CROSS
TOWN
Bv
Roland Coe
“If I let you go this time, will you promise
to get a license?”
BOBBY
SOX
•y
Marty Links
“Well—there goes the last of Ruthie’s New Year’s
resolutions!”
f NANCY_ ^By Ernie Bushmiller
WOW—• Y YEP-BUT THE WELL— V YEP—FIFTY PHEW—
THESE WAN GIVES US THIS IS N CENTS EACH THIS IS OUR
PACKAGES J A NICKEL POR OUR TENTH SO FAR r LAST LOAD
ARE A\ EACH ONE WE TRIP-S ^ J
HEAVY) DELIVER
/Pfxl /KlfSk
LITTLE REGGIE__ ,, __ By Margarita
\y/ HELP YOURSELF TO A j
| HANDFUL OF CHERRIES )
k uttle my !
^ KtGG'.t, 1 KNOW HOW
MERE ILL L'lf1ES
uiVE YOU A i?Y ?A“NT
HANDFUL YOU TAKE
nJvnnn them when t
IN YOUR HE FIRST,
► INVITED
YOU TO
L
MUTT AND JEFF_By Bud Fisher
I MUTT, ^ 1 ' I M A UH,SAY V-N m,n. py ' SHUa»- r WHAT qH I I
CONGRATULATE ^OR SECRETLY^ that’s Srt.RLEY ^HIRLEY So LOUD,MUTT? ABOUT HAVEN'T \
I ME/ __ jepf? ENGAGED GREAT/ TEMPLE/ I TEMPLE?/ ITS A SECRET/ SHiRLEY? told HER I r
\ . J to BE WHoToR /V —^ YOU AND ME . TOLD HER J
^ MARRIED/ v-^ y ARE TrtE oNL-Y = VET/ yV \
1 ^ im9 \ CfStfP ONES WHO J \
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JiTSTSR _
MIKE NEEDS AN / V'
EXTINGUISHER, ON THE ''WC V)^S s\~r 'rv 73>
ROOF. AND THE STAIRS ARE , [UT 'i W ’ii)
BLOCKED.... JITTER, CAN I 7
VOU CLIMB UP THE L>-C (/WT^> if
RAINPIPE WITH THIS f ^
fe^fks
I REG’LAR FELLERS __By Gene Byrnes
/TTw -TIT'S —-—_ S' AW)mom', i one/ put 'em oh
r HEX MOM' \ i s* wettv__TN ( for a reminder/ now you’re
( WILL VO'J COME I A • PECt-*"** > COIN1 TO MAKE ME FORGET
r IN HERE AN' * PINHEAD DUFFY. t MV ROULER SKATIN’ DATE
V PUT TH’HEAT ON IBeB&ZS YOU TAKE THOSE OFF \ WITH ZOOLie TOMORRER.?
%, PINHEAD’ ^ THIS INSTANT' ^ •
ii4*ro*V | vm”T^4 Unill „
VIRGIL .__ _ By Len Kiel*
THAT ISN'T FUNNY- ) SlR-MAY THE ENSUING APOLOG/i
AND ITS NO WAY J EXPRESS MY REGRET OF THE
TO ANSWER OFF-SPRING'S SALUTATION"^
A TELEPHONE Y f % , SUCH CONDUCT SHAKES r-7
, _A U > 1) MY PHILOPROGENITIVE y-7
f NATURE
H100INSS
EMJ0 HOUSE
IT'S YOUR NICKEL,
START TALKIN'
SlLLrtT SAM By Jeff Hayes
i I I 1 I I ' . i I r- \ ...fl
POP_ _ _ _By J. Millar Watt
WHftT VAJULD HMV6H IP WELL. > “5
ALL OUR. DWLBEAS P8RSONKUV p-n
WEWT OKI • I SHOULD KW» MCV
j STR4KB? C y HWR, ^ fY#
T EO DUROCHER hasn’t the eas
■L/ iest job in sport next year. He
takes over, rightfully, a ball club
that had its greatest year last sea
son. The Dodgers have won pen
nants before, but they never won a
flag with so many spectacular
thrusts, they never played to as
many people and they never looked
as good in any past world series.
Since Larry MacPhail and Branch
Rickey were under fire last spring.
wui L/uiuuier, ms
year’s suspension
was out of order.
There was little
Rickey could right
fully do except give
Durocher another
chance. The Dodg
ers were supposed
to be pennant win
ners in 1948 — not
in 1947, according
to Rickey’s sched
Durocher ule. Burt Shotton
beat the gun by a
year. The Dodgers should be bet
ter in 1948 than they were in 1947.
Durocher has the same team with a
year’s more experience. This can
be a big help to the Dodger pitch
ing staff which is packed with young
talent that only needed a few pitch
ing angles and better control.
