Finland's
1Islands
Making Hay in the Aland*.
Prepared by National Geographic Society,
Washington. D. C.—WNXJ Service.
IN THE north of the Baltic sea,
where the breast of Finland
swells toward the Swedish
coast, there are 6,000 islands, to
which belong all the surviving big
sailing ships in the world; or, to
be more exact, there are 6,554 is
lands, rock islets, tree-spattered
specks of sea-encircled territory
whose name is Aland and in whose
small ports are registered 26 of the
surviving square-rigged ships in
commission in the world. Altogeth
er there may be 31 now, counting
a German, two Swedes, an Ameri
can, and a Dane.
Aland is Finnish; but Its people
are Swedes, speaking Swedish.
Their colors are the blue and
gold of Sweden, though the white
and blue flag of Finland floats offi
cially from the Government House.
The strange cadences of the Fin
nish tongue are little heard here,
though by law Finnish is taught in
the schools are in the nautical
academy.
The Finns have their own name
for the islands, in their own lan
guage; to them they are Ahvenan
maa, and their capital of Marie
hamn (which is Maryport in Eng
lish) becomes Maarianhamina.
Sailing into Slariehamn one sees
first a low Island, and on it a light
house—nothing else. It is so low it
looks as if an angry sea might
sweep right over it and obliterate
it from sight. Were the lighthouse
not there, by night it would be in
visible. It bears no trees, no
habitation. Beyond are more is
land, low and rocky; then pine
clad ones ahead, astern, abeam, all
around. Still one can see no houses.
The islands are low, the highest not
a hundred feet above the sea. The
pines come down to the water’s
edge. This is Aland.
What Mariehamn Is Like.
Around a point between two is
lands is Mariehamn quay. On the
slope above it are houses and a
wood; then some more houses and
a great wood, down each side of
which a road has been made. This
parklike forest with lanes is the
Esplanade, main street of Marie
hamn. There one may walk in the
cool shade of the trees, past rows
of clean spacious houses. It Is all
ships, this street, with shipowners
living there and sailors walking up
and down, and at the bottom the
harbor, on both sides (for Marie
hamn crosses a narrow peninsula),
with the masts and yards of the
barks growing there above the
pines, as if they, like the pines, had
begun there and grown there and
always belonged there.
At one end of the Esplanade Is
the town’s hotel, Socletetshuset,
where the visitors live when they
come from Sweden. The summer
business is good, and at week-ends
a special excursion steamer from
Stockholm brings hundreds more
visitors to the little town. The
tourists dance, eat, swim, and bathe,
and the Alanders, bent over their
tasks in the fields, pay them no at
tention at all.
These Alanders might be the
original sailors, descendants of
Vikings—there are Viking graves at
Godby, on the main island, and else
where—who stayed there on raid
ing trips to Finland because they
liked the place, with its peace and
Its woods, its good earth and its
good fish that teemed in the waterts.
Viking blood still predominates
here.
In a group of 6,000 islands even
a sptall farm, away from the princi
pal large island, would ordinarily
Include several islets. The plow
man, if he would not swim, must
i boat to his fields; the farmer’s wife
going to market must go by sea. It
was natural in these surroundings
that a race of mariners should
arise. Taking so much of their
food from the sea, finding the ma
terials for shipbuilding so close at
hand, they early built fine vessels.
Built Up a Merchant Marine.
There were always timber and
fish In Aland, and these, with the
surplus products of the farms, were
the first cargoes. After a while,
■when the restrictions imposed by
rival ports had been broken down,
the Alanders were allowed to send
their vessels out into the Baltic.
Now they built larger ships, schoon
ers, and brigs. They carried their
own goods so successfully that soon
they began to carry other people’s;
and so the beginnings of their
merchant service grew. For a long
time It was only in the Baltic and
the Gulf of Bothnia. Politics still
kept world trade the monopoly of
a few nations, and no Aland ship
was seen beyond the Danish sound.
In 1854 the British sacked Bomar
sund; for Aland, like Finland, was
Russian then, and the British were
at war with Russia. That was a
sad blow. But the Alanders, many
of their vessels burned and their
port destroyed, soon began again.
