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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1926-04-01, Page 6dor ttxe:� Boys and Girls THE HORSE CHESTNUT BY EDWARD GREEY, "Why are those called horse chest- nuts?" I one day inquired of my fa- ther, as we stood under a grand old tree :that grew near our homestead.. "I am Sure I cannot say," he replied. "Ask your mother; she understands more about botany than I do," I' picked, up a specimen of the nut and.sought my gentle parent, to whom I repeated my query, whereupon she said: "Come into the libraryand we will consult the encyclopedia." We were soon in possession of the volume marked "G to H," and when the required word was found, my mother read: "Horse -chestnut. A ,large put, the fruit of a•species of Aeseulus (Aescu- Ins hippocastanuni). This tree isa native . of Asia, and was, about the sixteenth century, from thence import- ed into Europe. It is now common in. the temperate zones' of . both hemi- spheres. Its native name was, derived from the custom of the Turks grinding the nuts and giving the meal thus ob- tained mixed with grain, to broken, winded. horses. In France, starch is made from the nut; although for some unknown reason, the article has never some into popular use. The nut also yields a limpid oil, esteemed valuable as a cure for rheumatism, and, on ac- count of its non-drying quality, it is extensively used by watch -makers and opticians. The tree is mostly culti- ;rated for its flowers and foliage, which aro very. beautiful. It attains a height of from forty to fifty feet." We had in our stable an aged horse, whose wind had vanished, with it his ability to do more than walk; a quiet, stubborn creature, who, having been bred by my' father, was permitted to enjoy old. age in peace. Sometimes Bob was allowed to dis- port himself in the pasture, on which occasions his neighing, as he stumbled round, was something appalling to hear. I argued that if the Turks could cure their steeds with crushed horse - chestnuts, why could we not? Hew - ever, I kept my opinion to myself, and set to work collecting a quantity of the fruit. My brother and myself labored all one Saturday afternoon, and by five o'clock we had a couple of bushels heaped up in the corn -loft. While our family were at supper, I returned to the stable, mounted the ladder to the apartment above, and measuring off a gallon of tit' nuts, poured them into the hopper of the corn -crusher, then seizing the handle, ground them into a sort of mush. This I mixed with some bruised corn and cut -hay, and after stirring it well, shot it down the spout into Bob's feeding -crib, after which I descended in order to ascertnin how he liked the 'I'nrkish remedy. The result was dis- appointing. He sniffed suspiciously at the stuff, turned his head and: glanced at us, as much as to say: "What have you given me?" I crept back to the house,'thinking. he would eat the compound when he became hungry, The next morning my father diecov- ered it in the crib, and made so many inquiries that I owned 'up. "Pooh!" he cried. "The deer and hog are the only anneals I know of that will eat a horse -chestnut, I could have told youa horse would not. The acid oil in the fruit is enough to repel them," • "Then you do not think•the ritatwas named for the reason described in the eneyclopedia?" "No; my boy," he smilingly answer- ed. "It is ono of those things nobody can find out. In the olden times, folks were very fond of calling plants, etc., horse this and that -litre horse -radish. You do not for a momentimagine Bob would eat a root of the latter, do you?" I pondered over this, and upon the perversity of human beings in mis- naming objects, and made up my mind some day to find the true reason why the Aeseulus in question was termed the horse -chestnut. • - Years ;passed, and I visited many countries, where, in as many lan- guages, I was told the story once read to me by my mother. i At last, when traveling in. England, I learned the truth. I was admiring the magnificent pyramids of