Evening star., 1939-03-03
Huskin's Answers :.
To Readers Questions
By Frederic J. Haski71.

7ks
D. c. Please tnclose stamp for reply.
@. How much does 1t cost to telephone
from ship?-H L.K.
A. The rate is $500 for three minute
call when the ship is within 1,50O nautical
miles OF New York and $500 when It is
over $500 nautical miles away.
@. What Is the origin Of the word eti.
quette?-.K. G. H.
A. 1t is derived from Louis XIV's Gus.
tom OF asking his guests to observe and
Keep within the etiquettes (tickets or
signs) which marked the gardenpeds and
paths at Fontaineh.eau.
@. Who discovered parafin?-E. C.
A. The parafEn industry owes its origin
to DR.. James Young, who in 1850 applied
for his patent ito obtain parafiu
from bituminous shaIes by slow distilla-
eon."
@. Is there any booksthat contains q
lsrof American nisknames ci places and
people?-E. G. H.
A. American Nicknames" by George
Earle Shankle, published by the H. w.
Wilson Co., is 599-page volume of nick
names giving their origin and sig
nifcance.
G. How much of pineapple is canned7
e. S. O.
A. Approximately half of each fruit is
canned. From the balance are obtained
such by-products as juice, sirup, bran,
citric acid, calcium citrate, alcohol and
carbon dioxide gas.
@. What country formerly required
that a man waving red flag should pre-.
cede every automobAe?-L. H. S.
A. England thought so little of the
value of the new machine and considered
it such a dangerous agent that a law,
enforced until 1896, forbade automobiles
to speed at more than four miles an hour,
and required that man waving a red
flag should precede every power driven
vehicle.
Q. Did former President Hoover coin
the term rugged individualism"?-
JKL.
A. In "The Challenge to Liberty" Mr..
Hoover says: While 1 can make no claim
for having introduced the term rugged
individualism,' should be proud to have
invented it. 1t has been used by Amer
lcan leaders for over half century IN
eulogy of those God-fearing men and
women of honesty whose stamina and
character and fearless assertion Of
rights led them to make their own way In
life"
O. How many bones are there in the
| skull?-J. S. r.
A. The skull consists of % bones, eight
OF which form the skeleton of the cra-
mum and IA that of the face
@. Is the song The Wreck of the Old
ST. about real wreck?-E. P.
A. 1t refers to the wreck of the South
ern Railway train No. 81 which jumped
the track going to Danville, Va, Septem-
ber %, 1903, killing and injuring num-
ber of postal and express employees as
we'll as the engine crew.
Q. What is the origin of the milk bar?
j. D. S.
A. In 1885 H. D. Mcintosh, an Aus
tralian visiting London, had difficulty IN
getting glass of milk in tea shops and
| restaurants. Soon thereafter he estab-
lished a milk bar in Fleet Street which
oF H.
business.
| @. What does caffeine look like?-
V. M w.
| A. It is a crystalline substance, the
crystals being shiny white and needle
shaped. 1t has no odor and is slightly
bitter.
@. Why does dog turn around before
it lies down?-H M. NJ
A. 1t is habit retained from the period
when the dogs habitat was among tall
grass and it was necessary to turn about
to clear space for bed.
@. How many grade crossings are there
in New York State?-T. S. D.
A. At the end of 1888 there were 6,oo2
such crossings in the State.
@. Who was the American artist who
named his sons for famous painters?-
T. x
A. Charles Wilson Peale had IL chill
dren, all of whom were named after
famous artists. Three of these, Rem
brandt, Raphael and Titan all became
artists.
O. Who was Old Parr?-T. j. D.
A. He was an English centenarian
named Thomas Parr who was reputed to
have been born in 1888 at Wilmington,
Shropshire. When 130 years old he is
said to have threshed corn In 1885 mis-
fame reached London and he was taken
there to be presented to King Charles I.
The excitement and changes of diet and
climate affected him and he died in Lon
don on November IA, 1885. He was
buried in the south transept of West
minister Abbey.
O. What is the name of the big new
liner which is being built at Newport
NeWs?-K. L. H.
A. The 26,000-ton vessel will be named
the America. 1t will be launched in Sep
tember.