Zurich Herald, 1957-03-14, Page 2Awkward Moments
fA During a gay party, at which
kri:any pretty women were pres-
ent, someone suggested that it
would be a good idea to hold
* slim ankle competition. Ev-
erybody agreed and soon more
than 100 women and girls were
lined up so that only their ank-
• les could be seen.
"We'll let the most recently
married man be judge," agreed
the men present. So, a young
man of twenty-five began sur-
veying the attractive array of
nylon -shod ankles.
Three times he walked along
the line of dainty ankles before
finally indicating one particular
pair as being the slimmest and
prettiest. Then the winner step-
ped out into the open to claim
her prize—an enormous box of
chocolates — and the judge
blushed a fiery red.
He had picked his own wife!
Even more embarrassing was
the experience of a woman in.
Lansing, Michigan, shortly after
Christmas, 1954. She and her
husband had only recently
moved into their new home
when there was a heavy snow-
storm.
Looking out of the windows,
she saw a man in rather tat-
tered clothes industriously
weeping snow from the paths
next door.
She called him over and asked
him to clear her garden paths.
"Please do it thoroughly and
don't forget the drive leading to
the garage," she said. "I'll give
you a dollar and something to
eat if you make a good job of
The man did the work very
satisfactorily. Then the woman
discovered—that he was her
next-door neighbour!
An attractive women living in
the Midlands recalled recently
that she used to go in for vari-
ous beauty contests and that
during one of them she did
something that nearly caused
Tier to faint with embarrass-
ment.
"At the last minute the attire
that competitors were asked to
wear was changed from swim-
suits to evening dresses," she
said; "but I did not hear of the
alteration and turned up in a
bikini.
"As I didn't want to back out,
I .went ' on with it, wearing - the
ty swimsuit amnang a thirty
,�,.. dresses~'"xn�YfMe,.;`-atm�� ;,,;;
once gave ine a terrific dvation,
but I felt terribly conspicuous
and almost naked in the final
line-up."
People of all ages can tell of
awkward moments during which
they wished the ground would
open up and swallow them.
A schoolboy of sixteen was
,staring a nom in which wo-
men teachers were debating
the question, "Is corporal pun-
ishment really necessary?"
when he tripped up on the door-
mat and, plunging forward,
landed across the knee of a
pretty young woman sitting near
the door.
There was a roar of laughter
which made the boy turn scar-
let. Then the chairman, the
headmistress, .said to the boy:
"Get on your feet, young man,
The lady whose lap you are on
is not giving a practical demon-
stration today."
Said the schoolboy afterwards:
"1 don't know who was more
embarrassed — the teacher or
myself,"
In Chicago five years ago a
zealous traffic cop put a "Fined
three dollars" ticket on a new
car which had been parked in
non -parking area—only to dis-
cover later that it was his own
car which he had not recog-
nized. His wife had left it there
while out shopping. •
One day a young man living
in New York took his girl to a
Iuxury movie. It was a warm
evening and he soon got thirsty.
The girl didn't want a drink, so
he excused himself and con-
sulted an attendant, who gave
him detailed directions.
Off went the young man, but
lost his way after a few minutes.
Then he suddenly saw a foun-
tain in lcxurious settings and,
being more thirsty than ever,•
decided to have a quick one from
that.
When he finally found his
way back to his seat, the stage
show was on and a fountain
played in the middle of it.
"Gosh!" he exclaimed to his
girl, "that's a fountain, isn't it?"
"You ought to know," came
the reply. "You've just been
drinking froth it!"
A Russian pianist has told the
story of the meat embarrassing
moment in his career which oc-
curred when he stepped on to
the platform at a crowded hall
in Colombia in 1940.
There was much applause as
he did so and after acknow- .
ledging it he looked for the, pi-
ano on which he was to play a
Mozart concerto. It wasn't there.
The management had forgotten
to hire one—and the recital
could not be given.
They Stoll Chirp
Tidings Of Spring.
There is homely melody 'and
the . promise of better days
ahead in the chirpings of baby
chicks but a few days old.
Rising above the winter sym-
phony of frozen mud, slush, ice,
snow and freeze, the spring-
like "chirp! chirp! chirp!" of the
baby chick in the , next ' few'
*peke will fibe heard n ra�lroatl ,
g-
esg..;`_car, �freight terminal. -
and even ',Elting lting "the :avail .
pouches ie village and city
post offices.
Time was, before this wond-
rous age of electronics, that the
hens were set and the chicks
hatched and nursed along in
warm brooder house to coincide
with arrival of spring. For gen-
erations, :the baby chick: in
downy yellowness and bright
chirp belonged among the signs
that winter's back is broken.