They founded, the town of Marie
ha mo where tTiere had been two
fields, stretched across a narrow
peninsula, with harbors at both
ends. With their new port, the Alan
ders began to build their fleet
again. They built better vessels
and found more trade. Gradually
the hated steamship was rising.
Suez was opened in 1SG9, and the
clippers passed.
In the great discard of sail the
Alanders, unworried by steam,
bought up such vessels as appeared
to be good bargains. They ac
quired Nova Scotian barks, Bluenose
barkentines. Down East full-rig
gers. They bought ships cheaply,
and they bought good ships. One
of their principles was that a ship
should return her cost in three
years.
Through the World war Aland
ships suffered heavily. Eight were
lost in one month. After the war
some of the older ship owners had
had enough and bought no more
ships. But new ones arose; and one
of these was Gustaf Erikson. In
1920 he began building up wliat
now has become the last great fleet
of sail in the world.
Erikson’s Fine Ships.
Erikson bought up the beautiful
German training ship Herzogin Ce
cilie, paying some $20,000 for her
as she lay in a French port. He
sent her to Australia for grain and
to Chile for nitrates, and in two
years she had returned her purchase
price and more besides. He bought
the big Lawhill, and with one lucky
freight from Buenos Aires cleared
$200,000. Now he has a corner on
all the commissioned sailing ships
of the world, and those Cape Horn
ers which do not fly his house flag
may be counted upon the fingers of
one hand.
His ships carry crews of boys;
even the officers are very young,
and many of the masters are young
er than thirty years. Some of the
ships are schoolships, carrying pre
mium-paying apprentices as crew.
So many people wrote from all over
the world asking to sail in his ves
sels that he equipped two of them
especially to take passengers—the
Viking and Herzogin Ceeilie; and,
not content with that, bought
L’Avenir from the Belgians. He
fitted her to take 80 passengers,
of three classes, and in the sum
mer pow she makes Baltic cruises
with the Eriksou tug fussing along
behind in case of need.
Ordinarily a small Aland boy can
pull a boat almost as soon as he
can walk, and sail one not long aft
erwards. At the age of ten or so
• he makes a Baltic voyage, helping
in a “sump” taking firewood and
fish to Stockholm or to Turku. From
these he graduates to the Baltic
schooners, and so to the North sea
barks; thereafter it is an easy step
to deep water. Cape Horn, and the
grain trade from Australia.
A Finnish law restricts berths
before the mast to Finnish nation
als, and the forecastles of the ships
are ordinarily filled with Alanders.
But the half-decks, where the ap
prentices live, contain all the na
tionalities of the world. He who
wishes to become a sail-trained
sailor now must sail in Aland ships
—and pay $250 to the owner for
that privilege.
To the Alanders deserved promo
tion is comparatively easy. A nau
tical academy is provided free
through the winters in Mariehamn;
here, after two years of service, can
didates may sit for their second
mate’s papers, first spending six
months at school. Tuition and books
cost nothing; the boy must provide
only his hoard, and In Aland that
costs little.
They are quiet, these Alanders.
It takes a long time to know them.
They are not given to the utterance
of long dissertations upon the burn
ing problems of the day. They are
a quiet and careful race, hardbit
ten, hard raised. To them waste is
shameful and a loud mouth an
abomination. They have little time
for progress that means only
change.
BORROWED
By ETTA WEBB
©. D. J. Walsh—WNU Servlcs.
RUTH stared at the Invitation
red lips curving, blue eyes
sparkling with joy.
She had known Irene Howell so
slightly that she had not dreamed
of being asked to the great Howell
Twlnlng wedding. Probably An
drew wouldn’t feel he could go.
Hut she must go. With somebody.
With Mr. Kink. Mrs. Kink was
sure to be asked. She and Irene
had belonged to the same bridge
club.
It seemed to ltuth that she was
really getting into the swim at last.
Klve months before she and An
drew were strangers to everybody
here. Then she hud chanced upon
Mrs. Fink. Andrew and Mr. Fink
worked at the same place. Andrew
said Tom Fink was a good fellow.
Just at first ltuth thought she
didn’t like Inez Fink, but after a
while she got used to the sharp
tongued w’oman. From this ac
quaintance had come Irene How
ell’s invitation.
