HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1952-5-7, Page 9Boiling Lead Just
Makes Him Smile
When six-year-old I+raakie
,Sweetman was spanked for naugli•
tiness he never howled, If he trip.
ped and fell over ho yelled with
Shock but 'never cried.
Asa seven-year-old he hnpaled
himself on an iron spike and the
wound required thirteen stitches,
yet he ` never whimpered. As a
young man at the Abercynon Col-
liery his mates wouldn't share
the same shower with him be-
cause he ran it scaldhigly bot, but
still kept smiling,
Today, doctors account wiry
forty -year-old Frank Sweetman
one of the most fortunate and yet
- unluckiest of men. He cannot feel
pain.
Expert physiologists have given
him electric shocks, stuck pins
into him and put tubes of boiling
water on his stomach, Frank simp-
ly apologizes for not being able to
notice it. At St. Thomas's Hospital,
London, investigating doctors burn-
ed hint with matches and dosed
. him with drugs calculated to give
an outsize headache. He never
winced.
Determined to expose any in-
voluntary faking, they asked him
to hold the leads of tate electric
shock machine and switched- it to
full strength. Frank looked so im-
passive that the doctor thought
the machine had broken down. He
took over the lead—and yelped in
agony.
Leading nerve specialists cannot
explain this painless wonder,
They've asked him to swallow hot
horse -radish and mustard and vain-
ly ;searched his eyes for tears.
They've pinched and slapped him,
but Frank Sweetman just laughs.
The only hurt he has ever known
was the pain he noticed during an
attack of appendicitis. He is per-
fectly healthy otherwise.
Yet pain serves most of us as
a danger signal, and that's where
Frank Sweetman misses olt. He
has never had toothache and thus
missed warnings of dental trouble.
Until he sees blood he never
knows he has cut himself. At work
R8 a diecaster in Dunstable, he
Sometimes splashes molten metal
gn his ,hands and ,gets bad blisters
that pain might have helped him
to dodge.
Sometimes he passes a dinner -
plate to Mrs. Sweetman, and she
has to drop it hurriedly because
)t is so hot. But strangely enough
he can feel a light touch and is
sensitive to slight vibration. Fire -
walking? No, Mr. Sweetman hasn't
tried that yet. But he can pick
np hot coals with ease and thinks
he could show those Indian fakirs
a thing or twol
Two Friendly I(ids-A trifle -tense,
nine - year -old Pauine Bailey
manages a smile as another kid
named "Patch" lands on ber
shoulders. The orphan baby
goat was cared for by zoo
assistants, andra familiar, ques-
tion at closing hours was; "Who
is taking the kid home tonightW'
BAD HOOTCH
One of the biggest stars in base-
ball today can drive the old apple
to every corner of the park, but is
not particularly noted for hisifialn,
In fact, he is generally rated about
one degree dumber titan the
famous.b(ither Ring Lardner Used
to write about. On one hop of ,his
team to the West, the star is reput-
ed to have sent out for a bottle of
Scotch while the train was held
up tetnporarily at a wayside station
because of a derailment sheen, One
of the lads who had conte to watch
the repair work recognized the
famousathlete and was delighted
to perform the errand for hint. He
came' back with a bottle of Scotch
that bore an unfamiliar label but
listed thereon six old Kings of
England who bad deetaredtbis to
be their favorite brand. The ball
star examined the strange bottle
for 'a moment with unusual con,
centrations and then handed it back
angrily to . the messenger. "Don't
try to palm any of this poison off
on mc," he bellowed. "Every one
of these guys who recommended it
Is dead."
Busy Woman Who Keeps House
Between Her Circus Acts
Mrs. Martha Henderson of the
Ringling Brothers and Barnum &
Bailey Circus leads not one life a
day, but four, She's an aerialist;
she's the wife of a fatnous author,
Dr. J. Y. Henderson ("The Circus
Doctor" is now in its seventh
printing). Site shows a troupe sof
trick dogs and a five -gaited horse
in the ring; and she's a simple
housewife : like any other . little
cook and bottle washer.
As a child in Germany, ivfartha
excelled in the gymnasium. She
could beat the boys up the ropes,
and she could hop, skip and .jump
several feet ahead of the gang,
By the time she was ten, her par-
ents tied her energy down with
rhythm. Martha attended the bal-
let school and when she was 12
she was ready to go on the stage,
writes Elsie B. Sherwood in The
Christian Science Monitor.
