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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1952-6-11, Page 94 Surgeons At Birth Of One Kitten Tour surgeons clad in white over - and Masks assisted at the birth In Rio de• Janeiro recently of e kitten! It's mother, a bine Angora named Schehcrazade and worth $5,000 lay unconscious while they carried out a Caesarian operation. Schehcrazade, the property of a wealthy Brazilian, had been expect- ing triplets, so the city's leading veterinary surgeons were called in. The first two kittens died, but tiny Ali,; a wispy bundle of white fluff, was born alive and Is doing. well. He snuggles closely to his mother still, and experts believe he will be worth a lot of money later on, for be is a fine specimen, While be was being born in Brazil, three surgeons were con- ducting an operation in Chicago on a dog suffering from the "blue baby" condlton which occurs in human babies in America at the rate of about one in 5,000. A famous U.S. surgeon who has saved the lives of more than 170 "blue baby" children was in charge of - the operation. It was successful, and the dog, a cocker spaniel puppy known as "Doll," is now doing well. A doctor said he had never heard of the "blue baby" condition in a dog before. School -A -Hula -Enlivening • fest- ivites during o sophomore party at Rensselaer Polytechnic Insti- tute's Tau Epsilon house is this two-story hula girl which frat men erected in an effort to give the street more color. It's evi- sient that college boys have switched from the "boola" to the huia in 'o "big" way. Rose Petals Jack Spratt and His Home -Made Clack In the year 1911, when the bells of England chimed . out the ines- sage of the coronation of King George V, the people of the sleepy little Wiltshire village of Wooton Rivers decided that in their' own way they would celebrate, the Royal event. • After deliberation among the elders of the village it was decid- ed that the best way to commem- orate the occasion would be to in- stall a clock in their ancient little church. But this was not so easy. "Clocks cost, money, and there was not snucls of that in the old village. Many decided to abondon the pro- ject so the suggestion was forgot- ten, but there was one man who stuck to the idea. Jack Spratt, local postman and amateur clock repairer, was already known for his mechanical ingen- uity. He decided that he would make the clock himself, a n d promptly asked friends and neigh - hours for any old scrap metal they didn't want. At first he was laughted at. The idea was just a joke, How could a local chap with nothing in Isis "workshop" (no more than a little shed) but an old 4 -inch lathe with- out even a side rest hope to pro- duce a clock? They Had Faith But there were one or two peo- ple who had faith in Jack, and gradually his sincerity impressed others. Old bedsteads, broken sew- ing -machines, bits of farm imple- ments, bicycle wheels, and pieces of rusting iron, steel, tin and cop- , per began to stake Jack's cottage look like a scrap yard. With this queer assortment Jack started to work. A local foundry helped by staking some of the larger castings front specifications Jack sent them, but the rest he did by himself. The frame of the clock was made from old drainpipes and derelict washing wringers. When he wasn't in the workshop or 'delivering the mail, Jack stud- ied books on the manufacture of clocks. The important fly -ratchet was a problem that had to be faced, but a cycle free -wheel was adapted for the purpose. Knitting needles were used for most of the steel pins, and Jack adapted an old sewing-mach- inc to make rollers. Gradually this amazing time- keeper began to take shape. Jack decided that the best movement Wrecked Train Birds have long been a menace to aviation. They can smash a windscreen, block a vital air in- take ... and it has been suggested that the recent airliner crash at Nice, in which thirty-seven lives were tragically lost, was caused when the 'plane hit a flock of sea- gulls after take -off. Train disasters, too, have been brought about by similar innocent causes. The Red Light Not so long ago, the eleven p.m. special on the Morelos Railway, in Mexico, pulled up witli a sudden Jerk and a shrill his of escaping steam. On the track ahead a red light gleamed . , . and next in- stant a second train tore into the stationary one with a grinding tear of smashing wood and breaking glass. Amid the killed and injured, railwaymen discovered—too late— the reason for the disaster, A swarm of cochineal insects had settled on an ordinary white sig- nal lamp and the light, shining throtugh their tiny bodies, had ap- peared as a vivid crintsonl A trans -Bulgarian train was once wrecked by rose petals. A truck carting a large consignment of pet- als to a scent factory dropped a sack at It level crossing, The sack derailed the train, but, luckily, both passengers and crew escaped serious injury. In France, a flock of