Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1956-10-18, Page 2Married On The Ocean's Bottom When a slim and pretty Miss Josephine Ann Glanville said "I will" in the mediaeval crypt under; St. Bride's Church, Fleet Street, London, earlier this sum- mer, she was taking part in the first service held there for at least 1,000 years. Few brides, in fact, have ever been married in such an ancient and historic place. Around her as she knelt beside her groom were rugged walls which have survived 1,100 years of Lon- don's history. It's usually the girl who chooses where a couple shall wed and some girls have chosen romantic and strange places. It was on the advice of a fortune teller that one youthful superstitious bride chose the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean as the scene fo her wedding, The fortune teller had told her that she would be specially happy if she had an unusual wedding in an unusual place. It • did not take her long to de- cide that a large diving bell on the sea-bed was just the place. Five hundred people lined the railings of the steel pier at Atlantic City, New Jersey, and munched peanuts, popcorn and hot dogs while they listened to the ceremony over a loud- speaker. "The ceremony took about five minutes and was conducted by a minister in morning clothes," wrote a reporter, "twenty feet below the ocean surface. It included one of the longest wedding kisses on re- cord and then up we came back on to the pier again." Another bride who thought the bottom of the sea a fine place for her wedding suggest- ed to her groom that they should don diving suits and be married on the bed of Puget Sound, Seattle. Unfortunately, the officiating parson had to be raised from the depths for a repair to his diving suit before he could complete the cere- mony! For "sentimental reason s" which they did not disclose; a couple of twenty -one -year-olds were wed in the mouth of a dead whale at Long Beach, California. Such a ceremony would be legally impossible ill Englnd—unless the carcass had been manoeuvred, with the consent of the minister, into an approved place of marriage. Last year a very sentimental bride who had met her beau beside a hotel swimming pool told him she would love to be married in just the same setting. So Mary Ann Brecher, twenty, -four, of Chicago, stood one sunny day on the diving board of a Miami hotel pool and took the matrimonial plunge while a judge tied the knot The bridegroom wore a loose shirt over his swimming trunks. Ant the bride wore a veil over her swimsuit. Adventurous Miss Marjorie Kinger and Mr. Donald Bab- cock were made man and wife while their aircraft was flying at 1,200 feet. Immediately after the ceremony they left — pre- sumably for the honeymoon— one after the other by para- chute and made perfect land- ings. Their best man's "going away" was even more exciting. He stepped out through the open door half a minute after them and was so excited that he almost forgot to pull the rip- cord and fell 1,000 feet before his parachute opened. He near- ly finished his descent by plunging into a concrete mixer in a builder's yard which he missed by two yards! Freak weddings have taken place on mountain peaks, in jail, in submarines and even on scenic railways. PARISIAN LOVE—IT'S IN THE AIR L'AMOUR IN PAREE: "It is in the smiles of the women and in the eyes of the men ..." By. Rosette Hargrove NEA Staff Correspondent PARIS — (NEA) - France and the French way of life have aalways provided a profitable tar- get for foreign writers. And the best audience fpr such writers seems to be the French, no mat- ter how far from the truth the author may stray. Currently cashing in on this Gallic self-interest is Hungar- ian -born George Mikes, now a British subject with a book cal- led "Petits Choux," or Little Cabbages, sub -titled "Visiting the French." Here's how he sees the French as compared to the Anglo-Saxon: The Frenchman draws a defi- nite line between work and play. He either works, or does not work at all. He seldom dawdles, doesn't take a break for a ci- garette or coffee, but on the stroke of noon nothing could delay his sacrosanct lunch hour. To be taken for a Frenchman you must make up your mind to be decadent. The decadence of France has been one of the most hackneyed topics of con- versation for generations all over the world. In France there are employees who will