From there it was an easy step
onto the tanbark of the German
circus, where Martha took to the
air like an eagle and went bal-
ancing forward and back on the
high wire. No one can afford to
make a mistake a couple of hun-
dred feet off the ground with no
net underneath, and Martha was
as sure as a soprano who hits her
high notes with precision at the
"Met."
Joined High Wire Act
Martha also felt so sure of the
wonderful Karl Wallenda, who
led the high wire act, that she
would ride along on his bike with
him when he balanced under the
eaves of the Big Top, and she
joined his troupe at the age of
15, and toured with it through
Europe.
As there is not much future for
the circus folk abroad, the Wal-
lenda troupe set their sights for
the "Greatest Show On Earth,"
and they managed to reach, Ameri-
can shores by way of Cuba.
But somehow, balancing in the
air, year after year, doesn't al-
ways make for a well-balanced
life, and Martha decided she must
`have a vacation. So she took time
off for a while and it was some
years before the wanderlust got
into her blood again. Now she be-
lieves she's a circus addict and
will never again leave Ringling.
Her new job consists of web
work. This has nothing to do with
a web, but is merely a rope with
a loop in it, in which the acro-
' bat hangs either by a wrist or
a foot, and swings around like an
aerial spider on the end of his
line.
A fine veterinarian, Dr. Hen-
derson joined the circus about the
time she began this job and soon
showed: a keen interest in web
work. At every possible moment,
between working with his animals,
he would go over to the huge tent,
and always found himself watch-
ing the graceful and intrepid Mar-
tha. He also started. learning to
ride a bike over the tight rope,
and who should be the one to
balance on his shoulders but Mar-
tha.
"Doc" Henderson was a lonely
Texan in Florida. He wanted a
wife,, and some ,home cooking,
and'the ideal person seemed to him
a certain web artist who could
train dogs and horses, and 'had
eyes as blue as the distant hills.
Texan Wins Suit
Buta►Maitha seemed as elusive
as her job, and far more interested
in the, "Docs" gorgeous five -gaited
horse than in the Doc himself. But
. the cowboy from Texas won his
suit, and the two were married in
1946, the evening the show was to
open at Madison Square Gardgp.
The Hendersons felt that they
had at last found peace and hap-
piness, and that they would settle
down, but here it is six years
later and they are still deep in
circus - work. They were ready to
start rolling again with the Big
Show when it left the Sarasota
Winter Quarters for New York.
'Martha shows her dogs and horse,
and take, part in the "Spec" when
it winds around the big tent.
The "Spec" is the big, spectacle
or parade, which this year por-
trays "The Good Old Times,' In
this Martha portrays an Egyptian
slave, and does a slithery dance
as she follows the snake charmer
on the float,
But what of the Henderson
home life? They bought a house
ip Sarasota, Florida. All was
peaceful with only a few Dalma-
tians as members of their house-
hold when, one day, Doc walked
in with a baby leopard only a
few hours old.
Sweetheart Thrives
Martha swung into action,
bought a bottle with a nipple, and
began feeding "Sweetheart" every
_three hours around the clock,.
The leopards live serenely together
Sweetheart thrived and grew to
be 70 pounds heavy in a year,
The big pet is now grown up
and has three babies of her own.
in a menagerie at winter quarters,.
and travel with the show to the joy
of admirers.
And sometimes circus fans see
an athletic girl in acrobatic attire
go up to the leopard cage with
endearing words, which bring
Sweetheart and her brood forward
to greet their friend with affection- •
ate recognition in their grey -blue
eyes.
Martha then puts her hands
through the bars and pets her
leopard kittens, "They were born
in a circus wagon," she laughs,
"and so was my own little daugh-
ter!"
How Can 1?
By Anne Ashley
Q. What can I do when
mahogany furniture has acquired
a blue, smeary look and is difficult
to polish satisfactorily?
A. Sponge it first with a cloth
dipped in a solution of hot water
and vinegar, and. then with a cloth
dipped in a pint of warm water to
which one teaspoon each of linseed
oil and turpentine has been added.
Polish with a dry, soft cloth, and
the smeary look will have disap-
peared,
Q. How can I fatten thin lands?
A. Wash the hands in hot water,
dry, and then rub a little olive oil
into them. Make this application
before retiring, so that the oil can
remain on as long as possible.
Q. How can I launder flannels
to make them soft?