rooks re- cently brought an international express to a dead stop. The birds were so busy picking up scraps from the preceding Strasburg ex- press that they paid no attention to the oncoming train; and they were crushed in such numbers that the wheels skidded and the train was forced to pall up, Elephant Hold -Up Lions have often held up rail- way traffic nn the line between Mmnbastt and Nairobi, in Kenya, and elephants have sometimes re- fused to budge front the line in Burma. One odd tucker had to be edged gently along for four or five miles before he consented to get'ottt of the wayl In London. an insedt held tip thousands of travellers in the rush -hoar the other day, An ear wig crawled into the electric sig - nailing apparatus on the District line at Hounslow, upsetting the contact and setting all signals at danger. Over a quarter of an hour elapsed before the source of the trouble could be traced. Brides-to-be Make June Silver Choosing Month DE EDNA MILES t...iiings gain more prominence in June than in any other month of the year with the possible exception of December. June is the month of brides which, in turn, means entertaining of all types, from the small and informal gatherings to the large, elaborate and lavish parties and dinners, For this reason, June is also the month in which attention is focused on silver. Brides-to-be pick their patterns; doting parents make sterling silver flatware their gift,. almost by tradition. To this initial set, friends and relatives cantrib- nte the additional serving pieces. Traditional patterns, many of them spartan in their hand- some simplicity, still lead the field. But changes in habits of entertaining liave meant ;corresponding changes in silver patterns, Cotton cloths, for instance, are seen in most American homes from breakfast through dinner, often in company with fine bone china and sterling. In place mats,' it's the round shape that's now seen more frequently than the oblong. Flower fashions wrought in silver have gained acceptance once more and are being shown both with plain and flow- ered china. Typified by such patterns as "dancing flowers" and "florentine lace," this floral silver combines a feeling of the traditional with the modern. Florentine lace is a pierced pattern with flowers traced in the piercing. rs Such flora] patterns, the bride will be happy to know, are the 'easiest of all to clean since the pattern itself adds a patina while in use and generally requires less care because of the design. "Dancing Flowers," above, goes well with tine decorated patterns. Below, "Florentine Lace" provides contrast to simple modern. would be a pendulum. This was made from an old broomstick. Four months after starting the work the strange contraption was fixed on the west wall of the church. The clock was ready. And it worked. From the time of its starting the hour bell rang out through the village—a challenge• to any who had doubted Jack's in- genuity and skill. To complete his work, Jack even went a step further some time later, and made his own chiming mechanism. Jack Spratt died in 1934, but his clock lives on. Even now it is in fine condition, and the mechanism shows no sign of wear or weaken- ing. Jack made other clocks and mechanisms after his success at Wootton Rivers, but none has be- come so famous. Nowadays peo- ple come from all over the world to see the wonderful example of ingenuity and craftsmanship which is "Jack Spratt's Clock." TABLE TALKS oay/a,a�.ws Just because your food budget will not allow you to serve prime steaks, tenderloins and so on very often doesn't mean that your meat courses can't be delicious as well as nourishing. By using recipes like the ones which follow you're not only :seating the high cost of liv- ing but also "living ]sigh," * * * MEXICAN MEAT LOAF 1 lb. ground beef 34 lb. ground pork 1 egg c. corn meal 2 t. salt Dash of pepper t. sage 1 large onion, chopped c. cream -style corn c. canned tomatoes METHOD: Combine all ingred- ients in the order given, and mix until thoroughly blended. Pack into a loaf pan and bake in a moderate oven (350 deg. F.) for 134 hours. * * * SAVORY MEAT AND VEGETABLE STEW 2 lbs, stewing beef Flour l%t. salt • Dash of pepper 2 T. fat 2 onions, chopped 2 c. canned tomatoes' 2 c. boiling water 2 bay leaves 1 onion, minced 4 stalks celery 3 carrots 4 potatoes ALETIIOD: Cut the neat into small cubes. Roll in flour seasoned with the salt and pepper. Brown well in ]tot fat. Then cook the 2 chopped onions in the pan drip- pings until lightly browned. Combine meat and onions and add the tomatoes, water, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Then add the minced onion, the celery, which has been cut in f- inch pieces, the carrots that have been sliced, and the potatoes which have been quartered. Cover and simmer again for about 1 !tour—until all the ingredients arc done. If desired the liquid may be thickened before serving, by adding about 3 tablespoons flour, moisten- ed to a smooth paste with a little cold water. * * * PORK ROLL -UPS 4 pork arm steaks rAi c. fat c. water 2 c. soft crumbs Vs t,salt Dash of pepper 1 t. sage "Join Me For Lunch?"