It takes a year or longer for a
thrower to become a pitcher, but
the Dodger's raw material has been
exceptional. Durocher should have
five or six winning pitchers next
spring, including Ralph Branca who
may reach the 25-game spot
Durocher also discovered through
his year’s rest that even bigger
crowds will come out if there is
less umpire-baiting, which is no
longer required. No one cares how
hard the teams and the managers
fight one another. Crowds today are
no longer interested in arguments
with umpires.
Has Fire and Color
Billy Southworth, one of the great
est of all managers, has proved this
for years. So has Joe McCarthy, an
other member of the all-time greats.
Shotton proved this case beyond all
argument. The crowd comes out to
see a ball game — not to listen to
a dull and dumb debate between
some manager and some umpire.
A fighting manager is all right—
but why fight with umpires? This
type of baseball belongs with the
Dodo and the Great Auk. Being a
pretty smart fellow, Durocher has
sensed the big change, I believe.
No one can question the fact that
Durocher isn’t smart. He has fire
and color and a scrappy, hustling
ball club. He also has one or two
tough ball clubs to beat, including
the Braves and Cardinals. Also the
Giants, if Mel Ott can get any
pitching. The Giants have every
thing else.
The Cards, who made a brilliant
showing last year by forging into
second place after a dismal start,
again will be a threat. The pitch
ing staff will be the main worry,
coupled with the advanced age of
players.
Only a small improvement on the
part of Braves and Cardinals can
make a big difference, especially if
the Dodger pitching staff doesn’t
move up and locate, in a vague
way, the general direction of the
home plate.
Lack of Control
Along this line, we’ve just re
ceived a letter from our all-time
favorite pitcher — Grover Cleve
land (Old Pete) Alexander, who
isn’t far from being the greatest all
around pitcher that ever threw a
ball. And this includes Cy Young,
Walter Johnson and Christy Math
ewson; also Carl Hubbell and Lefty
Grove.
Here is Alexander’s letter:
“Dear Grant, I just finished read
ing your article on what is wrong
with present day pitchers, and
thought 1 would drop a few lines.
No, I am not looking for anything.
1 am just trying to figure why they
never have taken some old-timers
on during spring training to work
with these young throwers, as you
aptly termed them. They teach hit
ting and about everything else, but
not pitching.
“When I first came to Philly, Pat
Moran was the coach, and about
the first thing he said to me was
tnis: ‘Kid, you have a good arm,
but a heck of a lot to learn.' He took
me in hand and he sure did teach
me. Pat was smart. Of course, it
took work. Hard work.
“I never have been able to find
out just what I did that put me on
baseball’s blacklist. I tried several
times to get back, and even wrote
Mr. Chandler for almost anything
to do. I had a nice letter from him,
and then another one saying that
there was no opening and they did
not expect any. 1 was just out.
“Pitching means control. By con
trol 1 don’t mean the plate — I
mean one or two inches of the plate.
A real pitcher ought to be able to
get the ball one or two inches from
where he wants it — not one or
two feet. But pitchers need instruc
tion, which few ever get. What good
is stuff, the greatest stuff ever
thrown, that can’t cross the plate?
This means hard work — hard work
and instruction — learning how,
maybe the hard way, which is gen
erally the only way.
G. C. Alexander, Wood River, 111.”
Old Pete says he doesn’t need a
job—but he could use one. And he
happened to be so smart a pitcher
that he made Johnny Evers and
many others want to throw their
bats away. "You knew when you
faced Alex,” Greasy Neale told me
the other day, “that you were going
to get a ball you couldn't hit. He
pitched 16 shutouts in Philly’s
band-box park in one year.”
They won't think it over. Greasy,
for two few of them ever think
about anything. They just throw.
And what do most of the owner
and managers think about? Nothini
1I 'HE footsteps came down the
* city room and halted at the door
of Clint Lipton’s office. Penny Alder
felt eyes on her, boring down
through the barrage of typewriter
keys she was sending up. Something
about Clint Lipton put a chip on her
shoulder
“Miss Alder—" the voice was too
polite to belong to her pet pest,
“—is Clint cornin’ back today?”
She looked up at the old man who
stood in the door of Clint’s room, a
shiny serge suit bagging around his
lean, stooped figure like a piece of
wilted lettuce. She nodded. An
assistant society editor had troubles
enough. Let Clint Lipton take care
of the sports department and his
own pests. Old Hughey Lawler was
his problem
The old fellow touched the yel
lowed, saw - brimmed straw hat
clamped down over his thin fringe
of white hair.
“I’ve got some news about The
Kid for Clint to write up,” he said,
as he crossed the narrow aisle.
“Oh,” Penny replied helplessly.
