McCormick messenger. (McCormick, S.C.) 1902-current, May 06, 1937, Image 6
McCOBMICK MESSENGER, McCORMICK. S. C.. THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1937
Adventurers’
Club
«
*»
Sands of Death
By FLOYD GIBBONS
Famous Headline Hunter
I IFE wouldn't be worth living if it weren’t for its uncertain-
ties. We wouldn’t have half so much fun if it weren’t for
the tricks Fate plays on us every now and then to—well—sort
of keep us on our toes.
Here's the story of a lad who had adventure bounce back on him.
He is Sidney Smith of Chicago, and Sid set out with a gun one day to
give some ducks the adventure of their lives.
But Fate turned the tables, and Sid wound up in the midst
of a hair-raising adventure himself. \
It was in Socorro, N. Mex., in November, 1906, that Sid took a notion
to go duck hunting. He got his friend, Bill Nelson, to go with him and
they started out together one frosty November morning to look for birds
along the Rio Grande, which runs within a mile of the town.
River Bed Was Full of Quicksands.
The river was low at that time of the year. You could darned near
walk across it without getting wet. The dry, muddy bed of the river, or
dinarily full of patches of quicksand, was solid, with a hard crust of
frozen sand on the top.
Sid and Bill reached the river and started to walk across these
sands toward the other side where the ducks had congregated. Walking
and wading through little rivulets, they came within fifteen yards of
the opposite bank, and there they were stopped by a rivulet wider and
deeper than the others.
A torrent of water was rushing through it so swiftly that they
knew it would be dangerous to cross. Still, they were willing to
try it, for all the ducks were on the opposite side of the river.
Bill Nelson was a six-footer and weighed about 200 pounds. Fight
ing his way through rushing water up to his waist, he managed
to get across. But Sid, who weighed only 130, couldn’t make it.
There was nothing to do but turn back. Sid called to Bill to go ahead
—that he would wait on the other side. Maybe some ducks, stirred by
Bill’s shooting, would fly over to his side. He started back to the bank,
but by this time the sun had melted the frozen crust on the top of the
sand. Sid sank in up to his ankles at every step—and sometimes he
sank in deeper.
Sid Jumped Right Into It.
The squish, squish of his feet in the mud alarmed him. All that
stretch of muddy silt looked alike, and any minute he was liable to sink
into quicksand. He picked his way as carefully as he could, and
kept plodding steadily on toward the safety of the bank. And luck was
with him. He made the bank.
As he reached it, he heard Bill Nelson shooting, somewhere on the
other side of the river. “Sure enough,” he says, ‘‘a heavy flight of
ducks rose from the opposite shore and started for my side of the river.
They seemed to head for a slough about a quarter of a mile upstream,
and I started toward it, working my way through dense thickets that
covered the bottom lands. I v/as almost there when I came to a cut
about four feet wide.
“The ground on my side of it was firm, so I jumped across.
As I landed I instinctively bent my knees in preparation for the
jar I expected and—'*
And that movement saved Sid Smith’s life!
Sid jumped—and he landed in a mess of quicksand. Had he landed
feet first, he might have gone in up to his neck. As it was, with his
knees bent, he fell half backwards. A wider surface of his body hit
the sand, and he went in to a point half way between his waist and his
armpits.
Says Sid: “It wasn’t possible for me to work myself out of my rub
ber waders. I soon found that out. I began reaching out with my gun,
gathering in every branch or twig I could. As I drew them to me I piled
them under my arms. My movements were slow and careful as I could
make them, for I knew only too well that every violent motion I made
would only serve to make me sink deeper into the quagmire.”
Bill Heard His Distress Shots.
But in spite of all his care, Sid was sinking into the quicksand.
With the twigs and branches under him, he lay back, spreading his weight
over as wide an area as possible, and began to fire his gun. Three shots
—closely spaced—a distress signal that he hoped Bill Nelson would hear
and recognize.
But what if Bill didn’t hear it? What if no one heard it?
It wasn’t a pleasant thought, and Sid didn’t like to think about it.
Sid waited ten minutes and fired three more shots. And all the time
he was sinking, slowly—steadily. Seven times he fired that- series of
shots. For seventy minutes, as nearly as he could judge it, he sent
out signals. And on the last try he heard an answering shot.