—Poking his nose into Mr. Fish's glass hou e, George asks him out to lunch. But friend Fish isn't going to be sociable, especially with hungry monkeys. Both are residents of a pet shop. King -Size Parsnip—Wesley Davis displays a 42 -inch -long parsnip grown by him in his garden. The railroad conductor calls himself an amateur, but he seems to get professional results. 1 small anion, chopped 1 egg Meat stock or water METHOD: Combine bread crumbs, seasonings, onion, and well -beaten egg. Add stock or water to make a slightly moist stuffing. Remove the arm bones from the pork steaks and spread stuffing on each steak. Roll up and tie secure- ly. Brown the meat rolls in fat. Then drain off all but 2 tablespoons drippings. Add 14 -cup water, cover and cook in a moderate oven (350 deg. F.) for from 50 to 60 minutes. or until done. If necessary, add a little more water during the cook- ing. * * * BARBECUED SPARE RIBS 3 lbs. pork spare ribs 1 medium onion Vs c. vinegar 2 T. br. sugar 1 c. catsup c. water 1 T. Worcestershire sauce Dash of cayenne c. diced celery 1 t. salt METHOD: Cut the ribs in pieces of sewing size. Place them in a baking dish. Peel and slice the onion and place slices over the spare r'Ss.. Now combine the vinegar, brown sugar, catsup, water, Worcester- shire sauce, cayenne, celery and salt, Mix until well blended. Cover the pan and cook in a moderate oven 1350 deg. F,i for about 2 hours — until the spare ribs are tender. Serve hot with the settee in the pan, k * * SHORT RIBS OF BEEF (With Vegetables) 3 lbs. short ribs of beef 4 medium potatoes 2 large onions 1 small turnip 4 medium carrots Salt and pepper AfE'rHOD: Wipe tlse neat with a damp cloth, Brown its hot fat on all sides on top of the stove. Add 1;•i cups water . and bake in a moderate oven (350 deg. F.) for 1 hour. Then add potatoes, quar- tered onions and turnip, and the carrots cut in halves lengthwise. Season with salt and pepper. Cover again and hake for 2 hours more, or instil all the vegetables are tender. Serve meat on hot platter gar- nished with vegetables. Do We Have A Second Time On Earth? Alan has unlocked the door to some of the greatest secrets of the Universe, but Ise is still baffled by that age-old and fascinating ques- tion: De we live more than one life on this earth? There is no absolute. prooff that we do, but from time to time there appears to be evidence that' reincarnation. is a fact. The accepted meaning of the word "reincarnation" is the belief that we return to this world after death, and that this return takes place again and again until we have learned the lessons this earth- ly existence has to teach. The earth is thus considered to be a "school" by believers in reincar- nation, and during our absence from it we are said to undergo preparation for our next return. There is a limit to the number of times we are reincarnated, How- ever, and when we accomplish the last one we leave the earth for- ever and pass on to another type of existence in the spirit, infinitely superior to any we have experi- enced on earth. Now is it fact or fancy? The most profound thinkers in the history of the world have wrestled with that question, and most of them have concluded that it is fact. The teeming races of the East have ;so doubt about it. Their ancient religions have taught it for thousands of years, and at tines it has beat believed by Chris- tians, thobgh it has always been frowned upon by the orthodox churches. Ideas of survival in some form or other are strangely indestructable, even though they are being con- stantly thrust into the background because of the modern tendency to 'think in terns of "to -day" ra- ther than "to -morrow." A belief in immortality is instinctive in Man, and he has never been able to believe in Isis own absolute ex- tinction. Fell in Love If we took a vote 'from all mem- bers of the human race, past and present, on "Does death end every- thing?" an overwhelming majority would answer "No." The strange experience of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, famous artist and poet of 19th -century England, has converted many people who would otherwise be sceptical, to a belief in reincarnation. One of his most famous poems was "The Blessed Duntzcl," and Rossetti decided to paint on canvas the face of this creature of his invagination. He foiled Isis model in Elizabeth Siddal, recommended by the poet Swinburne as a girl of "matchless loveliness, courage, endurance, hu- mour, and sweetness." Rossetti soon fell in love with her and she with him. The finished pouting was exhi- bited at the Royal Academy, and was much admired by critics and the public. Then one critie.nuted that there was a remarkable re- semblance between Rossetti's por- trait and n painting of St. Agnes of the