accept graft. But they consider it a present with no strings attached. On the other band, many civil servants con- sider your offer of a tip an in- sult; you never know where you stand with them, The French have three pas- sions—thrift, food and love. Saving to the Frenchman is as Inspiring as a bullfight to the Spaniard, the "sauna" bath to' the Finn, TV to the Americans sr standing in line to the British. By 60 the Frenchman has us- ually saved a small fortune. He kills himself with work for the time when he won't have to work any more and denies .him- self all his life in order to have a first-class funeral. For centuries Frenchmen have been considered decadent be- cause love was their main pre- occupation: Now, says Mikes, l'amour has given way to food. The question is whether it's more moral to be obsessed by a succulent ragout than to dream of Lollabrigida's figure. Never- theless, the French seem to pre- fer to die well than eat badly. - Drinking in France is not a passion; ,it's merely a habit. Jean Dupont—the French Joe Doakes—does not drink to ex- cess, but he drinks all day long. Mikes admits that to say the French prefer eating to making love is perhaps a little exag- gerated. There;,s a g,eat deal of tai'- about love in France—with a difference. In London, a wronged hus- hand is the hero of a tragedy and often gets damages. In Paris he's simply a cuckold, but he often kills his . unfaithful wife; it's an old French .:ustom. Mike does not say how he found out, but he reports the gossip that it's easier to be in- vited into a Frenchwoman's bedroom than into her dining room is another exaggeration. The average Frenchwoman, he says gallantly, is neither more nor less virtuous than the average American or English woman. Lamour, he says with rever- ence, is in the air in France. It is in the smiles of the women and in the eyes of the men. Parisiennes are no prettier than other women but somehow they manage to fool you, for the first 30 minutes, anyway, into thinking they are the most fascinating creatures. They do not always keep their promises. This, however, doesn't seem to bother Mike. For in these times, he con- cludes, "when it is considered 'good form' to despair of the French, may I say. that per- sonally I like them?" STRANGE HARVEST — Ronnie Munn looks over his stable broom, which turns green overnight with grain sprouting like a lawn in spring. Reason for the strange crop is that farm hands wet the broom and sweep the barn floors, thereby picking up spilled grains which sprout in the damp broom. 'TABLE TALKS The growing popularity of sour cream prompts the re- sourceful housewife to discover new ways to use it. Soups, gra- vies, spreads, and numerous other foods are given a fillip by the addition of sour cream to the recipe, and its substitution for whipped cream adds a bland taste to an otherwise familiar dish. One soup which is a summer favorite cold and a winter favor- ite hotin many families is mock Vichysoisse, in which thick, sour cream is substituted for whipped cream. The following quantity will serve your generous portions. Mock Vichysoisse No. 1 Wash and cut in small pieces 5 stalks of celery 1 medium-sized potato 1 large onion Cook in one pint of salted water until tender: A pressure cooker does the work in 5 min- utes. Press through a sieve, or whiz in a blender for half a minute, with two tablespoons of parsley. Add seasonings to suit the taste—pepper, a dash of mono- sodium glutamate, a few grains of red pepper, a dash of nutmeg. Then add half a pint of sour cream and blend well. If the weather is hot, the mock Vichysoisse should be thorough- ly chilled before serving, and accompanied with crisp salt crackers. However, if the day is cool, the soup is more appetizing when heated and served with hot toast fingers. Mock Vichysoisse is sufficient- ly nourishing to form the main dish for lunch and when bal- anced with a zesty fruit salad and sweet rolls, or chocolate eclairs, it makes an appetizing noonday meal. Mock Vichysoisse No. 2 , When a more substantial meal is desired the addition of one can of cream of chicken soup and one cup of milk (or two chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in one and one-half cups water) to the foregoing recipe provides a flavorsome treat. For Cole Slaw Sour cream is a quick help in making dressing for cole slaw. To one-fourth cup of mayon- naise add