The Brussels Post, 1962-07-19, Page 5HANDOUT — With one bird already at the "feeder," an-
other comes flying• up for a, handout from a Londoner in St,
James park, where birds are knoWn for their tameness.
POPULATION DENSITY IN EUROPE Populations of
various countries cover a surprisingly wide range in the. Eu-
ropean Common Market and European Free Trade Area.
Shoaing on newsmap above tells the story. Norway, Swedeno
Great Britain, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland and Denmark
are included in the Free Trade Area Other shaded notions
are in Common Market. The Netherlands and Belgium are
the most densely populated nations in• the world.
small enough to fit in a mart's
pocket, failed — automatically
tripping out a 100,000-kilowatt
generator.
Omaha Power is hooked into
the power grid that connects 32
states east of the Rockies. Stand-
by power, therefore, instantly
shunted into the Omaha circuit
at South. Dakota's enormous Fort.
Randall dam (the world's fifth
largest). There, a second electri-
cal failure occurred, cutting off
all of Randall's eight hydrogen-
erators, causing the abrupt loss
of 200,000 kilowatts in the 320,-
000-kilowatt system,
The worst was yet to come.
To fill the Rane,all power va-
cuum, electricity surged into the
Nebraska grid from power com-
panies in Iowa and Kansas. The
sudden input overloaded lines;
and again protective , switches
tripped automatically to keep the
transmission wires from burning
up, Then, like dominoes, shut-off
devices tripped all along lelle line,
sealing off power in a 300,000-
square mile area, 700 miles wide.
It was the largest power fail-
ure in U.S. history.
In a five-state area — the east-
ern two-thirds of Nebraska, all:,.
but the eastern parts of Iowa,
and contiguous portions of South
Dakota, Kansas, and Wisconsin—
the normal activities, of 3 million
people• came to a standstill. The
blackout lasted from a few min-
utes on the fringe of the area to
two hours and fifteen minutes in
Omaha..
• There, when power went dead
at 1:37 p,m,, traffic marled hope-
lessly. Stoplights went off and
police clerical staffers were sent
out to man intersections. Hos-
pitals turned on emergency gen
erators. At Omaha's Sheraton-
Fontenelle: Hotel, cashier Louise
Venrick worked by kerosene'
lamplight,
For lack of electrically oper-
ated pumps, water pressure fell.
Off; A big fire would' have been
a catastrophe, Automatic eleva-
tors leveled off at the nearest
floor but manual lifts stopped
in mid-flight One operator help-
ed his passengers through an.
cape hatch, but was too hefty to
get through himself, (Computers
and eleetrecal typewriters were
inoperative, clerks were sent
home.) Office veorkere groped
down dark stairwells, lit by an
occasional cigarette lighte rs
Those who gravitated -to restaure
ants or bars found the coffee
cold, the drinks warm, and the
cigarette machines inoperable„
Women bargain-hunters contin-
ued shopping but clerks had to
refuse sales because the electrie
cal cash registers wouldn't work,.
A barber moved a chair out to
the sidewalk and continued hair..
cutting alfresco. The weariest:.
victims; Hotel bellhops, who had
to lug suitcases to upper Pleats,
At the nearby headquarters of
the Strategic Air Command at
Offutt Air Forte Base, stand-by
generators took over immediately
— With only a momentary flicker
of lights. That evening, one SAC
major on duty 00 feet under-
ground went home at the day.*
end unaware of what had hap-
pened outside.
Awaiting him was a harried
wife and a meal of cold odds and
ends. "Something wrong?" he
asked cheerfully. She didn't
speak to him` for two days.
Four-Roomed House
Made Of- Tin Cans
Can you imagine a four-room-
ed house made of oil and gas•
°line Cans?
Miss Eula May, a Tampa, Flor-
ida, resident, recently moved 'into
one and finds it quite comfort-
able, It .Was built entirely of one-
quart carts-12,000 of them-110d
together by concrete,
She got her neighbour, Mr.