A. Half a teaspoonful of powered
borax to a quart of rinsing water
used for flannels will make them
delightfully soft.
Q. How can I care for patent
leather shoes?
A. Rub a little Vaseline jelly on
.the patent leather shoes before
!taking them off. Leave.on until the
shoes are ready to be worn again;
ithen remove the excess jelly with
a cloth, otherwise it will collect
dust.
Q. How can I clean a Panama
hat?
A. Add enough cleaning fluid to
a teacup of flour to make a paste.
Rub it on with a brush and let dry;
then .brush off with a stiff brush.
' Q. How can I brighten discolored
aluminum?
A. The discolored aluminum will
brighten beautifully ,by rubbing it
with a cloth dipped in lemon juice
and then rinsing in warm water.
Q. How can I distinguish steel
from iron?
A. Take a very clean file and file
over the flame of an alcohol lamp.
If the filed piece is made. of steel,
little burning and crackling, sparks
will be seen. If the piece consists of
iron, the sparks will not crackle.
Q,. How can 3 mend, a tear in
delicate material more easily?
A. Place the torn part, with a new
piece beneath it, in an embroidery
hoop. The hoop holds all firmly
and makes the delicate darning of
the tear much easier.
Q. How can I remove match
scratches from the surface of a
painted wall?
A. Rub over these marks with the
cut surface of a lemon.
TEST YOUR INTELLIGENCE
Score 10 points for each correct answer in the first six questions:
a. What kind of bird was shot by the "Ancient Mariner" in the poen:
—eagle —condor —albatross —pigeon
2. What is the galley of a ship: ,
—front —rear --mast —kitchen
3. The Republic of Liberia is int
---Africa —Asia —Europe —South America
4. Which of the following is not a musical instrument:
—tambourine —oboe —Suffoon —balalaika
5. In an airplane, the tachometer indicates;
, —how fast the propeller is turning —rate of climb
—ceiling .--weather conditions
6. In Britain a pillar box is used for:
—rubbish —nail —games —watering horses
7 Listedbelo'w'lare four famous trophies and opposite them, scrambled
up, the sports in which they are awarded. Match them, scoring
10 points for each correct answer.
(A)' Thompson ,—Tennis'
(13) Stanley —Motor Boating
(C) Harmsworth —Aviation
(D) Davis • . —Hockey
Total your points, A score of 0-20 is poor; 30-60, average; 70.80,
superior; 90.100, very superior.
Help For Handicapped — Lois MacEachern, St. Catharines finds
extra duties involved with her duties as pysiotherapist with Can-
adian Arthritis and Rheumatism Society. Here, she combs out hair
of elderly patient whose arms and shoulders are so stiffened by
rheumatoid arthritis that she can't do it herself. With aid of a
Tong -handled comb, she could look after her own hairdo and at
the same time give a great boost to her morale. Such self-help
gadgets are being demonstrated by Canadian Arthritis and
Rheumatism Society, campaigning for funds this month.
Lees Treat Those Visitors Right!
Tourist Industry Faces New Challenge
Tourism in Canada has become,
particularly in the last few years,
a whopping big business. It ranks
with such stalwarts as agriculture
and mining as a source of revenue.
Last year, for example, 21 million
visitors added some $250 millions
to our much-needed harvest of non-
speculative American funds, and
Canadians from British Columbia
to Newfoundland benefited as a
result.
But, with the upsurge in the
value of the Canadian dollar in re-
lation to the American currency,
following the termination of foreign
exchange control, Canada's tourist
industry faces a new challenge. This
year, Canadians will have to step
up their tourist promotion activities
in order to lure our American
neighbours over here; and more,
important still, we will have to treat
them right when they get here.
Not only will the rise in the Can-
adian dollar value tend to discour-
age American spending in Canada
but, conversely, it will encourage
Canadians to travel more and
spend more in the United States.
• As the Financial Post stated in
a recent editorial, "If this trend
continues, instead of having a sub-
stantial balance in our favour in
international tourist trade, -we may
well find that we are running be-
hind."
Of course, the people who stand
to gain or lose most, depending on
which way the tourist trade winds
blow, are those who come into
direct contact with our visitors,
owners and operators of retail and
departmental stores, restaurants
and food stores, hotels, resorts and
tourist camps, service stations and
garages, entertainment place s,
transportation companies, novelty
and souvenir dealers, and the like.
