Evening star., 1940-01-05
Huskin's Answers
To Readers Questions
By Frederic J. HdSkin.

~ ~'SNC' ~ - A1NchSks
A reader can get the dnstDer to am
question OF fact by turittn0 The Eue.
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. HaSkin. director, Washington,
D. c. Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. How much did It cost the Post
Office Department to handle the Christ
mas mail?-M. j. B.
A. The cost was estimated ut more
than $1O0OO,000.
@. Who was Single Speech Hamilton?
r. NJ
A. William Gerard Hamilton was
elected as youth to the British House
OF Commons He made his maiden
speech in November, 1755 and was COM
plimented upon 1t by Walpole. During
the next forty years he sat as member
without ever speaking again, according
to Lord Macaulay.
@. What is the origin of the title Of
John Steinbeck's novel Grapes Of
Wrath"?-L. B. B.
A. "The Battle Hymn'of the Republic"
by Julia Ward Howe is the source from
which the phrase is taken.
@. Who was Lily Pons' voice teacher?-
P. B.
A. Miss Pons studied singing under
Alberti de Gorostiaga.
Q. Does Western Union keep copies Of
kilograms on file?-L. r. S.
A. Western Union says that its original
kilograms are kept on record for one
year.
@. What is the inscription on the Box
Tower at Lake Wales, Fla.?-S. S.
A. The following lines from the poem
Gods Garden" by Dorothy F. Gurney,
are inscribed thereon:
"fhe kiss of the sun for pardon
The song of the birds for ,mirth,
One is nearer Gods hearth in garden
Than anywhere else on EARTH
@. How many coffee beans are there
In pound of coffee?-C. L.
A. According to the Puerto Rican
Trade Council there are 1857.
@. What State published the earliest
collection of laws?-R. T. H.
A. Hening's Statutes at Large of
Virginia" was published, beginning in
1909. by w. w. Hening, largely at the
instance of President Jefferson. This
was the first complete collection ever
published of the laws of any colony and
70 vif fvn Nf @L&e 14tA
and repealed.
@. Who holds the patents on the game
called Monopoly?-R. G. C.
A. The first patent. No. 1,509,312, was
secured by Elizabeth M Phillips of
Washington, D. c., in 1924. The second,
No. 2,026082, was secured by Charles B.
Darrow of Philadelphia, who assigned it
to Parker Bros Game Co. at Salem, Mass.
@. What are the lightest and heaviest
metals known?-J. A. T.
A. The National Bureau of Standards
says that the heaviest metal known in
the world today is osmium-22.5 grams
per cubic centimeter. The hghtest metal
is lithium-0.534 grams per cubic cent?
meter.
Q. Do the announcers on N. B. G. pro-
grams have any special rules Of pronun-
! ciation?-H. S. G.
A. In order to set standard for an
nouncers and speakers, the National
Broadcasting Co. engaged DR.. James F.
Bender, chairman of the department Of
speech at Queens College and director Of
information of the American Speech
Correction Association to prepare q
handbook of pronunciation consisting Of
! $4,000 words.
Q. Please give the legend Of the Pas
sion flower,-C. S. A.
A. Spanish settlers in South and Gen.
tral America found flower so symbolic
of the CrucifXion that they named it
the flower of the Passion. In the five
parted purple or lavender blossoms with
stripes of white they saw the crown Of
thorns and the five marks Of the wounds
of Jesus. The styles were the three nails
and the stamens were the hammer that
drove the nails into His hands and feet.
The floral leaves were the 10 Apostles,
Judas and Peter being absent. the one
having betrayed and the other denied
his master.
O. Does the Presidents cabinet meet
at the White House or in the Capitol?-
J. Mc0:
A. When the cabinet meets in regular
session, the meeting is held In the cabi-
net room at the White House.
@. Who made the first stockings?-
E. I. C.
A. The use of stockings originated in
the cold countries of northern Europe.
The art of knitting was invented, it is
supposed, in Scotland, about the Begin
ming Of the 10th century. Queen Eliza
beth and her court were the first to wear
silk stockings and machine for knitting
them was invented in 1898 by William
Lee of Woodbridge, Nottinghamshire.
England. In the United States, the Ger
man immigrants of the Mennonite sect
set up their stocking frames in 1889. In
1890 the stocking industry had been
established in several towns In Con-
necticut.
@. Has Melvyn Douglas ever played
in motion picture with Greta Garbo
before their appearance in "Ninotchka"?
IS. T.
A. He played opposite Miss Garbo in
"As You Desire Me-" which was released