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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1954-03-11, Page 7A Prison Without Any Guards Yet Nobody Has Ever Escaped If you were a cowboy on a Venezuela ranch and had to throw an :Awkward steer which was giving trouble, you would gallop up behind it, catch hold of its tail, ride abreast of it, and the instant its hind legs were off the ground, tug the tail with a flick of the wrist. Unbalanced, the steer crashes to the ground, and leaping from the saddle you are on it in a flash, twisting its tail up between its hind. legs so that it cannot regain its feet and you are able to hold it down single-handed. That's how Ross Salmon found it was done when, back from war service in the Royal Navy, he felt he couldn't settle to a hum- drum job in a London Office and went to South America as ranch assistant. JF Ie also found that when a cow- boy lassos cattle, the lasso is tied to the horse's tail rather than to the saddle pommel. The horses seem to know what to expect, for they turn round and brace their hind legs for the shock as the lasso tightens, and the bull goes sailing through the air, to crash on its side. A second cowboy who has been following then jumps from his horse on to the bull and pulls its tail between its hind legs, while a third, with.a small hack- saw, cuts about six inches off each horn. Subdued by this treatment, they can usually be driven back to the herd. Even if they charge and try to rip the horse's stomach they always miss by about six inches -the length of the removed horn. In his vivid account of travels, "Jungle Cowboy," Ross Salmon writes of a strange prison hidden in the uncharted interior of Vene- zuela. It is a prison without bars or guards, for on one side towers a range of unscaleabie mountains and on the others impenetrable jungle. The convicts are flown in, and though many have tried to escape from the desolate place, where the only food is that grown by the convicts themselves, not one has ever reached civilization. Of those who stay to make tho best of it in the settlement, few live to complete their sentences. San Fernando shops, the author relates, were an easy prey to gangs of thieves who raided the town when short of money or food. The only shop that hadn't been robbed was a jewellery atore, the proprietor of which left his pet alligator on guard at night! The local children had a novel way of making pocket money. When you wanted to cross a shal- low river they stopped you, ex- plaining that they'd dug a large ,Some Sombrero •- Joan Beard models the latest in noninflam- mable headwear. Designed to attract butts et any gathering, the black sombrero ash tray has a removable center that serves as a cigaret depository, atsx-^e-rw•�•e•- hole somewhere in its bed where the track crossed it and would show you the way across, avoid- ing it -fora mere $1,60 each. You had to pay up, because if you hit the hole you'd never get your jeep out. You couldn't paddle or even Wash your hands in the rivers be- cause of the millions of caribe fish, apart from alligators, These aaribes--not mare than six inches long, with very sharp teeth - were so attracted by blood that any man trying to swim across would not get out alive. A cow was attacked by a solid mass of them and killed and eat- en. A cruel but favourite sport of the Indians was to lasso a sleeping alligator on the bank, chop off its tail and send it scur- rying back to the river -to be eat- en alive by the caribes. For the Shrove Tuesday pro- cession in the towns, everyone dresses up in old Spanish, buc- caneer and pirate costumes, and throws coloured paint, motor oil or syrup at passers-by; some cars are even equipped with high- pressure hoses. ,.Salmon, who hadn't been warned` of this, became a target for all the ruffians in his white suit. A passing jeep fitted with high-pressure pump sprayed bright red paint over him, As he scraped this out of his eyes, a jar of syrup was emptied over his head, and ashes and donkey - dung gleefully plastered all over him. Raiding parties entered friends' houses and sprayed paint over bungalows and patios, The village of Santa Martica had a big welcome awaiting Ross Saluron upon his return there when he crossed the border from Venezuela into Colombia. Most delighted of all to see hien again was his pet monkey, Mike, who promptly flew into his arms. 'He screamed, twittered, cried and purred," writes Salmon. "For an hour or more he would not let go of my arm and little tears welled into his eyes and poured down his cheeks, For the first week he clung to my arm when he saw me, so hard that it needed real force to prise him loose, and when T had a look at the dogs he flew at them." When he became ranch-inanag- er in Colombia, a new young priest at Santa Mortice achieved a minor miracle by persuading five of his tough native cowboys -who already had three or four children each -to get married. Ono of his olde men refused, and when Salmon asked why, said: "Well, Mister, I should feel a bit silly at my age, with fifteen children already. Anyway, I haven't anything nice to wear." Salmon agreed to be padrino to the couples, making" them a present and standing behind them at the ceremony. The bride- grooms were all drunk; the child- ren, from babes in arms to kids of six or seven, were dressed up as angels or devils, St. Marta or John the Baptist. "The sight of a two-year-old angel each side of the altar, a six- year-old angel standing trium- phant over a grovelling