blossoms otr the chestnuts of an avenue in Bushey Park, near , London, when 1 noticed a venerable ' man surrounded by a crowd of chil- dren, to whom he was describing some- thing on a spray that had been broken by the wind from one of the grand trees. After awhile the young people mov- ed away, when I accosted one of them• and inquired what the old gentleman had told then. "He was informing us why thoso trees are called horse -chestnuts," said the boy. "Don't you know him? He is Professor laalfe, the botanist." I approached the learned man, and after introducing myself, related the story of my experience with Bob. The professor listened attentively, smiled significantly, and, when 1 had concluded my tale, produced the spray from his pocket and said: "Tbat story about the Turks is all fiction. The Asiatic title does not sig- nify, horse. The term was derived 1rem the peculiar markings, or sears, left by the drying off of the leaf -stems. See," pointing to the horseshoe -like spots on the bark, "there is the shoe, with its nails clearly defined. Our peoplecould not pronounce the foreign nano, so they graphically designated the tree the horso (shoe) chestnut." At last I had unraveled the mystery. IN THE TWILIGHT OF HIS GLORY By Binet Valmer Translated by William I,. McPherson Ile was a very old man, tall and tory heavy. Often Deatir sent tem Ms messenger --Sleep. TIe grew less ac- tive and lived a little less or each day that other people did. But he had I ved more than nay one else having exceeded all the glories of his epoch, and even glory itself, Ito fell into sltmtber recallleg the hours In which he had been elite to lade from all the anguish of perilous (.Tires, to rennin calm. fully master of himself, defile: -ate in his thcatght, firm It Ids decIslens - -the hours In which he had won the battle, .Ifs slept in or- der to dreum of those banes which the natio[ wliirh had au loved hint had now forgotten. Oae afteruoenr lu. uwerkeuee without breaking oft his rlrraut, 'i'h" e•aleudar WL tete. • him :eel the ill ante's glance fell as it had -alley before his eyes closed, on 'the date which the celendw' showed - tuts aniversary date, There It was -to -clay. How many years since? Not a great num- ber of yearn. and the old man, who had exceeeled glory itself, was alone -with his glory. The chiefs of 'the country had not brought the grateful populace to his door and the populace had not come instinctively. fihe populace is always led, It. had not come to acclaim the liberator. Ile got up front the chair in which he had been sleeping and dreaming and had found again the power which t:linehed the victory. His suffering wag as great. es his pride. If he be- longed already to history, he oleo stall belonged to humanity. VlThere was the t.1.0 NCI ? With a heavy step he walked toward the door which fronted on the terrace, opened lt, looked at the fields, the brook, the beaut.hul 1rece and the sky with its fleecy clouds; and he smiled at all this, which would not have seem- ed the same 1f fie had nor won the rr invaders had conte to de - e In d ti at c battle, 11 the 1 t 1.vasttite l4 But where was the, shout - tug raciest? r crest? IS t ',0 .. . viieesiolegteoftwasIrozoosaftre REG'LAR FELLERS -By Gene Brynes. i'M so "teeR51 Motel 1 COULD DRINK MORE PAILS teee WATER THAN ie 13t3TCHA i COULD MOM! GRAFTED FROG'S SKIN SAVES BOY'S EYE An unusual operation, believed to have been the .ftret• of the kind, \site recently rf i London when 'a frog:gish mettibrane was -grafted on performed ore d o the eyeball of Alfred Hare, apedA, injured when a firecracker exploded. The menl'brane, which had deo be extremely delicate, was taken from the crea- ture's rew turas lower jaw. • He took his olid' hat and his old. cane "You will repeatit?.vThat 15- of no -the hat and canoe of a,•landed gentle consequence. I am going to tell ecru man who was not very rich -and -went about it. Let us sit down on the bank. toward his friends• the tiside, toward You have plenty of time. Your mother hie frieiide the trees and toward his will not beat ¢lou so long as you bring friend the brook. her the ten France.'