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About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 1947)
DISASTERS January 1—Five killed when DC-3 transport crashes near Charleston, a. c. 1— Transport plane falls near Carmel, N. J., killing 3, injuring 20. 12— Airliner crashes near Galax, Va., killing 18 of 19 aboard. 13— Fifteen miners die in gas explosion in coal mine in Nottingham, Pa. 30—Tornado sweeping through Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri kills 20 February 18—Twenty-one killed, 128 injured when train plunges over 150-foot embark ment in Allegheny mountains near Altoona, Pa. 20—Explosion of tank in electroplating factory in central Los Angeles kills 15, injures 158, demolishes area half mile square. March 25—Worst mine disaster since 1928 takes toll of 111 lives in Centralia, 111., explosion. April 2— Explosion in fireworks plant in Clin ton, Mo., kills 10. 9—Tornadoes rip through Texas Pan handle and Oklahoma, killing 138, injuring 1,000. Woodward, Okla., hardest hit. with 84 dead. 16—Most of Texas City, Tex., destroyed by enormous explosion when freight er, loaded with nitrate fertilizer, ex plodes in harbor and sets fire to docks, oil tanks and factories. Fire rages for three days. Toll; 400 kill ed, 3,500 injured. 29—Tornado destroys Worth, Mo., kill ing 14. Another twister kills 9 in rural northwest Arkansas. May 6—Outbreak of infant diarrhea in Phila delphia area causes deaths of 27 babies 29— Forty-two killed when DC-4 airliner crashes after take-off at La Guardia field. New York. Seven survive. 30— DC-4 airliner crashes near Ft. De posit, Md., killing all 53 on board. Two crashes rank as worst air dis asters in U. S. history. 31— Tornado strikes Leedy, Okla., wreck ing town, killing 6. June 1—Tornado kills 35 in farming section near Pine Bluff. Ark. 9—Mississippi river floods lowlands in northern Missouri, southern Iowa and Illinois, forcing 22.000 to aban don homes. Seven drowned at Ot tumwa, Iowa. 13—All 50 on board DC-4 airliner killed when it strikes mountain near Lees burg, Va. 22—Flash flood drowns 11 in Cambridge, Neb. July 3—Tornado kills 11 near Grand Forks, N. D. 13—Chartered DC-3 transport plane crashes in swamp near Melbourne, Fla., killing 21, injuring 15. 29—Explosion wrecks beauty shop in Harrisonburg, Va- Ten women killed, 30 persons injurAl. August 8— Four die when chartered plane dives into chimney of gas plant in Ever ett, Mass. September 3—Labor day weekend takes death toll of 456, compared with 457 in 1946. 11—Twenty killed when excusion boat blows up at Pittsburgh dock. 20— Hurricane sweeps in over southern Florida, crosses Gulf of Mexico, strikes Louisiana. Mississippi and Arkansas. Toll: 100 killed, many in jured, property loss of 25 to 30 mil lion dollars. 21— Flood following hurricane drowns 37 in New Orleans area. 29—Fire on New York City pier results in injuries to 144 firemen, five mil lion dollar loss. October 24— Fifty-two killed when transport plane crashes in Bryce Canyon, Utah. 25— Forest fires in Maine kill 17, destroy many homes. Fires rage throughout northeastern states. 26— Transport hits mountain In Alaska, killing 18. November 13—Array plane hits Mt. Spokane, Wash., killing five men. 21—Nine naval personnel killed, two saved in crash of bomber in Pacific, 100 miles southwest of San Diego, Calif. December 9— Army plane crashes near Goose Bay, Labrador; 23 die, six rescued. 11— Two passenger trains collide head on near New Braunfels, Tex., killing two. Injuring nine. 12— Army plane burns and crashes near Memphis, Teun.. killing 20. 15—CAB tabulation shows 1947 toll of 274 fatalities in mishaps involving scheduled airlines. rec—vn-jn-— 1 > 1 HEATHS — fej January 5—Ovington E. Weller. 84, former U. S. sena tor from Maryland. 7—Charles S. Woolworth, 90, one of founders of store chain. 11— Eva Tanguay, 68, famous vaudeville actress. 20—Andrew J. Volstead, 87. former Min nesota congressman who introduced 1919 prohibition act. 26— Grace Moore, 45, opera, radio ana screen star, in air crash. 27— Haul P. Harris, 78, founder of Rotary International. February 3—Adm Marc A. Mitscher, 60, hero of both World Wars. 6—O. Max Gardner. 64, U. S. ambassa dor to England. 12— Sidney Toler (Charlie Chan), 50, film star 15—Harry K. Thaw, 76. wealthy playboy who shot Stanford White. March 9—Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, 88. wom an suffrage leader. 