Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1951-12-06, Page 7• Life Was Tougher A Century Ago Did you know what Queen Vic- toria's husband died of in 1861? Would yoti be surprised to hear that the sanitary arrangements in 13uck- inghain Palace were such a menace to health that the Government Clare not let the public know the truth? Prince Albert died of typhoid fever, and this is what S'r. Lyon Playfair wrote in his memoirs years afterwards: "The condition of Buckingham Palace was so bad that the Govern- ment never dared to publish my report. A great main sewer ran through the courtyard, and the whole Palace was in untrappcd con- nection with it. "To illustrate this, 1 painted a small room on the basement floor with white lead, and showed that it had blackened next morning." Romantic Thames! A year after Queen Victoria had conte to the throne it had been suggested that Parliament should he moved from the Palace of West- minster because of the dreadful stench from the Thames and from St. Margaret's churchyard; and in 1844, more than forty overflowing cesspools were discovered under Windsor Castle. With such condition s rife throughout the country, it was scarcely surprising that more than half the children born in large manufacturing towns never reached the age of five and that in 1874, 50,- 000 people died of typhus. There was not a single Medical Officer of Health in the country until 1841, and until ten years after that Parliament had not passed one measure in the interests of public health: "The English," said The Times, "prefer• to take the chance of cholera and the rest rather than be bullied into health." In the year of the Prince Con- sort's death the Secretary of State for War, the Under-Secretary and the Assistant Under-Secretary all died within a few months of one another owing to what were called "the awful insanitary conditions of the War Office." Twenty years later most of London's 250,000 houses still had cesspools beneath them. These grim facts, and a great many others, appear• in a recently published book. "The Day Before Yesterday" by J. W. Robertson Scott. A shocking feature of life in Britain 100 years ago was the re- fusal to admit scientific progress. And all over ' the country women and children worked under appall- ing conditions. An official report described women working in a Cumberland coal -mine as "chained, belt e d, harnessed like dols in a go-cart, black; saturated with wet and more than half -naked." Children of all ages were em- ployed down the mines, the oldest to carry •coal, younger ones to mind the ventilation doors, and even tiny toddlers to keep away the rats from their parents' food. Conditions were little better twenty years later, when Cardinal Cullen told the Royal Commission on Irish Education that he was against the masses 'learning more than reading, writing and simple arithmetic. In general, the attitude of the Church towards social reform was deplorable. In 1810 seven bishops voted against a Bill to abolish hanging for stealing an article valu- ed at 5s. or over. The Bishops voted 21 to 2 against the Reform 13111 of 1832—and the Bill left five men out of six still without a vote. "Such things as railway roads and telegraphs' are impossible and rank infidelity," wrote a clerical critic of the 40's. "There is nothing in the word of God about them, and if God had designed his intelligent creatures to travel at the frightful speed of 15 miles an hour by steam it would have been foretold by one of his holy prophets. These are the devices of Satan to lead immortal souls to hell." Photographic Mystery Creates Sensation •This picture, which appeared in the Ashland (Ky.) Daily Independent, was represented to that newspaper as an actual photograph taken in the sky over Korea. The Independent ran the picture on a Sunday and the entire edition.of,'14,000 copies was quickly sold out, with people clamoring for more. Two weeks later, also on a Sunday. the paper ran the picture again and again the entire edition was snapped up. Readers sent clippings to friends and the Independent has been receiving hundreds of letters from aII over the country. Ac- cording to the information received by the paper, an Air Force man from Chicago took pictures of an American and a Communist