. "It . you remember?" he said to'"I ellall be glad, to setdown. Was et them. a great battle? Alas! ;The fields, the trees and the "The greatest battle there ever brook were too much eecupted with, was," - their everyday activities to answer So the old man told about It. And him, whose destiny. seemed this -atter- the little girl listened. And the victor noon to have but a single day, and forgot the little girl, resumed his -in- that day a day disappearing in the torrupteri dream,, lived through the past. sublime hours once more, drew lines He said to himself: "I am"- And on the road with his cane and said: he pronounced his .name and tried to "1 beat them at the hour I had sat" console himself by thinking that the The little girl interrupted him: centuries would not obliterate it; that. "The ,hour'? If I don'•t bring back people would elwaya'speak of him in ths.break mania: -will beat me in spite connection with the famous battle. of your ten francs. I must, go, neon He also consoled himself by charging sieur." politics with having ;turned away from "At the hour I bad sate' his house the 'crowds and the chiefs "I don't say' anything to the cott- er mire state.- Nevertheless, deeg. with- ti'ary, but I must go. And, then, I will in him a voles kept speaking to hitih. never remember all that. If you wish "You are no longer alive," it said. to see massa the circus will be at the He suffered: . village this evening. I must run Suddenly he notiesd on the edge of awayl" the road a little girl, a very'.iitle girt, He did not retain her. He remained who was looking for something in the seated on the bank at the side of the wheel ruts, She was not a little girl road. Tie ,contemplated the lines and from the village or from site neighbor- figures which his cane had traced and he repeated, as in an hallucination: "I beat them at the hour I had set Suddenly he ,awakened from this other sleep. The little girl was run- ning away, - hardly thinking. of the magnificent present which she had re - Ing farms, fur the old main knew every child in the canton' to which he had retired. "What are you looking for?" he asketl. "Souse sous," she answered. 'Mania gave them to me to buy bread in the carved. Later, perhaps, sbe would re - village. I had then lied up in my call what the illustrious eeildier had Handkerchief and the knot came loose." told her. To -day? . Where was the "Were there many sous?" asked the crowd? . winner of the great battle. The old noun with the thick body "There were enough so that she will leaned his elbows on his knees and beat me if I do not find them," said put his face in itis hands. the little girl. "I lin no 1ohgei' alive;" he sighed. "Bent you? Who is your mama?" 'Aad the trees, the beautiful trees, "We erne with the dreus," the rich holds, the land saved from the "Ali! You canto with the circus? barbarians heard a sob, the' formidable. They were expecting you he the via plaint of a chieftain who had never lege;" flinched when the country .-was in - The circus was famous in that part veiled, when its fate depended -on biro, of the country. It traveled through but who could not accept being of so' the whole region, and its artiste had little iniportttnce in the flesh, being a high reputation. already so groat in history "They expected us for the fete, but some of the wagons broke doled. "For what fete?" asked the old man. "I don't knots': Therein a fete, Let use hunt for my sous." Then Clio conqueror shook his head. "I 'will give you seine sou: In place of those you lost. Do you want ton francs? fe that enough?" Ile handed her a ten -francs: nate and the little girl's eyes miasma wide. "Oft! Ten francs!" she cried. "You are rids, I cannot take all Haat" - "You can take all that. You can tellyour manna that it was 1 who gave' It to you." FIe spoke his name to excite the little girl's admiration, But she an- swered: n- swered: "I don't remember your name. If you allow• me, 1: will return the sous to mama and keep the rest to buy randy.' The old mutt shook his head again I elia yea know eery name? I won Ilse battle in whose honor the fete le being held in the 'village." "Ali! You are the one?" Why are you alone cu the road?" f ant taking a little walk. So yon have heard of the Its ttle whirls I won? Come, take the ten francs and. 1 will i tell yon all alottt it." • "1 shall be glace to !seal: These ten Is arcs -1 will give thein to restate anti' It trtlt repeat what yott tel; me," BET 1,IDULD 1, DRINK OP 'TWO BARRELS! BBT i cow) .DRINK UR- H1rLF THE OCEAle! geeresse. Z COULD DRINK-.