Fred J. Grace, to build her
strange: home which is the Only
one of its kind in the world. He
got the' old cats from service
stations,
Another unusual home in the
United States was built by a
miner named William Peek —
from old beer bottles!
Despairing Of finding a not-
mal house to live in; he collected
5,000 empty bottles at hotels and
then laid them trasversely iti
tiers, with large quantities of
mortar,.
Then he settled in comfortably
for some months until he found
a real house to live, in,
Man to doctor "My wile has
developed tin inferiority corn-
plet. Brow tau I keep her' that
way?"'
u sUE —' iggZ
„„
FOOD' SHORTAGE" - Uedefetitifida .,nitre t filet* away from a
litre with a bcigj of food in Rid de after rioting told
outbursts of Violent* brOke in the city' due to' food eflitiettigit
and a trahipartatlan 01414;
ALL 14 tUNt — PUPirs in CenterpOrty Long isfartd„ have fo keep theft bond iti!fUne &Mei*
the Stininier. Perhaps: the only j1.1.0 and btittre orchestra irt the. elation,. the FO'cld &Wile fed*
being as a sixth grod,•;?:.).§,' tdienCe class. special sound project:
A. Complete Story
By CYRIL DONSON
Jack Grayson inherited a .for-
tune worth half-a-million pounds
at twenty-two, Before he was
twenty-four he'd had enough of
being rich and given the lot,
away.
The happiest day of his life
was the last time his chauffeur
drove him from the palatial of-
fiee block Where his boredom had
begun,
Gaily he dismissed ,Perkins
a surprised and open - mouthed.
Perkins,
"You, like motor-cars, don't
you, Perkins?" he asked,
"Yes, sir — they're what you
might say in my blood, sir," re
plied that worthy,
With an airy wave of the hand,
jack said:
"Good — the Bentley is yours,
Perkins, I shall have no further
use for it,"
For the first time in two years
he felt alive again, He now pos-
sessed quite literally, only the
clothes on his back, In his pocket
he had exactly twelve-and-six-
pence, He whistled a gay tune
and decided that his first day of
emancipation should be a holi-
day,
He walked miles-around the
city, seeing everything through
different eyes, He felt different.
"I am differentl" he said
aloud.
Others within range turned
curious heads to stare. Jack
beamed and waved at them, not
caring if they thought he was not
quite sane.
It was getting late when he
remembered that now he had no-
where to sleep, His five homes—
three town houses and two in the
country — had been disposed of
with a stroke of his pen to de-
serving charities. But the thought
did not shake his new-found con-
tentment.
He spent the first night on
the Thames embankment and the
following day began to think
about finding a job, He ate a
cheap breakfast in a small café.
Coming out he observed a man
begging at the roadside, He
slipped the man five shillings
and said, sympathetically
"Tough luck, friend,"
"On the nose," replied the
beggar.
Jack nodded and moved on. His
search for employment proved
unsuccessful and he spent his
last half-crown on a meal at the
café where he had breakfast
that morning:
Coming out afterwards he was
surprised to see the beggar ap-
proaching. The man handed him
some money. Counting it he
found there was £16 15s.
"How' do you do it, mate?" he
asked. "Tough Luck came in at
sixty-six to one,"
Jack, completely taken aback,
gave the man a fiver and moved
on. That night he was able to
pay for a good night's rest in
a small. hotel,
During the weeks that follow=
ed he found he couldn't go
wrong. No matter what he did,
Lady Luck seemed to smile on
him. He tried half-a-dozen dif-
ferent jobs, finally settling; for
one as a waiter in the' canteen
of a large hosiery works.
During his first week there
he joined a football-pools' syndi-
cate and for five shillings col-
lected 8.2,000 as his share of a
number of winning: dividends. He
dropped out of the syndicate the
next week,
He hadn't admitted as much
even to himself, but there was
one particular attraction in the
canteen that held him in the
job.
She was tall, with long, blonde
hair and vivid blue eyes. She had
a nice figure and a sweet nature.