“It means a lot to us, in a way,”
she told Andrew at dinner.
“A mnn Is known by the company
his wife keeps. The Howells are
way up. So you see. Mrs. Fink
says—"
"Never mind Mrs. Fink. What I
want to know is how much this wed
ding is going to set me back,"
Andrew said briskly. “For a pres
ent, I mean.”
“No present. W'e're only invited
to the church.”
“I see. Well, I can’t make It,
possibly. Fink isn’t going either.
I suppose you and she can trail off
together. Got enough to wear?”
’’Sure." Ruth smiled. “Except a
hat.”
“I knew there’d be a something
short.” Andrew pretended to groan.
“Remember my Insurance premium
comes due the first of the month.
I’ve got to meet it if it takes a leg.
Every cent will count till that is
seen to.”
Ruth saw no prospect of getting
a new hat.
Mrs. Fink ran in.
No, Tom wasn’t going to the wed
ding either.
“You and I can trot along togeth
er,” she said. “I've just finished
cross-stitching my new white silk
with orange and black. It’s swell.
Now show me what you are going
to wear.”
Ruth brought out her blue crepe.
Mrs. Fink Inspected it with a care
less glance.
"It’ll do if you get a smart hat
to wear with it. Folks always look
at your hat first. If you’ve got a
snappy chapeau you con get away
with any old rag for a dress.”
Ruth flushed hotly.
The blue dress didn’t look the
same to her after Mrs. Fink got
through with It.
Ruth tried it on three times.
Each time she felt more keenly
the need of that new hat. She
tried to change the trimming on
her best hat. but It had faded un
derneath.
Mrs. Fink made her go over and
see the white silk cross-stitched
with black and orange. It was
charming. But the hat Mrs. Fink
had got to go with the dress took
Ruth’s breath away. It was the hat
of her dreams. She bit her lip, try
ing to keep down a pang of envy as
Mrs. Fink carelessly twirled the hat
on her hand.
She let Ruth try on the hat. And
the way Ruth looked in it! It made
her blue eyes bluer, her cheeks
pinker, her hair brighter.
That night she dreamed about
the black hat.
Next morning Ruth was all ex
citement. She hurried with the
dish-washing. She put the tiny
home to rigiits with deft, swift mo
tions.
The wedding was at noon.
At ten minutes to eleven when
she was all dressed ready to go
the telephone bell rang. Mrs. Fink
had called up to say hoarsely that
her throat was getting worse every
minute—she couldn't go.
“I’m so sorry ! It’s too bad! That
lovely dress! That elegant hat! Is
there anything I can do for you,
Mrs. Fink?” Ruth’s voice was full
of honest concern.
“Oh, I’ve got everything ,to doctor
with. Say, Ruth! You can wear
the hat If you want to.”
“Oh, Mrs. Fink! Do you really
mean so? You aren't joking, are
you?”
“I should say not! Stop In on
your way past and get It."
Ruth had always made It a rule
not to borrow or lend unless there
was real necessity for doing so.
Andrew yvas dead set against the
practice himself.
They had started out In their mar
ried life to be Independent, square
and conservative. Up to this mo
ment they had both fulfilled the
conditions of their little informal
contract. \
But now Ruth yielded to the lure
of the hat.
She saw no harm in wearing It,
especially as her friend had so
kindly offered to loan it.
She was very happy when she
put the hat on her bright head. She
failed to notice Mrs. Fink's rather
odd little smile.
The hat made her brave enough
to go to the church alone.
More than one^fterson looked ad
mjrlngly at her Blender young fig
ure as she passed.
When she entered In at the por
tal of the stately church she had an
nlr of having Just stepped from
one of the stately automobiles that
were constantly gilding up to the
curb. In fact, she seemed to be
long to that particular automobile
which had a silver ornament on
Irs radiator cap. rather than the
stout old lady who hud to be as
sisted down the step.
it was a wonderful wedding, all
that a wedding should he—lovely
(lowers, music, perfume, pretty
clothes, exquisite bride and six
bridesmaids looking like a bouquet
of spring blossoms, ltuth herself
had been married In the front par
lor of her parents’ small house far
away, and her mother had made
the wedding cake. But she knew
nevertheless what It was to take
the vows of wifehood. Her heart
beat fast and tears dimmed her
blue eyes as she listened. She
wished Andrew was with her. And
she forgot her borrowed hat.
