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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1962-04-19, Page 2v1TVYTTYTTITTT•Tyr•vv1 Art Treasure Ray Break Record R drawing to be auctioned in London next June is expected to bring even more than the req- or,i-breaking $2.8 million paid by -Om Metropolitan Museum for Rembrandt's "Aristotle Contem- plating the Bust of Homer." But the London Times, among others, was not pleased, "The issue," warned The Times, ".. , is whe- ther the British people will show that altered circumstances have not destroyed old values, that having it individually good includes preserving the national treasures . Let them do this and the noise will go round the world. It would show the British eharacter , , . in another of its finest hours." The masterpiece which moved The Times to sound the tocsin was Leonardo da Vinci's draw- ing, the "Virgin and Child With St, John the Baptist and St. Anne." Its owner, the Royal Academy of Arts, had proposed to sell the work to meet rising costs and maintain its independ- ence of government subsidy. When it goes on the auction block. Leonardo's beautiful draw- ing is expected to fetch $2.8 million. Speculation also picks the Cleveland Museum of Art — which just missed getting the Rembrandt — as the most inter- ested bidder. Rallying to • the cause, labor - union leader Sir Tom O'Brien suggested that the nation's fif- teen commercial television com- panies ante up part of their "fab- ulous" profits to buy the picture for some museum. His reasoning: The gesture would quiet critics who complain at their failures so far to promote the arts and sciences. G. Beresford Craddock, Tory M.P., proposed that 200,000 people donate S14 apiece to an endowment fund to be set up for the Royal Academy. The acad- emy itself had attempted to fore- stall the sale by asking the Treasury to buy the drawing last month, but was turned down. At Sotheby's, however, prag- matism prevailed. A spokesman for the auction house remark of last week: "It's downright hyp- ocrisy to call the Leonardo part of Britain's heritage. It was panted in Italy by an Italian. It isn't as if some rich American bough: Westminster Abbey and wanted to erect it again in Wash- ington, D.C. How could the gov- ernment pay a million pounds dor a picture ... when, it's deny- ing workers even sixpence mere in da y v -ages?" Most Crowded Nation Wins Land From Sea Aic the racist der.._ - pop- u_stati c,untry per square mile iri ate •.;-arid. Japan is expected to_seis mama:ition by 0,- 500.005 — 7o I00.000.000 — in the nex7 eient years. Many of these extra millions, on land which is new covers by sea .. _--.. For Dutch engin ' t _ experts land re- riaxatior. in tae. Z.tider Zee, are eachi=.g the Ja_ cheat all they knew • S,n.e r:c farmers, help gath- erers and f:s -e:nen ase protE irg agar -disturbanc of rive?' ,a. But mama- others are ~ pita-ec tt have safe robs meeh hialter wasas. wAir:art: rat'' tay tires hsve been stn.- cat Sterner mud fats. iutHINESTONE GAL -- Sparkl- rhinestones set off deep• back of black swimsuit. Grace Kelly with Jimmy Stewart in "Bear Window. Princess Grace of Monaco PRINCESS TAKES A JOB - Princess Grace of Monaco returns to Hollywood this summer to resume her movie career. She will take the principal role in a thriller based on, the suspense novel, "Martie," by Winston Graham. The former Grace Kelly will be directed by Alfred Hitchcock, an old friend responsible for three of her most successful films: "Dial M for Murder," "Rear Window" and "To Catch a Thief." Prince Rainier, her hus- band, will be present during at least part of the filming if his schedule should permit. p�� RONICLES P6L, INGERFARM My address is still the same, although I didn't expect it to be — which means I am still in the hospital — and I would be un- grateful indeed if I made any complaints. It is possible to get all kinds of small concessions to make life easier; for instance I am doing this copy on the library table in the waiting room as I find bedside tables are not con- ducive to legible writing. Yesterday was St. Patrick's, so what happened? The nursing staff, nurses' aides .and all the female patients on the 4th floor were wearing most attractive boutonnieres, made and pre- sented to them by cne of the pa- tients who does wonderful things with artificial flowers. Then at lunch-time our trays came up with an attractive tray -cloth embossed with Irish emblems and in one corner of the tray an Irish favour — that is, a green Shamrock sprinkled with spark - lets. That sort of thing is a great help to patients because it creates an outside interest and thus des- troys the embryo of that soul- destroying quality, self-pity — all too common, alas, with pa- tients suffering•a long illness. I wonder how many people know about the new low rates on lona-distance telephone calls af- ter nine o'clock at night? I find it is news to everyone on this