The electronics age now
hastens the hatching but the
eratesful of chicks continue to
serve as early herald for the
warming weeks of each year's.
spring. --- Providence (R.I.)
Bulletin.
Open Leifer To A Speeding Driver
We saw you barely miss a little boy, on a tricycle this
afternoon and heard you yell "Get the h out of the way.
Don't you know any better than to ride in the street?" He
didn't answer because he hasn't learned to talk very well
yet, so we'll answer for him.
No, the little boy doesn't know any better than to ride
his tricycle in the street. He has been warned not to, but
little boys don't always heed warnings. Some adults don't
either, especially traffic warnings, and those limiting the
speed of automobiles.
We are going to tell you something about that little -boy.
He has a mother who endured considerable inconvenience,.
anxiety and suffering to bring him into the world. He has
* father who has worked hard and made many sacrifices to
make him healthy and happy. The supreme purpose of their
lives is to have their little boy grow up to be a useful man.
Now, stop a minute and think. If you should kill a child,
how would you feel facing his parents?
What- excuse could you give them for having robbed
them of their dearest possession? More important, what
excuse could you possibly offer Him whose Kingdom is made
of little children?
Children, our hasty friend, were here long before you
or your automobile were thought of. All the automobiles
on earth are not worth the life of one little boy. We don't
Yrnow what that little boy may be some day, and we could
et along without you, but we can't spare a single little boy
fei our community. Reproduced, courtesy General Motors
Dealers.
t'.
a... a
�ti�rsr
•
ONWARD AND UPWARD WltH THE SOVIET -Along with a lot
Of other things, the iiussiar►s seem to have invented a truck
which converts automatically into a tractor -trailer. Buckled by
ex foo -heavy toad, this Russian -built vehicle rests awkwardly in
• Helsinki, inland, street:
GAY AT 105 =- Miss Margaret -`,Watson, gaily waves the
birthday card she received from }(President Eisenhower for
her recent 105th birthday. She was 'born in England in 1852
and came to the U.S.A. during the Civil War. Secret of her long
life? "Hard work," she says.
/14% T S
Y (Jam Andrews.
There's never any garlic in
real Italian spaghetti sauces.
This is a fact that astonishes
the travelling American in Italy.
Whether it's spaghetti, macaroni,
ziti, ravioli, fettucini, pasting,
lasagna or any other of the
many types, shapes and sizes of
pasta served as a first course
there, you never get a whiff ore
taste of garlic!
There seems to be as many
recipes for sauces for pasta in
Italy as there are restaurants to
serve it.
The sauce is, of course, the
most important factor in Mak-
ing any pasta dish whether you
serve it from the top of your
stove or put it in an oven cgs
r)101 >w'beth4t 4,Fis s�
an
,r
prises your entire meal. Because.
of this, I am giving you several
different sauce recipes from
which you may choose a favorite
for your family
But first about cooking spa-
ghetti—or any of the pasta fam-
ily—the first rule is --do ,not
Overcook! Use plenty of water,
have it boiling hard before -add-
ing spaghetti (also, add salt to
it before adding pasta. Stir at
from to keep fom stic1 ing, then
allow to boil 8-10 minutes. Drain
spaghetti immediately. Put spa-
'ghetti back into hot kettle, add a
little butter, cover and allow to
stand until ready to serve.
Tomato -Mushroom Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms and
liquid from 2 -ounce can
% cup finely chopped onion
siFi,:' cup tomato paste (6 -ounce
can
23'2 cups tomatoes (20 -ounce
can)
teaspoon salt
teaspoon each, garlic salt and
" ;chili powder
SS son dried
basil, crum-
lespoons batter
e p grated Parmesan cheese
, ;Miert 2 tablespoons butter in
skillet. Drain mushrooms and
add to skillet; cook gently over
low heat until mushrooms be-
gin to brown. Add onion and
continue cooking until onion is
transparent. Stir in mushroom
liquid, tomato pasteand tome-
toes;
om -toes; add salt, garlic salt, chili
powder, basil, and pepper. Cook
gently, stirring occasionally,
about 30 minutes. Stir in the re-
maining 2 tablespoons butter.
After blending sauce gently
with spaghetti, sprinkle top with
the cheese. Enough for 4 ounces
spaghetti.
If you're having a spaghetti
party this sauce recipe, from a
famous chef in the United States
snakes 1% quarts. Serve if from
a gravy boat at the table and
allow your guests to pour it
over the plates of spaghetti you
have set before them.'
Spaghetti Sauce
2 cans tomato paste .
