Q.

Did the settlers at Jamestown, Virginia, have horses and hogs?    R. M. S.

A.

No definite data are available, but in histories of the United States it is stated that Jamestown, the earliest English colony, during the starving time, the colonists ate the horses and dogs, and that the Indians had carried away the hogs.

Q.

Which has a greater area, a square with a perimeter or 32 feet or a circle with the same circumference?

A.

It is a well-known fact that the circle is the plane figure which includes the largest area in relation to its circumference.

Q.

Has London always been the capital of England?   D. W.

A.

It has been the capital since the Roman occupation of the first century A. D. Prior to that the Saxon city which now bears the name of Colchester was the capital.

Q.

Does France have a court which passes upon the constitutionality of legislative acts?   P. O.

A.

Diccy in "Law of the Constitution" says, "The French rule requires that courts shall not interfere with the exercise of the legislative power, nor suspend the execution of the laws, nor encroach upon administrative functions."

Q.

How do boys become jockeys?   G. F. F.

A.

The Thoroughbred Record says that promising young riders are generally apprenticed to some stable desiring exercise boys, and they are trained by the men in charge to ride. Some boys are natural born riders while others are never clever from the beginning. There is no school for jockeys. We would think a boy wanting to ride would have his best opportunity around a racetrack where he could secure employment as exercise boy. Some jockeys become sensations over night, but these boys as a rule have ridden all their lives and are natural horsemen, needing only instructions as to technique and balance to make them expert. As a rule as soon as a boy shows the least ability as a rider he is eagerly snapped up by the more prominent stables, but in order to get a chance to show what he can do, he as a general rule has to serve an apprenticeship and naturally the better his instructors, the more quickly he gets his chance. Above all things, a boy to become a jockey should have the right connections. Undesirable connections have ruined many a promising boy.

Q.

Is Francis Wilson of comic opera fame still living? T. C.

A.

He died last October in New York City at the age of 81.

Q.

Has corn been known to pop before it is picked?

A.

The Bureau of Plant Industry says that corn has been known to pop when still in the ear and on the plant. It is believed that some strains of corn show the tendency to pop in the ear as an inherent characteristic, and that in such cases extreme heat conditions are not required.

Q.

When did Annie Oakley, the rifle shot expert, live? L. M.

A.

She was born in 1866 and died in 1926. She was particularly expert in shooting glass balls tossed into the air. Once she fired 1000 shots in a contest and broke 943 balls.

Q.

Please name the different breeds that are hunting dogs. A. G.

A.

There are many different types of dogs used for hunting. Some of them are: airdale terrier, beagle, butt terrier, Cairn terrier, Chesapeake Bay dog, foxhound, Great Dane, greyhound, Irish wolfhound, pointer, retriever, English setter, cocker spaniel, clumber spaniel, and field spaniel.

Q.

Where are sabots worn? W. H.

A.

These wooden shoes are largely worn by the peasantry of France, Belgium, Holland, and some other parts of Europe. They are especially useful in wet weather, and in moist places generally, being well adapted to preserve the feet from damp. Great numbers of sabots have been exported by France to Belgium. In some parts of England, as in Lancashire, shoes with thick wooden soles, but with leather vamps or uppers are worn by most of the artisan class.

Q.

What were the Coventry Plays? F. R.

A.

A set of 42 plays combining the morality and the Mystery, acted during the sixteenth centry at Coventry or thereabouts on Corpus Christi Day. They were probably written by the clergy and were widely attended.

Q.

How old an organization is the American Sunday School Union? L. C. C.

A.

It dates back to 1767, when under the name of the First Day Society, it began its work helping the Sunday Schools of Philadelphia and vicinity.

Q.

How many people died in the United States last year? H. W.

A.

Exclusive of still births, there were 1,396,903 deaths

Q.

What is the history of Newstead Abbey? E. H.

A.

It is located on the border of Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, Eng., and was founded in 1170 by Henry II in atonement for the murder of Thomas a Becket. It was granted to Sir John Byron by Henry VIII. The poet Byron succeeded to the title and estate, lived there occasionally, and sold the property in 1818. His room is preserved as he left it.

