Three generations of ant farmers

By Gary Clothier

TAFT

Q: When I was a young boy, my folks bought me an Uncle Milton’s Ant Farm, and I loved it. When my sons reached the same age, I bought them one. This Christmas, my grandchildren will each receive a farm. When were they introduced? What is the story behind the idea? ‘ L.J., Apache Junction, Ariz.

A: After returning home from World War II, Milton Levine and his brother-in-law Joe Cossman started a mail-order novelty company in Pittsburgh, Pa. Do you remember the comic-book advertisements for the rubber shrunken heads or the 100 soldiers for a dollar? They were from Uncle Milton. In 1952, the company moved to Hollywood, Calif. During a Fourth of July family picnic in 1956, Levine observed ants scurrying about and recalled his youthful days when he would catch the bugs, place them in a jar and watch them. The light bulb went on, and before long, a test ad appeared, promoting Uncle Milton’s Ant Farm. It was a success, and it remains popular to this day.

Q: How many presidents of the United States are buried at Arlington National Cemetery? How many people are buried there? ‘ G.M.N., Portland, Ore.

A: There are only two presidents buried at Arlington National Cemetery: William Howard Taft and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. More than 300,000 people are interred in the cemetery.

Q: I have another question about the TV show ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ What did the initials U.N.C.L.E. represent? As I recall, the law-enforcement agency was in constant struggle with T.H.R.U.S.H. I assume this, too, is an acronym. ‘ S.M.P., Dover, Del.

A: U.N.C.L.E. stood for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, which fought the evil forces of T.H.R.U.S.H. The meaning of T.H.R.U.S.H. was never revealed on the TV series, but in the U.N.C.L.E. novels, written by David McDaniel, the initials stood for Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity.

Q: On the TV show ‘Gunsmoke,’ what was the name of the main street in Dodge City? ‘ F.K., Columbus, Ohio

A: Front Street. The Dodge House hotel, the Long Branch saloon, the jail and Doc’s office were all on Front Street.

Q: For my birthday, I received a necklace with one of the most beautiful stones I have ever seen; it’s called Pietersite. What can you tell me about this stone? Who is Pieter? I know you cut stones for jewelry. Have you ever worked with Pietersite? ‘ V.H., Fort Smith, Ark.

A: Sidney Pieters (1920-2003) discovered the stone in 1962 while prospecting on a farm in Namibia, Africa. Pieters also called it one of the most beautiful gemstones he had ever seen. The stone is composed of fantastic veins and swirls of one rich color, intermingled with splashes of another color, sometimes even several colors. Because of its beauty, Pietersite is one of the premier stones used in jewelry making worldwide.

Have I ever worked with Pietersite? No, I haven’t. I have often placed bids for the gemstone at online auctions, but so far, I have always been outbid.

Q: Which National Basketball Association player holds the record for most games played? ‘ M.J., San Diego, Calif.

A: The record goes to center Robert Parish. Born Aug. 30, 1953, in Shreveport, La., Parish graduated from Centenary College of Louisiana. ‘The Chief’ played on four NBA teams, but it was his years in Boston that established him as one of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time. All in all, he appeared in 1,611 games over 21 seasons. The Celtics retired his famous No. 00 jersey, and he was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003, along with teammates Larry Bird and Kevin McHale.

Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at [email protected] or c/o United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016.