Evening star., 1939-09-18
Huskin's Answers
To Readers Questions
BIZ Frederic J. Hdsktn.

A reader can get the ans,Der to any
question OF fact by tp1 ittng The Ere-
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Haskin, director, Washington,
D. c. Please inclose stamp tor reply.
@. What was the outstanding poem Of
the World War?-M. T.
A. Three of the best-loved poems Of
the period were TN Flanders Fields"
by Capt. John D. McCrae; II Have q
Rendezvous With Death" by Alan See
ger, and 'The Soldier" by Rupert
Brooke.
@. What percentage Of passenger cars
driven are used for business?-W. T. H.
A. A survey by the United States Pub
lie Roads Administration shows that
more than go per cent Of all passenger
car driving in the United States is for
business purposes.
@. How much does the average person
use his eyes?-P. w. G.
A. The average adult uses his eyes
continuously for 16 hours day.
@. Does Canada or the United States
pay for the illumination of Niagara
Falls?-L. j. B.
A. Niagara Falls is lighted by a joint
illuminating board of Niagara Falls.
N. Y, and Niagara Falls, Ontario, city
and park officials.
@. Please quote Mark Twain's war
Prayer."-D. r. M.
A. Mark TWain's satirical prayer for
wartime is in part as follows: 20 Lord,
our God, help us to tear their soldiers
to bloody shreds with our shells: help US
to cover their smiling fields with the
pale forms of their patriot dead help US
to drown the thunder of guns with the
shrieks of the wounded, writhing in
homes with hurricane of fire; help us
to wiring the hearts of their unof1ending
widows with unavailing grief; help us to
turn them out roofless with their chill
dren to wander unfriended through
wastes of their desolated land-for our
sakes, who adore Thee, Lord, blast their
hopes, blight their lives, protract their
steps; water their way with their tears,
stain the white snow with the blood of
| their wounded feet"
@. What country has the largest pop
ulation?-A. Y.
| A. China, with population Of ap-
proximately 436 900, 900, has the greatest
number of inhabitants of any single
country in the world.
| @. Are there any rivers in the United
| States that flow north?-J. w. G..
A. The st. Johns River in Florida is
supposedly the only river in the United
States which flows northward through
out its entire course. There are others,
however, which flow north for a part
of their course. These include the
Monongahela in Pennsylvania, the Ten
nessee in Tennessee and Kentucky, the
Red River Of the North in Minnesota
and North Dakota, Big Horn in Wy
oming and Montana and Powder in
Wyoming and Montana.
@. How many people use oil for heat
ing?-W. r. H.
A. The number of oil burners now in
operation is estimated at 1857 ,942.
@. What became of Houdinis library?
j. A. j.
A. BY his will and a codicil thereto,
the magician bequeathed to the Library
of Congress his entire library, except
his dramatic collection. There are 1928
albums of clippings on Harry Houdini,
umes of periodicals on magic, 1926 books
and pamphlets and 1874 volumes of pc
riodicals on the psychic.
@. Where did the cantaloupe industry
originate?-J. H. N.
A. The industry had its origin in
Rocky Ford, Colo, about 1888.
@. Can woodchucks be used as food?-
H. H.
A. The woodchuck is edible and the
meat is prepared in the same way as
that Of a muskrat. The animal is
The meat can be either fried, roasted,
stewed or parboiled. The flesh is usually
we'll favored and that Of the young ami
mails Is very good.
@. When was the power of steam to
impart motion first known?-A. B.
A. 1t was known to Hero of Alexandria.
He devised several forms of steam appa-
natus, which he is said to have exhibited
to Ptolemy Philadelphus and his court
in $50 BIC.
@. What kind OF an instrument Of
torture was scavengers daughter?-
L. j. N.
A. This instrument, used during the
18th century in England, consisted of q
wide iron hoop which, by means Of
screws, was fastened around the victims
body until the blood was forced from the
nose and ears, and sometimes from the
hands and feet.
@. How did the custom of throwing
rice at weddings originate?-F. S.
A. The ancient Romans believed that
by throwing rice on the bride, they
would insure her fecundity.
@. Who invented the grain header?-
M. B.
A. The first patent on grain header
was granted in 1849 to Jonathan Haines
Of Illinois.
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