plane during a combat patrol. He sent the films home to Chi- cago to be developed. To the amazement of everyone, including the flyer, the image of Christ, supposedly formed by clouds, showed up on one of the photos. A neighbor of the Air Force man's family in' Chicago sent a print to his brother in Ashland. Someone there finally mailed it to the Independent. Actual origin of the picture is a mystery so far, because the names of the Air Force man and of the Chicago neighbor family are unknown. Another reverend gentleman call- ed chloroform, when used for women in childbirth, "a decoy of Satan, apparently offering itself to bless women but .which would rob God of the deep, earnest cries for help in time of trouble." But when it came to advancing the rights of her own sex the Queen was a bad as any bishop. As late 'as 1870 there was no legal protec- tion for girls once they reached the age of ten. It was much harder for a woman to obtain a divorce than it was for a man, and. no woman could legally own any property, much less, of course, vote. And yet we have. Her Majesty writing, "The Queen is most anxious to•enlist everyone who can speak or write in checking this mad, wicked following of "Women's Rights,'- with all its attendant horrors, on which her poor, feeble sex is bent, forgetting every sense of a womanly feeling and propriety. It is a subject which snakes the Queen so furious that she cannot contain herself!" Di. I Puzzle Each of the following combina- tions of numbers from the telephone dial spells a word. You can discover the word by selecting the correct letter from the group indicated by each digit 'in the number. For in- stance, 3228 spells fact. There is only one possible answer for each, so start dialing. For the right an- swers, see below — printed upside down to make peeking harder. a. 220227 h. 5328873 n. 8585353 b. 84445 i. 227368 o. 3328437 c. 6787424 j. 47783 p. 92783 d. 935569 k. 724665 q. 893583 e. 35625 1. 2389336 r. 366844 f. 443886 m. 736753 s. 8383726 g. 63729 t. 586467 DIAL PUZZLE ANSWERS ;.rolun j •; ! ue.ia;aA •s :g2noug r laAlamy •b !a;sam 'd :ratl;ea,d •0 :atalnnn 'u :Woad ur :uaaaa;og •1 :lootlas l :anssl :;uasgb '! :a.tn;aaei 't ,,Ca.rayn •.2 !o;;agrj :l :.laolg 'a :AtollaA. •p 't1or3;SO •a :1!2!A •q `asrzag r. Window Screen: A device to pre- ens the escape of insects. Knee - Tickling Talkie A walkie-talkie with a built-in knee tickle is the little gadget demonstrated by Charlotte Hanker. The garter which Charlotte displays is the antenna of the minute set When someone .alis her or the w&lkie.talkie the garter -antenna picks up an electrical impulse which tickles her knee. J TABLE TALKS 01 are Andrews "Time Marches On" niay be an accurate enough statement most of the year; but with the approach of the festive season it seems as though "flies" would be more appropriate than "marches." So without further ado, let's get on to the subject of that turkey. First of all a chart that niay help you in the selection of your bird, and another showing approximate cooking times. TURKEY How They Come Dressed: bled, picked, but not not drawn, head and feet on. Ready - to - cook: picked, fully drawn, head and feet removed. May be fresh or frozen. Live BUYING GUIDE Market Weight 4 to 30 pounds 3 to 25 pounds 454 to 32 pounds Amount to Allow Per Serving 44 to 1 pound to 41 pound 1 to 1% pounds ROASTING TIME FOR YOUNG TURKEYS Set oven for Dressed Weight 4— 9 pounds 9-14 pounds 14-19 pounds 19-25 pounds 25-30 pounds . moderately low, 325 degrees F. Ready -to -Cook Approximate Weight Time 3— 7 pounds 7-11 pounds 11-15 pounds 15-20 pounds 20-25 pounds * * * To Prepare Turkey for Roasting Remove pin feathers with twee- zers or catch them between tlnnnb and paring knife. Singe the bird if hairs and feathers are hard to remove. Take out bits of lung and kidney from the inside. Cut out oil sac from the top of tail. Wash inside and out with cold water and dry. Store fresh turkey in refri- gerator until cooking time. \Vrap loosely in waxed paper. Thaw frozen turkey in refrigera- tor. Allow about 2 days for large bird; 12 to 15 hours for small or half turkeys; 3 to 9 hours for parts, Cook frozen turkey immediately after thawing. * * To Stuff Whole Turkey Allow about 1 cup of stoning per pound of ready -to -cook