one-fourth cup of sour cream, and thin to the desired consistency with milk added gradually. As tastes vary about the pro- per dressing for cole slaw, the family's preference can deter- mine whether the seasoning should be on the sweet side, with a dash of sugar . added to the mixture, or half a teaspoon- ful of vinegar. With Baked Potatoes In one very popular Belgian restaurant, sour cream is served over hot baked potatoes instead of butter, to the apparent satis- faction of the customers who call for it. * This salad is a great favorite in the hunting and fishing lodges along the Pacific Coast — a real man's dish! Sweet Potato Salad 3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes 1/2 cup finely chopped celery cup chopped onion 2 tablespoons chopped green pepper 2 chopped pimientos 2 hard -cooked eggs, diced 4 strips bacon fried crisp and diced 2 tablespoons bacon grease 3/4 cup ,mayonnaise 1/h 1 tablespoon chili sauce 2 tablespoons chopped sweet pickle 1 teaspoon salt Combine all ingredients; mix well. Serve with game or pork. e e * Here is the recipe for a may- onnaise -type dressing I'm sure you'll like. Mayonnaise -Type Dressing 1 cup sugar 2 eggs Butter size of English walnut V2 cup vinegar 1 teaspoon salt 1/ teaspoon pepper Sour or sweet cream to thin Combine all ingredients except cream and cook in top of double boiler until thick (if cooked over direct heat, stir constantly as it doesn't take long to thicken). Cool. When ready ton serve, thin with cream. o * a ' For "home -baked" beans—and there's nothing better on a frosty day—this recipe is one you'll find decidedly worth. while. Baked Beans Begin the day before the beans are to be eaten. Soak 1 pound small white beans in 3 quarts water for 2 hours. Add 1 tea- spoon salt and boil for 21/2 hours. Moisture will be almost gone. Cover and let stand on top of stove overnight (beans absorb remaining moisture during this period). Next day prepare the following mixture and stir gent- ly into beans: 1/z .cup yellow onions, chopped s/,} cup dark molasses 1/ cup brown sugar lb can (3-4 ounces) tomato paste 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 10-12 ounces salt pork cut into 1 -inch squares (save some for decorating beans) 1 cup boiling water Combine all ingredients, add- ing boiling water last. Bake from noon to 6 o'clock in a covered 4 -quart greased casserole at 250° F. Remove cover for last hour of cooking (or, if you like, cook in indi- vidual 'casseroles uncovered for last hour). Modern Etiquette . • • Q. What is the proper proce- dure f r late arrivals at'church servic"s? A. Enter the church v,ery qui- etly. If a hymn is being sung, proceed to your seat. If you enter during a prayer, wait in the ves- tibule or at rear of church. It is unlikely that you, ever would be tardy enough to enter during the sermon, but should . this hap- pen, slip quietly into a rear pew Q. Is it all right for a man to use only his initials when signing social correspondence? A. No; he should sign his full name. Q. While I was confined in a hospital recently, my clergyman visited me almost every day. Is there any way I can show him my appreciation? A. Your sincerely expressed thanks should be enough. But, if you wish, you can give him some small gift, which can .be some- thing you know he needs or something for the church. Persian lugs Encircle Globe • While the Suez Canal contro- versy threatens to delay Ameri- can -bound oil, rubber, tea, and tin, one traditional import from the Middle East appears certain of a calm passage. This is the Persian rug, the jewel of the weaver's art. From the ancient towns of Kashan, Tabriz, Shiraz, and Ker- man come the famous weaves, each named after the town where it is created. Most of the rugs are dispatched by truck caravan from Iran across the desert to Beirut. From ;this port they go by ship across the Medi- terranean and thence to the high seas. The trucks follow the route of centuries-old camel caravans, passing in their journey the Ti- gris and Euphrates Valleys, where once flourished one of the world's earliest civilizations. Destination of the Persian rug cargo is the showroom floors in New York, the center for whole- salers in the United States. To these display rooms come retail merchants from the entire na- tion, as well as many European countries. Here they examine the Oriental rugs shining under the light of rows of low -hung ceiling lamps, writes Vartanig G. Vartan, special correspondent of the Christian Science Monitor. The musty smell al wool in- vades the showroom where hun- dreds of rugs — rolled up and trussed with hemp — are stacked along the walls. The smaller rugs are laid out in flat, chest - high piles. And in the corner of the room is the constant snip - snip of scissors wielded by re- pairmen so expert that they can cut and shorten a rug without leaving a tell-tale trace of their handiwork. Buyers from Europe are ap- pearing in ever-growing num- bers in New York's wholesale district today. This is a sign of Europe's economic recovery since the end of World War II. "The European buyers pay the prices without blinking an eye," one wholesaler commented. "They comb the market for an- tique and semi -antique rugs." The European merchants seek out the Persian rugs whose col- ors have been softened and mel- lowed by decades of use. This type of rug, incidentally, is the one most favored by retailers for use in their own homes. The present-day pattern of rug buying offers a paradox. Some fine old Aubusson rugs, for ex- ample ,are being purchased here for resale in France, the country where they were woven. Other Oriental rugs are bought for use in the lobbies of Italian hotels and in thousands of homes in Germany, Belgium, and Switzer- land. The Iranians often regard their rugs (a room -size rug contains more than 1,000,000 hand -tied knots) as a hedge against in- flation, just as Americans buy 'diamonds and stocks as an in- flation safeguard. In Iran, buy- ers constantly seek out the homes of native weavers to purchase rugs. Rugs used in Iran are highly prized, because they ac- quire a sheen which comes from the wear of smooth slippers. In recent years, the industri- alization of Iran has wooed many workers away from their 1"ops. But a rug export etigir, in.d that "many thousands of natives in Iran will continue the work they know best — the weaving of rugs." The Oriental rug business con- stantly reflects changing world conditions. In recent years, for example, Chinese imports have disappeared completely, The reason: Communist domniation of China. Before World War II, American -financed rug firms owned large "fac`ecies" in China for the weaving of these thick- piled rugs. Now that the Chinese rugs are gone, weavers in India have started to make Chinese -type rugs. Consider this crisscross of national influences — French - design Chinese rugs currently woven in India. After the Russians took over part of the Caucasian region, the quality of many Bokhara rugs deteriorated, reflecting cruder workmanship and inferior,; ma- terials. The best Persian weavers, on the other hand, utilize the same designs and secret wool dyes em- ployed by their forebears cen- turies ago. Some of the most valuable Orientals are small silk rugs, the finest of which are worth thou- sands of dollars. It's not un- usual for a connoisseur to store a superb silk rug in a safe, along with his stocks and bonds. And in many an American museum, antique rugs are displayed on the floor or hung on the wall. Kids' Answer To Nature Exam. A marsupial is a city govern- ment. Gars are poles to hang the sails on a boat. Fawn is the eggs of a fish. The skunk is a little animal that hides in holes and smells. PAJAMA GAME — Wearing pa- jamas and socks seems some- what puzzling to this sleepy- eyed specimen of man's best friend. The fuzzy fellow is an Old English sheepdog named Reculver Sugar Bush (honest). He slipped into nightwear for his appearance at an Old Eng- lish Sheepdog Championship Show. Cunard's special Thrift Season rates make this a golden opportunity to go home for an Old Country Christmas. Cunard's personally conducted sailings promise you an experi- ence that will leave you and your dear ones with the warmest memories of your lives. Plan your reunion, now. Reserve early for the Holiday you'll never forget. Remember ... getting there is half the fun .., . with Cunard. See your Local Agent— No ob. can serve you better Cunard Line Low THRIFT SEASON RATES APPLY ON ALL SAILINGS CHRISTMAS SARINGS PERSONALLY CTED EXPERIENCED CUNARDUPASSE8)'HOER REPRESENTATIVES ERNIA Nov: 24--Froin roin to Hoyer SouthamP on 1 CARINTHIA Nov. la .29`Prom Atonireol Greenock, Liverpool Speeo 'AXONIA to Cobh, kalifs x (Dec. t4_ Liverpool' from New York) Cor, Bay & Wellington Std., Toronto, one,