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The Seaforth News, 1952-05-08, Page 7Busy Woman Who Kee~ s House Between Her Circus Acts Mrs. Martha Henderson of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus leads not one life a day, but four. Site's an :aerialist; she's the wife of a fatuous author, Dr. J. Y. Henderson ("The Circus Doctor" is now in its seventh printing). She shows a troupe of trick dogs and a five -gaited horse in the ring; and site's a simple housewife like any other little conic and bottle washer, As a child in Germany, Martha excelled in the gymnasium. Site could beat the boys up the ropes, and site 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 site was 12 she was ready to go on the stage, writes Elsie 13: 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 oft' the ground with no net underneath, and Martha was as sure as a soprano who hits her high notes with precision at the "lviet." 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. Noev 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 But Martha seemed as elusive as her job, and far more interested in the "Doe's" 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 Garden. 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. hfartha shows her dogs and horse, and tales part in the "Spec" when It winds around the big tent. The "Spec" is the big spectacle or parade, which this year por- trnvs "The Good Old Times." In this Martha portrays an Egyptian slave, mad does a slithery dance as she follows the snake charmer on the float. fiat what of the Irenderson home life? They bought a house in Sarasota, Florida, All was peaceful with only a few Dalma- tians as members of their house- hold when, one day, Doe 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- ters" How CCM 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 hands? 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; then 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 warns water. Q. How can I distinguish steel from iron? A. Take a very clean file attd file ' over the flame of an alcohol lamp. If the filed piece is made of steel, little burning and crackling sparks wilt be seen. If the piece consists of iron, the sparks will not crackle. Q. How can I 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 narks with the cut surface of a lemon. TEST YOUR INTELLIGENCE Score 10 points for each correct answer in the first six questions: 1. 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 -•-utast --kitchen 3. Tire Republic of Liberia is in: -Africa —Asia —Europe -South America 4. Which of the following is not a musical instrument: —tambourine —oboe—:nlffoon —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 —mail —games —watering horses 7. Listed below are four fatuous trophies and opposite, then, scrambled up, the sports in which they are awarded, Match them, scoring 10 points for each correct answer, —Tennis —Motor Boating --Aviation (A) Thompson (B) Stanley (C) Harmsworth (D) Davis —Hockey Total your points. A score of 0-20 is poor; 3040, average; 70-80, superior; 90-100, very superior. He p 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 long -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. Let's Treat These 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 front 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 places, 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 industry rests largely with them. • If they don't do any promotional work, letting the tourist know %Ilia they are, where they are, and what they have to offer, they cannot reasonably expect to reap any benefits. Moreover, if they hap- pen to he among that small min- ority which sets to work with the avowed purpose of "roofing" the tourist by charging hint 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. '?-here is evidence, too, of merch- ants trying to take uurltte advant- age of Canada's strengthened mon- etary position by charging Americ- an visitors a premium for Canxellen funds, over and above the legal rate. Such shortsightedness, not to mention the lack of ethics, is in- 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 custo i- ers, again, Furthermore, such a practice can seriously 'undermine our 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 our 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 come here to see some- thing different, If they wanted to see what they have at home, they would stay at home, That of course. is Just what they will do if we don't cease this needless improvisa- 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 our economy, night do well to give consideration to relaxing the tax burden. The fallacy of trying to encourage holiday spending in Canada while at the same 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 cone 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 front a gas -turbine engine is to rim it at temperatures higher than those now possible. But a price Hurst 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. TABLE TALKS ricavt Andrews ws. Here's a Gingerbread mix 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 coming on when there just isn't tate time for making "fancy" cakes. The following recipe will keep for 3 months -or as long as the shortening stays sweet and freeh- and there's enough of the mix for 6 pans of gingerbread. *. * * THE MIX *Sift together twice 8 g. sifted all-purpose flour 2/4 c. sugar 254 tsp, soda 2 tbisp, baking powder 3 tblsp, ginger 3 tblsp, cinnamon 1 tsp. cloves 1 tblsp. salt *Add 21/4 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 howl 2 c. gingerbread mix •Beat in hovel 1 egg • Add f c. dark molasses fa 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 tbisp, melted butter, 3 tblsp. grated orange rind, 1/4 c. sugar, 44 c. chopped nuts; sprinkle over top. Bake in mode- rate oven (350°) 35 minutes. •Gingerbread Upside -Down Cake: MERRY MENAGERIE '*5'.',, 425 ti/d,rr9:tev "Bet my dad can eat more than your dadl" Make gingerbread, reducing thta molasses to lfi it. and tate water to 34 c. Cut 8 pear halves in half, Drain thoroughly. Melt in a 9 -incl round pan 2 tblsp. butter. Add 3 c. brown sugar. Mix and spree @ over bottom of part. Arrange peare over this brown sugar -butter mix- ture. Pour batter over pears. Bake in 350° overt 45 minutes. •Maple. Gingerbread: Put in mix- ing bowl 2 c. gingerbread mix. Heat 35 c, staple syrup. Combine with IA c. sour cream and stir into gingerbread mix. Add 1 egg, well beaten. Pour into greased, waxed - paper -lined 8x8x2-inch pan, Bake in 350° oven 40 minutes. * * * GINGERBREAD ROLL -UP *Beat well2 eggs •Beat int., 4 c. sugar *Add Vs c, molasses c, hot water *Stir in2 c. gingerbread mix *Pour batter into waxed -paper - lined jelly roil pan (153/2x1031 inJ, *Bake in moderate oven (350°) 15 minutes, *Loosen sides and turn out onto towel sprinkled with confectioner's sugar. Reprove 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 top. vanilla • Cool, Shortly before serving, spread over gingerbread. ()Top with 1 sliced banana • Roll-top and serve. * * * GINGERBREAD PANCAKES •Put in mixing bowl 2 c. gingerbread mix •Beat 1 egg *Add ..., n/a c. molasses ?�a c. milk •Add to gingerbread mix. Stir only until dry ingredients are dampened. Batter should be lumpy. *Bake pancakes on greased n^'.tale. * 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 --]tow fast the propeller is turning. 6 -avail. 7— (A) (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- lative eye to the future, because summer time is outdoor sports time. Plans are already in high Sear at the Canadian Pacific's coast to coast strin0 of hotels and summer resorts which offer the ultimate in fishing, swimming and booting in fresh water or salt, golfing on some of the country's most renowned fairways, and many other forms of recreation. This beautiful water -hole at Digby Pines in Nova Scotia (top left) is et challenge to par -buster and novice alike. Following clockwise it 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 Louise. Although found right across Canada, trout to 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.