1 can Italian bell-shaped
toes (12 -ounce)
1 tablespoon garlic,
fine
4 tablespoons
fine
.4 tablespoons
fine
1 cup olive oil
ter
1; pint water
3 whole pieces garlic
1 tablespoon salt
% cup sugar
1 large bay leaf
1 whole red pepper
1 grated carrot
1 grated green 'pepper
Saute chopped garlic, Onions,
and celery hi the oil or butter,
until golden brown. Add tomato
paste and saute 5 minutes, stir-
ring well; add can of tomatoes
and cook for 10 minutes; add
water and cook 30 minutes. Add
whole pieces of garlic, salt, su-
gar, bay leaf, red pepper, grated
pepper and carrot. Cook slowly
not longer than 2 hours, stirring
frequently. Remove pieces of
garlic and bay leaf, if desired.
Store in glass jar in refrigerator
if desired.* e
Meat balls are always popular
with spaghetti.
Spaghetti and Meat Balis .
pound ground beef round
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
(optional)
1 tablespoon salad oil
1 pound can tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce (8 -ounce)
% teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon salt
sf teaspoon pepper
8 ounces spaghetti
3 quarts boiling water
1 tablespoon ,salt
Combine beef and parsley;
mix well. Shape into 8 meat
balls. Cook in "oil until browned .
on all sides; Add ';tomatoes .:to-•
mato sauce, basil, 1 teaspoon
salt and pepper. -Cook over low
heat 30 minutes, °stirring occa-
sionally. Add the 1 tablespoon
salt to rapidly boiling water..
Gradually add spaghetti so that
water continues to boil. Cook
uncovered; drain. Serve meat-
ball sauce over spaghetti.
• * •
If you want an elaborate dish
onion,
toma-
chopped
chopped
celery, chopped
or a/, pound but -
of pasta try this Oven -baked la-
sagna made with layers of
cheese and meat sauce. This re-
cipe serves four. If lasagna i$
not available at your food store,
you may substitute y pound of
spaghetti or elbow macaroni.
I/ pound lasagna (or spaghetti
or elbow macaroni)
2 tablespoons butter
x cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
% pound ground beef
cup tomato paste (6 -ounce
can)
cups tomatoes -
teaspoon salt
teaspoon pepper
teaspoon each dried basil
and oregano, crumbled
7/ pound ricotta or cottage
cheese
i/ pound Swiss cheese slices
i/ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cook lasagna in 4 quarts salt-
ed water until tender (15-20
minutes). Stir occasionally with
wooden spoon while cooking.
Drain and rinse with hot water.
Separate lasagna and hang over
edge of colander or pan to al -
10w for easier handling later.
While lasagna is cooking, melt
butter in large skillet; add onion
and garlic and cook gently for
about 5 minutes. Add ground
beef. Cook slowly, stirring fre-
quently, until all red color dis-
appears from meat. Blend in to-
mato paste, tomatoes; salt, pep-
per, and spices. Continue cook -
ink, stirring ocasionally, about
30 minutes.
Grease a 1% -quart baking
dish. In it, make layers of mea
sauce, lasagna and the three
cheeses, using equal parts of
each. Repeat layers twice.
Bake at 350° F. until mixture
is bubbly and cheese is lightly
browned ---about 35-40 minutes,
DREAMLAND DRIVE
Driving from Melbourne to
Sydney, P. G. Pick thought he
heard a strange sound from the
back of his car. He .listened,
then heard it again. A distinct
snore.•
He stopped, and cautiously
got out. After fetching a hefty
spanner from the boot, he threw
open' the rear door of his car
and found a tramp sound asleep
on the floor.
The tramp had boarded the
carlin.Ibourne .
,Me where it was
"too cold to sleep in the park."
He was thoroughly annoyed to
discover that he had been taken
some 200 miles from Melbourne
and demanded his train fare
back until Mr. Pick threaten-
ed to hand him over to the
police., Then . he changed his
mind, decided to walk and was
last seen thumbing a Mel-
bourne -bound can
He's TWs Unashamed
By DICK KLEINER.
NEA Staff Correspondent
Charles Van Doren, an un-
ashamed intellectual, is in the
market for a wheelbarrow to
carry his money. He'll need it to
bring home his winnings --
when and if he ever quits or
gets knocked out of his TV role
as a brainy glamor boy. u.
At the rnoinent, after 11
weeks and 12 opponents on.'
NBC -TV's "Twenty -One," he has
amassed $138,000. Theoretically,
he can go on until he gets beat-
en, bored or bounced off when
the producers decide they need
a new hero.
But he hasn't seen a penny
of his take yet. "I'll get it in
one lump sum," the 30 -year-old
Columbia University English in-
structor says. "And I guess ril
need a wheelbarrow to take it
home."