17—William C. Durant, 85. founder of General Motors corporation. + + ± April 7—Henry Ford. 83, auto manufacturer. 18—Benny Leonard, 51, former world lightweight boxing champion. 20— King Christian X of Denmark, 76. 24—Willa Cather, 70, famous novelist. May 4—Martin J. Insull, 78, brother of Sam uel and himself a utilities magnate. 16— Sir Frederick G. Hopkins, .86, bio chemist who discovered vitamins. 27—Brig. Gen. Evans F. Carlson, 51, ma rine hero, leader of "Carlson’s raid ers." 31—Adrienne Ames, 39, actress and radio commentator. June 11— David I. Walsh, 74, former U. S. sen ator and governor of Massachusetts. 22—Jim Tully, 56, novelist and screen writer. July 12— Rep. Joseph J. Mansfield, 86, Texas congressman since 1916 and oldest member of house. 26—Mrs. Martha E. Truman, 94, Presi dent Truman's mother. August 4—Gipsy R. Smith, 87, noted evangelist. 21— Sen. Theodore G. Bilbo. 69, U. S. senator from Mississippi, 1935-47. September 20—Fiorello H. La Guardia, 64, former congressman from New York state, mayor of New York City and direc tor general of UNRRA. October 17— Arthur Hyde, 70, former secretary of agriculture, former governor of Missouri. 30—Gov. Earl Snell of Oregon, 52. November 4—John G. Winant, 58, former ambas sador to England. 22— James J. Davis, 74, secretary of labor. 1921-30. December 7—Dr. Nicholas M. Butler, 85, president emeritus of Columbia U. Joseph T. Ryerson, 67, steel mag nate. SPORTS January ^ 1—Bowl football scores: w Rose Bowl, Illinois 45, u. C. L. A. 14; Sugar Bowl, Georgia 20. North Caro lina 10; Cotton Bowl, Arkansas 0, Louisiana State, 0; Orange Bowl, Rice 8, Tennessee 0. Shrine game. West All Stars. 13. East 9. 21—Bob Feller, Cleveland Indians pitch er, signs contract calling for $80,000 plus bonus for 1947 season. 25—Gil Dodds runs Knights of Columbus mile in Boston in record 4:09.1. February 2—National Collegiate Athletic associa tion bans running shift among foot ball rule changes. 12—Charles Trlppi, pro football star, signs to play baseball with Atlanta club. 21— Hank Greenberg signs with Pitts burgh Pirates for $60,000. 28— Gus Lesnevich, light heavyweight champion, knocks out Billy Fox in title bout in New York. March 12—Martin Ortiz takes bantamweight title from Harold Dade in Los An geles. 15—Willie Hoppe retains world three cushion billiards championship. Ted Edwards and William Lingel bach win U. S. court tennis doubles. 22— Joseph Verdeur sets new record for 220 • yard breaststroke, 2:16.4 in Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming league. 25— Utah defeats Kentucky, 49 to 45, to win National Collegiate basketball title. 29— Gil Dodds runs fastest Indoor mile, 4:06.8 in Chicago. April 9—Commissioner Happy Chandler sus pends Leo Durocher, Brooklyn base ball club manager, for 1947 season. 15—Joe Baski, American heavyweight fighter, defeats Bruce Woodcock, British champion, in London. Baseball season opens, Brooklyn is managed by Burton Shotton. 26— Texas U. take top honors in Drake relays in Des Moines, Iowa. Illinois leads in Penn relays in Philadelphia. 27— "Babe Ruth Day" observed at all ball parks in U. S. and Japan. May 3— Jet Pilot wins Kentucky Derby In 2:06 4/5; Phlanx second. Faultless, third. 4— National women’s senior A. A. U. championship swimming meet In Seattle won by Crystal Plunge club of San Francisco. Ann Curtis takes individual honors. 17— U. S. golf team regains Walker cup at St. Andrews, Scotland. 30—Mauri Rose wins annual 500 mile auto race at Indianapolis with aver age speed of 116.3 miles. June 3— Honeymoon sets new world record for seven furlong race of 1:21 4/5 minutes at Hollywood Park, Calif. Lloyd Marshall of Cleveland knocks out British light heavyweight champ ion in London. 15— Lew Worsham wins national open golf title by one stroke at St. Louis. 18— Harvard rowing crew defeats Yale in historic race at New London, Conn. Ewell Blackwell of Cincinnati Reds pitches first no-hit game of season against Boston Braves in Cincinnati. 21—U of Illinois retains National Col legiate Athletic association champ ionship in meet at Salt Lake City. 29—Betty Jameson wins U. S. women’s open golf tiUe in Greensboro, N. C. July 8—American League wins All-Star base ball game in Chicago. 2-1. 16— Rocky Graziano defeats Tony Zale to win world’s middleweight boxing title. 21—Schooner Dolphin n wins California to-Hawaii yacht race in 11 days, 1:04 minutes. Sloop Cara Mia cap tures Chicago-to-Mackinac race in 39 hours, 5:46 minutes. 