Or was it an answer? Sid hoped so. By that time he was buried up
to his armpits. Only his arms and shoulders were above ground. He
fired three more quick shots in answer to the one he had heard—and
when that was done just one shell remained. If that last shot was an
answer, he might have a chance. If it wasn’t—if it was only the shot of
a hunter shooting ducks—well, then Sid might as well give up and resign
himself to one of the most horrible deaths known.
Rescue in the Nick of Time.
The gun was useless now. Sid rolled his coat up, tucked it under his
right arm. He laid his gun out at arms length and placed his hands on
it. Anything tc distribute his weight. Anything to keep him alive for an
extra few seconds. He might need those seconds—if help came.
He began shouting then, at intervals, hoping to guide some
one to the spot. Still he kept sinking. For fifteen minutes he
Wept up his shouts—and then, suddenly, he heard Bill Nelson’s an
swering voice.
In two minutes, Bill was on the spot Sid had jumped from. In a
few minutes more he had a good-sized branch under each of Sid’s
arms. And with that to start on, it wasn’t long before Sid was out
again. Sid was safe—but the experience has left its mark on him.
“From that day to this,” he says, “I have had to exercise my will power
to force myself to wade streams or to walk along the banks while hunt
ing or fishing.”
C—WNU Service.
Some Men of Years Ago
Had Wonderful Memories
Some men v/ho lived long ago
possessed extraordinary memories,
)bserves a writer in Pearson’s Lon-
ion Weekly.
Magliabechi, of Florence, was
called “The Universal Index and
Living Cyclopaedia” and died in
1714 at the age of eighty-three,
rrom all accounts he could recite
tom memory everything he had
jver read or heard.
Then there was P. J. Beronicious,
vho knew by heart Horace, Virgil,
Cicero, Juvenal, both the Plinys,
lomer and Aristophaner He died
it Middleburgh in 1676 so was alive
n Magliabechi’s time.
A man named Andrew Fuller was
laid to have been able to repeat
KM) lines without a mistake after
tearing them read twice. It was
tot even necessary for him to read
;hem to himself as is the case with
to many memory-men.
Fuller could also tell, either back
wards or forwards, every shop sign
torn tha Temple to the extreme
end of Cheapside, London, and the
articles displayed in each of the
shops.
Another man, named Thompson,
could repeat the names, trades and
particulars of every shop from Lud-
gate Hill to Piccadilly after walk
ing the distance once only.
Finally we have the case of a
memory-man named Woodfall who
could carry in his head a complete
debate, and repeat it, word for
word, a fortnight after it had been
spoken.
Aesop’s Fables
Aesop is little more than a
shadow of a name. He was a slave
from Samos, who probably livec. in
the Sixth century before Christ. His
fables were of a political nature in
the time of the Greek tyrants, when
unveiled speech was dangerous.
Two hundred and fifty years later
Demetrius of Phaleron collected a
large number of fables and called
them by Aesop’s name. These were
turned into Latin by Phaedrus, but
it cannot be said definitely that an?
of them originated with Aesop.
The
SUPREME
COURT
AND HOW
IT WORKS
IMPROVED
UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
S UNDAY I
chool Lesson
REV
The Need for an Umpire
By ROBERT MERRILL
T HE men who in 1787 draft
ed the Constitution of the
United States had two great ad
vantages in establishing a gov
ernment that sought to assure
personal liberty.
In the first place, they had vivid
personal recollections of the despot- ,
ism of King George III. In the sec
ond place, they knew from bitter
experience the weakness of the first
government which they had set up
to take the place of the repudiated
king.
Having renounced a one-man gov
ernment that was unjust because too
strong, they had suffered under an
other—established by the Articles of
Confederation — equally unjust be
cause it was too weak. Their prob
lem was to frame a constitution un
der which the people of each state
should be protected against any at
tempt of federal officials to become
tyrants, while at the same time
making it impossible for the several
states to cripple or hamper the cen
tral government.
Thus it came about that the very
people who had actually suffered
both from too much government and
from too little were best fitted to
find the safety-point half way be
tween.
Some Early Weaknesses.
Illustrations of the despotism
which they feared are effectively
recited in the Declaration of Inde
pendence. Among the many despotic
acts there charged may be found,
for example: that “he has obstruct
ed the Administration of Justice, by
refusing his Assent to Laws for es
tablishing Judiciary Powers.”