The wheelbarrow will also
come in handy for a trip to the
office of the Collector of Inter-
nal Revenue. Of his $138,000,
tax experts estimate he'll be
able to keep around $34,000's the
rest will go in federal and state
income taxes. (This is assum-
ing he remains single through
'57 .-- and he has no current
plans for marriage,)
Ven Doren's Columbia salary
is p4,400 a year.
' Money will be no problem to
him ever after, should he choose
the high roadof show business
that now seems open to him. He
has offers from Hollywood, from,
television, from radio. The pub-
lic has become entranced with
his honest good looks, his soft
voice, his warm smile. And he
admits to a long-time fascina•
-
tion with acting.
"A show business career
somewhat interests me," he
says, "If I were less tired, t
might be more interested."
He, squints, squirms and beats
his brow as he struggles for the
answers on `leventy-One." And
no Oscar winner has a more
charming smile than his wine
ning beam.
The 11 weeks on the show
have exhausted him, worn off
15 pounds from his 175 -pound
frame, deprived him of his priv-
acy.
"Even if I decided it was best
to go back to my former life,"
he says, "I don't know it It's
possible any more. I 'think I've
become a public figure."
He's right. It's a strange fate
for man of his background to
find himself a TV star and a
magazine cover boy.
Van Doren's family is -famed
in American :literary `historical
and poetic circles -- his father,
Mark, his mother, Dorothy, his
late uncle, Carl, his aunt, Irita,
all are intellectual celebrities.
Charles Lincoln Van Doren
set out to follow them, except
be never could make up his
mind exactly what field was his.
In college and post -graduate
work, here and abroad, he
studied mathematics, English,
music, astronomy, poetry, edu-
cation and ,countless other stib-
;jects. ;This background, plus a
fantastic memory, is what en-
ables him to handle the show's
varied categories.
Each week pits him against
college professors, lawyers, and
ntellectual
Ph. D.'s ' of assorted stripe. The
winner is paid out of the loser's
stake -`1f any -- at the rate of
$500 a point.
He has enswered questions on
baseball, musical c o m e d y,
queens, Shakespeare, seas,medi-
cine, George Washington, art,
chemistry and history. There
would seem to be no soft spots
in his knowledge. But he says
there are two categories he
fears.
"I'm a • little rocky about
South America," he says, "but I
did answer a high point ques-
tion on that, so maybe I was
wrong. The other is popular cul-
ture. Oh, I know something
about the culture of the pres-
ent, but with a subject so re-
cent they're liable to ask very
specific questions. So my read-
ing these days- are things like
comic books and lists of the best
sellers of the last 20 years and
so on." '
What makes Van . Doren so
successful, some think, is that
despite his great store of knowl-
edge he has the common touch.
"I'm not an egghead." he. says.
CHARLES VMI DC''REN, MOM Cort'lic t iooki, book Mists:
"I've got plenty of hair.
Whenever anyone calls me an
!`egghead. I like to quote Adlai
Stevenson, when he said, `Egg-
heads of the world unite — you
have nothing to lose but your
yokes.'
"I'm. not ashamed of being
educated or intellectual. There's
too much of that. I think it was
Samuel ' Grafton who said that
America is the only place in the
world where two men could
meet and talk and one man
knows the definition of a word
and the other doesn't and the
one who does feels embarrased.
I. think that is wrong."
He is not embarrassed by his
public display pf brilliance, but
he did worry, at first, that he
might show his ignorance. He
entered the program originally
purely for monetary gain.
"The idea of appearing suc-
cessfully was very pleasant. But
the idea of possibly making a
fool of myself worried me. I
waited four or five weeks to get
up enough .nerve to apply for
the program. Then one Friday
afternoon — I always feel re-
laxed on Friday afternoons
I'd been to the dentist and af-
terwards, I -just went over and
did it."
Now that the danger of mak-
ing himself look foolish is over,
the week - to - week decisions
about going on or not are based
pretty much on mood. He knows
that each match's possible net
take is not very high, after
' taxes. He also realizes he hast
relatively little to lose.
He makes his decisions,in the
half-hour before the show,
when he is alone in a small
dressing room. •
i used to read the World
Almanac during that period," he
says, "but now°1 just sit and re-
lax and make tip nay mind."
He'll have an even bigger de-
cision to make atthe end of'
this academic year, when he ie
offered a new contract by Col-
umbia.
"1 haven't signed yet for the
next semester. I'm etnr,loyed at
the discretion of the Board of
trustees. When I'm offered a
new contract, I'll have to decide
What to do."
It'll be a deoision that erre.,*
Make Ven Doren a star ee o' a
peofes> r.