Evening star., 1939-10-21

eric. J. Haskin, director, Washington,
D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. When did canoufage in warfare
originate?--C. j. D.
A. Its present usage dates from 1914,
when group Of French artists at the
front conceived the idea Of using their
art to blend the appearance of troops and
equipment with their natural surround
ings.
O. What is Calypso music?-J. c. H.
A. Calypso is the term used to de-
scribe the songs and music of Negro min
strels from Trinidad. Some of these are
sung in a French patois containing some
Spanish and Hindu words and idioms.
The majority are sung in English with
peculiar British accent. The songs are
accompanied by guitar and have be-
come very popular in this country where
many have been recorded by Wilmoth
Houdini, who now lives in Harlem.
O. How many acres of forestland we're
destroyed by fire last year?-J. c. H.
A. In 1888 forest fires burned over
33, ,0l5, ,lOU acres OF land.
@. What percentage of all cigarettes Is
made by the four largest manufacturers?
II. j. S.
A. Between 80 and 80 per cent OF the
total number of cigarettes made in the
United States ar manufactured by the
four largest companies.
@. At what height is skywriting exc.
cuted?-T. C.
A. SkyWriting is done at approximately
$1,000 feet, Or about three miles above
the earth. The entire message is not
written at the same altitude, but each
letter is executed at least so feet above
the preceding one to prevent the words
being blown away by the backwash from
the propeller,
O. Who are the best known profess
sional whistlers?-K. L. H.
A. Two who are outstanding are Fred
Lowery with Horace Heidt's orchestra
and Elmore Tanner, who is member OF
Ted Weems orchestra.
@. What is the longest bird fight on
record?-C. D. G.
A. The longest individual fight is that
of an Arctic tern, which Travelled 5000
miles from Labrador to South Africa, in
less than 80 days.
@. Is the German word Nazi an abbre-
viation?-W. B.
A. Nazi is the name popularity applied
to the German National Socialist Work.
ers Party led by Adolf Hitler. The Ger.
man form of the word is Nationalsozial.
istische Deutsche Arbeiter Partei.
O. When was the first presidential in.
augural ball?-L. NJ. H
A. The first inaugural ball was held in
May or June of 1889, several weeks after
the Inauguration of George Washington
as the Nations first President. The ball
was held in New York under auspices Of
the New York Dancing Assemblies, and
Gen. Washington insisted it be delayed
until Mrs. Washington could make the
long journey from Mount Vernon.
@. What was the former name OF the
Belasco Theater, which faces Lafayette
Park in Washington D. C.?-C. H L.
A. When the Belasco Theater was built
in 1895 it was known as the Lafayette
Square Opera House. The name was
changed in 1905.
@. Is it true that some petunia seeds
sell for as high as 1000 pound?-J. C.
A. Some of the rarest double petunia
seeds are worth as much as $1,000 a
pound.
@. Have houses ever been built of cot.
ton?-L. j. H.
A. The Farm Security Administration
is conducting experiments in the use Of
cotton as building fabric. A house has
been erected in Coffee, Ala, with roof
and walls covered with cotton duck. The
material is nailed to a smooth backing Of
plywood, plaster or composition board.
1t is painted with a mixture of white
lead and linseed OIL The cost of such a
house, including modern plumbing and
electric wiring, is only about $780,
@. Who developed the first halftone in
a newspaper?-E. M. ].
"a o'SPAiSii IL. 1lOi Sdll, ali Chpclt III
photo-mechanica printing, developed the
first halftone of any kind ever to appear
n newspaper. 1t was published in the
New York Graphic of March A. 1880. Mr..
Horgan also produced the first halftone
ever printed by high-speed newspaper
press, which appeared in the New York
Tribune on January 81, 1897.
@. Is there Calvin Coolidge Col.
lege?-W. j. H.
A. Portia College at Boston is to erect
new building of social sciences and
government which will be called Calvin
Coolidge College.
@. When was the first railroad built
on Cape Cod?-G. B.
A. The first railroad to be built on
Cape Cod was the Cape Cod Branch, in
corporated in lS46 and opened for traffic
from marlborough to Sandwich to
connect with the Fall River Railroad
on May 20, 1848. It was extended to
Yarmouth Port and Hyannis on July 8.
1854. This same year the name was
changed to Cape Cod Railroad Co. This
company passed into the hands of tho
Old Colony Railroad in 1872 and on July
%, 1873, the line was opened for trafic
through from Boston to Provincetown.