HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1957-12-05, Page 7Bear Arrested For
Stopping Traffic
There is a bewildering choice
of hairdressings for men these
days, and it is difficult to decide
which is best. This wasn't so in
Victorian times when seen re-
:ognized only one superior dres
ting --- bear grease.
And if you were in the habit
of being attended by a really
"West End" barber, you would
know that he prepared his own
supplies.
Large numbers of bears were
brought to this country in those
days for sale to better -class.
hairdressers.
One such barber, in order to
attract customers, made a great
teal of this side of his activities,
Chree tines a week a van drew
xp outside his shop and a large
:age was unloaded. Then a no-'
tice was hung outside the shop
saying that another bear had ar-
rived and when he would be
killed.
Meantime, it was turned loose
in an area beside the shop, in
full view of the passers-by. All
kinds of bears - black, brown
and grey - spent a day or so
here before going to their doom.
These bears were a great at-
traction for the children of the
neighbourhood, who used to
come along and feed them.
through the railings.
On each afternoon following
the arrival of a bear, a large
crowd would gather for the ex-
ecution because, although they
were not allowed to see it, they
heard plenty. Shortly before
the appointed time the poor vic-
tim was driven in from the
yard. Then, after a short inter-
val, the most blood -curdling
screams and groans came forth.
The barber and his assistants
must then have worked fast, for
within a very short time the
head and skin of the bear was
exhibited in the shop window,
with an announcement that an-
other bear had been killed for
grease. Then a van would draw
up and the empty cage would be
brought out, to be driven back
to the docks to fetch another
bear, which would arrive on the
folic"i-ing day. The barber used
a lot of bear grease; trade was
good, because clients knew . they
were getting fresh grease.
This went on for years, but
the children whocame to feed
the bears knew something that
9i
ORATOR - "And in conclusion,
let me say" . . this cat seems
to be shouting cis it gestures
dramatically. The amusing
study won a prize for photog-
rapher Dr. B. F. Ferreira of
Bombay, India, in a Popular
Photography magazine contest.
they kept to themselves, Each
bear, no matterwhat its colour,
had only one eye, its coat in-
variably had a moth-eaten ap-
pearance, and it had a broken
tooth -always the same one.
And in ,spite of the barber's
contentiors that they were all
savage, requiring elaborate pre-
cautions when he fed them with
meat held on the end of a long
stick, the children knew that in
fact they were all quite tame,
but very hungry. They had no
fear of putting their hands
through the railings to feed
there.
Then, one day, the secret was
out. No bear had in fact ever
been killed in the barber's shop.
The old half-starved brown bear
in the yard had been there for
years as the innocent stock -in -
trade of the barber's regular de-
ceptions.
But what of the death screams
and groans? These, is was learn-
ed, were made . by a fishmonger
appropriately named "Leather -
mouthed Jammy" because of his
incredibly powerful voice. It
was Jammy who gave. the game
away when for some reason the
barber refused to . pay him his
customary fee of five shillings!
For centuries, travelling en-
tertainers with performing bears
were familiar figures in all the
cities and towns of Europe. Only
when the public conscience be-
, came aroused against cruelty
to animals did they gradually
disappear.
On one occasion, two French-
men showing a large brown bear
in Britain got into trouble with
the police and were sentenced
to one month's imprisonment.
Now, although it was quite easy
to lock the men away, the bear
was a bit of a problem. He reso-
lutely refused to be separated
from. them, so for the first night
all three occupied the' same cell.
By the following morning Lon-
don Zoo had -agreed to look af-
ter the bear until the men were
released.
After a great deal of trouble
the bear was enticed into a bus
specially chartered for the pur-
pose, and was chained and muz-
zled. But the bus didn't get fat',
for the bear in desperation had
broken a window and climbed
out.
He couldn't get completely
away because he was still on the
end of the chain, but no one
dared approach the roaring
beast.
Finally the owners had to be
fetched out of jail to take their
bear to the Zoo under escort,
After, which they returned .to•
complete 'their sentence,
During 1891 and 1892 a small
brown bear was regularly ex-
hibited in the streets of London.