---• • Not So Wicked. let 1 armor---"Yas, Set cert'n'y do keep las road,; in good order, but he's a wicked man." 2nd Farmer --"Oh, yer oughtn't to say that, Si --he's willing to mend his ways.' And Your Relatives. "Say, a popular Scotchman's a 1cr- tttnate man, ain't he?" "I don't know, why?" "Remise- he's got a Jetta close friends." Physically Impossible.. "limit listen, professor, I don't think 1 deserve zero in this.co,irs-o." "Neither d0 I, my Mead, but that's the lows t grafter f can give." s, L sons -to - -:. N IPOE New Series by W` NE''ERGUS *N author f er�auson on CucttOZi via e' ae s ,sees a -fir Copyright 1926 by Hoyle, jr, .. _ ARTICLE No. 25 Howmany'. players thoroughly un derstand the type of hand that justifies a fourth hand bid, when >the first three players bar posed? One .ekpert claims that man more games are lost by fail- ure to bilin this position than is gener- ally realized. If such is the case, what is. the real test of a soupd fourth hand bid? Most of the authorities seem to stress the importance of having a game -going hand before opening the bidding fourth hand. They say: "Don't make an"orig- inal fourth hand bid unless you can go game." Thewriter is of the opinion that this view is unsound. The real test is: "Can I save game if I open the bidding, irrespective, of what nay opponents may bid?" If.you can answer that question in the affirmative, you have a sound fourth hand bid but riot otherwise.: Why Pearls -A, 4 Clubs- Q, 10, 5 Q Diamonds'- ",j 10, 4 _Spades -Q, 10,7,5 wait for an overwhelming hand before making a fourth hand bid? Always be willing to take a thence for game your- self if by sodoing you don't elso_�g ive your opperients an equal chance. Here is the rule: "No player should make a - fourth hand bid unless sure -of saving ggtuue at any bid opponentsmight make. This is the real test to apply in deter- mining whether or not you have a jus- tifiable fourth hand bid, The writer was watching one of the great experts of the game the other nightandnotedltov✓closet he followed tatforegoing rile for fourthhand bids,. Many hands that other players would . pass out wet* bid by Bits, and not once did he suffer a loss: Here ere dm good examples; ' Hand No. 1 Reacts 10, 8, 3 Clubs- A, 6, 4, 3 Diamonds - 9, 7, 2 Spades -K,; J, 3 A :z •Y: • • 113 Hearts -K, J, 9, 6,'5, 2 Clubs- 7 Diamonds - K, 8, 3 Spades -A, 9, 4 No score, rubber •game. Z dealt and passed, as did A and Y, 13, the expert, was now up against a pretty problem: Ninety-nine players out of one hundred would have passed, but not the expert, He figured that if the other three hands were evenly divided as to strength, there waslittle chance for his opponents to go game. Onthe other hand,he would need very little help from his partner to make game...13 bid one heart and all passed. Z opened the queen of diamonds' and B made four odd in hearts and thus profited. by his bold fourth hand bid, Hand No. 2 hearts ---A, K, 7 Y Clubs -8 A i3 t. Diamonds- A, Q, J, 4, 3 Z : Spades-- K, J, 5, 4 Hearts - none Clubs-? Diamonds - none Spades- ? FIearts -Q, 7 Clubs - K, J, 9, 8, 2 Diamonds -A, 6, 5 Spades - 8, 6, 2 No score, rubber game, Z dealt and passed as did A and Y. 13, the expert, bid one diamond Z one no-trump, A two clubs and 'l two hearts. FIere's where. 13 made, another bold bid. He figured that A didn't have tops in clubs so that -a game in clubs was doubtful. On the other hand, A' should have either tricks in clubs or another suit and, therefore, help for a no-trump. 