little black devil, and St, Francis with a parrot on his arm, all seemed to inspire the right amount of awe in the fifty or so people jam- med into the tiny room, The bridegrooms wouldn't make the right responses. A four - cornered fight started on the ownership of the rings, with the priest calling, "Order, order!" The next ten minutes wore a riot, with the padre trying to marry off the last two fighting bridegrooms, the little angel weeping miserably, one bride- groom falling flat on his face, clean out -and hordes of excited guests trying to comfort the an- gel and referee the fight between St.. Francis and St. Marta. A most enjoyable book, with scores of photographs. C OSSW, sR 3 PUZZLE ACROSS 1. Preach revolutionist 4 Weaken 9.'Cmbankment 12. Straighten 12. Lubricate 14. Japanese out not 15. Plea 17. Shackled 10, Bereave 20. Scarlet 22. P onrth call/ 22. Lifts 26. Church. vestments 30, Squander 81, Sack 88. Biblical hig1, priest 14. Public announcement 36, Pedal 88. Roar 89. Old Moue of cloth 41. Remained seated 42. Angry 44. Poke 46. Bed talon: 48, Dean bole so. Dowry fit. Rodent 24, Different eeee SO. Ridicule 80. By birth 60, 'Unclose 68. Attention 94, Calor 66 Bvilatlste0 6)Owh1 1, (Merit 2. Wings 8. Upright parte °town 4. Insect 6, bogs of e certain breed 6. Thus 7. Manner 0..76nir4063 0. Yolluta 10. Consumed 11, Angry :111, 1)11,, 37, Rather than 40. Burrowing rodent 16. Affirmative 48, Roach a 16. 01a musical destination. note 45. Stemming farm 21, Discussed 47. Turf 24, elomeso col,, 40. walked 28. UnhappyY2. City in Arabia 27.' ell :1, Canvas shelter thoughtlessly 24. Individual 18. Location ell. Beverage 28. Twist out a2 66, Discover shape r8. Knock 80, m'Irh mentr ' 1. RleetriceI J, iMaelalee 14nginoer fah.) 1 2 3 6 r 14 0 4 29 4 30 35 36 40 Answer elsewhere on Ode page, 4 Fashion Hints is M d W Three In One - A tomplete suit, a wonderful three -in -one outfit for spring which combines three of the newest Acetate fabrics. fashion's favorite boxy jacket is in, an Acetate blend with a tex- tured surface, Lapels match plain worsted Acetate flannel of skirt. Jacket is lined with same printed Acetate taffeta to match • blouse. GlIEEN TB 4, (trdon Seiki Planning In planning a gtere ad layout small or large, there are some good general and fundamental rules to keep in mind. First of all we should know something about the final height of the flowers, shrubs and trees and in general keep the smaller things in the front, so all may be seen. Color and time of blooming should be noted to prevent clash- es, though nature can mix these things more pleasingly than ran man. But more serious than color clashing is no color at all. By checking with the seed or nur- sery catalogue for the time of blooming it is possible to have a succession of flowers from the earliest snow drops in the spring until the lest chrysanthemums in the fall. Another general rule mention- ed previously is to avoid straight rows wherever possible with flowers and shrubs but rather to plant in clumps of two or three of each type and more, of course, with smaller: thing;.. The 1954 Models Plant breeders are constanti' striving to give us something new and different. This year, :for instance, there is a new fire colored Zinnia and last year ap-• peered a dwarf Alyssum, a pur• ple in color and an excell€int con- trast with the normal white. There are also new and better beans, corns and other vegetables. The person who wants to get the most out of his garden is advised to add solve of these flowers and vegetables each year. They wi11 add interest and satisfaction. All and more are listed in the Can- adian Seed Catalogues for 1054. Beek Savers The man who first thought Of titer long handle should have a monument erected In his honour by the gardeners Of the world. With some jobs like thinning tiny plants or getting the first and closest weeds removed in both flower and vegetable• gardens It is necessary to bend one's back. But a long handle on rake, cafe tivator, spade or other tool will eliminate much of that painful exercise. Specialized tools Will also banish much drudgery, things like D -shaped Dutch hoes, three and five -pronged, hand cultivators, wheel hoes for larger gardens, small tractors, wheel- barrows, leaf sweepers, power lawn mowers, sprayers, scythes and so on. Much of this equip- ment will cut hand labour as much as 90 per cent. Keeping it sharp and clean cannot be over- emphasized. One can work twice as fast and with half the effort with a. sharp cultivator or hoe. Bulletins Will ]tient Provincial and Federal Depart- nrents of Agriculture also publish riesch literature which will great- ly help. Much of this conte;; in the form of bulletins, usually free fur the asking. 