Q: I have read that Warren Delano, FDR’s grandfather, supported them most of their lives and that he obtained most of his wealth by buying and selling opium in China. Was he an opium dealer?
—Allen Trent, Canton
A: Delano, the father of Sara Delano and grandfather to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, made his fortune by dealing in opium as a representative of Russell & Co. in China in the mid-1800s. It's not known how much, if any, FDR knew about his grandfather's involvement in the opium trade, journalist/author Karl E. Meyer wrote in the New York Times in 1997. "The old China trader was close-mouthed about opium, as were his partners in Russell & Company," he wrote.
American Heritage magazine wrote in 1986 that the White House “maintained a discreet silence” after syndicated columnist Westbrook Pegler “accused the President of living off the fortune left by ‘an old buccaneer’ who had wrested it from ‘a slave traffic as horrible and degrading as prostitution.’ ”
Q: Florida moved past New York as the third most populated state. Which state is second?
—Ken Riley, College Park
A: Texas, with an estimated 26.9 million people in 2014, is the second most populous state, behind California, with 38.8 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Florida, with nearly 19.9 million people, overtook New York (19.7 million) at No. 3 in December. Florida added an estimated 293,000 new residents between July 1, 2013, and July 1, 2014, Time reported. Georgia is eighth with an estimated 10.1 million residents as of July 1, 2014, a population increase of 4.2 percent from April 1, 2010.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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