29—Gus Lesnevich, light heavyweight boxing champion, outpoints Tami Mauriello, heavyweight, in non-title bout in New York. August 4— lice Williams knocks out Bob Mont gomery in Philadelphia to become lightweight champion of world. 13—Victory Song sets new world record for trotters by running mile in 1:57 3/5 minutes, in Springfield. Ill 21— D. Lee Braun of Dallas, Tex., wins professional North American clay target championship in Vandalia. Ohio. 22— Willie Pep retains featherweight title by defeating Jock Leslie in Flint. Mich. College AU-Stars oest Chicago Bears pro football squad in Chicago, 16-0. -X Top Ten Spot News Stories of 1947 (As selected by nation’s weekly edi tors in Publishers’ Auxiliary poll.) Taft-Hartley act keynotes turbulent labor picture. Marshall plan, including 22l/2 bil lion dollar outlay, marks U. S. effort to rehabilitate stricken Eu rope. Tanker explosion and fire wreak havoc in Texas City, Tex., with death toll of 400. 17. S.-Russian disputes hold spot light in United Nations’ quest for world peace. Britain grants India long-sought freedom; rioting and bloodshed prevail. Governorship dispute flares in Geor gia, with M. E. Thompson as ul timate victor. Telephone strike ties up communi cations over widespread area. Price inflation staggers domestic economy. Marriage of Britain’s Princess Eliz abeth brings royalty into lime light. Truman Doctrine and Greco-Turk ish aid mark revised concept in foreign relations. » " II II — ■ I September 1—American Davis cup team defeats Australia to retain cup. 3—N. Y. Giants pro football teams beats Eastern College all-stars. 21-0. in New York City. 7— Minor league baseball season ends. Jersey City leads International league. Kansas City, the American association. 22—Brooklyn Dodgers clinch National league pennant, New York Yankees win American league flag. 27— Armed beats Assault as nation's top race horse. Compete in $100,000 two horse race at Belmont Park, N. Y. 28— Ben Hogan wins International golf tourney in Chicago. October 6—New York Yankees win World series. 18—Army’s record of 32 football games without defeat broken by Columbia. November 8— Notre Dame defeats Army, 27 to 7. 14—Billy Fox defeats Jake LaMotta by technical knockout in New York. 20—Brooklyn Dodgers buy St. Paul club of American Association. December 5— Joe Louis retains heavyweight title in split decision over Joe Walcott. 6— Notre Dame beats Southern Califor nia. 38 to 7. 13—College of Pacific defeats Utah State 35 to 21 in Grape Bowl grid game. -, IMUMESTir . January 6—President Truman emphasizes five maj or prooiems—sirmes, business monopolies, housing, taxes and agricultural prosperity—in an nual "state of the union” message. 10—President submits budget totaling 37>,i billion dollars. 21—Gen. George Marshall succeeds James Byrnes as secretary of state. February 10—U. S. signs peace treaties ending war with Italy, Bulgaria. Hungary, Fin land and Romania. 12—U. S. and Canada agree to continue wartime collaboration for "peace time joint security purposes.” 28—U. S. cooperates with Mexico in cam paign to control hoof-and-mouth dis ease outbreak. March 6—U. S. Supreme court finds John L. Lewis and# United Mine Workers guilty of civil and criminal contempt in coal strike of November. 1946. 12—President outlines “Truman Doc trine” on Europe and blasts Russian aggression. 18— Cash wheat hits 30-year high of $3.05 a bushel in Chicago. 19— Georgia supreme court rules Mel vin E. Thompson is legal governor of state. 31—Many war power acts expire auto matically, including selective serv ice, CPA controls on steel, resins, textiles, solid fuels administration, transportation restrictions of ODT, and others. April 7—Telephone workers launch nationwide strike as 340,000 employees of Bell system leave jobs. 9—David Lilienthal confirmed as head of Atomic Energy commission after heated senate wrangle. 21—President warns of inflation dangers and pleads for voluntary price cuts. May 1—Round of threatened strikes in steel and heavy manufacturing Industries settled by raises of 10 to 15 cents per hour. 14—President signs bill to eliminate most portal-to-portal pay suits. 20—Last major telephone workers’ strike ends. Newburyport, Mass., merchants abandon voluntary price cut cam paign. 