Evening star., 1940-05-02
Answers !
To Questions
By Frederic J. Hasktn.

A reader cen get the dnssper to any
question OF fact by ,Drtttng The Epe-
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Haskin. director, Washington,
D. C.. Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. What percentage of visitors to the
1889 New York Worlds Fair Travelled by
automobile?-J. E.
A. The automobile furnished trans.
portation to New York for 503 per cent
Of the visitors. Thirty-six per cent trav.
eled by train, 10.4 by bus, 25 by air.
plane and o.8 by boat.
@. Where is the statue erected in honor
Of Paul Bunyan?-W. w.
A. The monument to this legendary
hero is at Bemidji, MINI. There is also
statue there of Babe, his famous blue
OK.
@. What were the names of the thieves
hanged on the cross with Jesus?-C. VIM.
A. Dismas or Dysmas is the name usu.
ally given, in the apocryphal gospels, to
the penitent thief who was crucifled with
Jesus. The impenitent thief is com.
monty known as Gesmas or Gestas.
Longfellow, in his Golden Legend" calls
the penitent Titus, and his fellow thief
Dumachus.
@. Please give the origin of the word
cocktail.--G. F.
A. There have been several explana-
tions of the name but perhaps the most
picturesque is the one concerning a
Mexican beauty. 1t appears that the
original cocktail was made from pulque,
an alcoholic beverage distilled from the
juice of the maguey or agave. This
liquor was discovered by Toltec noble,
who sent some of 1t to the king by his
daughter. The king became so enam-
oured of both the maiden and the drink
that he married the former and started
a pulque plantation. The name of the
girl, which was Xochitl, became associ-
ated with the national intoxicant, and
later when Gen. Scott's troops came to
Mexico, they found it pleasing. Upon
their return to the United States they
IL
and brought it back with them.
@. Can wood be liquefed?-T. K. s.
A. Prof. Harold HILBERT of McGill
University has discovered a process for
liquefying wood. The wood is trans
formed into water-white liquids which
can be separated by distillation without
decomposition and which may become
the raw materials of a new synthetic
organic chemical industry.
@. What river is called the American
Nile?-L. S. p.
A. The St. Johns River Of Florida,
which flows northward from Lake Helen
Blazes to Jacksonville, q distance of
1872 miles.
@. Please give the titles Of some songs
by Duke Ellington.-R. K.
A. Some OF his compositions are as
follows: Beautiful Romance" Uoint COM
poser). BLACK Butterfly" Blue Light"
boy Meets Horn" Uoint composer),
"Daybreak Express" Delta Mood"
""Demi Tasse." 'Dooji wooji." "Grievin',"
sIm Checking Out" Lonely Coed"
Lullaby "old King Wooji" and Some
thing to Live For"
@. When was perfume first made
with alcohol?-A. H. T..
A. Alcoholic perfumes are supposed
to have been first made in the 14th
century. The first of which there is
record was Hungary water, distilled
from rosemary in 1870 by Queen Eliza
beth of Hungary, who got the recipe
from hermit, and by the use of 1t Is
said to have preserved her beauty to
old age.
@. Please give the date of the Windsor
Hotel fire.. M.
A. The Windsor Hotel fire in New
York City occurred on March II, 1899.
Forty-five persons lost their lives.
@. Who is head of the Ku Klux
Klan?-T. w. S.
A. James A. Colescott is the imperial
wizard of the organization.
Q. Which of Archibald MacLeish's
poems is said to be the greatest work
since Walt Whitman?-H. G. N.
A. America Was Promises" which
appeared in the New Republic last
November. has been so described. The
epic poem was recently broadcast on
the radio, set to music in cantata form
by Nicolas Nabokoff, composer.
@. Are sharks valuable commercially?
r. E. S.
A. The hide of the shark is used for
shoes, luggage, belts, briefcases and
number Of other products. The flesh
is converted into fertilizer and even the
teeth have market value as souvenirs.
Recent estimates place shark fishing
among the Nations $20.000,00O busi-
nesses.
@. How long had Patrick Henry
studied law when he was admitted to
the barb. S.
A. He read for six weeks, then ap-
piled for license. It was granted
upon condition that he study further
before practicing.
@. What was Columbus appearance9
IS. N. R.
A. Columbus, according to tradition,
was of an engaging presence, tall, well
formed and muscular and of dignif1ed
demeanOr His face was long. his nose