'These bulletins are non-technical and are crammed with valuable hints about the special likes and dislikes of flow- ers, vegetables, shrubbery, trees and vines. There are others that deal fully and simply with special jobs, .like the construction of hot beds or cold frames, the purpose and handling of commercial fer- tilizers, sprays and dusie. and the control of weeds. With all this information so easily avail- able, one can soon become an expert, Peppy tail •-- Hollywood starlet Joan Weldon has been ehonon "Buddy Poppy Girl" by the Vet. Brans of Foreign Wars. She will head the sale of poppies to aid the veterans, PLAIN HORSE SENSE., oy BOA ELLIS London, England One reason, beside the hospi- tality of our friends in Surrey, why we stayed a little longer in this lovely country than ori- ginally planned, was to find out what Canadian farmers had to to to win back their traditional market for food products. The search for customers led us into the office of one of the top men of the Co-operative Wholesale Society (C.W.S,) which has grown from the little store in Rochdale, founded a hundred years ago, into the largest consumer co-operative. These ce-ops are owned by the people; they operate not only small stores in the country, but have large department stores in the cities. They supply their members with all the ne- cessities of life at cost and LUSON . Barclay Warren, .B,3.., i3.1). The liaising of Lazarus John 11: 32-46 Memory Selection: 1 am the resurrection, and the life: he that belleveth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and who- soever liveth and believeth rn • me shall never die. John 11:25-26. Prior to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the raising of Laza- rus from the dead is probably the most outstanding miracle on record. Jesus had raised the daughter of Jairus to life fram the bed on which she lay. Re had raised the widow's son to life as he was being borne to the place of burial. But here was a man who had been dead for four days, The body had been laid in the tomb, When Jesus said, "Take ye away the stone," Mar t h'a remonstrated, "Lord, by this time he stinketh." But despite that, when Jesus had prayed and called, "Lazarus, come forth," he that was dead came forth. Jesus gave a second command, "Loose hhn and let him go," and the grave clothes were removed. The news of the miracle spread quickly and re- sulted in many of the Jews believing on Jesus. This, of course, angered the chief priests so that they consulted how they might put Lazarus to death. The home of Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus was one where Jesus had always been welcome. One scene shows Martha getting the meal and feeling badly because Mary was more concerned about hearing Jesus than fussing about the meal. When Lazarus took ill they naturally sent for Jesus, Poor indeed is the hone which has not communion with God and ready access when the day of trouble comes. But Jesus did not cone immediately. He had a Net- ter plan. God's delays are not necessarily his denials. In this lesson we have the shortest verse in the Bible: "Jesus wept," Some think he wept because others were weep- ing. But it could not have been for Lazarus for he knew he would soon be back. Did he not envision all who would ever stand with bowed head and ach• ing heart at the grave of a loved one? Did he not weep with all who ever thus would weep? We think so,:His tender compassion reaches us all. The Christ who can raise the dead ran meet our every need. either buy their goods anywhe8l is the world or manufactu266 them in their own factories. Canadian Produote Wanted Our co-op friend smiled when we asked hila whether Brltozs6 wanted Canadian food produetel "Of course, we dee" The first thing he asked for was lard.' which is "desperately needed" Over there. Bacon was the next item melte tioned. Britons were alway9 "pleased with the quality of Canadian bacon" when they could get it. It is much more to their liking than anything they can buy in Europe. The same applied to cheese, Only from Canada did they get Cheddar cheese that caane close to the English type. Butter, of course, was always wanted. The demand for B. C, salmon is insatiable, said our friend, bee cause it is much better that: the Russian kind, Nova -Scotia apples are highly regarded and easily sold as they are well graded and packed. There is a special market for one gallon tins of apples for the catering trade and other canned fruit could also find a market. Prices and Payments Our consumer friend waxed quite enthusiastic talking of Canadian food products. There seems to be no doubt that they want our stuff, That leaves the question of prices and payments. By the middle of May tradts will be completely decontrolled and prices are expected to rise. At present bacon is being imported from Scandinavia at about $40 per hundredweight at British part, while British farmers get about $50 for inferior quality. The price 01 butter depends on the price of margluinc which is expected to go up after May. The guess was made that butter would retail at 63 cents per pound before the end of the year. Thin was said, however, before the recent decision of the U.S, government to slash support prices of dairy products. The main obstacle for British buyers to buy in Canada is the shortage of dollars which the federal government in Ottawa SO far has always demanded in payment for Canadian farm products. The solution Is in the hands of Canadian farmers, e Nf N This colunui welcomes criti- cism, constructive or destruc- tive, and suggestions, raise or otherwise. Address your replies to Bob Ellis, Box 1, 123 -10th Street. New Toronto, Ontario. Some dr7 cleaners av'e 00>0 returning cleaned evening dresses in polythene garment bags that provide permanent storage protectors for the gar- ment. The tubular bags are heat - sealed et the top and closed with cellulose film at the bottom. They are 25 inches wide and are cut to the indivirluel length of each dress. t Upside dots n to prevent per•'' in1'1 Angels Of Mercy Student nursers to Dacca, Pakistan, gather around a dummy parent as a UN nurse demonstrates sick -caro technique on the model. The UN it currently providing equips ment for over 200 nursing schools to trait* women oe nurses '71i midwives.