24— Navy accepts new jet-propelled fight er plane, carrier-based XF2D-1, with speed of 600 mph. June 1—Commission on universal military training issues stem warning on dan gers of swift annihilation in atomic war without a huge army, extensive defensive organization. 11—President reasserts doctrine of main taining world peace by helping weak nations. 17— House fails by two votes to override presidential veto of income tax re duction bill. 23—Taft-Hartley bill becomes law as con gress overrides presidential veto. 30—President signs rent control bill con tinuing modified controls until March 1, 1948. July 18— Senate sustains presidential veto of income tax reduction bill. - President signs presidential succes sion bill placing speaker of the house first in line. 25— Sixty wartime emergency powers ended and termination dates set for 124 others. 26— Bill approved to unify armed forces. 27— James Forrestal appointed to newly created post, secretary of national defense Eightieth congress ends first session. August 10— William Odom of Roslyn, N. Y., flies around world in record 73 hours.cov ering 19,645 miles. 11— Sensational Hughes investigation by senate committee probing army air plane contracts suddenly adjourned. September 1— President and Mrs. Truman visit Brazil on 20-day goodwill mission. 14—Army imposes complete ban on news of biological warfare develop ments. 28—Farm income soars 11 per cent in past year while operating costs jump 16 per cent, department of agricul ture report discloses. October 2— Food conservation drive launched by President. 10— First war dead arrive at San Fran cisco. 23— President calls congress for emer gency session on November 17. 24— Distillers begin 60-day shutdown to save grain. 30—U. S. justice department files anti trust suit against 17 Investment banking companies. November 4— Democrats regain state control in Kentucky by electing Earle C. Clem ents governor. 8—President's advisory committee says U. S. must give Europe five and three quarter billion dollars in aid in 1948 13—Gov. Earl Warren of California en ters Republican presidential race. 17—Congress convenes on President's call to deal with European aid. in flation. 20—Charles Luckman resigns as chair man of citizen’s food committee. 25— Robert E. Hannegan’s resigns as postmaster general; succeeded by James A. Donaldson, former first assistant. December 5— Ten movie writers, producers and directors indicted for contempt of congress in Red probe. 11— Secretary Marshall denounces Rus sian slurs on U. S. in London. 12— Open congressional investigation of grain speculation of Edwin Pauley, army department official. I '' "-.v '.'"1-" rwonxMA January 15—Ford Motor company reduces prices on pas senger cars $15 to $50 In effort "to halt insane spiral of mounting costs and rising prices.” 23— Potato growers authorized to dump 20 million bushels of low-grade pota toes stored under government price support plan. February 4— Largest narcotic seizure In nine years made in New York when federal agents find $250,000 worth of heroin in possession of U. S. seaman re turning from France. 7—Coldest temperature ever recorded on North American continent, 81 de grees below zero, registered at Snag airport in Canadian Yukon. 16—Survey shows average teacher’s sal ary in U. S. is $37 weekly, and 350, 000 teachers have left schools since 1940. March 16— Margaret Truman, the President's daughter, sings on radio in debut with Detroit symphony. April 6— Tuberculosis death rate In U. S. hits lowest level in history at 40.1 per 100,000. 12—Two die of smallpox in New York City. Mayor O’Dwyer asks all New Yorkers to be vaccinated. 15—Reynolds Bombshell, converted army bomber, sets unofficial around the world flight record by covering 20,000 miles in 78 hours, 55 minutes. May 7— Oklahoma State Sen. Thomas Anglin shot in hip by State Rep. James Scott in senate chamber. Scott is adjudged insane. 17— Stock market prices slump to lowest point since January, 1945, on reports of buyer resistance and slowing busi ness activity. June 11—New "secret weapon," called as ef fective as atom bomb but cheaper to make, announced by Prof. T. D. J. Leech of New Zealand. It reputedly is some kind of electrical "death ray.” 24— Freak snowstorm in Montana-Wyo ming border region piles up 15-foot drifts. Three workmen smothered in snow-buried truck. 28—General Eisenhower declares U. S. army is now "a poor second” to Russia's. July 5— "Flying discs” reported by airlines crew over Emmett, Ida., leads to frenzy of similar stories of discs over other states. 