All his life he had dreamed Of
such a girl, but never really be-
lieving it would be his good for-
tunetoIt
her,
The f riendshipn between them
began with a crash when they
collided, He was carrying a pile
of used plates and she was just
emerging from the kitchen bear,
ing fresh orders. They ended up
sitting on the floor with food
and debris scattered all around
them.
Jack gave way to his firer, im-
pulse and laughed, To his im-
mense delight the girl laughed,
too,
That same evening, having
agreed to stand half the cost of
the damage, each, they went
dancing,
Holding her in his arms was
the fulfilment of all he had
dreamed,
He learned that she was an or-
phan Teresa Jones, and had been
working at the canteen for six
months,
They found much in common.
Soon Jack realized that he had
fallen deeply in love with Teresa.
For some reason_she seemed
reluctant to let things: develop,
to a serious stage.
He was allowed to kiss her
goodnight, but whenever he
broached the subject of love she
shied off.
Finally, in exasperation, he de-
cided to declare his love and
hope for the best. They went to
a cinema and afterwards ate in
a restaurant.
Instead of walking Teresa
straight home he directed their
steps to the park nearby and she
offered no protest when he sug-
gested that they should sit on a
secluded bench,
He kissed her and this time
she made no attempt to restrain
him.
She responded in a way that
gave: him hope. Never before had
she snuggled so close, or kissed
him so passionately. Presently,
a little breathless, and heart
pounding madly, he blurted:
"Teresa, I love you—darling,
you've got to marry me."
"If you want me, Jack," she
said softly. "But why you should
love a girl like me i can't im-
agine. I'm not pretty; I'm clum-
sy; I don't dance very well — oh,
there are heaps of things about
me a man must find exasperat-
ing."
Jack pulled her closer and
kissed away her protests. "Dar-
ling, I love you — what'does any-
thing else matter? I can't offer
you much except my two hands
— but I promise you I'll work
hard with those to make you
happy."
Teresa accepted him and they
arranged to be married in. No-
vember. For the time being, until
they could afford something bet-
ter, they would live in the small
two-roomed flat occupied by
Teresa . , .
Sack had never felt happier.
The day of the wedding arrived
and he took a taxi to the little
church,. A shock awaited him
when the wedding march was
played and he stole a glance
back down the aisle.
His eyes almost popped out
when he recognized the man on
whose arm. Teresa leaned as she
came towards the altar, It was.
Beddington — his ex-solicitor.
When Beddington saw him, he
too looked surprised. After the
ceremony they were congratu-
lated by Beddington and a few
mutual friends.
Teresa looked wonderful, her
eyes shining, as she talked ani-
matedly to admiring friends.
Beddington took Jack aside for
a moment, and eyed him specu-
latively.
"I'm afraid you're hi for a
bit of a shock," Jack laughed.
"Nothing can shock me to-day,
old top."
"This will shock you," said
Beddington gravely, Then he
laughed,
Jack stared, wondering if the
occasion had been a bit too much
for the staid old bachelor. Then
another thought occurred to him.
Suddenly Teresa was standing at
his elbow, with a look of con-
cern on her face,
"How come you know Teresa
well enough to be giving her
away?" asked Jack.
Beddington, still chuckling,
said: "That's what I'm getting
at. You give away a fortune so
that you can make your way in
life — find some interest in life
— and what ,,do you do?"
Puzzled now, Jack looked
from Beddington to Teresa.
"What do i do?" he echoed,
"You marry a rich girl!" -said
Beddington,
Jack stared hard at Bedding-
ton, then he rounded on Teresa,
who was white and wide-eyed.
"Darling, please don't hold it
against me. I wanted to find a
man who loved me for myself —
and not for my money. So I took
a job and pretended to be a poor
little orphan.
"It • . it worked, didn't it?
I had no idea who you really
were until I asked Beddington
to give me away , . ."
Jack felt his head in a whirl.
Then he relaxed and laughed.
The joke was certainly on him.
"And who exactly are you,
Miss Jones?"
"Mrs. Grayson," she said de-
murely.
Then Beddington supplied the
information he really sought,
"She inherited half a million
from her father two years ago.