The sunshine was gone by the
time she left the church. She hadn’t
gone two blocks before the first
raindrop spattered down. Automo
biles dashed past. Rut Ruth had
no money for taxi hire even If there
had been a taxi In sight.
Faster and faster fell the rain
drops.
Faster and faster sped Ruth to
ward the safe shelter of Mrs. Fink’s.
Folks on the sidewalks, at win
dows became aware of a flying fig
ure In drenched blue crepe, bare
headed, holding a too large hat un
der a fluttering rag which had been
a chiffon flounce.
White, wet to the skin, breathless
between haste and anxiety, Ruth at
last came to Mrs. Fink’s. Mrs. Fink
was lying down, but she sat up
quickly enough as Ruth burst In.
"Good gracious. Ain’t raining?"
exclaimed Mrs. Fink. Then she be
gan to laugh. "I got that hat on
trial," she said. “I knew one of the
salesgirls at Hawtry's. I told them
I wunted to keep It until riy hus
band could see It. Tom couldn't
tell a French hat from one I’d made
myself. I was going to wear It to
the wedding and take it back. And
now”—she paused significantly.
“Of course I’ll pay for It,” said
Ruth.
Her call was not pleasant.
She was obliged to stay at Mrs.
Fink’s until the storm ceased.
Then she stole home—to count up
her available cash. Meanwhile Mrs.
Fink promised to telephone to Haw
trey’s.
The hat was more expensive than
Ruth had dreamed. She had to ap
peal to Andrew. Andrew had to
borrow from Fink, who said shortly
that he didn’t see how women
showed so little judgment In buy
ing clothes—he was sure his wife
was always beautifully dressed on
very moderate cost. Andrew knew
what Ruth had Just told him. But
he kept silent.
Mrs. Fink was ever after extreme
ly cold to Ruth.
Not long after the Finks got Into
a little difficulty through Mrs. Fink’s
methods of buying. They left town.
Andrew got Fink’s Job, which
brought In more money than his
own. But In spite of this added
good fortune Ruth was even more
conservative and thrifty than she
had been before. Thnt much she
had learned from Inez Fink.
Divers in Tropics Fear
Manta Will Devour Them
Divers in the tropics avoid the
manta, holding to the traditional
story that the giant ray will engulf
a innn and slowly devour him. Such,
however, seems to be mythology.
The manta Is dangerous when
wounded, and can be taken only by
harpoon after a hard battle of sev
eral hours, says Popular Mechanics
Magazine.
The cow fish has a coat of armor
consisting of hardened scales which
form a bony box from which the
jaws, fins and tail can be moved
freely. The name Is applied be
cause of small horns In front of Its
eyes. The porcupine fish is one of
the most grotesque members of the
finny tribe, being of olive color and
spotted with black dots. Armed
with sharp-pointed spines, it Is dif
ficult to handle without being in
jured. Like blow fish, which also
are found in the gulf, porcupine
fish are capable of Inhaling air or
water to form a balloon-like appear
ance to frighten enemies.
Although u small fish, generally
running about six or seven Inches
In size, tiie bat fish looks the least
of any like a flsli. It appears to be
a toad, but has spine-llke scales
and a spinous dorsal fin.
While the drum fish Is not exact
ly a queer specimen, Its powerful
jaws hold a set of mill-like teeth
with remarkable crushing force.
Schools of drums, from three to
four feet in length and weighing
from 40 to 00 pounds each, can
make short work of a small oyster
reef. When young they are striped
like a zebra. Later they become a
dusty color. A large female will
lay 0,000,000 eggs.
Good Salesman
“Yes, Jones is the most success
ful* salesman I know.’’
“What’s his latest success?’’
“Yesterday he sold Mrs. Brown
two dozen stair carpet rods.”
“I don’t see anything very won
derful In that.”
“Neither did 1 until I realized
that the Browns lived In a bunga
low.”—I’earson's Weekly.