If it/was about The Kid old Hughey
would stand and gab forever
‘"Course I’ve got to give it to
Clint. I’ve been keepin’ Clint right
up to date on The Kid—” He swal
lowed at something.
“So he’s told me.” With dull fas
cination she watched the old fel
low’s Adam's apple climb up and
down the stretch of turkey-like neck
above the over-size collar. Clint also
had said—that the next time old
Hughey tried to fold his ears back,
he was going to
"Did I ever show you the picture
The Kid sent me when he was
trainin’ out on the Coast?” Hughey
pushed a post-card portrait under
her nose — a while-you-wait photo
graph of a young fellow in sailor
blues, his hat cocked at an angle
over one belligerent eye.
“A fine lookin’ boy. Miss Alder.”
She’d seen the face before. Her
glance strayed in through the open
door of Clint’s office to where a
shaft of late afternoon sunshine
spotlighted a photograph tacked on
the wall—a bare-torsoed kid in fight
ing pose.
She’d always looked down her
short straight nose at those pictures
of Clint’s brawn and beef friends—
the guys with tin ears and bent
noses, the guys heaving forward
passes—the tough he-guys.
And Clint Lipton—with his head
of wild rusty hair, and that habitual
frown wedged between his deep-set
gray eyes—was part of his muscle
menagerie, as far as she was con
cerned.
“—My grandson. Miss Alder—”
You’d have thought the scrappy kid
in the sailor suit was an admiral,
from the pride in old Hughey’s
voice. “You ask Clint if The Kid
wasn’t on his way of being welter
weight champ—before he wanted to
enlist-”
—■
“I’ll bet he was." Penny’s com
ment dropped like a pebble into the
’deep pool of Hughey Lawler's pride.
He gushed words.
Penny Alder actually was glad to
see Clint's rust-colored head appear.
She almost welcomed his deep
frown when he spotted her caller.
Old Hughey turned to Clint.
"I’ve got something for you to
write up, Clint-”
Clint’s nod toward his office was
about as friendly as an umpire’s
thumb. “I can only give you a min
ute-”
“Sure—” The old fellow turned.
Penny found the Lipton frown
aimed at her. "You’re a pal,” he
"because The Kid would want It
written up on your page—where his
friends could see it. He ain't cornin’
back, Clint."
Penny didn’t get it at first—and
then her chest went all tight for that
old man in there. The way he stood
—the tone of his voice—said that
everything he’d been living for had
been wiped out by a telegram sent
to “the next of kin.”
Clint kept frowning.
“You know what to say about The
Kid, Clint,’’ old Hughey prompted.
“Tell ’em about that sweet left of
his, and how nobody ever got past
It.”
The old fellow talked on and on.
Clint listened, his face deadpan.
Penny Alder listened, too. She
was still at her desk when Clint and
Hughey Lawler came out.
“That picture—” the old fellow
said anxiously, "—I wouldn’t want
to lose it-’’
“I’ll get it back to you.” Clint
was letting him go without even one
word of sympathy.
"Sure — well — thanks. I guess I
“You haven’t got your hat on,” said Clint gruffly. “I suppose that
means it’s another ‘no date.’ ”
accused, "you know that old guy
gets me down.”
She looked up at him, and that
chip was on her shoulder.
“For holding him,” he scowled,
“you’re going to break down and go
out to dinner—and places—with me
tonight.”
"Is that a pass or—a penalty?”
“Take your choise—only get your
hat on.” He wheeled away.
Penny stared after the back of his
sun-burned neck. Why could he an
noy her more than any other man
she’d ever known? His very vital
ity; the way that shaft of late sun
put sparks in his rusty hair—every
thing about him bothered her.
“Let’s have it fast, Hughey,”
Clint said, “I’ve got a date-”
That's what he thought. She
closed her typewriter desk with a
bang. She looked in again
Clint’s frown was concentrated on
that latest picture of The Kid. He
reached for a yellow telegram old
Hughey held out.
“I come to tell you first, Clint,”
the old fellow’s shoulders slumped.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE I
.. .... ■ I ■ « ■■■«-<
Horizontal
1 Insects
5 Egg-shaped
9 Head
covering
12 Kind
13 Infant
14 Literary
scraps
15 Cognizant
17 Lucidity
19 Slang: error
21 God of war
22 Light
24 Symbol for
gold
25 Drink made
from rye
26 Maltbeverage
27 Confectionery
nut
29 Interjection
31 Wire measure
32 —Duce:
Mussolini
33 Colloquial:
father
34 Against
35 By
36 Heavenly
body
38 Poetic: to
unclose
99 Duct
40 Conjunction
41 Increased
42 Composer of
rhymes
44 Mythological
monster
46 Meantime
48 Upright
51 Dry
52 Persia
54 To swing
about a fixed
point
55 Timber tree
56 To remove
57 Isle Napoleon
escaped from
in 1815
Vertical
1 Man's name
2 Right this
minute
3 To hamper
Solution In Next losue.
