HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1962-03-01, Page 6Real "Cold" Weather
Mn California
Sari Fianciseans are AnclIng the
WeathiR a brisk conversation
piece; laleet so are most all Cali-
fOrnians. Normally, one hesitates
to call it 'winter, SO crisp and
benign are these California Jan -
San Francisco's "cold" snap
got down to 33' which is within
Six degrees of the all-time record
here. That was in December
1932, when the mercury "sank"
away down to 27' above zero,
Official records go back 90 years,
This cold snap brought "traces"
of snow but nothing like that
"big blizzard" of 1887 which
blanketed the city with 3.8 inch-
es. The worst of that snowstorm
was that the weather came off
cold afterward so that the snow
hung on for hours and hours, In
fact it wasn't until the afternoon
of the second clay that the cable
car tracks didn't look like tobog-
gan slides.
Now that the high arctic air
fallout has dissolved and the mer-
cury is coming up out of its glass
shelter, a good many Calitorians
are hoping that all this talk about
the weather will fade away, too.
Los Angelenos, in particular fig-
ure folks in Florida must have
had their fun by now and it's
tine the Miami Herald let up and
• let the Los Angeles Vines re-
sume its daily reports eh. Cali-
fornia's rising population,
These impromptu California
freeze -ups are hard to figure out.
If the experts could get to the
Made in Embroidery
*
lty Sitte, M144
This ancient picture of "Our
Lady of Perpetual Help," dates
back to the 13th century and is
renowned throughout the world.
This picture has been trans-
lated into embroidery, partially
in gilt thread, Pattern 546:
transfer 15x19,4 inches.
Send THIRTY-FIVE CENTS
(stamps cannot be accepted, use
postal note for safety) for this
pattern to Laura Wheeler, Box 1,
123 Eighteenth St., New Toronto,
Ont. Print plainly PATTERN
NUMBER, your NAME and AD-
DRESS.
FOR THE FIRST TIME! Over
200 designs in our new, 1962
Needlecraft Catalog — biggest
ever! Pages, pages, pages of fash-
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crochet, sew, weave, embroider,
quilt. See jumbo -knit hits, cloths,
Spreads, toys, linens, afghans plus
free patterns. Send 25.
Ontario residents must include,
le Sales Tax for each CATA-
LOG ordered. There is no sales
tax on the patterns,
bottom of it, then the 10e41
Cali-
ornia Climbers of Comineree
would be only too happy to take
up Mark Twain on his classic
suggestion and see that something
was clone about it. As it is, genial
Corday Coigns, meteorologist 81
San Francisco's Weather Fore.
casting Center, eats Only attri-
bute this disagreeable plienome-
non to a "high arctic air mass"
that seems to have gripped "als
most the entire North American
coatinent" within the past week
and extended even down across
Mexico and into Guatemala,
Transplanted New Englanders
are now peering out of their Up-
turned coal collars here and look-
ing hopefully for the customary
California counterpart to that
good, old - fashioned relenting
Down, East condition known as.
the January thaw. Here it meal-
fests itself around the approaches
of February at open windows on
Market Street and among crowds
of shirt -sleeved folk spreading
lunch on the noonday grass in
Union Square, in Crown Zeller-
bach's plaza, as on the forlorn
old wharf hear the abandoned
Oakland ferry slip where the
helicopter taxis land,
• The outlying signs of "win-
ter's" welcome departure come
in to the tunes of croaking frogs
in a golden blaze of Acacia and
endless carpets of new green
grass and yellow mustard weeds
flung out through the walnut or-
chards, writes Harlan Trott in
the Christian Science Monitor.
Throughout California the
birds' migrations revolve around
a different calendar than, say,
New England's, Normally, Jan-
uary has brought the robins in'
full force. This year they must
have taken up their seasonal
work well ahead of schedule. Be.;cause it was rare when a subur-
banite lamented the robins' mid-
December raids on his. Pyracan-
tha bushes (the flaming firethere
that is the all -winter glory of the
Pacific West) that another sub-
urbanite didn't rejoin: "The same
here, we won't have a red berry
left for Christmas either!"
These premature. ornithological
depredations were duly reported
in the provincial preis. The sub-
urban Palo Alto Times • topped
them all the day an excited sub-
scriber telephoned in to report
that a flock had just raided her
premises andnow they were all
acting strangely, reeling and fall-
ing down sideways and tripping
over their own wings and other-
wise misbehaving themselves like
denizens of some feathered skid
row,
University experts at Stamford
explained that it was not alto-
gether unusual when a,migrating
flock overfed on overripe berries,
thus turning some astonished
suburbanite's back yard. into a
squawking Bacchanalia of inebri-
ated robins. The cold snap was
preceded by high gales so that in
Walnut Creek the 10 -acre pond
that laps against our suburban
honaesite was visited by a stray
flock of wild geese of the sleek -
plumed kind known as "white
fronts," Evidently the high
screeching artic air mass was too
much for even these swift sure -
winged fellows. Their arrival in
our haven and only 50 feet from
our breakfast nook bespoke some
remote lofty turbulence -as •
".... when the tumultuous west
Roared on this granite coast for
clays together
.And billows rolled. the channel
under crest
While all the kart swans shelter-
ed from the weather."
