Evening star., 1939-08-04
Huskin's Answers
To Readers Questions
Bu Frederic J. Hdskin.

reader can get the dnsDer to anu
question OF fact by Driting The Epe-
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred.
eric J. Haskin, director, Washtnoton,
D. c. Please inclose stamp for reply.
Q. What Is the most powerful radio
station in the world?-A. r.. j.
A. 1t is Station RW-1 in Soviet Russia.
which has frequency Of 172 kilocycles
and operates on 100000 watts.
@. Who was the first advertising
agent?-E. j. H.
A. The first advertising agent was Vol
ney B. Palmer, who began business In
Philadelphia in 1841 and later extended
his operations to Boston, New York and
Baltimore. An almost simultaneous pio-
neer was John Hooper, who started busi-
ness in New York in the early 1s4Os.
@. Which building in Washington,
D. c., bears an inscription to the effect
that the farm is the home of the FAM
ily?-C. NJ H.
A. 'The farm-best home of the FAM
lily, main source Of national wealth,
foundation of civilized society, the nat
ural Providence" is cut In the granite
panel over the east arch of the main
entrance to Union Station.
@. Did Paul Revere own the horse on
which he made his memorable ride?
"A. L. R.
A hTr Do,
his ride to Lexington belonged to Dea-
con Larkin of Charlestown.
O. For whom is the Spingarn Medal
named?-W. H. G.
A. 1t Is named for Joel Elias Spinparn.
the author, who instituted in 1918 this
award OF a gold medal for the highest
or noblest achievement by an American
Negro during the preceding year or years.
Q. How Is it possible for a chameleon
to change color?-I. S.
A. The chameleon does not arbitrarily
initiate the hue of the object on which
1t rests, nor Is the process wholly under
Its control. The changes are reactions
to certain conditions of light and tenn
perature and to various emotional states.
such as fear and anger. The physical
cause may be traced to two differently
colored layers of pigment under control
OF the nervous system. The best known
species is ordinarily a greenish-gray,
from which 1t changes to emerald green
or to dull black, sometimes showing red
dish or yellowish spots.
Q. What is the fastest growing large
city in the United States?-F. S.
A. Los Angeles, Calf, is usually con-
sldered the fastest growing large CITY in
the United States, as the following flo.
ures indicate: Population, census of 1920,
576,673; census of 1890, 1233,56l. This
means that Los Angeles practically
doubled her population in the decade
from 1920 to 1880, phenomenon which
mad happened in that city for the last
three censuses Los Angeles, by 1860.
Will have population of 5000 900, and
will be the largest city in the world /,
she continues to increase at this rate
IN the next three censuses.
@, What mother referred to her sons
as my jewels"?-E. H.
A. Cornelia, famous in history AZ tn.
mother OF the Gracchi. Seneca relates
that she and woman visitor were in
conversation at time when Cornelia,s
sons were absent at school. When thev
returned she said of the two boys, These
are my jewels"
Q. Who refereed the John l.. Sullivan
Jake Kilrain bout?-W. H. j.
A. John Fitzpatrick of New Orleans
refereed that fight
O. What States did Gov. AL Smith
carry when he ran for President?-
T. C. w.
A. Alfred E. Smith, as candidate tor
President in 1928, carried the States of
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana,
Massachusetts, Mississippi, Rhode Island
and South Carolina.
@. Is there bird called the oyster
catcher?-T. r. M.
A. The oyster catcher Haematopus
palliatus) is shore bird about the
size OF crow with black and white
plumage. 1t has large red bill which
Is hard and strong, enabling 1t to catch
oysters and other shell fish for food.
@. Please explain the expression "the
distaff side."-M. F.
. A. The distaf holds the bunch of
fax, tow or woll from which the thread
Is drawn in spinning Hence, symboli-
cally, the distaff side refers to womens
work, authority, or domain, or to women
collectively.
Q. How early was incense used7-
G. E. p.
A. The use of incense can be traced
to antiquity. References to it are found
on the monuments of ancient Egypt,
Assyria, Greece and Rome. 1t is mem
toned frequently in the Bible. Orig
inally it was employed in religious cere-
monials. The literature of India gives
evidence of the employment of incense
by the Hindus in the worship of the gods
and the burning of the dead from the
remotest antiquity. No satisfactory
traces can be found of the use of in
ccnse In the ritual of the Christian
church during the first four centuries,
but 1t came into use about the 5th CEN
tury. 1t was abandoned in England in
the reign of Henry VIII but revived by
the High Church party late in the 10Th
century. Both the Greek and Latin