Evening star., 1941-01-15
Hoskin's Answers
To Readers Questions
Bu Frederic J. Hdskin.

By FredeTtc J. HdSktn.
A reader can get the anstDer to any
question OF fact By tDrfting The EUe-
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Hcskin, director, Washington,
D. C.. Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. How much Of the earth's surface
never receives any snowfall?-W. w. M.
A. Snow never falls on over one-third
OF the esrth's surface.
@. What do people fear most?-C. L. A.
A. An authority lists the most COM
mon fears as fear Of being panic-stricken.
fear Of insanity, fear of conflning spaces,
fear of death, fear Of high places, fear
of failure, fear Of animals, fear Of being
conspicuous and fear Of being alone In
the dark.
@. Whose poetry is most widely read7-
K. L. c.
A. Probably the "Rubaiyat" OF Omar
Khayyam comes first. These quatrains
are read, recited and sung in all parts
Of the world.
@. How long have lima beans been
raised in the United States?-N w. L.
A. The first lima beans raised in this
country were from seed brought from
Lima, Peru, in 1924.
G. How many kinds Of kangaroos are
there's. T. M.
A. There are about so species of kanga-
roos, belonging to II or IS genera. The
To- to1I 1;rrL,
$50 pounds. The smallest are not as
big as rabbit One of the most inter-
esting species is the tree-climbing kanga-
roo discovered in Queensland The giant
kangaroo can kill man or dog with
one slash of the big-toe claw.
@. Please give the date of the Mount
Pelee eruption.-C. L. P.
A. ST. Pierre, Martinique, was destroyed
by an eruption of Mount Pelee on May
8, 1902.
@. Is treatment expensive at the Geor.
gia Warm Springs Foundation for infan-
! tile paralysis?-H. P.
A. More than so per cent of the
patients receive treatment without cost
or pay small sums according to their
means. The others pay moderate rate
| which does not defray actual expenses.
O. Who discovered Luray Caverns?-
! A. r.
/ A. The Luray Cavern in Page County,
/ Va, was discovered by Andrew j. Camp
bell and companions on August 13, 1878.
@. Is the original manuscript Of Home,
Sweet Home" in existence?-C. M. G.
! A. 1t is in the Sibley Musical Library
of the Eastman School of Music at the
University of Rochester N. Y.
@. What is the origin of the Willow
Pattern china?-J. D. E.
A. Thomas Minton, an apprentice pot
ter Of Stafordshire. England, composed
and engraved the design of this famous
china about 1780. The blue-and-white
chinaware on which it appeared became
immensely popular, and the design was
reproduced with variations by many
/ European potters and in the Orient.
Minton used an old Chinese legend as
| the basis for his design.
@. Who was the first Secretary Of the
| Navy?-A. F. r.
A. Benjamin Stoddert, who served from
1893 to 1901.
O. Who said that man has to be taught
to do everything but weep?-R. P. E.
A. Pliny the Elder said: Man is the
only one that knows nothing without
being taught He can neither speak nor
walk nor eat, and in short, he can do
nothing at the prompting of nature only,
but weep"
@. How long has the pari-mutuel sys-
tenn been used?-F. C.
A. These betting machines were in
vented in France in 1865 by a man named
Oller, who introduced several at French
track on March 25 of that year.
@. Where is o. Henry's grave?-C D S.
A. The author is buried in Riverside
Cemetery, ASheville, N. C.