13, there- fore, bid.two no-trump and all passed. He just made three odd and scored game and rubber. The writer was watching a very good player the other evening and was sur- prised to see him losea game by failing to make a very evidyyeelay. See if you would have woo thegame or "chucked" it as he did. Hearts -8, 7 Clubs -4. Diamonds -I1, 10, 8, 6 Spades- none - :A 31 Hearts -9, 3, Clubs -A,Q 9 Diamonds- Q, 2 Spades- none No score rubber game. Z was playing - -the hand at diamonds and six tricks had been played. Z knew that A had no hearts or diamonds and that B had no `,diamonds. FIe did not know how the spades or clubs were divided. He had already loot one trick so that if lie was to make game, he could' only; lose one ntore trick. Y, the dummy, 2s in the lead. %low should Z play the hand so that he can go game against any de- fense? Z should.play.the four of clubs from Y's ;hand- and cover any club Hearts -J, 10,8 Clubs- none Diamonds- none --Spades -10,4 Hearts -Q, J Clubs -- ? Diamonds - none Spades - ? played by B. No matter whether A wins the trick or not, YZ must score the balance of the tricks. If A wins the tridk, he must either lead clubs or spades. If the former, Z can discard two losing hearts in the -dummy. If the lat- ter, Z can discard a heart in dummy and trump in hie own hand. lie can then discard the other heart on the ace of clubs. Play this out placing tee clubs in different hands and see how it works out. Answer to Problem No. 12 Hearts - A,' 9, 7 ' Clubs - none Diamonds - none Spades -9, 7 Y :A• 7 Hearts = K, 4 Clubs -10 Diamonds -J, 6 Spades - none Clubs are trumps and Z is in the lead. How can he win all five tricks against any defense? Z should lead his ten of clubs. Onthis trick, A should discard' the four of spades, Y the seven of spades and B is forced to discard the three of hearts. -Fre cannot discard a diantundor both of Z's diamonds would be good. Z should then lead the jack of diamonds. A is now forced to discard either a heart or the ten of spades. If he rlicrrds the former. all of Y's hearts Hearts -Q, 6, 3 Clubs - none Diamonds ---� 8, 3 Spades-- none are good; if he discards the latter, Y's nine of spades is good. This forcing of the discards is popularly known as the "squeeze".plav„and in the example given, Z was able to force the double' squeeze; that is, force both opponents to discard winning cards. It is an easy Little problem but should be carefully studied and understoodfor there are. many opportunities to apply its princi- ples. Fruits of Toil. Grocho•Siovakia, hard at-worlc and trying to putt the soft pedal on poli:ti i 1 coal 'inebriety, sets a good ee-tmple 10' her nstghbors of Mitte'leuropa, Her exports f:er 1025 came to $563,600,000, k •'tl , 5 compared tet i ,1 D 0,0.00 0 tor the P 'preceding year, oud the iniporl.s at the THE PRINCE IN PRINT - bu private History Book: There is•kept at York 'House u co iaeition of Wrests castings concerning the Prince of Wales'. which is probably tile largest of its kind in the world. lb was' started when , the Prince was eight years old and has been steadily added eo ever since. The cuttings now fil!i:,kwentY Six volumes In one book 'the welter . was Privil- eged to look 'over riot long ago theJre ea +0 a story of the Prince of Wales' first speech, This was Made at a gather- ing of guesits at Yorlt House on his ninth birthday. The Princee, was pre-•' seated en. that oocaaton with a beanti- ful.