floor, So far as I can make out there is the usual charge for a five-minute call and after that there is five minutes free time. In other words you talk ten min- utes for the price of five. Then every alternate two minutes is free of charge. I phoned the operator one night to make sure my information was correct. Since they. I have phoned a frieno in Newmarket, also cne in Shelburne. I find talking is far more satisfactory than writing letters. Wouldn't it be wonderful if I could talk to all you people insRead of writing this column? Wct'Idn't we have a chin -wag? ' And don't you think after all this free publicity the Bull Telephone should allow me half -an -hour's free time every day? Some- -chancel WeL', at this stage I was inter- rupted by a visit from my plastic surgeon who said I shall be here for at least another week. I sup- pose he wants me to stay around until all risk of infection is past. Of course I am also being treated for high blood pressure. Right now I am wondering what will happen to my blood pressure vrheo we get an account from the plastic surgeon: Plastic surgeons don't coma a dime a dozen, that's for sure. Partner says, well at least we won't have to worry about Interne Tax this year: • I i=magine by the time I get name Partner will be tired of being lass awn cook and house- keeper: Dau ,liter went in last night with the weekly shopping and made him a meat loaf before she left. She intended coming to the hospital to see me but I told her it would do me more good if she went hame and did same- • thine for her dad, especiaiiy as are has a very inflamed eye from the cold winds. Joy was here during the week. She put Ross and. Cedric down for their after- noon sleep and left Grandpa to look after them. And of course neiglibarus. from here and Milton •have been wonderful, popping in and out — to say nothing of pa- tients going from room to room, visiting one another, Iii fact there is never a dull moment around her* — but some of the ISSUE 14 ,— 1962 Casings I could tell you are not even printable! ! ! Construction work for an ad- dition tothe hospital is going on a good clip. Sometimes when electric drills are pounding away you just can't hear yourself think. It is a wonder the men can work at ail with all the mud and slush around. One man, stepping around a square hole — probably meant for a cement pillar — fell into it and was up to his armpits in .slush, Fellow - workmen hoisted him out. 1 wonder what he said: Q. Are the folded thank -you cards proper for acknowledging wedding gifts? A. A folded card with "Thank you" imprinted on its face is all right — but a HANDWRITTEN personal message MUST be added. Small Children Get Free Toys Saturday is a big day for the tots of Bromley -by -Bow, East London. For every Saturday any child who can pass under a wooden arch in Fern Street without stooping receives a pack- et of toys for a halfpenny. The mites of the district have filed through this arch every week far more than sixty years. The custom began in Igaa when Miss CIara Grant, distressed by seeing the poverty-stricken Iiidci,es, founded the Fern Street settle- ment — three houses stacked with books and toys. Miss Grum died in 1949, but her work con- tinues,bringing' happiness to net- generations of kiddles- lural Ontario A Century Ago Strathroy itself ,began, like all other country towns on the con- tinent, as a trading post for farmers who brought their wheat to the grist mill on the little. river and sold or bartered their farm produce at the weekly market. Stores soon lined the village street, and in course of time the storekeepers became the artistocracy of the growing town, with larger houses and spreading lawns on the low hills crowning the valley, The weekly market held its own, however, for the "market price" set in this miniature ver- sion of en Oriental bazaar was generally a few cents less than the price of "store goods," on which the merchants had to make their margin of profit, Butter was twelve cents a pound; eggs, nine cents a dozen; strawberries, from two to five cents a quart (berry -pickers were allowed to fill pails to the brim with blackberries for noth- ing); chickens were twenty cents or two for thirty-five; and in winter beef by the quarter sold for four or five cents a pound. Tomatoes were so plentiful that they were often given away, This price list I found on a yellowing page of the local paper, without date. The market was more import- ant for the farmers, however, than for the townspeople, for selling their produce there was almost the only way they had of getting a little spending money for current expenses. And it was almost the only chance the farmers and their wives Isad to compare their pro- duce with that of -the more dis- tant seetiaus of the treigtrbor hood'. For the mens it also meant political talk; for the worse/a, mare intimate gossips. At inter- val's there would be a. sale of TivestocTc or grain