
1t is owned by Great Britain and was
discovered on Ascension Day in 1902 by
the Portuguese.
@. What did 1t cost to remove the hulk
OF the Maine from Havana Harbor?-
w. E. P.
A. The total cost of removing the wreck
OF the U. S. S. Maine from the harbor at
Havana was $785,740.33. The work was
done by the Army engineers.
@. How much cheese is manufactured
by farm co-operatives?-H. S. r.
A. Farm co-operatives manufacture
nearly 150,ooo,o0o pounds in a year. OF
the 651 cheese-making co-operatives,
Wisconsin has 48O.
Q. Where is the largest single canvas
IN the United States?-T. ID.
A. What is said to be the largest single
canvas in the world is the mural by Tom
Loftin johnson at the United States Mill
tary Academy at West Point. Entitled
Decisive Battles Of the World" the
mural covers an area of 2,450 square feet
at one'end OF the mess hall.
@. Did President Lincoln's body lie in
state at Independence Hall In Philadel-
phia?-W M. G.
A. The Presidents body lay in state
there from April % to "a, 1865.
@. How Is it possible to weigh the
earth?-L. U.
A. A number of years ago, Dr. Heyl of
the National Bureau of Standards set up
a miniature system of earths and moons
in his underground laboratory. His work
was to measure the attraction Of these
bodies for one another. BY determining
how and to what extent the force of
gravitation acts between the miniature
planets in the laboratory, DR.. Heyl ar
rived at the gravitational constant. When
this was determined it was merely a
problem in mathematics to apply this
constant to the earth and compute its
mass
@. Do the various contest editors re-
ceive much crank mail?-L. j. G.
A. Printers Ink says that crank mail
from contestants is feature Of any con-
test and usually runs to about one-tenth
Of per cent of total returns.
@. What does the musical term pietoso
mean?-J. G. H.