It became very popular and
great crowds would often collect
to see it, completely blocking
the street. As obstruction is an
offence against the law, the po-
liceman on duty in the vicinity
had no option but to arrest the
bear and its owner.
Together they would spend the
night in a cell, and in the morn-
ing were brought before the
magistrates. • Occasionally a fine
was deemed necessary, but us-
ually the pair were dismissed
with a caution.
The bear, an extremely like-
able creature, had already won
the hearts of all the police at
the station and on one occasion
the constable responsible for ar-
resting him even made a collec-
tion for his benefit!
BARD TIMES . EVERYWHERE..
Bill: "I can't imagine what
Joe does with his money. He was.,
short yesterday and he is short
again today."
Fred: "Is he trying to borrow
from you?"
Bill: "No. I'm trying to leor
row from him."
CROSSWORD
PUZZLE
ACROSS
1. wing
4 Parcel nt
ground
1. Silent
13. Ciamnr
13 Artificial
language
14. Variety of
ounrue
15. Flier
17. Pass, na time
18. Constituent
19, n5eclleal flnldt.
hlzpresston
of contempt -
21. inclined to
laughter
24 Tropical
unguiate
211 13iva1re
m011ns1c
27. brigs
Le(a111enfl
110. horizontal
52, Organ of
vision
33. rt1nilet
'35. l)ognta
,37. Retrieve
39.7`rlangular
'insets
43. Finished •
developed
tib 1"rttgal person
14't. freebooter
40. States
i positively
Elq, Anglo-Saxon
~7varrior
A. Stupid Person 51
2. (croup of
. armed men
52. Stain
53. Shelter
4. Matter -of- 27. Stray from
fact truth
5. Scent 2S. Strive
ri. Crap
7, Stories
9. Fungus
9, Competent 31. 11eir
10, Possessive 31. sweethearts
Pronoun 34. (;arty
It. (bolt gadget 33. Poetry
L'fb�VN 16. Sanction 40. Of the cou91rY
10. Alarm whistle 41. Obliterate
1. Second 11. S. 21. Large stream 42. 3'eeling
president 22. hall ad 44. Targe number
2. house 23. Scotch uncle 45. Weaken
3. !loath used 1x, 25. one "t' the 44. Coln of Macao
varnish A."unites 15. So. horn
29, Small
recesses
1
3
4
5
6
7
3 9
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
le
19
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Answer elsewhere on this page,
TWO SCENTS' WORTH -Just the right size for a fragrant inspec-
tion of floral beauty are these half-pint flower -fanciers in Rome,
Italy. The giant chrysanthemums were on exhibition. They're
traditionally dedicatedto the dead in Italy.
Farm housewives, like their
city sistres, take some tall "sell-
ing" to be convinced' that food
prices haven't gone skyrocket-
ing. In fact, it's doubtful if a
persuasive illuminated display
entitled "Food Is a Good Buy"
made any converts at all among
the farm women who sat around
it in a hotel lobby here where
their own organization, the Illi-
nois Agricultural Association,
was meeting.
* * *
This was not the fault of the
display. It was an effective piece
of promotion. Beautifully color-
ed transparencies showed tempt-
ing pork chaps, platters of fried
eggs, golde brown fried chick-
en, and other edibles.
* * n
Attached ti each was a legend
telling how many fewer minutes
of labor it took to serve the dish
to a family of four in 1956 than
it did in the 1945-49 period, using
the same type of labor as a
measuring ,Mock. For example,
the display said it took 25.e
minutes of work to buy the
chicken in the earlier period, but
only 14.6 minutes in 1956. Pork
chops were 18 minutes cheaper
in 1956, eggs 141 minutes cheaper
a dozen, Dorothy KahnJaffe, spe-
cial correspondent of the Chris-
tian Science Monitor writes from
Chicago. 4, *
But every farm woman to
whom this reporter spoke was of
the opinion that grocery and
butcher -shop prices are too high.