Sheowns controlling shares in
a chain of multiple stores . ."
Jack grinned; "`Well — you just
can't lose, can you?" he said,
and slipped a possessive arm
around his new bride,
From "Tit-Bite"
Jerry's Big' Day Was
A Surprise
,
A Complete Story
by JAMES WALKER
Jerry had a protective instinct
a mile wide. In his own eyes, he
Was as tough as they come, Hard-
ly a morning passed without his
flexing his muscles admiringly
before the, bathroom. mirror,
All his weight-lifting mates at
the youth club treated hint with
the respect he thought his "de-
velopment" deserved.
It was the girls that, bothered
him, He could handle them all
right, mind, the ones that came
his Way. It wasn't that They
just Weren't' helpless enough, that
Was all.
They were too smart by half.
And he wanted theft little and
Shy and dependent.
Especially dependent legend-
ent on' his strength and his in-
trincibility. Only they never
Were. They all seemed to, outdo
one another iii. putting' Oil the
rough.
So when Shirley Caine' to the
shop as assistant wages:' clerk, he
fell for her the Minute he saw
her,
W
She
ed i
W
n
as
the speirig
standing,
-ctooe. teed-
helpIesSfy
edg
f rig, td the packing room, With. the
Wages tray in' her hands.
Flo„ her predecessor; ,who WAS
lbs,, had always` butted it
Open with. her bottoni, like a PeYe
forming seal', and borne swinging
in backwards, with the tr'a'y
firmly pressed agaititt. lief Mid.
rift
Shirley was small stltd Prett4',
On that first dajr, Jettle rushed
to her rescue at Onee, She StalW
hint his intindaitrite Otte it
rather quickly,
She flicked through the enve-
lopes.
"That's funny," she said, look-
ing up at him with a sort of
pinched-in smile, "I don't see one
for Mr. Jerry,"
"There," he ' said, pointing.
"That's mine, Price. Jerry's my
first name. Shall I take you
round and show you the others?"
"Oh, would you? That would
be nice of you. Miss. Jenkins was
going to, but Me, Prentice called
her away. She said somebody
would."
On the following Friday after-
noon, he watched the clock and
the door alternately, Waiting for
her entrance, rehearsing his lines
to himself. He had made up his
mind to ask her out.
But when the wages did come
round, it was Miss Jenkins who
brought them. When she came to
him, she told him quietly that
Mr. Prentice would like to see
him for a minute.
All the way upstairs, ho kept
wondering what he'd done wrong,
but- couldn't think of anything
inside working hours. When he
came down again, he was walk-
ing on air.
Flo had been carrying the
wages from the bank unaccom-
panied every week for fifteen
years, but Mr. Prentice felt that
the new girl ought to have a
bodyguard; Miss Jenkins had
suggested Jerry.
"A little on the young side,
perhaps," he said to Miss. Jenkins
after Jerry had gone, "But form-
idable, certainly, Wouldn't care
to tackle him myself."
By one of those coincidences
that never sound convincing it
happened the very next. Friday.
It was Jerry's own. fault.
What with the traffic and the
shoppers, he just hadn't had a
quiet moment to ask Shirley to
come out with him. So he decided
on some nifty short-cuts.
He knew his City Not just the
side-streets that everybody
knows, but the real dodges, the
little car-less alleys that• survive
from the mediaeval London
street-plan.
So far, in bits, he had only
managed to ask her where she
lived and whether she liked go-
ing to. the pictures, She lived in
Southgate, and, yes,. she did go to
the pictures sometimes. Why?
she, asked.
It was the crucial cue, and he
fluffed it.
He was vaguely aware that two
men had been following them_ for
some time. But he attached' no
significance to them. It was.
Shirley, not he, who felt uneasy
about them,
Especially when the two men
overtook them in. the deserted
alley, turned round just ahead of
them, muttering together.
Jerry looked_ in their. direction.
The men were bearing, clown on
him, nonchalantly, with, Unlight-
ed, cigarettes in their hande, ob-
viously going to ask hint for' a
light.