turkey, or cup per pound, dressed weight. A pound loaf of white bread makes about 2 quarts of r4 -inch cubes. Use bread 2 or 3 days old. Pack stuffing loosely. Fill neck cavity; fasten neck skin to back, frill body cavity; sew up. Tie legs to tail; place win gs akimbo. * * * To Roast Turkey (See chart for roasting time) Place, breast trp, on a flat or V-shaped "rack in an open roaster, (For extra crisp, tender skin, cover turkey completely with cheesecloth dipped in melted, unsalted fat.) Baste frequently with drippings. Turkey is done when joints move easily. Plan to have turkey done 15 to 30 minutes before serving 2-3 hours 3-4 hours 4-5 hours 5-6 hours 6-7 hours time. This will allow time to re- move strings, make the gravy, ar- range the turkey on the platter, and garnish it. * * * Giblets Cook giblets immediately after cleaning. Cover gizzard and heart with water, add 1 teaspoon salt, 14, teaspoon pepper, 1 small onion, and a bay leaf, if desired. Simmer 2 to 3 hours or until tender. Cut liver in half; add last ;i hour. Re- frigerate unless used immediately. Giblets may be chopped and added to stuffing or gravy, or dice there, heat in gravy, and serve as a lun- cheon dish. Cook the neck about 114 hours in salted water to cover. An aver- age size neck yields about 41 cups meat to use in creamed dishes or sandwich fillings. * * * Bread Stuffing / cup butter or margarine 34 cup chopped onion .1 cup chopped celery (stalk and leaves) 3 to 4 quarts bread crumbs or cubes 1 tablespoon salt f teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning Giblets, cooked and chopped Milk or stock from giblets, if desired Melt butter in a skillet. Add on- ions and ;celery and cook over low heat until onions and celery are soft, stirring occasionally. Add re- maining ingredients. Pour over breadand toss lightly. If a moist dressing is desired, add milk, or stock from giblets. • This makes enough stuffing for a 12 to 16 -pound turkey. P.S. for a richer stuffing, increase the amount of butter. * * * Prune and Nut Stuffing 2/3 cup butter or margarine 1r/ cups chopped walnuts or pecans 4 teaspoons salt, 24 teaspoon pepper % teaspoon nutmeg 2 to 3 quarts bread crumbs or cubes 3 cups chopped prunes Melt butter in a skillet. Add nuts and cook over low heat, until light brown, stirring frequently. Auld salt, pepper, and nutmeg and stir well. Combine bread and prunes. Add nut mixture and mix well. If a more moist stuffing is desired, add liquid from the prunes. Enough for a 12 to 16 -pound turkey. P.S. To prepare prunes: Cover 3 cups prunes with boiling water. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove pits; Fut the pulp into small pieces. * * * Giblet Gravy cup fat from roast turkey cup flour Liquid from roast turkey Milk Chopped, cooked turkey giblets Salt and pepper to taste When turkey is done, remove from roaster to a platter and keep in a warm place on the range. Pour off fat from the liquid in roaster. Measure one-third cup fat and put in skillet or saucepan. Blend in flour. Measure liquid from the turkey remaining in the roaster. Add sufficient milk to make 3 cups liquid. Return milk mixture to the roaster and place over low heat to loosen all the browned juices from sides and bottom of roaster. Now stir into the flour mixture, and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add giblets, salt, and pepper. Heat to boiling. Makes about 4 cups. P.S. If a thicker gravy is desired, add more fat and flour in equal amounts. Like Venison? Ever barbecue venison? No? Then you've missed a real treat! If you're lucky enough to have a deer in your locker, here is a recipe you won't forget. lc. catsup; 1 tb. salt; 2 tb. Wor- cestershire sauce; 34 c. vinegar; 1 tb. butter; lie t. cinnamon; 3 slices lepton; 1 onion, sliced thin; % t. allspice. Sear 3 lbs. of venison (or any like meat) in frying pan, Mix above in- gredients in saucepan and bring mixture to boil. Stir to avoid burn- ing. Simmer 10 minutes. Cover venison wtih the sauce and roast in moderate oven (350 degrees F,). Cook 1% to 2 hours, turning occa- sionally. THESE SCOTS! An American soldier spending his leave in Scotland discovered a fine collie dog and decided he need- ed it for his farm in Texas. He asked the old shepherd to sell him the dog. ''Wad ye be