Some protested mildly, some
vigorously. Some blamed exces-
sive packaging, some too much
middleman profit. Some argued
that if, farmers got better prices
for their hogs, rising retail prices
wouldn't matter; the trouble,
they said, was lack of balance,
* *
But whatever the reason, it
was plain that farm women are
disturbed about the rising costs
of meat and groceries. Costs of
clothing don't seem to concern
them much. Most farm women
can handle a sewing machine,
and when store clothes are too
high, many of them make their
own. You might think they could
do the same with food - pro-
duce their own when store prices
are too high - but it doesn't
seers to work out that way.
Mrs. Della J. Barr of Rankine,
Ill., here with her husband for
the convention, discussed this
natter in e hotel lobby cote-
versation.
' I suppose the farmer is some-
what to blame, for paying high
prices in the stores when ne
could produce more himself," she
said. "Farmers used to milk
their own cows. Now we go to
the store and pay a high price
for milk.
"But on a farm like ours it
wouldn't pay us to have a few
cows. We would have to install
such expensive equipment if we
were to pasteurize it and meet
requirements fon' selling Grade A
milk. We'd have to put in what
they call a "milking parlor." We
couldn't afford to do that. So we.
buy our milk in town. All the
Baine, there's too much difference
between the farm and the
bottle:' ,r „
Other comments on the rising"
living costs by persons attending
this convention:
Mrs. Howard C. Locke, of Pair -
view, Ill.: "What do I think about
the cost of meat and groceries?
You couldn't print what I think.
We are paying too much for
fancy packager. We know what
it costs to produce food of dif-
ferent kinds, and it's hard to go
to the store and pay for the
labor that went into boxes and
wrappings when all we want is
tl-e food. Now we are getting
meat wrapped for the refrigera-
tor o1. freezer. I tell my butcher
I want to buy meat, not paper.
"Five or six years ago we de-
cided we weren't going to spend
ss much for processing and pack-
aging so we began butchering
our own hogs and calves. We got
a freezer and now we process
our own meat. But we're still
spending a lot for the things we
buy for the home. I'm working
to add to our income - chief
cook at the grade school."
* * *
Mrs. Don Maulding, Casey,
Ill.: "The dollar doesn't go as
far as it should. You have to pay
so much for staples, the things
you just have to buy, such as
sugar, flour, coffee, and tea.
There's too much difference be-
tween what ,you get for your
wheat and what you pay for
your flour.
"Now when it comes to clothes
it isn't so bad. I was a 4-H Club
girl and I learned how to sew.
Now 1 make shirts for the ter
boys in school, and clothes for
the two little ones at home, also
my own dresses. This way ye -
can really keep down costs.
"But when it comes to farm
supplies, there's nothing you can
do about it. Thi cost of machine-
ry and parts - especially parts
- is terrific. et doesn't balance
out with what you get for your
crops and livestock."
* * *
1Llr. and Mrs. Clarence Buch-
man of Fairfield, I11., both in-
sisted prices were too high. Mr.
Buchanan had this to say:
"We can't keep up with the
price of machinery. Every time
you turn around the cost of steel
goes up and machinery with it.
Food is high in comparison
With the prices the farmer 're-
ceives. We sell our wheat and
corn and buy it back in flour
and breakfast food. We sell it
cheap and buy it at a high price.
This ought to be better bale
anted."
Mrs. Orville Leischner of Gif-
ford, Ind., said she thought farm
women were wearing their
clothes longer because of rising
living costs and the decline in
hog prices. But they manage to
keep up their appearance ey
buying good quality garments,
she said. Through home demon-
stration work they have learned
much about judging quality in
merchandise. This helps them to
get snore for their dollars.
She added an optimistic note:
'Women have snore household
appliances on the farm than they
did formerly and in many ways
are living more comfortably, 1
guess we shouldn't complain.