On the other hand, among the
many weaknesses which made the
Articles of Confederation a failure,
the following is a typical illustra
tion:
During the Revolutionary war,
vessels of war, called privateers,
had been fitted out by citizens of
the several colonies and sent out
to prey upon British commerce. A
British sloop, the Active, had been
seized by citizens of Connecticut who
were bringing her into port as prize
when an American privateer, the
Convention, which had been fitted
out in Pennsylvania, captured the
Active and claimed the prize money
which belonged to the men from
Connecticut.
A Pennsylvania court decided the
case in favor of the home claimants
and awarded them the greater part
of the prize money, but, upon ap
peal to a court which the feeble
Articles of Confederation had set up,
the rights of the Connecticut claim
ants were properly recognized and
the judgment of the Pennsylvania
court was reversed..
Decision Not Backed.
Then, to their dismay, the vic
torious Connecticut men discovered
that the order of the court was not
worth the paper it was written on,
because Pennsylvania refused to rec
ognize or enforce it and the central
government was without power to
enforce the order of its own court.
Conferences followed between a
committee of congress and the gen
eral assembly of Pennsylvania; but
nothing was accomplished.
As soon, however, as the Consti
tution of the United States was
adopted federal courts were set up,
with the Supreme court of the Unit
ed States at their head; and thd
federal government was given pow
er to enforce their decrees. Accord-
kigly, after having waited years for
such an outcome, the men from
Connecticut were able to bring suit
in a United States district court to
enforce the order formerly made
in their favor but subsequently dis
regarded.
The district court granted partial
but not complete relief; but, upon
appeal, the Supreme court of the
United States finally did complete
justice among the parties.
Court Stands on Own Feet.
With such experiences immediate
ly behind them the framers of the
Constitution were naturally careful
to make rules to prevent their re
currence. It was obviously insuffi
cient, however, merely to make the
rules: it was essential that there
should be a judicial umpire to in
terpret and apply them.Accordingly
the Constitution safeguarded the ju
dicial power of the United States by
vesting it “in one Supreme court.”
With our form of government the
Supreme court cannot be abolished
by the congress or by the President
any more than the congress or the
President can be abolished by the
court. Remembering that the King
of Great Britain had made Judges
here “dependent on his will alone
for the tenure of their offices and
the amount and payment of their
salaries,” the framers were careful
to provide that “the judges, both
of the Supreme and inferior courts,
shall hold their offices during good
Behaviour, and shall, at stated
Times, receive for their Services, a
Compensation which shall not be
diminished during their Continuance
in Office.”
While, therefore, the men of 1787
were not super-men they were peo
ple whose actual experiences made
them think of many safeguards ol
liberty which otherwise might have
been overlooked.
• Western Newspaper Union.
HAROLD L. LUNDQUIST,
'ean of the Moody Bible Institute
of Chicago.
• Western Newspaper Union.
Lesson for May 9
ABRAHAM A MAN OF PRAYER
LESSON TEXT—Genesis 18:17-32.
GOLDEN TEXT—The effectual fervent
prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
James 5:16.
PRIMARY TOPIC—Abraham Praying for
His Neighbors.
JUNIOR TOPIC—A Great Man's Prayer.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC—
Praying for Others.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC—
The Ministry of Intercession.
Prayer—how many are the books
that have been written on that sub
ject and the sermons preached, and
yet how little it is actually prac
ticed. One can attract an audience
to hear it discussed, but only a
handful will come to pray. We as
Christians agree that it is God’s ap
pointed way of blessing. We put up
mottoes such as “Prayer changes
things,” or “More things are
wrought by prayer than this world
dreams of,” and then (may God
forgive us!) we try to change
things ourselves. We struggle with
problems when we ought to pray.
The lesson of today, from the life
of that great hero of faith, Abra
ham, stresses the importance of in
tercessory prayer, that is, the giv
ing of ourselves to pray for the
temporal and spiritual welfare of
others. In an age characterized
by a grasping spirit of acquisition
for personal advantage it is like
a breath from heaven to read of
this man’s prayer for others.
I. The Nature of Intercessory
Prayer.
1. It is a Privilege. Abraham
had been honored by a visit from
God. The covenant had been re
newed, a son had been promised.
The three visitors looked out toward
Sodom. God who had thus appeared
to Abraham in visible form and had
shared the hospitality of his home
now extends to him the privilege of
sharing in God’s purpose. How
glorious to be on such terms of con
fidence with God, to know him and
to know his will and purpose!
