Evening star., 1939-09-06
Haskin's Answers
To Readers Questions
By Frederic J. Hasktn,

A reader can get the ans,uer to anu
question OF fact by Writing The Epe.
ming Star Information Bureau Fred.
eric j. Hdskin, director, Washington,
D. c. Please inclose stamp for replp.
Q. Did the judges of the first Supreme
Court in 1870 wear robes?-T. H. M.
A. AT the first session of the Supreme
Court the judges were attired in robes,
probably of black and red. William
Allen Butler wrote that Justice Jay wore
an ample robe of black silk with salmon
colored facings. A contemporary Sena-
tor referred to the six venerable Judges
In parti-colored robes"
@. OF what shape is the earth?-E.
r. w.
A. The earth is an oblate spheroid.
@. Why are windows sometimes paint
ed on barns?-F. A. B.
A. The custom Of painting imitation
windows on barns was brought to the
United States from Europe 1t was
started there in order to avoid window
tax and at the same time to give an
appearance Of afluence.
@. How many silver dollars ays In
circulation?-H. H. E.
A. On June 30, 1899, there were A.
407,792 silver dollars in circulation.
@. Where are the largest State fair
grounds?-M. o.
A. The Illinois State Fair Grounds at
Springfield, comprising 376 acres, are the
largest in the country.
Q. Are books by American authors
popular in Russia?-L. G. H.
A. Among the writer's whose works are
widely read In the Soviet Union are
Mark Twain, Jack London, O. Henry,
Theodore Dresser, Ernest Hemingway
and Upton Sinclair.
@. Have the bridge rules been changed
recently?-L. T. H.
A. The American Contract Bridge
League has announced that as the ma
jority of players do not favor changes
In the laws or scoring, 1t has decided to
keep the present rules in force.
@. Is THE Lamp Is Low based on
classical composition?-V. R.
A. The song is based on the compost
ton "Pavane," by the French composer
Maurice Ravel.
Q. How should artichokes be eaten?-
&c. H.
A. Emily Post says: "Artichokes are al
ways eaten with the fingers; leaf at a
time is pulled of and the edible end
dipped in the sauce, and then bitten off.
When the center Is reached the thistle
part Is scraped away with knife, the
edges are cut, and the heart eaten with
q fork"
@. Where were the draft riots in New
York City2-J. M. G.
A. The draft riots occurred from July
1916 In 1868. One thousand persons
were killed and the property damage
amounted to $l2,000,000
@. What is the origin Of the express
sion, to eat humble pie?-R. w. H.
A. The British had q homely but edible
dish made of the umbles (from Latin
lumbulus, little loins), the heart, liver
and entrails Of the stag. The fact that
the umble pie was served to the less i'm
portant members Of the household led to
the use Of TO eat humble pie as an
allusion to a humiliating drop IN the
social scale.
@. How are the Biltmore homespuns
made?-R. T. j.
A. The Biltmore homespuns are hand
woven Of pure sleeps wool. They are
dyed with pure vegetable and alizarine
dyes and there are over hundred diff
ferent shades. No two pieces of the
material are identical.
Q. Which of the Rothschild sons es-
tablished the banking firm in Paris and
London?-M. H. S.
A. There were five sons. Nathan es.
tablished the branch in London; James,
branch in Paris; Solomon, in Vienna;
Charles, In Naples; while Anselm, the
eldest brother, succeeded his father as
head Of the firm at Frankfort
@. Who is known as the father Of
billiards?-B. S.
A. Michael Phelan, known as the faith
er of American billiards, was victor in
the first billiard tournament held in this
country at Detroit in 1859.
Q. How many Americans live in Mex
leo? In Mexico City?-C. L.
A. There are 12,840 United States citi-
zens residing in Mexico, and of this
number 3,l17 reside in Mexico City.
@. When did composite and trick pho
Biography begin?-W. M. H.
A. There probably were earlier expert
ments, but the most notable examples
appeared after the assassination of
President Lincoln. There was a great
demand for his pictures, but there was
none showing him in the heroic postures
which the American people wanted.
Earlier statemen had been painted in
such poses. So photographers took pic
lures Of the posed, draped figures of
such men as John C. Calhoun and Henry
Clay and superimposed the head of
Lincoln. Currier & Ives had issued a
lithograph showing Lincolns deathbed
scene with Vice President Andrew john
son present. Afterward, when johnson
became unpopular and was impeached
the head Of Gen. Halleck was substituted