Evening star., 1939-02-11
Answers
To Questions
By Frederic J. Hdskin.

A Te0dcT can get the 1nSDer TO any
question OF fact by torttinq The Eue-
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Hasktn, director, Washington.
d. c. Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. What country had the first skiing
contest?-J. L. H.
A. The first one on record took place
at Troms, Norway, in 1845.
@. How much money Is collected by
States in soft-drink taxes?-J p. H.
A. A report Of the Federation of Tax
| Administrators shows that during the
| period of 1934-1937, soft-drink taxes
yielded nearly $6,o0o0Oo to the five States
imposing them, namely, South Carolina,
| Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and Ten
| nessee.
@. Are Sears and Roebuck Of the mall
| order firm living?-W j. H.
A. r. w. Sears died in 1914. Col. AL
yah c. Roebuck Is living and Is now past
| 10 years old.
| @. When will the first regular sched-
uled program of television begin in New
| York?-F. j. T.
| A. The National Broadcasting Co.
| plans to inaugurate regular service in
connection with the opening of the New
York Worlds Fair this spring. BY that
time limited number of receivers will
be in the hands Of the public.
@. What are the names of the Big Five
banks in England?-L. r. s.
| A. The Big Five banks are: The Mid
| land, Lloyds, Barclays, Westminster
and the National Provincial.
| @. Please give the origin OF the term
| Gretna Green as applied to place where
runaway marriages are performed.-E.
J. w.
| A. Gretna Green, small village In the
southern part of Scotland, close to the
English border, became favorite place
for eloping couples from England imme-
diately after the English marriage law
was made more stringent in the 18th
century. A later requirement that both
parties to a marriage must have been
resident of Scotland for II days de-
creased the popularity of such marriages.
l
O. Please give some information about
Pittsburgh Phil, the gambler.-T. E. B.
A. Pittsburgh Phil was one Of the most
famous characters identified with the
turf. His real name was George Smith,
but he used to make small bets in pool
rooms in Pittsburgh and sign his slips
Phil. He went to Chicago and made
wager in a poolroom there, signing it
Phil. AS another man was using the
same name he prefaced his name with
| Pittsburgh in order to identify himself,
and was ever afterward known by that
name He owned and raced his horses
| around the country and was regarded as
one of the keenest judges of the fitness
of horse. He was the first person to
assemble crude type of form chart on
the past performances Of horses. He was
at his most famous through the Dos
and COS.
@. Is there pink ageratum?-W. B. H.
A. The variety known as fairy pink"
which is an all-America selection, Is
soft shade of salmon pink.
| @. What Is the name Of the organ1za-
ton that is offering a prize for a novel
by school teachers?-C. j. H.
A. The Dial Press, New York City,
is offering $1,000 prize for the best
original novel submitted by school teach
ers. The novel must be about teachers
and only those in the public school sys-
tenn are eligible for the award.
@. Is there any limit to the amount OF
the national debit. F. r.
A. The national debt is limited by law
to s45,OoOOOo,0oo.
@. Does China have much coal?-C.
j. D.
A. China is one of the foremost coal
countries in the world with reserves esti-
mated at 243 500 100000 tons.
O. What is the largest pension re-
ceived by widows of Civil War Veterans?
M. L. P.
A. Fifty dollars a month is the largest
pension received by widow Of Civil
War veteran.
@. Who originated National Dog Week?
II. s. R.
A. National Dog Week was founded in
1928 by a group of nationally known
sportsmen headed by Capt. Will Judy,
editor of the Dog World Magazine. The
week will be observed this year from
September II to %.
@. What Southerner wrote poem
called "Settin' by the Fire"?-J. M O.
A. The poem is by Frank L. Stanton.
| @. Are any of Mrs. Calvin Coolidges
crocheted articles in the White Houso
now?-F. P.
| A. There is crocheted bedspread
made by Mrs. Coolidge in the White
House.
@. What is proving box on q ship?
r. A. Y.
| A. A proving box is used in the ships
bakery 1t looks something like locker
and contains number of shelves to hold
bun pans in raising dough. 1t Is usually
about "a inches wide, 33 inches deep and
SO inches high.
@. On which of Cezanne's pictures did
he work for IL years?-M. j. H.