2. It is a Responsibility. “Abra
ham stood yet before the Lord”—
why? To pray for Sodom and
Gomorrah. Privilege and responsi
bility go together. Those who have
audience with the King of kings
are there to carry the blessed bur
den of prayer for others. Are we
praying for our children, our fami
lies, our church, our nation? If
not, who will pray?
3. It is Objective, not Subjective.
Some modern “religious” leaders
would devitalize prayer by making
it a sort of spiritual exercise which
has only the value of developing
our own soul. The prayer room is
to them a sort of spiritual gym
nasium where the soul develops its
strength and a spiritual sense of
well-being floods the soul.
Undoubtedly the very fellowship
with God which is inherent in prayer
is spiritually beneficial, but prayer
actually deals with such things as
cities, men, sin, sorrow. It con
cerns men’s physical well-being,
their material prosperity, as well
as their spiritual welfare. It is the
means designated by God for the
release of his power on behalf
of the object for which we pray.
II. Characteristics of Intercessory
Prayer.
1. Unselfish. Abraham already
had his promise and his blessing.
The cities of the plain were wicked,
yet he prayed for them. Those
who know the spirit of God are not
selfish in prayer.
2. Courageous. Note the rever
ent boldness with which Abraham
pleaded the cause of the condemned
cities. The Bible reveals that God
honored men who had a holy cour
age. History tells the same story.
We celebrate this year the centen
ary of one who prayed boldly—and
believed, and labored—Dwight L.
Moody.
3. Persistent. No one likes a “quit
ter.” Christ spoke of a man who
was heard for his importunity
(Luke 11:8). See also Luke 18:1-8.
Some one has said that when we
pray we are all too often like the
mischievous boy who rings the door
bell and runs away without waiting
for an answer.
III. Results of Intercessory
Prayer.
The cities were destroyed, but the
righteous were saved. God hears
end answers prayer. This is the
testimony of His Word, of count
less Christian men and women of
all ages, yes, of the men and women
of our day. We know by experience
that it is true—“I cried; he an
swered.” He says to you and to
me, “Call unto Me and I will an
swer thee and show thee great and
mighty things, which thou knowest
not” (Jer. 33:3).
No Reason for Anxiety
Anxiety is the poison of life; the
parent of many sins and of more
miseries. Why, then, allow it, when
we know that all the future is guid
ed by a Father’s hand!—Blair.
A Long Life
He lives long that lives well, and
time misspent is not lived, but lost.
—Fuller.
They Also Serve
They also serve who only stand
and wait.—Milton.
Talk About Smart Frocks
“ A UNT ALMA, there’s just one
thing I don’t like about my
new dress—it’s so attractive I’m
afraid Sis over there will appro
priate it when I’m not looking.
Outside of that I’m crazy about it,
and I think you’re swell to make
it for me. Why—”
“What’s this, what’s this? If
that isn’t a laugh. Aunt Alma!
Imagine me wanting anybody’s
dress. Why since you’ve taught
me to sew-my-own I never want
anything. I just make it and that’s
that. This sport dress, for in
stance, took me only one after
noon.”
Praise From Auntie.
“I think you do wonderfully well
with your sewing, my dear. You’ll
be making my clothes the first
thing I know. I feel especially
pleased with my new spring dress
and I have both of you to thank
for suggesting this style. It does
right well by my hips, and it’s so
comfortable through the shoul
ders. I guess I should diet but in
this dress I feel nice and slender.
Don’t you see, girls, how impor
tant it is to choose a style that’s
particularly becoming? It’s abid
ing by this theory that gives some
women such enviable chic.”
The Patterns.
Pattern 1280 is designed in sizes
12-20 (30 to 40). Size 14 requires
3% yards of 39 inch material.
Pattern 1233 is designed in sizes
34-52. Size 36 requires 5% yards
of 39 inch material. The collar
in contrast requires five-eighths of
a yard.
Pattern 1284 is designed in sizes
14-20 (32 to 44). Size 16 requires 3%
yards of 35 inch material.
New Pattern Book.
Send for the Barbara Bell
Spring and Summer Pattern Book.
Make yourself attractive, practi
cal and becoming clothes, select-
1/jtcLe JQful
So With All of 'Em
Running a farm and running a
newspaper consist in infinite at
tention to details. But isn’t run
ning any business that?