One by one, and in pairs and
in flocks, these handsome smooth -
plumed itinerants have been
dropping into our silvery little
California sanctuaries. We. ,are
enjoying the new wildlife that
has come in the wake of our
unusual California "winter."
RETORT
When I hear somebody sigh
that "Life is hard," I am always
tempted to ask, "Compared to
what?" —Sydney Flarris.
te,
,FRUITFUL DEMONSTRATION — Kay Ballard, right, helps
(singer Roberta MacDonald demonstrate her enthusiasm over
the coming off-Broadway musical, "The Golden Apple."
,et
TICK TOPPER -- Keeping track of time for the 50 years
since his wedding, Herrmunn Hirschberg of Niehl, West Ger-
many, used the top hat he wore, on his wedding day as the
case for this unique wall clock a fascinating novelty.
HRONICLES
INGERFARM
The thought just occurred to
me „ . in moving. from one place
to another wouldn't it be awful
if one left one's old neighbour-
' hoed under a cloud? In that case
one 'couldn't be sure of wel-
come so there would be no
pleasure in 'making a return
visit. I am thankful to say Part-
ner and I were recently shown
every evidence that we need
have • no worry on that score.
Last Thursday was a lovely • day
so we took a run up to Milton
and visited several of our old
friends atisd• neighbours.In each
case our visit was unannounced
but that didn't seem to Make any
difference to our welcome. We
had a wonderful time and - our
friends appeared to be equally
happy. Our only regret — we
could:* visit enough places in
one short day..as, of course,we
had to say "Hullo" to our gran.
sons too. But we got into trouble
with their mother 'because the
first thing Rose said was'— "Did
you bringeus any presents?'.' That
didn't please. Joy at . all so we
Were asked to come empty-hand-
ed next time so the boys wouldn't
get the habit of looking for any-
thing, A wise.rieling but a hard
one for grandparents to follow.
But, come to think of it, gener-
osity is just •8 form of selfish-
ness. We like. to give partly be-
cause of rthe satisfaction we get
out of seeing the 'thildren's
pleasure,
The friends we visited were
some of those whom we knew
could not visit us on account of
age and illness. One dear soul
is 87, resting most of the time
but mentally just as alert as she
was twenty years ago. She, has
been a staunch Liberal all her
life so we were kidding her
along saying she would have to,
change her views now Mr. Dief-
enbaker had promised her a ten
dollar raise in her pension,.
"Not on your life," she retort-
ed, "just wail u•ntif the next
election, Mike Pearson will be
j us t as generous)" Incidentally
she is personally acquainted with
Mr. pear= so I expect her al-
legiance to him is unshakeable.
This laclY's circumstances also,
point up what neighbourliness
can mean. She is a widows living -
alone — • except for her eat —
and she has a heart condition
that has to be watched very care-
fully. Hier home is still heated
by a coal -burning kitchen stove
and a ,Quebec -heater in the liv-
ing -room — 'too much for a
woman of her age and condition
to look after. So what happens?
Neighbours one side come in
every day to stoke the fires and
take out the ashes. Neighbours
the. other side are in and met
every daymaking sure she is
all right and doing whatever
shopping is necessary. The old
lady is grateful to them all be-
cause they make it possible for
her to fulfill her heart's desire
— to stay in her own home to
the end of her days. In her case
it would scan a crime to even
suggest that she should go to
the local home for aged,
One other case we know was
very different. The elderly lady
had a rented room and was par-
tially crippled. She was abolute-
ly dependent on the kindness of
her friends, And they were kind
— but looking after her when
she was II) was just too much to
expect. Her doctor advised I hat
she go to the Mellor Home, It
was there we went to see her
one clay. Physically she was well
and determined to make the best
of things, She had no complaints
— said the food was good, she
was well looked after and the
nurses and attendants were kind-
ness itself. In spite of her appar-
ent cheerfulness I felt she was
holding something back. From
other sources I found out what
it was, As long as she was able
to get around she was a very
active perso n, prominent in
Church and W.I. activities, It was
this lost association with old
friends that she missed because
she had very few`visitors,
Before we start •criticizing let
110 consider the reasons. Many of
those in her age group have pass-
ed on. Younger friends with
whom She had been associated
are stili active — in the W.A„
the W.M.S. and the W,I. They.
have not forgotten her but they
know she is being well cared
for. What they .,have failed to
realize is her loneliness; her
longing to see old friends; to be
kept informed and to chat about
the various organizations to
which she used to belong and
in --which she is still interested.