Why Permit Men
Monopoly of Fun?
"In tills corner (we nre describing
a boxing bout) Is Myron Emory,
weight 132 pounds. And in this cor
ner Charlie Young, weight 114. The
boys are known a* the Cuban Flnsh
and tke New Hampshire Wildcat.
They will now tight four rounds for
the wblsJrervVlght championship of
world.”
The reporter. In a popular maga
zine, goes on to describe the fight;
how the boxers, lean, tanned, enger,
advanced to the center of the ring;
how the crowd applnuded wildly;
how they battled, now boxing clev
erly, now slugging hnrd, the crowd
shrieking encouragement. Twice one
of the lighters was knocked to the
canvas, hut twice he arose and
earned himself the decision of a
draw.
And nuw, says a woman writer,
whose widely read articles are not
usually devoted to prize-ring activ
ities. the point of this boxing report
In this space. It was really a very
strange contest. For the fighters.
Emory and Young, were seventy-nine
and seventy-eight years old! The
referee was a hundred and three.
The bout took place in St. Peters
burg, Fla., a popular haven for old
people. It was managed by the
Three Quarter Century club, all of
whose members are over seventy
five. all active in some sport.
And no old-time athletes are these
men. Just elderly people wrho when
they retired to that city In the sun
found all sorts of diversions—for
young people. They realized that if
they were to have any fun there they
would have to organize activities for
themselves. So they founded the
Three Qunrter Century club—"not to
turn back the years, but to utilize
fully the years they have left." It
appears they nre adding to them.
But—the Three Quarter Centurl
ans are all men. My thought Is,
what about the women? They don’t
have to box, or Join the baseball
team, but there are goodly activities
in that city of the sun that would
give them no less fun. Have they
been so preoccupied all those years
before that they can’t learn now how
to take fun like their men? Thnt’s
an idea for the generation to follow
them. Let this July 4th be remem
bered as an Independence day for a
Woman's Three Qunrter Century
club!
® Bell Syndicate.—WNU Service.
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CARL, YOUR DISPLAY OP
TEMPER CONVINCED ME
I CAN’T USE YOU IN THE
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ALWAYS SiOWING UP!
raw- reel him to
60 Stl?lN6 HlS <
RACKET- HE'S A
, LOUSV COACH S
ANVWAV ! -A,
CQ*rec^
A£«vtsV
HELLO, CARL! I
HEAR VOU’RE j
GOING TO PLAV IN
THE INTER-STATE H
TENNIS TOURNAMENT
WELL.l'M NOT! ]
THE COACH
KICKED ME OUT!
SAID I LOSE IVW ,
JrewpGR rooj
easily / c)
rINE^ER DlO j
V LIKE THIS S
DOCTOR! HE'S
TOO SMART...^
' HE'LL MAKE
TROUBLE FOR
r^lME VET'
AS I’ve TOLD VOU CARL, vou
HAVE COFFEE-N6RWES.
THAT'S WHAT CAUSES VOUR
HEADACHES AND INDIGESTION
l - AND BAD TEMPER \/ \
SHUCKS, DOCTOR..]
COFFEE DOESN'Tj
HURT ME
Y If I HAP MV WAV,
{ I'D TAKE ALL THE
DOCTOR //V THE <
•WORLD AfJD DROWM
'EM!
cor our coffee
and switch to
POSWM. VOUU
see we g
DIFFERENCE !j
Weu-ALL
Right,
DOCTOR
IF VOO
SAV SO l j
> CURSES! fHAi
blasted motcoj
y KNOWS THAT 4
POSTOM ALWAVS
DRIVES WE OUj^|
CARL IS PIAVIM6 V
A MARVELOUS GAME )
... BUT AREN'T VOU S
AFRAID HC’LL BLOW UP?
HC/V A CHANC6 !^>1
SINCE CARL SWlTCHEP
TC ROSTUM,HE'S
F?LT SO 600P
THAT NOTHING
l ijfsers him *
“Why was coffee harm
ing me, Doctor? I
thought only children
should never drink
it!”
1 “Oh, no! Many adults,
too, find that caffein
in coffee can upset
digestion, or nerves,
or prevent sound sleep!”
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