11—Employment in U. S. passes 60 mil lion, figure set as ideal by Henry Wallace. 27—Gallup poll reports 51 per cent of voters would vote for Truman for President, 49 per cent for Dewey. August 19—More than a third (35 per cent) of veterans who entered college under G.I. bill of rights have dropped out of school, VA reports. 23—New minor planet discovered by Uni versity of California. It is 10 miles in diameter. 156 million miles from sun. 30—Radio tube "almost as small as a grain of rice” developed. aepremDer #—Cyclotron at University of California S reduces non-explosive fission of tan ilum, thallium, platinum, lead and bismuth. Scientists also discover dia monds are radio-sensitive and make excellent counters of radio-activity. 18—Department of agriculture reports that 70 cents of every consumer dol lar spent on meat now goes to farm er, compared with 51 cents in 1939. 27—"Radac” (rapid digital automatic computation) may be basis of de fense for rocket weapons, reports Presidential Scientific Research board. October 5—Beulah Overell and George •‘Bud" Gollum acquitted on charge of mur dering Beulah’s parents in yacht explosion. 30—Plot to obtain atomic bomb secrets revealed in senate inquiry into Holly wood communism. November 3—Dealers blame rumors of nylon stocking shortage on radio commen tators and newspaper columnists 11—Russia reported to have exploded atomic bomb in tests; U. S. scient ists doubt possibility. 19—Decommissioned battleship New Mexico reaches junkyard in New ark. N. J., for scrapping, after week of ludicrous •’battling” with fireboats and writs. i i ■ FOBKIC^ January 10—U. N. security council guarantees indecend ence ol * ree Territory of Trieste, ceded to Italy after World War I. II—Chinese civil warfare continues to rage. 15—Truce becomes effective between French troops and native rebel forces in French Indo-China. 19— Poland holds first election for parlia mentary offices since 1935. 21—Paul Ramadier chosen new premier of France. New cabinet leans to left, but not Communism. February 2—Premier Alcide de Gasperi forms new Italian cabinet composed of coalition of Christian Democrats and Leftists. 4—Anglo-Arab conference on Palestine adjourns in failure, as Arabs reject partition plan. 7— British military government of Ger many announces plan to free 1,000,000 of the 1,500,000 Nazi suspects in zone. First legal Polish cabinet since war formed by Josef Cyrankiewicz. Ten key positions held by Communists or Socialists. 20— British announce withdrawal from India before June, 1948. 25— Foreign ministers end London con ference, with little headway on peace treaties for Austria and Ger many. * March 1— Chinese Communist troops open large scale offensive against Changchun. 4— Greek government appeals to U. S. for immediate aid. 8— Jewish underground forces battle British soldiers in Palestine. 14—U. S. and Philippines sign treaty granting U. S. 99-year leases for naval bases. 24—Dutch and Indonesians sign treaty recognizing Indonesian Republic, with sovereignty by January 1, 1949. April 2— U. N. grants U. S. strategic trustee ship over former Japanese-mandated islands, the Caroline, Marshall and Mariana groups. 5— Chinese Communist troops kill 5 U. S. marines, wound 16 in raid on -marine munition dump. 24—Moscow conference ends after 46 days, after reaching agreement on only a few points for Austrian and German treaties. 26— Peace negotiations begin between Indo-Chinese rebels and French forces. May 9—Communists ousted from French cab inet. 16—Congress passes foreign relief bill, providing 350 million dollars for Aus tria, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Trieste and China. 20—First Japanese premier under new consitution is Tetsu Katayama, 59, lawyer and a Christian. 31—Russia seizes control of Hungarian government through Hungarian Com munist party coup. Premier de Gasperi of Italy forms new cabinet, minus Communists or Socialists. June 5— Secretary Marshall reveals "Mar shall Plan” for European aid. U. S. senate ratifies peace treaties with Italy, Hungary. Romania and Bulgaria. 27— Austria and U. S. reach settlement on occupation costs. President of Chile Gabriel Videla proposes inter - American army to guard the continent. 