Somebody always discovers how
to be chummy with the un
approachable man; and it is
pretty sure to be one who isn’t
afraid of him.
Indignation is only another form
of anger, and a great deal of an
ger isn’t good for anybody.
Silence is an excellent pose, but
you have to think about it all the
time or you will forget.
Peculiarities may indicate indi
viduality, but they can be irritat
ing.
The Country's Mainstay
There are old-fashioned people
who feel that a debt is a kind of
financial excrescence to be got
rid of.
How many people do you know
who, you know, will be glad to
see you? Isn’t it a restful feeling!
A too busy man and a too busy
woman are likely to be exasperat
ing.
In the old Indian scalping days,
how exasperated an Indian must
have been to come across a vic
tim who was bald.
Setting a Child's Confidence
You don’t need to “teach” a
child a great deal, if you admit
him into your conversation on the
plane of equclity.
If you want to flatter a man tell
him he is working too hard.
No matter bow persistently you
say, “I told you so,” nobody re
members that you did.
When you’re frightened, keep
still. You may pass muster as a
brave man.
If you like a man’s dog, the man
will probably like you.
ing designs from the Barbara Bell
well-planned, easy-to-make pat
terns. Interesting and exclusive
fashions for little children and the
difficult junior age; slenderizing,
well-cut patterns for the mature
figure; afternoon dresses for the
most particular young women and
matrons and other patterns for
special occasions are all to be
found in the Barbara Bell Pattern
Book. Send 15 cents today for your
copy.
Send your order to The Sewing
Circle Pattern Dept., Room 1020,
211 W. Wacker Dr., Chicago, 111.
Price of patterns, 15 cents (in
coins) each.
© Bell Syndicate.—WNU Service.
Gas, Gas AH
the Time, Can 9 t
Eat or Sleep
"The gas on my stomach was so bud
I could not eat or sleep. Even my
heart seemed to hurt. A friend sug
gested Adlerika. The first doss I took
brought me relief. Now I eat at I
wish, sleep fine and never felt better."
-—Mrs. Jas. Filler.
Adlerika acts on BOTH upper and
lower bowels while ordinary laxativea
act on the lower bowel only. Adlerika
gives your system a thorough cleans
ing, bringing out old, poisonous matter
that you would not believe was in your
system and that has been causing gas
pains, sour stomach, nervousness and
headaches for months.
Dr. H. L. Shoub, New York, report,t
u In addition to intestinal cleansing, Adlerikd
greatly reduce, bacteria and colon bacillU ^ *
Give your bowels a REAL cleansing
with Adlerika and see how good you
feel. Just one spoonful relieves GAS
and constipation. At all Leading
Druggists.
Stop at Impertinence
A wise man is not inquisitive
about things impertinent. -—
Broome.
How CARDUI
Helps Women
Cardui is a purely vegetable medi
cine, found by many women to ease
functional pains of menstruation. It
also helps to strengthen women, who
have been weakened by poor nour
ishment, by increasing their appetite
and Improving their digestion. Many
have reported lasting benefit from
the wholesome nutritional assist
ance obtained by taking Cardui. If
you have never taken Cardui, get a
bottle of Cardui at the nearest drug
store, read the directions and try it.
Unwanted Things
What you do not want is dear at
a farthing.—Cato.
Watch Your
Kidneys/
Help Them Cleanse the Blood
of Harmful Body Waste
Your kidneys are eonstanUy filtering
waste matter from the blood stream. But
kidneys sometimes lag in their work—do
not act as Nature intended—fail to ro»
move impurities that, if retained, may
poison the system gnd upset the whole
body machinery.
Symptoms may be nagging backache*
persistent headache, attacks of dizziness,
getting up nights, swelling, puffir.saa
under the eyes—a feeling of nervous
anxiety and loss of pep and strength.
Other signs of kidney or bladder dis
order may be burning, scanty or too
frequent urination.
There should be no doubt that prompt
treatment is wiser than neglect. Uso
Doan', Pill,. Doan'B have been winning
new friends for more than forty years.
They have a nation-wide reputation.
Are recommended by grateful people the
country over. A»k your neighbor}
DOANS PILLS
CLASSIFIED
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PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTO FINISHING
Any size roU film developed and 16 nerer-
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