We're better off than we were
years ago. Now if we only got
a little better price for our
hogs,.."4, *
Practically all the women at-
tending the convention gave the
impression of being well dress-
ed and up to date, as did their
husbands. Despite the rising
costs, they appea: to be manag-
ing their dollars well.
First 8 -Hour Day
In most of the western world
September 1st, or the first Mon-
day in September is celebrated
as Labour Day. In New Zealand,
however, this celebration occurs
on the first Monday in October,
and the reason goes back over
a century.
On September 17, 1839 a sail-
ing ship left London for New
Zealand, carrying as a passenger
Samuel Parnell, a carpenter by
trade, who was bitterly opposed
to the long working days then
prevailing in England.
When he arrived in, New Zea-
land, the agent of a British ship-
ping company asked him to
build a storehouse. Parnell
agreed to do the job on one con-
dition -that he would only work
eight hours a day. The agent
argued. Parnell replied to Use
effect that eight of the 24 hours
should be devoted to work, eight
to sleep and eight to. recreation
-"take it or leave it."
In due course the eight-hour
day became established in New
England and elsewhere. This is
the occasion celebrated in New
Zealand every October.
Upsidedown to Prevrrt Peeking
32'71' ., 3 x ci
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UNMY SCIIOO1
LESSON
By Rev. R. Barclay Warren
B.A., B.D.
That I May Hnow Christ,
Philippians 3:4-14, 20-21.
Memory Selection: 1 count all
things but loss for the excel-
lency of the knowledge of Christ
Jesus my Lord. Philippians 31.
It was another car accident.
The youth was thrown 80 feet,
During the weeks in hospital hes
did some serious thinking. He
tells it this way: "I saw life dif-
ferently. I thought about God
and His purpose in sparing my
life. ,1 can't say Pm a Christian
but I'm doing a lot more think-
ing about Christianity."
As this young man thinks and
talks about Christianity he 13
coming to know more about
Christ. There is a difference. To
know Christ we must submit t
Him. Saul of Tarsus entered into
fellowship with Jesus Christ
when, on the way to Damascus,
he humbly said, "Lord, what
wilt thou have me to do?" We
only come into the knowledge of
Christ as we receive Him as Lori
of our life.
We know Christ . by wholly
trusting in Him. Saul no longer
boasted of his being a descendant
of Abraham and of his blameless
observance of the Mosaic law,.
He counted all things but loss for
the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus his Lord.
Saul's commitment to Christ
was only the beginning of an
ever enriching experience. While
he treasured the memory of the
experience on the Damascus
road, he was ever on the stretch to
know more of Christ. He learned
much through suffering. He wait
willing to die for his Lord. He
was always looking forward to
completely fulfilling the task to
which God had called him. Ile
lived in a way that made mega
think of heaven. He was
strengthened by the hope of
meeting his returning Lord • iu
the glory of resurrection.
It is a great lesson. The read-
ing of it lifts the -soul. If we
follow Paul's example it will
not be said of us as is true of
most people today:
"The world is too much with
us: late and soon, getting and
spending, we lay waste our!
powers." William Wordsworth
Candles are a traditional pan'
of the Christmas season, but is
dripping wax is a problen�
here's an easy way to get arouslil
the difficulty. Just give tilt
candles a coat of clear nail polis';
They'll burn beautifully withore4
mess.
.i` 1'tar,t'eve
4
YOU FLUNK -These are rubber surgical gloves being tested foe
Teaks at the University of Michigan Hospital. The glove in That
foreground is a dud which leaks and will be discarded.
Hundreds of gloves are tested on the machine daily.
nkt
aY
44,
1
aim
ATOMIC APPLES? - A normal apple, left, is con trasted with iwo deformed ones from an
orchard in Hutchinson, Kansas. Orchardist Earl Stoughton reports that the fruit from all the
trees bore some irregularity in shape this year, and ane tree produced apples which ranged
from twins to quadruplets on one stem, it's the first time in his 30 years at the orchard that
anything like it has happened, says Stoughton, and he suspects that "fall -out" from. atomise
bomb tests may have something to da with it. ,