I bring this little matter to
your attention because there
must be many readers who have
elderly relatives or friends in
some home for the aged. Re -
Member, their . clays are limited
so if an occasional visit from you,
an old friend, can brighten those
days, isn't it worthwhile to take
a little time and make a special
effort to bring 'comfort and cheer
where it is most needed?
Memory expert: any woman
who has successfully forgotten
how old she is.
'SALLY'S MEWS
"Mrs. Bun, nits is Dr. Dum
is brain specialist.. You ought
to 1inove rem,"
Still Find Holes In
West German Wall
In the five months slime Wale
ter Ulbrieht's wall ealed off
East Berlin, the flood of 4,000
refugees a day has dwindled to
a trickle. But the trickle is per-
sistent, and Ulbrioht's People's
Police have been unable to stem
It Some East Germans have cut
the wire; some have climbed it;
some have jumped over it; still
more have rammed through it in
all kinds of vehicles from armor-
ed cranes to commandeered rail-
road trains,
Last month the refugees found
two new exits. On a cold wet
night in 1Prolinau, a suburb in the
Preach sector, a startled West
German border guard was con-
fronted by a grimy East German
whose teeth chattered as he
spoke, "I've come from over
there," said the refugee, "There
are more. Is the way clear?"
The West Berlin guard survey-
ed the barbed wire a few yards
away.
"All clear," he said.
_ For the next hour West Ger-
man police stood by .while • 27 .
more refugees squirmed up from
the end of a 90 -foot tunnel whose
entrance began in the basement
of a small cottage a few yards
aWay from the barbed wire, in
the Soviet zone. The tunnel,
whielehad been dug in two weeks
by two families working in
shifts, went down to a depth of
6 feet and was only 2 feet high.
The oldest refugee was a semi -
paralyzed woman of 71; the
youngest, a child of 8.
While the East Berliners were
digging their way to, freedom,
another group of refugees were
holiday -bound aboard the good
ship Fritz Heckert, oh a cruise of
East Africa. At Casablanca, ten
ofethe ship's 350 passengers slip-
ped away and sought sanctuary
in the West German Consulate
Next day, Brigitte Tschirner, 27,.
a draftswoman, and her fiance,
Hans Base, 42, a DEFA film' di-
rector, were &mow the .fourteen
mare who defected trn Rabat.
"When the bus stopped," said'
Brigitte, "I said I was ,going
across the street to buy oranges.
Hans moved slowly away, pre-
tending to take pictures."' Soon
the Rabat crowds Swallowed
them up.
The Fritz Hetheres captain
promptly announced that the ship,
would return home. But Inc rest
of the passengers protested, and
the Fritz Heckert duly weighed
anchor for Tunis. There
more passengers escaped.
Modern Etiquette
Fly 'Anne Ashley
Q. Where does the ring bear-
er stand during the wedding
ceremony?
A. He -stands behind' and to
the right of the brides
Q. Is it proper for a girl to
invite a boy into her home after
a date?
A. This depends ti po n the
hour. If around midnight, it
would be all right. Be sure that,
his visit in your home doesh't
last more than a half -Ilse!) or
SQ. .
Q. When should the bride.
grooro give out his ON to hia
best nian and ushers?
A, Usually, these gifts are put
at the men's places at the be-
ehelor dinner. 1± however, there,
Is no bachelor dinner, then he
may give out his gifts at sone
time during the reception.
Q. How is a formai marriage
announcement correctly worded?
A. "Mr, and Mrs John P. rfar-
eison have the honour to ea -
0 o U 000 the marriago of their
daughter, Judith Ain, to Mr. Ri-
chard ;William Ada,rni on Satur-
day, the -fifth of June, in the
City of Cleveland,"
Non -Stop SaaitereFs
PRINT/T.., P,ciatiltk7;TERN
4992
stirs
12-20
40
Keep, year 0 alms, to DI pus's,. ep-
p.oirstrnents, smartly in, this poise
ed, slender stiftdress. Dress, up
or clown with fewelity — sew it
in tweedy esttsn, span-
tung„ slreek wool
Printed Pattern 4992...; Mises"
Sizes 12, 14,, 16/10, 2116: 40.1.Size
16 takes 4 yards 35-ixicie.
Send FIFTY' CENTS. estanape
cannot be accepted's use postal
note for safety) for thie pattern.
Please -print plainly. SI z4
NAME, ADD R EBBS sIrvrx
NUMBER.
Send erder to, ANN.K A1PAMS1,
Box I, 123, Eig,hteernth Si, New
I Toronto, Ont.
ISSUE16 — 190e
TEMPLE DAY — Hie smoke of burning joss sticks veils Chinese worsl'ipers on their Temple
Day ;'n Hong Kong This was the winning entry in the annul Pucif, True! Assn. photo
eoptev The awurd went to photographer Eddie Ching crf Hung Konj.