•swond by one of his gathers'. frelnds and at the lunch .given to the guests the Mug insisted that the young Prince' should make a formal speech - - of•'tlianks to the denier of the sword. - Y, The Prince stood u en a cheer and, 1 P turni:tng: to the gasa•ts, said: "1 th•anat YOU very much for the beautiful gift you have made me tq•'day, and I shell always treasure it in memory of this happy gathering," • I. The„ Risk of t apture, Another "cutting describes the Prince of Wales's, interview wIib Lord Kitch- ener when, in September, 1914, the former went te.eeek permission to go to the Frani .with the Grenadier - f3uai'as, "What doesr it matter," asked the Prince, "If I aan killed? I have. several " brothers." Lord Kitchenter's reply was curiously frank; "If I were sure that being killed was rho only risk you would run by -going to the -Prone, I don't know that I would have any.right to prevent your running that risk, but there le another risk I oaunot permit you to run. In the present state of the British lane you might be taken prisou- ei:" It was not until November that the Prince had ;hie wish gratified and Went to Preece. Anotlter.curling tells a good story concerning a certain host ` of the Prince, who heel invited two of. the best bridge playens iu London to meet His Royal Highness at a Rous party under the impression that .the Prince was as keen a 'bridge player as his grandfather. I:Ifs host's feelings may be better imagined than described when the Prince informed -hiss quite =sanity at dinner that he. did not know bow to Inlay bridge, and that he disliked -ail tard games Nairne tithe increased frons:. -$475.000, 000 to $527,4.00,000. i\I!rny small na- tions, which have had their' 1111 of profiteering masquerading es patriit "Don't Gall Him Jim:" When the Prince paid itis first of ticlal visit to the United States he was presented with a collection of castinge. from theAme'ican ecus. The volume is nearly a foot in height end the cover is shoat a foot square. -war" One cutting is headed: "Don'ts for those who meet the Pridoe." Here ars. a few of the "don'ts": Don't ask Bine to have a drink; he might accept, Don't call trim Jim it isn't. hie name. ,, Don't ash him who lie is going to mar•, ry- df he knoivis h e•wen't tell you,. There is a characteristic eters', or the Prince when he was playing golf et an American club, .As he wee pre- paring to drive, he turned to the pro feselonal in attendance on him and said, or rather, -whispered: "This is us bad as mating a speech." Beauty, in Abundance: There is a capital article on the pos- adhil-f y of the PrInee_ flitding ti ;ut America. Said the wrlter: "Th•ereric aro at least 70,000 beautiful girls tor the .. . Prince to choose from, It will, I fear, take hien a little time to make up hie mind, but don't let him debpier. Ile 10 Young and Inas plenty of time in which to make his choice.': The _Prince hes more then once be- guiled half us hour reading from Lille book of tutbings, which never faire to amuse him. It should be mentioned, however, that, the vohttne writable many serious article's which forst a flattering testimony to the wouderfully abld way -!n, which tee niece carried out waist was really an important dip- lomatic mission, A Poem Worth Knowing. "The Gems She Woee." It is possibly Usat Tofu Moore is as popular SDlenglund as in Ireland. al- th•ough he has been called for so long the national pout of the 'emerald Isle.--Heewas one ole the very -few ieoels who - made a Iritntte nut of roeiry ism, . is, wish they might present ` simil.a halanee sheet, Ch azt inchi,s nary almost st o. the racist of all furs. Out of the Desert .Into the Ice -Cream Store. DONT SE CRABRINC7 ALL THE TIMET r't"t THIRSTY. TOO GOT YOU DONT NEAR ME AEOUT 1T , HERC'S AN KS 'CREAM SAF®' SPE int r4 3 EOR0Ni,TN /WAlnE0 00fAtA 60 • 1.1'elt altoure,etre were the gents site 0 .re, Anrl, abright golf ring on her wand she L Bur, oh! tier beauty vas far beyond 1 -lee siparicling gains and snow-white w a,t-d "I a,ily' lest thou not 5101 to stray, - So Mite and lovely, through slit, bleak way? r 4 ,e Erin's sons yo good "r 00 r014.1 As not to be tintp!etl by w-otr.at, or ht[]? "Sir l.iilgbt! I fel nre the utast tlerin Ido sot; of Keel wilt otter n,i, harm; Per lb oage they love woman and gold- Sir stove, Sir Knight! Lacy lore honer and vin tie more!' On see trent, anti tier maiden senile in safety lighted Iter rcinel the green lie ; AO blest for ever .a she trhis retie'! lifins Itrin'sbono;• and Erin's. pride/ Coins can be sorted and put into packets et the rate of about 50,000 An hour by a• made for use in tint Batik cf England. s