Evening star., 1940-01-10
Hoskin's Answers
To Readers Questions
By Frederic J. Hdsktn.

By Frederic J. Hnsktn.
A reader can get the ons,Der to any
question OF fact by turtting The Epe-
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Haskin. director. Washington,
D. c. Please t7,close stamp for reply.
Q. Is infantile paralysis a new dis
ease?-C. P. B.
A. 1t is not definitely known whether
poliomyelitis is an ancient or COM
paratively new disease Early Egyptian
engravings and munmies revealing de-
formities have been cited as indications
that infantile paralysis may have existed
two or three thousand years before
Christ. However, the first unquestioned
description of this disease was written
by Michael Underwood in London in
1874.
@. Does the inside or the outside horse
on merry -go-round travel the faster?-
A. E.
A. The National Bureau of Standards
says that on a merry-go-round the out
side horse goes faster than the inside
horse because he covers more territory
in given time than the inside horse.
@. How is the name of Samuel Pepys,
the English diarist, pronounced?-M.
B. D.
A. The name was pronounced in the
18th century, and has always been pro-
nounced by the family Peeps.
@. What is done with the costumes
worn by movie actresses after the pic
ture is flnished?--A. c. R.
A. The costumes worn by many of the
motion picture stars are the property
Of the motion picture studios. When a
production is completed the costumes
are returned to the studio and the
wardrobe mistress and her assistants
make them over so that they may be
used in other productions In some in
stances motion picture star is pre-.
sented with a particular costume, but
that is at the discretion of the executives
of the company.
Q. What is the lowest lake in the
United States?-P. NJ
A. 1t is Salton Sea in California which
is 246 feet below sea level.
O. Was there time when Representa-
tlves wore their hats while sitting in
Congress?-S. P. D.
A. In the early days members of the
House did wear their hats. The custom
was borrowed from England, and was
discontinued about 1888.
@. Who is known as the father Ct
modern statistics?-H G. K.
A. Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetele
statlstlclan, astronomer and mathenl--
tician, is regarded as such. He was born
III Ghent in 1896 and died in Brussels
in 1874.
@. Can an athlete run faster indoors
or outdoors?-L. T. c.
A. He runs faster outdoors. Indoors
he must shorten his stride for the more
frequent turns, and breathing is more
difficult.
O. What spring in the United States
has the largest flow Of water?-A. d. R.
A. Silver Springs at Ocala, Fla, has
what is probably the largest flow of any
spring in the world. 22,134,780 gallons
per hour.
@. How old was Helen Keller when her
education was begm?-B. FIN.
A. Until she vas 7, no serious at
tempt was made toward her education.
At that age she was placed in charge of
the late Anne Sullivan of the Perkins
Institute OF the Blind, who came to her
home.
Q. What pugilist was known as the
Benicia Boy?-W. w. r.
A. John c. Heenan, who challenged
and fought Tom Sayers in 1860 was so
called because he was born in Benicia,
Calf.
@. Did Benjamin Franklin publish the
! first magazine in the United States?-
M. r. F.
A. Benjamin Franklin in 1740 planned
| to issue general magazine and outlined
his project to John Webbe, an attorney,
who was to be the editor Webbe re-
vealed the plan to Andrew Bradford, a
printer. who proposed to issue a mag
azine in opposition to Franklins. On
February IL, 1741, Bradford announced
that the first issue of the American Mag
azine. or Monthly View of the Politi-
cal State of the British Colonies would
be published the next day. On the same
day Franklin announced that the first
issue of the General Magazine would ap-
pear in four days.
@. Was there real road about which
the play Tobacco Road" was written?-
G. j. S.
A. Tobacco road was constructed over
century ago for the purpose of trans
porting tobacco from Georgia farms to
the nearest shipping point on the Sa-
vannah River. Today it is modern
sand-clay thoroughfare extending from
Northern Georgia to New Savannah, an
old settlement and shipping point on
the river few miles below Augusta.
@. How large is Westminster Abbey
E. B. D.
A. Westminster Abbey is 531 feet long,
2o3 feet wide. and its tower rises 225
feet above the ground.
@. How many towns and cities In the
United States are named for Abraham