Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-11-11
Hnskin's Answers ~
To Readers Questions
By Frederic J. Hdskin.

A reader can get the answer to any
question OF fact by tDrtttng The Foe.
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Haskin, director, Washington,
d. c. Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. Was Browning's rabbi Ben
Ezra" written about a real person.
r. E.
A. His inspiration for the poem was
1bn Ezra, Jewish grammarian, com.
mentator, poet, philosopher, astronomer,
and biblical critic, who lived from
about 1892 to 1167.
@. What were the thirteen original
States?-H. c. R.
A. The thirteen original Colonies
were: New Hampshire, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland,
Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina and Georgia.
@. How long has submarine stayed
under water?-J G.
A. A submarine has remained under
water as long as SO hours.
@. What color was Gen. Robert E,
Lees famous horse, Traveller?-J. T. w.
A. Traveller was originally iron gray.
but by the time the war was over had
turned almost milk white.
ton, D. C.?-E. M N.
A. The Washington Board of Trade
estimates that in 1888 there were 3,OOO,.
600 visitors to the Capital City and that
this year there have been approximately
2,7O3,200.
@. What is the status of slum housing
IN America?-C. w. j.
A. According to the new book, pub
lie housing in America" approximately
third of all American families live in
slum housing described as of character
to injure health, endanger safety and
morals and interfere with the normal
life of the inhabitants.
@. Is Jay Franklin, the columnist's
real name?-M. T. H.
A. 1t is pseudonym. His real name
is John Franklin Carter
@. Will an alligator eat a man?-W.
c. G.
A. According to w. T. Hornaday, there
is no authentic record of the killing of q
human being by an alligator.
@. What are the lightest organs in
the body?-P. S. H.
A. The lungs are the lightest organs
and, except when diseased. will float
when placed in water.
@. Are Fritz Kreislers hands insured2
u. G. H.
A. The famous violinist's hands are in
sured for 100000.
@. Is there a tree with more than one
trunk?-J. s. H.
A. The banyan tree Of India and
tropical Africa sends down from its
branches great numbers Of shoots which
take root and become new trunks.
@. What proportion Of 81 spent for
gasoline goes for taxes?-M D.
A. The average motorist receives II
cents worth of gasoline for 81, the other
20 cents going for taxes.
@. Please name the three muses. of
poetry.-M. T. H.
A. They are as follows: Calliope, epic
poetry; Erato, erotic poetry, and Euterpe,
lyric poetry.
n hot Iii 1T
tle?-W. H. G.
A. In Robert Bruce's last years he
wished to join military expedition to
the Holy Land. Knowing that he would
die before fulfilling his desire, he re-
quested his friend, Lord James Douglas,
to take his heart after death and carry
it into battle. Douglas placed the heart
IN a silver casket and carried it into the
battle in which he persisted. One of his
knights recovered Bruce's heart and took
it back to Scotland, where it is buried in
Melrose Abbey.
Q. Why is Lalique glass so called?-
M. w.
A. This glass is named for its maker,
Rene Lalique.
Q. What is megalomaniac?-A. G.
A. A megalomaniac is one who has de.
luslons of grandeur and is characterized
by ideas of personal exaltation.
@. Where is the mother lode region in
California?-H R.
A. The mother lode region in Cali
fornia is belt of country from few
hundred feet to two miles in width and
about 100 to 120 miles in length on the
western foothills of the Sierra Nevada
Range. 1t is located in the following
counties: Eldorado, Amador, Calaveras,
Tuolumne, Mariposa There is some
placer mining going on in this region at
present.
Q. What is the value of the sea food
canned in the United States?-C. J.H.
A. The 700,0Oo,0O0 pounds Of sea food
canned annually in the United States Is
valued at $loO,Ooo,oOo.
@. Is there much illiteracy in Russiap
w. B. R.
A. 1lliteracy in the Soviet Union is es.
timated at approximately 20 per cent.
O. When was the first shot fired in the
Spanish-American War?-R. P. A.
A. Manila was bombarded by Admiral
Dewey on May l, 1898. The first open
firing was at SAL am.