SLUMP SPEEDS
TRAIN SERVICE
Paris —(UP)— Depression, which
has cut down the number of voy
agers and the amount of freight
and airplane competition have re
sulted in a speeding up of the
Britain and the Continent with
passengers and freight trains of
(he result that the world's speed
record tor trains in daily service
was pushed up to 92 miles an
hour.
The present record is held bv
England, the Cheltenham Flyer
making a maximum speed of 92
miles and an average speed of
81.6 miles for the 77 U miles from
Swindon to Paddinton. On the
Continent, where the traias are
longer and heavier, the record is
express which roars towards the
Belgian frontier, 148 miles at the
average speed of 66 1-6 miles an
held bby the Paris-Liege non-stop
hour.
The Cheltenham flier pulls only
six coaches for a total weight of
180 tons plus the 120 tons of the
engine and tender. The Paris
Liege weighs 290 tons plus the 185
tons of the locomotive. The Parls
Saint Quentin weighs 340 tons plus
the engine.
There are 27 French passenger
trains running their rails from end
to end at better than a rnile-a
minute and 129 at better than 56
miles (90 kilometers) an hour
compared with 100 last year and
85 in 1929 In its European record
run. the Paris-Liege tops 70 miles
an hour over half of its course.
Bavarian Farmers Plan
“Weather Shooting”
Municn —'ur'- ramie IO -
Ranizations in Upper Bavaria have |
decided to revive a custom which
was dropped a century ago as be
ing "old fashioned" even then.
They are going to resume "weather
shooting."
The custom was widely practiced
in the Bavarian as well as the
Austrian Alps. Cannon shots were
wired into clouds threatening a
thunderstorm, in order to precipi
tate an early burst and prevent
much feared hailstorms. In 1817,
the Bavarian government prohib
ited 'weather shooting," calling it
a superstitious belief worthy of
the middle eges.
In the meantime, however, sci
ence claims ta have established
that the Bavarian farmers' notion
about weather shooting was not so
superstitious after all, and the old
custom will be given a new trial
this summer.
• • - —
Blind Boy Traveled
Long Distance on Foot
Copenhagen —(UP)— William
Peterson, Inmate of the home for
blind boys here, has accomplished
a rare feat. In one night and
one day he traveled from Copen
hagen to Korsoer, a stretch of 114
kilometers, alone and a-foot over
a frequented road which led him
through four towns, a large num
ber of villages and required the
navigation of many dangerous
street crossings.
Young Peterson, who has been
blind from birth, felt homesick
for his mother who lives in Soed
ding. Island of Fuenen. One even
ing he decided he could wait no
longer, he set out alone.
--• ♦- 11
Ureat Urandmother sees
Little Change in Young
Fort Worth, Tex. — <UP> —
There's no difference betwen the
“younger set" today and her set
back in the Civil war days when
she shook her pistol at a detach
ment of Northern soldiers and
defied them to drive off her last
cow. Mrs. Sallie Hays. 92-year
old great-grandmother, thinks.
“Except for the disappearance
of almost any swimming costume
at all and the abandonment of
the pork pie hats, there’s no dif
ference. I've watched three gen
et at ions go by—all the same." she
said. "And I received my social
training from that dear old school
of Virginia Southern aristocracy
and Tennessee colonels."
-——♦ ..—
Mammoth Skeleton
Found in White Russia
Moscow —(UP)— The skeleton of
n huge mammoth was discovered
near the banks of the Osuga river,
White Russia, by some workmen
who were digging an irrigation
canal.
The skeleton was unearthed
about 12 feet underground and
was reported to be In an excel
lent state of preservation. It will
be shipped to the state museum.
The discovery of mammoth
bones in European Russia is by
no means unusual. Last year the
remains of one were discovered
near Kazan. In 1910 some mam
moth bones were discevered right
in the heart of Moscow itself dur
ing excavations for a cellar.
Do It Again
From The Humorist
Hubbv: Here is $5. dear. Don’t
tou think I deserve a little ap
plause for giving it to you withou*
being asked for it?
Wife: Applesauce! Why, darling
I think you desr ;'n encore!
--—..