Intercession, hanging in a museum in Boiogna, Italy. Not long afterwards I?lizabeth fell ill, and Rossetti married her, vowing to nurse her hack to health, For two years he cared for her, but its 1862 she died. Who Knows? Seeking solace, Rossetti sit ottt for Bologna to view the painting of St. Agnes. When ite found it he was surprised to see that, a1 - though the model's posture was slightly different from that of his, Fiizalteth, her features and expres- sion were exactly the saltie. Fascinated, Rossetti looked through the art catalogues tri see if there was a note about the model. There was nothing, but the cata- logues mentioned that the artist —a ratan named Angioleri, who had lived in the 15tit century --had painted his own portrait, which hung in the museum. The attendant led Rossetti to the gallery where the self-por- trait hung. Darkness had fallen when they reached the spot. The old attendant help up a lamp, and by its fiicicering light ,Rossetti saw that the portrait was of a grave, black -bearded man exactly like himself. Suddenly he remembered two prophetic lines of his own poetry written for his wife eight years ago: "You have been nine before— How long ago I may not know..," For the rest of his life Rossetti was haunted by an uncanny sense of pre-existence. He was convinc- ed that he had been Angioleri 400 years before, and that his beloved wife had posed for the portrait of St. Agnes. How could both portraits be ex- actly the sane in feaures and ex- pression as the portraits Angioleri had painted centuries ago? Did Rossetti's former self take charge of his body and soul at the moment he was conceived? Did the same thing happen to Elizabeth Siddal, and had their been a bond of love between Angioleri and St. Agnes which was eternal and inseparable? Who can tell us? Only the be- lievers in reincarnation think they have the right answers to such questions. But even they have no proof. Singer K.O,'d By, Stuffed Swan It is difficult to discuss any period of opera in English without sooner or later mentioning the fiat 14 ' of Goossens. For well over r4 century this famous family has beers in the forefront of music-1114king. And to perpetuate their memory Eugene Goossens, the eldest, of the . fourth generation, has written a delightful musical autobiography, "Overture and Beginners" in which he records the outstanding events experienced by the family. As a small boy im sat behind his father at a Carl Rosa Opera re- hearsal intently watching the musicians in the orchestra pit. Father suddenly looked UP from the score he was conducting to call the first clarinet to task fornot playing in A flat. The offender stated that the part was in B flat. Father insisted it was in A flat. The clarinet player then referred to the fact that under the conductor's father be always played the passage in B flat. 'A heated argument ensued. Later, when the rehearsal was through, all differences were for- gotten . and the clarinet player, Manuel Gomez, was introduced to the youthful Eugene. " "Well . . and what are you going to be when you grow up?" asked Gomez. "A conductor, of toursel" was the forthright reply. "Mon diem" exclaimed Gomez, "to think that I might live long enough to curse a third generation of Goossens l" He did, in October of 1921. So absorbed was Eugene Goossens during a performance of "Parsifal" at Drury Lane that he recalls he hardly noticed the un- toward.stage mishaps that occurred. The stuffed swan killed by Parsifal that hurtled down on the Head of an unfortunate super in the first act, resulting in the immediate re- moval of swan and actor. Or the spear, launched by Klingsor, which remained quivering in the centre of its invisible wire, mid -stage, until it was spasmodically jerked forward within reach of the patiently wait- ing Parsifal! The first of a series .of Sunday afternoon concerts at the Royal Albert Hall was played to a meagre and extremely apathetic audience. A depression seemed to • have settled over the concert lovers which not even Josef' Hoffman, Playing the Rubinstein concerto, could succeed in dispersing. In fact, so listless was the audience that the famous artist afterwards remarked to Goossens: "They sleep well after their roast beef!" "Overture and Beginners" is a book in which the reader can share the author's appreciation of scenes, places, and such famous figures as Debussy, Casals, Sir Thomas Beec- ham, Melba and Delius, to name but a few. Playing On the Square - - - Checkers is an ancient game, but here the news camera has caught a couple of novel variations on the old favorite. For instance, take "Dixie Belle," the canine checker champ, above. She never loses a game with her master, Herman Park. Dixie's self-made formula for winning is simple. Every time Park moves, the dog paws the piece off the board. Going in for checkers in a big way are the two players seen below, taking their ease at Bournemouth, England. Pieces are moved with long, hooked poles.