No. 46
4 Narrow
division
5 Siberian river
6 Space devoid
of matter
7 Competent
8 Meadow
9 Neap of me
morial stones
10 Poker stake
11 Reimburses
16 Plural ending
18 Attack
20 Familiar
house plant
22 Tibetan
priest
23 Landed
25 Diurnal fly
27 Bothers
28 Musical
drama
29 Good promise
30 Again
34 Eastern
university
36 Crown of the
head
37 Standard
39 Fodder plant
41 Furze
42 City in Italy
43 People
44 Dreadful
45 Earth goddess
47 Free
49 Young bear
50 Reception
53 Compass
point
Answer to Pnsile Number 4b
Series H-47
New Electric Eye Has
Wide Field of Operation
An “electric eye," which can see
nearly four times as far as present
equipment and which is not ad
versely affected by outside light,
snow or rain, has been developed,
says National Patent council.
The new “eye' can see up to 1,000
eet. Previous commercial equip
ient has been used for distances up
*i 275 feet the average being about
a feet >t was °xolained
Engineers see applications as in
cluding automatic counting of auto
mobiles on highways, operation ol
traffic signals upon approach of a
vehicle and the "fencing” of re
stricted locations. When the beam,
sent by the light source to the re
lay, which may be up to 1,000 feet
away, is broken by any object, the
relay sets into operation alarms,
signals, counters and other electric
equipment.
| The light source of the device
won’t be cornin’ around any more,
Clint. I mean, there won’t be any
more news about The Kid-”
Clint glowered as Hughey Lawler
slowly started away—then, sudden
ly, he strode after him.
"You can’t just walk out on your
friends like that, Hughey.” He
gripped the old fellow's arm hard.
"Drop around—anytime you feel
like talking about The Kid-”
Penny doubted her ears, but the
smile the old boy gave Clint was
real enough. "Sure—I will, Clint.”
Clint Lipton turned and came
back—to halt at her desk.
“You haven’t got your hat on—”
his voice was gruff. "I suppose that
means it’s another ‘no date.’ ’’
“I—” she began, her eyes search
ing his.
"O. K.—go on, say it. So I gave
him the brush-off by hanging out the
welcome sign-”
She’d never tried to look beyord
that scowl he always wore. Like The
Kid’s left—it wasn’t easy to get past
his guard
"You really like old Hughey Law
ler,” she said abruptly.
“Sure—if I didn’t like the old pest
I wouldn’t let him bother me, would
I? . . . But you wouldn’t understand.
You never give a guy a chance to
see if you can like him-’’
For a moment Penny matched
frowns with her pet pest. She could
feel his puzzled eyes follow her as
she stood slowly, and moved toward
the coat rack. He was right—she
hadn’t been able to understand why
she’d let him bother her—but it was
becoming clear. She must have
liked the real Clint Lipton all along
— even when she was carrying a
chip on her shoulder for a tough
guy who didn’t exist
When Penny Alder turned she was
smiling—and had her hat on.
_ l
REA Setup Gives Impetus
To Farm Electrification
Half of all United States farms
have been electrified since the REA
program was started.
In announcing the basic allot
ments for REA loans in the states,
the department of agriculture com
pared the number of unelectrified
farms in each state with the total
number of farms in the state to
give the percentage of unelectrified
farms. The eight states having the
highest proportion of electrified
farms were Connecticut with 98.5
per cent, followed by Rhode Island,
Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wash
ington, New York, Idaho and Ore
gon, all of which were more than 92
per cent electrified.
At the other end of the list were
North Dakota, with only a little
more than 15 per cent of the farms
electrified, preceded by South Da
kota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ten
nessee, New Mexico, Montana and
Kansas, which had nearly 42 per
cent electrified.
i
/The other 32 states ranged be
tween the 42 per cent and 92 per
cent limits. For the country as a
whole, the July, 1947, figures show
61 per cent of all farms electrified
as compared with 54.3 per cent a
year earlier. Nearly 400,000 farms
were electrified during the 1947 fis
cal year, the largest increase on
record for any year since the pro
gram started. In 1935 less than 11
per cent of U. S. farms had electric
service.
operates on the modulated-light
principle. It sends a beam of light
which is interrupted 900 times per
second. The photoelectric relay is
tuned so that it is responsive only to
light at this frequency. Its perform
ance is not influenced by changes in
natural or artificial illumination.
The light source has an infra-red
filter which removes most of the
visible light from the beam.
Enclosed in a weatherproof case,
the device is so mounted that it has
a wide 6eld of operation.