30—UNRRA, largest relief effort in his tory. ends after spending three bil lion dollars in four years, 72 per cent of funds coming from the U. S. July 15—Paris economic conference estab lishes 16-nation organization for Eu ropean economic cooperation under Marshall plan. 20— Dutch forces, with air support, at tack Indonesian Republic installa tions on Java and Sumatra, claim ing breach of truce. 28— Protests on undeclared war in Neth erlands East Indies pour into U. N. August 1— U. N. atomic energy commission re leases six papers on atomic control plans. Russia rejects proposals. 15—India becomes free of foreign rule as British relinquish powers. Two sovereign states. Dominion of India and Pakistan, govern most of huge land. 21— Russian vetoes keep Italy, Austria, Transjordania, Eire. Portugal from U. N. membership. 23—Government of Ecuador seized in bloodless coup by defense minister Col. Carlos Mancheno. September 2— Inter-American treaty of reciprocal assistance signed by delegates of 19 North and South American nations at Rio de Janeiro. 6— Rioting sweeps India, with thousands of fatalities. 22— European nations ask 2214 billion dollars in aid under Marshall plan. 29— Arab Higher Committee of Palestine tells U. N. commission Arabs will fight to keep Palestine an Arab-con trolled state. 30— Greek government reports 45,214 Greek civilians and 4,000 soldiers and policemen killed by rebels since October, 1944. October 5— Communist parties of nine European nations form "Cominform,” revived Comintern. 19— F r e n c h anti-Communist party. Charles deGaulle's RPF, replaces Communists as largest French party. 21—U. N. establishes permanent Balkan "border-watch” committee to cover Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Albania 30—New French cabinet gets vote of confidence in assembly, averting new crisis. November 3—British and Scotch elections turn to conservative side as Labor and Com munist parties lose ground. 8— Britain forced to ration potatoes. 13—U. N. creates "Little Assembly” to act during recess of main body. 15—Communist-inspired riots and strikes sweep France and Italy. 17—U. N. accept Geneva trade agree ment, signed by 23 nations. 20— Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Lt. Philip Mountbatten in London draws world-wide interest. 24—Strikes in France and Italy fail, as workers return to Jobs 29—U. N. partitions Palestine into Jew ish and Arab states. December 6— U. S. forbids shipment of arms to Palestine. 9— Russia breaks off trade pact dis cussion with France. 12—General strike grips Rome; Com munists march on city. 15— Soviet government revalues Russia's currency. 16— London Big Four foreign ministers’ ; parley ends in failure; Secy, of State * Marshall blames Russia for collapse. SAVE WHEAT! SAVE MEAT! SAVE THE PEACE! From the Swiss Alps to the Sahara desert, the world will be looking 8 forward to a happier, more complete, and friendlier New Year. j -- | HP HE New Year, the turning of -*■ another page in the book ot our j lives. Before us appears a new clean white page, a slab of snow-white j marble, whereon we must record the events of the coming year as I they apply to us, to our country and to the world. What shall we record thereon? As Longfellow said: “Life is real, life is earnest. Let us then be up and doing with a heart for any fate; still achieving, still pur suing, learn to labor and to wait." On the new page we might place our first entry: “Smile, save, serve.” We can be thankful for another morning of life. We can be thank ful for this day; for its failures which we must acknowledge as les sons. We must check our faults and failures. We must scatter seeds of smiles and service, so that they may grow to maturity, so that the reap ing will not be shame and sorrow. We will smile, save and serve. | DAY'S MIXUP | The whole world celebrates New Year’s Day, but not always on the same date. The biggest mixup occurred from 1552 to 1772 when Europe and Eng land observed the New Year on the same day but at different times! In 1552, Pope Gregory III eliminated 10 days from the Julian calendar previously in use because it was 11 minutes longer each year than thp astronomical year. England did not adopt the new Gregorian calendar until 1772, however, thus observing the same holiday at a later day. When translated into the Grego rian calendar, the Jewish New Year’s varies from September 6 to October 4. The Mohammedans not only celebrate at a different date but their calendar is dated almost 600 years behind the Gregorian