takin' him to Ameri- ca?" the Scot asked. "Yeah, to my ranch in Texas," replied the GI. "Then I couldna part wi' the dog," said the shepherd. Then an English officer came along, admired the dog, and bought it without a bit of trouble. This nettled the Texan, who said: "Hey Scotty, you told me yoti wouldn't sell the dog, what's the big idea?" "Na," replied the old Scot, "I said I couldna part wi' him. The dog'11 be back shortly from Eng- land but he couldna swim the At- lantic!" No, Comrade! It Wasn't Marconi Fifty-six years after the alleged discovery, the U.S.S.R. are claim- ing the glory of having produced the inventor of wireless telegraphy. This claim was made officially from Moscow quite recently. Ac- cording to it, on May 7th, 1895, a Russian scientist, Alexander Popov, demonstrated an apparatus for the wireless transmission of messages, and described his method in a sci- entific journal in March, 1896. In that year, the Russians clam, Pop- ov transmitted a telegram by wire- less, the first of its kind ever transmitted. Rival Claimants There has never yet been a great and epoch-making invention that has not produced rival claimants, and wireless is no exception. The world has accepted Marconi as the undisputed inventor of the sys- tem and will, one may be reason- ably sure, always so regard him. Of the validity of the Russian claim nothing is yet known in this country, But one question arises: why has the claim been Left unmade for more than fifty years? \\'hat of Marconi's claim? In the early summer of 1895, he transmit- ted wireless messages in his father's garden, near Bologna. In 1896 he came to England, and in June took out the first patent for wireless telegraphy. Next, under the auspices of Sir William Preece, chief engineer of the Post Office, Marconi demon- strated his method on Salisbury Plain. These epoch-making scien- tific marvels caused tremendous excitement and universal interest. Marconi was world famous. But was he the first man to invent wireless? The first man to transmit wireless messages? In October, 1895, there came from New Zealand to the famous Cavendish Laboratories, Cambridge, a brilliant young scientist, Ernest Rutherford. He came as a research student and he was already a D.Sc. of Otago University, New Zealand. What work should he attempt? he asked the Director, the late Sir J.- J. Thomson, O.M, "Try to transmit signals without wires," suggest Thomson. Rutherford went to work. He used a detector he had already in- vented in New Zealand. Later in the same year Ruther- ford transmitted messages without wires from one room in the Labor- atory to another. Before the year was out he transmitted messages between the Cavendish Laboratory and his lodgings, three-quarters of a mile away. So impressed was Sir J. J. Thom- son with these results that he tried to interest businessmen in their commercial development. But all those he approached were incredu- lous and Rutherford went on with other work. For him wireless had little further interest. The First Message Well, there are the facts. Mar- coni's first message was transmitted in -the early summer of 1895. Ru- therford had already invented his detector in 1894 and sent his first message in the fall of 1894. It is a close thing. Rutherford never took out one single patent. He was indifferent to priority claims and any sort of commercialization of science. He personally presented Marconi with the gold medal of the Institute of Electrical Engineers, and paid him a handsome tribute. This is what he said: "I may recall that in my youthful days in Cambridge I was myself inter- ested in wireless waves, and de- vised, in 1896, a simple magnetic detector for these waves. I am glad to know that Marconi was able to develop and transform the germs of this simple device into a reliable detector." And now comes Alexander Pop- ov's claim. Strange, indeed, that modesty should have withheld it from the world for over fifty years! —George Godwin in "Tit -Bits" Honk, Honk, To You, Too!—Viewed over the hood of the .,roto' grapher's car, a flock of slow-moving geese waddle nonchalantly along. Only consolation for the fuming mo?orist following k the thought that one of the birds, roastsd and stuffed, midi -t a delightful forthcoming Christmas feast ,n 4 1 1 1 1 1 1