California Frogs Like
Honey Bee Diet
Tulare. Cal.. —(UP)— Mark
Twain's famous jumping frogs ol
Calaveras. Cal., owed part of tlieii
fame to the fact they ate lead
pellets.
The frogs of Tulare county re
cently achieved notoriety, at least
by their penchant for honey bees
they ate so many of them, apiar
ists reported, that they were forced
to open up a drive on th*
croakers
I mWrnkwm* 4m
Flying low to make a landing, this airplane crashed completely through
the roof of a house in East End, Cleveland, 0„ killing an occupant of
the building. Strangely enough, the pilot of the plane, though injured,
ia tiXDartwd to ru'nvar.
A Stolen Ride in a Portantina
rrom "My Life, by Emma Calve
In Christian Science Monitor
One afternoon I went to the thea
ter rather earlier than usual, as I
entered, I saw a group of porters
and mechanics hovering around a
little sedan chair which stood in the
wings and which I had noticed be
fore. It had been built for Patti on
her las stay In Venice. . . .
As I made my way toward my
dressing room, the stage manager,
who had been in animated conversa
tion with the group around the
sedan chair, approached me
"Will Mademoiselle be so kind as
to tell me how much she weighs?”
he asked.
“A hundred and twenty-five
pounds,” I answered, much surprised
by the question.
"Splendid!” he exclaimed. “Just
the thing! Madmolselle, if she
wishes, can use Jatti's sedan chair.
The porters wi!J not rarry more
than a certain weight, but Made
moiselle is exactly right.”
I was of course delighted. Every
evening I made the journey through
the narrow alleys ofold Venice, and.
as my Porlantina was unique. I was
known nil along the route The
street urchins began cheering as
soon as they saw it appear at the
end of a street.
"Ecco la prima donna!” they
shouted. "Here she comes! E viva
E viva!”
My farewell performance at the
Fenlce was a gala night. The stage
was Inundated with flowers, the
audience wildly enthusiastic. Finally
It was time to go home, and my
mother sent my mafd to call the
porters.
This maid, Valerie, was a Pari
sian. dark, graceful and not unlike
me In build and colouring. She
loved to imitate my way of walking,
my gestures, sometimes even my
clothes. She wore a mantilla, and at
a distance might easily be mis
taken for her mistress.
My mother and I sat waiting in
my dressing room for a long time.
Valerie seemed to be unaccountably
slow'. We were beginning to wonder
what had happened to her, when
she burst into the room.
"Oh, Mademoiselle! Forgive me!”
she exclaimed, allout of breath. “I
didn’t do it on purpose ( They car
ried me off in the portantina! There
were serenaders—gentlemen in eve
ning clothes! It was grand! A regular
triumph! They thought it was
Mademoiselle!”
She stopped for bbreath, but be
fore we could ask a single question,
she was off again.
"When we got to the hotel.” she
continued excitedly, "the manager
opened the door with a deep bow.
When he saw me. how he jumped!
It's nothing but the maidV he
shouted in a rage. But really it isn't
my fault!" Valerie concluded plain
tively. “I can’t helpit If I look like
Mademoiselle! The porters brought
me back, but the celebration is all
over. Every one is gone!”
My mother was very angry and
wanted to dismiss the girl on the
spot. I could only laugh. It seemed
to me so absurd! When we got
Blue Racer Enjoyed
His Bicycle Ride
Seymour, Mo. —<UP)— Fred
Green, who rides a bicycle while
delivering mail on a rural route,
was riding comfortably down the
road when he saw a friend wa\e
at him frantically, and point ex
citedly at Green’s wheel.
Green looged down. There, ap
parently enjoying the ride, was a
five-foot bblue racer snake, coiled
around the wheel like an extra
tiie. And the nake put up quite
back to the hotel, no one was in
sight, but the steps were covered
with flowers, strewn at the feet of
my chambermaid!
In my own room at last I could
not sleep. 1 stood on my balcony
looking out over the peaceful lagoon. (
It was a marvelous nignt! Venice
was still a city of gondolas and
midnight serenades. There were no
motor boats to spoil the picture, as
there are today. My mother was
thrilled with joy at my success.