He had no suspiefert that any-
thing was amiss, The main pier-
pose Of his being With Shirley
'Was the furthest thing from his
thoughts at that inOnlent,
"Jerry," she said`. "tars go
back," And, in the same breath,
to the two men, quite firtellyt
"We haven't got a light We don't.
Sitioke,"
One Of the Men shrugged his
shotildet4 then suddenly he put
his hand irieide his pocket and
thrust something ha r d into
Jerry's middle.. -
""Grab it, Hdradel"
But before Iterate Could grab
anything, Shirley' had Snatched
the briefcase front Jerry's hand
and hit the nearest man over the
head- with it,
Then, still holding It, she ran
beak dowri the alley, She did not
leek back until the main dross-
street was in clear view,
When she did; Jerry was Wit,
ing out' at both of theft. She dart-'
44 round the Corner and suiptit-
ad her friend Ava at the tobacco
kiosk by 04104 bulling the
briefcase at her.
"Hang On to that for Me., Will
you, Ave, I'll be back in a mitt-
tote."
it somehow never occurred to
Shirley to oil for reinforce-
ments Her one thought, now
that the wages were safe, was to
get back to Jerry. If they were
still at it, she might risk a public
show and run for help,
But at the back of her mind,
she didn't want to. She didn't
want the office to know, She
didn't want Jerry made a mug of.
And she felt quite sure that they
would not be at it.
When she rounded the bend
the villains were gone, Jerry was
getting unsteadily to his feet, en-
eouraged by a young couple who
had evidently wandered in from
the other end.
Shirley stood stock-still for a
minute, Jerry saw her, He look-
ed right at her. Not only his
face, but his whole body, seemed
to take on such a crestfallen look
that her heart melted to him Ian-
rnecliately,
When she came boldly for-
ward, he expected reproach. But
what she said gave him a shock.
She had been firm enough with
the grabber boys, but she was
even firmer with the ineffectual,
dithering couple,
"It's all right, thank you," she
said, "I'll look after him. He's
with me, He's—he's had one of
his dizzy spells, that's all, Noth-
ing serious. He's quite all right
now, thank you. Aren't you,
dear?"
And she had him up and away
before the couple quite knew
where or how they had gone.
"Dizzy spells" Jerry muttered
miserably as she led him away.
"Dizzy spells! A right Charley I
turned out to be, falling for that
malarky!"
Then in a sudden panic he ask-
ed where the briefcase was. She
told him, and added reassuring-
ly:
"I think it was wonderful the
way you held them back for me
to get it away safe."
"Eh?" he said, blinking.
She looked him straight in the
eyes,
"Goodness knows what would
have happened if you hadn't,"
she persisted.
"Blimey" he said, looking a
little dazed,
She was still looking right at
him, right into his eyes. He tried
to find some hint of mockery,
some trace of teasing in her gaze,
But Shirley just looked right
back at him, as candid as a kit-
ten, or a child.
"If you hadn't been there," she
said, "I'd have died of fright..
Honest."
His heart turned, over. Then
he made a sudden awkward grab
at her hand. For a moment he
dared not look at her,
Then when he did she saw that
she was smiling up at him. He
smiled back.
It didn't dawn on him until
after they were married that they
might not have been smiling at
the same thing. From "Tit-Bits"
Tiny Part Caused
Huge Blackout
As almost every one knows
who has ever turned on an et-
ectric-light switch, the electric-
power systems of the U.S, are
linked together in a. system of
public-utility and private-power-
company grids so that if one sys-
tem goes out, another immediate-
ly fills in. There never, can be a
really major power failure.
'That's the theory — and, it, us-
ually works in fine fashion,
But few ever bother to think
about the tiny electrical compon-
ents that form the basis: of all
those complicated, interlocking:
systems.
One afternoon recently at the,
big North Omaha. Power Station
of the Omaha. Public Power. Die-
trict, a tiny' voltage regulator,
?her. e's. No k%vpp..(0. from kcidly kw*