since it begins with the Prophet’s Bight from Mecca in A. D. 622. A T THE beginning of each New Year two pathways open. One slants downward, slow deterioration clouding and finally blotting out all mental excellence, spiritual appre ciation and even physical strength, i The other leads to the finer things of existence, ascending gradually to lofty heights of mind and spirit. At the entrance Life stands with cheery greeting and forward impetus for j all who heed. Choose well your way! ’ He who lives fully in the year at hand will create grandly for the year that follows. Regardless of any past, he who is his best self today will find much beauty in tomorrow. —L. D. Stearns. Start of She Ifear First community in the world to celebrate New Year’s Day every year is the little colony on Chatham island. This British islet in the South Pacific is the nearest land area west of the International Date Line on the 180th meridian. The people are mostly Polynesian fisher men. but the few British residents hail the New Year in proper style. Chatham is 40 miles east of New Zealand. Marks Feast Day New Year’s Day marks the cir cumcision of Jesus in accordance with old Jewish custom. It was after the date of Christmas had been fixed for December 25 that the Christian church began to observe January 1, anniversary of the cir cumcision, as a feast day. St. Luke writes: "And when eight days were accomplished for the cir cumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived." 3nf^orm a (itij Wlarhed £arl»J4Jda»CJL < A gala occasion in the lives of the American belles was New Year’s Day of former years. Each expected her men friends to accept her hos pitality on New Year’s Day. On that day barriers were lowered a bit and the strict social form was relaxed to the extent that the men did not need special Invitations or formal introductions, and the young ladies could talk more openly and act more natural than on formal occasions. Fond mammas told their unwed daughters that among so many charming and eligible young men they surely must find one on whom they could bestow their affections. It must be noted, however, that & the young ladies had to be fast work ers. No matter how informal these New Year’s Day calls were, it was a gross breach of propriety for a young man to stay more than 10, minutes. Wmrs .iQY The theme of New Year’s Day al- ^ ways has been one of joy. Regard less of the country or the people, or of the date on which it was cele brated, joy marked the spirit in which it was observed. New Year’s Day of the Moham medans is given as October 17; of the Hebrews as September, and of the Chinese as early February. The ancient Egyptians, Phoeni cians and Persians began their year at the autumnal equinox, Septem ber 21, and the Greeks until the fifth century B. C. at the winter sol stice, December 21. In 432 B. C. the latter altered the New Year’s Day to June 21. The ancient Romans celebrated December 21, but this was altered to January 1 by Caesar in adopting the Julian calendar. i March 25 was the date observed among most Christian peoples in medieval days. In Anglo-Saxon Eng land, however December 25 was New Year’s Day until it was changed to January 1 at the Nor man conquest, but later it was changed to March 25 and so re mained until the English adopted the Gregorian calendar. I 1 “I am done with the yea 's that were, I am quits. I am done with the dead ana the old, They are mines worked out, I delved in their pits, I have savqd the grains of gold_ Now I turn to the future for wine and bread— I have bidden the past adieu— I laugh, and lift hands to the year ahead. Come on! I am ready for you!” —Edwin Markham. Progress Continues On New Year 's Day It was on New Year’s Day, 1852, that the first practical fire engine was tested. The cable across the Pacific ocean was completed, January 1 1903. Social Security administration in augurated, 1937. Amerigo Vespucci discovered the Bay of Rio de Janeiro, 1502. Bank guaranty and federal de posit insurance corporation acts be came effective, 1934. Initial flight of first American commercial airline operating on regular schedule. Tampa to St. Petersburg, Fla., 1914. «, U. S. inaugurated the parcel post n 1913. M. Piazzi discovered the planet 2eres, 1801. George Washington at Cambridge raised for the first time the flag of lie United Colonies, 1776. Martino Alfonze de Sousa discov ered Rio de Janeiro, 1531. 4