or garden produce ha larger bulk but, as that average farm was oni'y ore nnndtedl acres;. including- farm- yard and pasture lbt<.s,. the total cash revenue wtw nuldem more than a few hundred duilurs is year, . The rent of the livelihood wes home-grown , . The coming of the rullroud was the great event which lay bo hind this cltanl;n in the way nI We, not only in Strathroy, but everywhere, ltuih'oufalnt in On. terlo suffered from the dloadvan- tage that the province has no coal mines, end therefore the coal had to be Imported from the minus of Pennsylvania. The result wes ilial the caninet loco- motives burned wood. I recall distinctly 11u wood -burning lo- comotives of the (:matt Western Railroad (later the (blind Trunt, unit now the Canadian Nalloratii) with their funnel -shaped chim- neys tlu'owins showers of stacks high in the air when the firemen threw the logs into the. firebox, — From "The Autublograehy of James T. Shetweli." Q. I have ,noticed some women wearing their rings over their gloved fingers. le this eonsittrreed correct? A. No, it isn't, it's all sight to wear bracelets ever the gloves, but not range. DOTTED BONNET'—Polka- dot B'retarn hat with' detacfil I able: wimple: ii;, siiowns for spring, wear. Seeing Europe Without Haste. WELL-PRESERVED MARKSBURG CASTLE, sits high above Braubach on 'Germany's ro- mantic Rhine. River steamers operate scheduled services during the season, affording the tourist the most beautiful scenery in Germany. An essential but oft -neglected ingredient of a European vaca- tion is relaxation, Too often a short trip to Europe beconses a frantic scurrying from city to city, the traveller trying to see as much as possible in the al- lotted time. You might cal': it biting off more than you can chew, Then relaxation is ob- scured, the trip becomes a cul- tural mission rather than a plea- sure, One way to see a lot of Eu- rope in a restful way is to take a leisurely steamer cruise on the Rhine, The river, though gen- erally associated with Germany, actually flows through . four countries on a northerly course from the Swiss Alps to Rotter- dam and the North Sea. Steam- ers travel a course from Rotter- dam up the Rhine to Basle, Switzerland, taking five days to Make the trip upstream, four to Cologne, he can embark there for a trip either up or down the Rhine from this central location, picking up another flight back days for the return. Fares are extremely reasonable. This year two new steamers, the MS Europa and the MS Hel- vetia, are plying the Rhine, making possible the reduced time span of four days for the trip between Holland and Switz- erland. Ultra -modern in every way, the two new vessels have luxury accommodations includ- ing private air conditioned rooms With bath, a swimming pool, a grill, bar, and dining room. Offered in the dining rooms are a superior continen- tal cuisine and the finest Ger- man wines at unusually low cost, ' The hest feature of the Rhine cruise its its flexibility. Pass- engers can begin and end their trip anywhere along the steam- er's course. For instance, if the traveller takes a Lufthansa Ger- man Airlines plane from Canada 10 this country in Holland or Switzerland, or making further perusal of the Continent from those points. Wherever you embark, the ac- cent of the trip is leisure, One needs only recline peacefully in his deck chair or watch from the observation lounge as Europe unfolds in front of him, Pamp- ered by attendants with cocktails and snacks and many other lux- uries, the traveller takes in a grand and ever-changing pan- orama of the Dutch countryside, the wine country of Germany, the old and beautiful cities and villages bordering the river, and the busy river traffic, Not a foot of the spectacular scenery is wasted on night travel, the steamer putting in at different cities each evening. This affords an opportunity to have dinner ashore, explore a new city and sample its night life, or enter into the evening festivities on board the steamer. To prepare for the sparkling night life on and off the steamers, women passengers can avail themselves of a hairdressing salon an the ship. One airline connecting .Cas,a- dian travellers with the Rhine steamer service is Lufthansa, ,.p- erating Boeing 707 and 720-R jets from Montreal, New Yerk, San Francisco and Chicago. The airline's spring and summer schedule lists 48 flights week,y between Germany and North America, four times front the Montreal, Chicago and San Francisco gateways, and daily from New York, Lufthansa's let terminals in Germany are Ham- burg, Frankfurt, Cologne, and Munich, the most convenient to the .steamer service being daily flights from New York to • Col- ogne or Frankfurt, or the Eaux times weekly Frankfurt flights from the other gateways, Thtotgh a contrast in speed is exper- ienced between a 600 -mile -per - hour jet across the Atlantic and the trip up the Rhine, contrast hi, leisure is nonexistent.