They are the "contact" men in our
tourist industry, and the success
or failure of this 4ndusty rests
largely with them.
' If they don't do any promotional
'work, letting the tourist know who
they are, Where they are, and what
they have .1d .offer, they cannot
reasonably brc1dct to reap any
benefits. Moreover, if they, hap-
pen to be among that small min-
ority which sets to work ,with the
avowed purpose of "rooking" the
tourist by charging him %abnormal-
ly high prices, then they do not de-
serve to stay in business at all, Such
disguised swindlers are the biggest,,
menace to a successful tourist in-
dustry. They sour the trade for
everyone.
There is evidence, too, of merch-
ants trying to takei)tmdue advant-
age of Canada's strengthened mon-
etary position by rh3rging Americ-
alt visitors a premium for Canadian
funds, over and above the legal
rhte. Such shortsightedness, not to°
n)ention the lack of ethics, is in -t
excusable. Any Canadians who
indulge in this practice are cutting
their own throats, because they will
not see their victims, and a great
many otherwise potential custom-
ers, again. Furthermore, such a
practice can seriously undermine
Mr tourist industry as a whole.
Canada, for whom, tourism is an
important source of American dol-
lars, cannot afford such foolhardi-
ness,
Another essential factor in at-
tracting and impressing American
tourists, is to make dor country'
typically Canadian, in other words,
let's not imitate someone else's Cus-
toms and manners. It is a serious
mistake to try to turn Canada into
an imitation of the United States.
Visitors tone here to see some-
thing different. If they wanted to
see what they have at hone, they
would stay at home. That of course,
is just what they will clo if we
don't cease this needless iimprovisa-
tion.
However, business alone can
hardly be expected to solve our
tourist problems, so long as it is
beset by such heavy taxation.
A great many commodities which
bulk so largely in holiday spending
cost considerably more in Canada
than in. the United States because
of the level of taxation here. Ex-
amples, as the Financial Post illus-
trates, are "tobacco products, cam-
era supplies, sporting goods, gaso-
line, and a great number of so-
called luxury items,"
Government, therefore, which so
ardently seeks American dollars
and so loudly champions the tour-
ist industry as a means of bolster-
ing ottr economy, might do well to
give consideration to relaxing the
tax burden. The fallacy of trying
to encourage holiday spending in
Canada while at the sante time add-
ing to the prices for the goods to
be purchased is not hard to see.
From The Canadian
Chamber of Commerce
"Newsletter."
AIR COOLED
More powerful jet engines may
come out of research conducted in
the United Kingdom to find out if
hollow turbine blades cooled by
air are more efficient than the solid
kind. Such blades would reduce
the amount of scarce strategic
materials required. One way to get
more power from a gas -turbine
engine is to run it at temperatures
higher than those now possible. But
a price must be paid in refractory
metals, particularly in the compres-
sor blades—the most important
part of the engine. Blades cooled
by channeling air into them may
aid in solving this problem.
4'TABLE TALKS'
gy
Here's a Gingerbread mbc that is
so easy to prepare, and keeps so
well, that 'I know you're going to
find it a big help, especially with
the kind of weather coating an
when there just isn't the time for
making "fancy" cakes.
The following recipe will keep.
for 3 months—or as long as the
shortening stays sweet and fresh—
and there's enough of the mix for
6 pans of gingerbread.
* *
THE MIX
•Sift together
twice ...,8 c. sifted all-purpose
flour
2% c. sugar
2% tsp. soda
2 tblsp. baking
powder
3 tblsp. ginger
3 tblsp. cinnamon
1 tsp, cloves
1 tblsp. salt
• Add , ', . 2% c, shortening
•Cut shortening into dry ingre-
dients with two knives or pastry
blender until mixture resembles
corn meal.
•Store in tightly covered jar or
can, in a cool place.
•Will keep about 3 months (as
long as the shortening stays fresh
and sweet).
* * *
GINGERBREAD
•Put in mixing
bowl 2 c. gingerbread mix
•Beat in
bowl 1 egg
•Add % c. dark molasses
c. boiling water
•Stir in half of the liquids into
the mix. Blend just until smooth.
Add remainder of liquid. Again
blend until smooth.''
•Pour the batter into a greased,
waxed -paper -lined, 8x8x2 inch pan.
•Bake in moderate oven (350°)
35 minutes.