"Naver, never have you had such
a triumph!” she exclaimed, again
and again. She had forgiven Valerie
her escapade and only remembered
the flowers, the applause, the trib
utes of appreciation and enthusi
asm.
Before we left the hotel the next
day, we were presented with a bill
"For carrying off in the portant
ina—200 francs.”
My mother, greatly surprised,
called the manager.
"What does this mean?" she de
manded.
The unhappy man was overcome
with embarrassment.
"Patti's manager used to arrange
for a triumphal progress of this
sort,” he explained. "He hired the
Lallbboys and musicians from the
hotel. I thought Mademoiselle, too,
would like it. I am sorry, if you are
displeased.”
----
DIVERSIFIED PHILOSOPHY.
One revolution we could have,
'Twould be illustrious:
A revolution that would turn
Those wheels industrious.
What G. O. P's are fearing now%
As might McBeth the witch,
Is no big stick in any hand,
But only the big switch.
Those stories that I used to hear
In bar rooms long ago,
Once haughty dames, now in salons
Are passing to and fro.
If it be true that solid wood
Is nearly one third gas,
Perhaps a chemist we should hire,
To on those platforms pass.
A scientist says butterflies
Don't eat: and that's a sign
That never in his life lias he
Invited one to dine.
The onlv plank republican,
That I shall never balk,
Is that one on election day
We demos make them walk.
—Sam Page,
— ■■■ ♦ ♦
SLIDING SCALE
From Punch
Hairdresser — A permanent wave
would be five guineas, madam; or,
of course, you could have a tempo
rary one for a kuinea.
Flapper — I say, couldn’t you give
mo just r momentary one for about
five shillings? __
Giving Her Credit.
From Tit-Bits.
"Old Fellowes seems to be a re
markably good husband, doesn t
lie?” Brown remarked: "I mean—
he's awfully generous to his wile,
Cl"Oh. rather,” Jones replied. "That
man is willing to let his wife have
anything that credit can buy.”
a fight before he could be dis
lodged.
---
JUST THRIFTY
Columbus, Ohio — Postmaster
I James R. Geren has seen some odd
I things in his life, but probably the
! oddest was a letter written to a
I young lady on North Mill street
! here. The letter was written on the
back of a postage stamp. When
read under a magnifying glass, the
message was: "Hi there! No, I'm 1
' not Scotch, either! This paper is
' hard to write on. See you Tuesday
1 night. Bye. Ivan.”
The Army's Latest War Eagle
_ i —'ini > ■ ' »-r*— - --v •
This striking picture shows the newest of giant army
fighting craft, Uncle Sam's most modern bombing
plane, passing Mount Ranier (background) during
her final test in and around Seattle, Wash., before be
ing flown East to be turned over to the Army. The
huge craft is powered with two 575 Pratt and VNit
ney motors, is ell meta! and has a wing span dM II
feet. It is the fastest of its type in the world.
The Seashore Rhumba
Here are two familiar figures in unfamiliar garb—you usually see them
ho evening clothes. They are Ramon and Rosita, famous society dancing
learn, shown as they rehearsed a new number on the beach at the Lido
Country Club, Long Island. The new dance is their version of tii«
rhumba and no doubt, you’ll be seeing it this Winter.
"Macks" Comfort
i
In order Io pay her tribute to tht
spirit of the Olympiad and to keeg
comfortable while doing so, Dorm
thy l.ayton, film actress, wears thd
''slacks" outfit of red, while ant
blue. The trousers and bolero jacket
are of red flannel. The blouse it o/
white satin and the lie deep Utma.
In Port of Unhappiness
Little Miss "X”
i -■ • •»
“Woe is me,” wails this little one,
“I’m only six months old and here I
am on my own. That’s not so bad
if this funny fellow didn’t persist in
pointing a camera at me. Wish he'd
«ret me a bottle instead. I’m so
darned tired of crying.” Yes, this
I pretty miss is the latest addition to
1 the New York foundlings’ Jivaie.
Seward F. Lang, pharmacist’s assistant in the United States Nary, is
shown as he made the acquaintance of a proud Chinese father ana his
baby in the streets of Shanghai. Despite hard times, foliowring the recent
conflict with Japan, the scene has a certain look of happiness about it,
don’t you thinfcT,