Q.

How tall is Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes? R. C.

A.

He is 5 feet 10 inches tall.

Q.

Please give a biography of Shubert. A. L. S.

A.

Franz Schubert (1797-1828) was born in Lichtenthal, a village just north of Vienna, and was a son of a parish school master. He was a student of the famous Salieri. He earned his living by instructing in music in schools and in private homes. He died of typhoid when not quite 32 years old. He composed an amazing amount of work for such a brief career. He is known chiefly as a lyric writer and a composer of beautiful melodies, and has often been called "the most lovable of composers."

Q.

Was the condition of shell shock known before the World War? N. P.

A.

As early as the sixteenth century this condition of neurosis of war was noted and called the wind of the ball.

Q.

What is the naval vessel known as a sea sled? H. M. J.

A.

A sea sled is described as a long frail shell of light wood and aluminum, capable of making a contract speed of 60 knots and at times attaining speeds of 75 or 80 knots. Each sled carries two torpedoes. Italy has 300 of the sea sleds and is the only nation to have this naval arm.

Q.

Where was Thelma Todd, the motion picture actress, born? N. K.

A.

The late Thelma Todd was born in Lawrence, Mass.

Q.

How could the millions of buffaloes, ranging from New York State to the Far West, have become so nearly exterminated in so short a time? M. T.

A.

While the Indians killed the buffalo only for meat and for skins, the frontiersmen killed them for sport, each trying for a record. The record is believed to have been held by Colonel Cody, known as Buffalo Bill. He killed 69 in one day and 4,862 in a single season. Other hunters were nearly as proficient. He hunted many seasons. In a brief time he killed more buffalo than are in existence today.

Q.

How long has Lourdes, France, been famous as a shrine? J. P.

A.

The fame of Lourdes dates from 1858, when the Virgin appeared to a young girl, Bernadette Soubirous. The grotto near which the apparition took place is now surmounted by the magnificent Church of the Rosary, containing a shrine dedicated to the Virgin.

Q.

Please give a biography of Alan Dale, the dramatic critic. E. H.

A.

Alan Dale is the pseudonym of Alfred J. Cohen, dramatic critic and author, who was born in Birmingham, England, in 1861. He was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham, and at Oxford University. Coming to the United States, he engaged in journalism in New York and was dramatic critic for several New York newspapers. He wrote later for the Cosmopolitan news service. His publications include A Marriage Below Zero, My Footlight Husband, An Old Maid Kindled, The Great Wet Way, and His Own Image. He died in 1928.

Q.

How long has it been possible to talk by telephone from New York City to San Francisco? H. S. S.

A.

Transcontinental telephone service was inaugurated in 1915.

Q.

What church is called the Ace of Clubs Church? H. L. N.

A.

Old St. George's Church at Pungoteague, Virginia, built in 1652, is called the Ace of Clubs Church because of its peculiar form.

Q.

Who is the new world chess champion? F. B.

A.

Dr. Max Euwe, a native of the Netherlands, won the international championship. He is 34 years old and teaches mathematics at the Amsterdam Girls Lyceum.

Q.

Is there an organization of film critics of New York newspapers and magazines? H. R. T.

A.

The organization known as the new York Film Critics is a group which has for its purpose the selection of the best picture, the best script, the best director, and the best performance given annually.

Q.

When and by whom was the first naval battle fought in the American Revolution? R. C. C.

A.

The first naval battle of the American Revolution took place on June 12, 1775, although this battle was not authorized by the provincial Congress of Massachusetts. Captain Moore of the British schooner, Margaretta, arrived in the harbor at Machias, Maine, and ordered the citizens to move a liberty pole which they had erected. The citizens, led by Jeremiah O'Brien and his brother John, went to sea and in a hand-to-hand encounter captured the Margaretta and took away its cannons. The members of the crew were made prisoners and marched overland to Cambridge, Mass. The first official naval battle took place on October 11, 1776, off Valcour Island, a short distance from Plattsburg, N. Y. Benedict Arnold was in command of the American forces. Sir Guy Carleton led the British forces.