Variation;
•Mincemeat Gingerbread: Add 1
c. prepared mincemeat to the above
recipe before stirring in liquid in-
gredients. Bake in 350° oven 50
minutes.
•Gingerbread Orange Squares:
Make up 'above Gingerbread re-
cipe and pour into 8 -inch square
pan. Sprinkle with Orange Top-
ping. Mix 2 tblsp. melted butter,
3 tblsp. grated orange rind, f
c. sugar, fd c. chopped nuts;
sprinkle over top. Bake in mode-
rate oven (350°) 35 minutes,
• Gingerbread Upside -Down Cake:
MERRY MENAGERIE
"Bet my dad can eat- more than
your dad'"
Make, gingerbread, reducing the
'molasses to 141 c, and the water to
34 e, Cut 8 pear halves in half.
Drain thoroughly. Melt in a 9 -inch
round pan 2 tblsp. butter, Add IA
c. brown sugar. Mix and spread
over bottom of pan, Arrange pears
over this brown sugar -butter mix-
ture. Pour batter over pears, Bake
in 350' oven 45 minutes.
*Maple Gingerbread: Put in mix-
ing bowl 2 a. gingerbread mix,
Heat 34 c, maple syrup. Combine
with 1/i c. sour cream and stir into
gingerbread mix, Add 1 egg, well
beaten. Pour into greased, waxed -
paper -lined 8x8x2-inch .pall. Bake
in 350° oven 40 minutes.
* * *
GINGERBREAD ROLL -UP
•Beat well 2 eggs
•Beat in% c. sugar
•Add 1/3 c. molasses
c. hot water
*Stir in.,. 2 c, gingerbread mix
•Pour batter into waxed -paper -
lined jelly roll pan (15/x10/ in.),
•Bake in moderate oven (350°)
15 minutes.
*Loosen sides and turn outonto
towel sprinkled with confectioner's
sugar. Remove waxed paper and
trim off crusty edges. Roll quickly
with a fresh sheet of waxed paper
inside roll. Cool, unroll, remove
paper. Spread with packaged
vanilla pudding or Banana Cream
Filling. Re -roll and sprinkle with
confectioner's sugar. Slice. Serves
8 to 10.
Banana Cream Filling:
•Combine in top of double
boiler t/a c. sugar
3 tblsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
+Stir in 1. c. milk
• Cook over boiling water, stirring
constantly, until thickened. Cover
and cook 15 minutes longer,
•Stir a little of the hot
mixture into .... 1 beaten egg
•Then add to mixture in top of
double boiler. Cook 2 minutes long-
er and remove from heat.
•Add 1 tsp. vanilla
• cool. Shortly before serving,
spread over gingerbread.
•Top with .,1 sliced banana
• Rall -top and serve.
* * *
GINGERBREAD PANCAKES
•Put in mixing
bowl 2 c. gingerbread mix
•Beat 1 egg
•Add -.,t/a c. molasses
33 c. milk
•Add to gingerbread mix. Stir
only until dry ingredients are
dampened. Batter should be lumpy.
• Bake pancakes on greased
griddle.
• Serve with melted butter and
sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Makes 2 dozen pancakes
"Someone has said: `It is not
enough for a gardener to love
flowers; he must also hate weeds'."
W. L. Moore.
Answers to Intelligence Test
1—albatross. 2—kitchen. 3 -Af-
rica. 4—buffoon. 5—how fast the
propeller is turning. 6—mail. 7—
(A) Aviation; (B) Hockey; (C)
Motor Boating; (D) Tennis.
Sports From Sea To Sea: All across Canada sports -minded vacation planners are casting a specu«
dative 'eye to the future, because summer time is outdoor sports time. Plans are already in high
)ear at the Canadian Pacific's coast to coast string of hotels and summer resorts which offer the
ultimate in fishing, swimming and boating in fresh water or salt, golfing on some of the country's
most renowned fairways, and many other forms of recreation. This beautiful writer -hole at Digby
Mines in Novo Scotia (top left) is a challenge to pa -buster and novice alike. Following clockwise is
a view of swimming at Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, where water sports are enjoyed against a
mountain backdrop. Always a zestful game, tennis is really exhilarating in the crisp mountain air
of the Canadian Rockies at Banff and Lake Louisb. Although found right across Canada, trout in
the Rockies will prove a stern test for the angler, as well as a proud trophy, as the beauteous fisher -
gal seems to be telling the Mountie.