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' * * 5 • - - McCORMICK MESSENGER,'McCORMICK, S. C, THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 1941 ~'-n Only Live Oak Trees Oyer Centafy Qld .-i-'. Are Eligible for This Unique Society; Its 'President' Is Elected 'By Girth'! -• ; :fV By ELMO SCOTT WATSON (Beleased by We*tem New*j>aper Unlon.) T HE recent celebration of the fifth anniversary of the founding of the Live Oak Society of Louisiana, unique qrganization fathered by the late Dr. Edwin L. Stephens, has called attention again to some of the famous trees that serve as living mon uments to important events in the history of the United States. Dr. Stephens, who was for many years president of Southwestern Louisiana insti tute, originated the Live Oak society while gathering data on the historical trees of his state during 1935. It shortly became famous throughout the world. Only live oaks with an estab lished age of at least a century .are admitted to the society. The president is elected “by girth.” The Locke Breaux oak on the Mississippi river in St. Charles parish, Louisiana, has held the of fice by reason of its size ever since the society was first organ ized. This oak is said to be the largest in America, having a girth of 35 feet at a height of four feet above the ground and standing 75 feet high with a spread of 166 feet. It was beneath this moss- draped giant that LaSalle and his band of French explorers are said to have knelt to offer thanks for their safe arrival On their voyage . down the Mississippi river in a land “where the fruit trees bear in winter.” High on the list of charter members of the society is the Evangeline oak in old St. Mar- tinville, where descendants of the original Acadian exiles from Nova Scotia still carry on the tra ditions and customs of their French forefathers. Under this oak the heroine of Longfellow’s “Evangeline” met again the lover she had sought through weary months and perilous journeying only to find that he had another sweetheart! Famous, too, are the duelling oaks in New Orleans. In another era these trees lookefi down on marty gallants who sought to avenge real or fancied insults with blades that flashed in the rays of the early sun. Often the spreading branches of these oaks sheltered a duelljst who lay On the field of honor as his opponent strode off victorious. Pay ‘Dues' With Acorns. Dues of member trees are acorns payable in November of every year. The acorns are plant ed in the society’s own nursery and the ybung trees, treasured by garden and horticultural soci eties because of their distin guished parentage, are used for planting highways, college cam puses and parks. ' ) Other offspring of these aristo crats of the live oak family have traveled to many far-away landd. Some of them now stand on es tates in South America. Others have crossed the Pacific to take root in the soil of Australia. Still others .cast shadows over the bright tropical bloom in Hawaiian gardens and so provide a link be tween tree lovers of this Pacific Island and the United States. • Live oaks are admitted to the society upon presentation of their “family tree” by someone who serves as an “attorney.” Each new member is inducted with fit ting ceremonies arranged by the garden clubs of Louisiana and ir which state officials take pan. However, these Louisiana live « oaks are not the only arboreal aristocrats of this country having a genealogy rooted in centuries when America was an uncharted wilderness and beneath whose branches have been enacted hu man dramas that changed the course of the nation’s history, i Probably most famous of all historic American trees is the Washington elm in Cambridge, Mass. It was beneath this tree that Washington took command of the Continental army on July 3, 1775. The tree is thought to be a survivor of the primeval forest that once covered the region and in its youth was almost 100 feet in height, with a branch spread of 90 feet. When in 1872 one of the largest of the tree’s branches fell as a result of a storm the wood was used for a pulpit in a nearby chapeL Maryland’s Liberty Tree. Even more ancient is the his tory of the Liberty tree at Annap olis, Md. This tree, an immense poplar, stands on the campus of St. John’s college and is entitled to fame both on account of its great age and size and because of the historic events that took place beneath it. Tradition re cords that in 1652 a treaty was made under the Liberty tree be tween white settlers and the Sus- New York Heartbeat . The Big Parade: Addie Amour, who once owned the Crescent Music Co., nqw an NBC page boy . . . The Rafael Trupillos (he’s the ex-Mr. Big of the Dominican Republic), who have leased a 17-room and 7-bath apt. at 770 Park ... Jinx Falkenberg, the Jolson show gal, with this and that escort, although rumor has her secretly sealed to an ad exec. • • • Frederic Marsh putting ketsup in his vegetable zoop at the Mayar—a good old-fashioned 2nd Avenue cus tom . . . Webster Porter, the for mer West Pointer (now owner of the Green Bay Tree on the East Side), throwing out an “escort service” whoops for heiling Hitler at the bar. Dr. Edwin L. Stephens standing beside the Locke Breaux oak in St. Charles parish. La., “president” of the Live Oak Society of Louisiana.' Sallies in Our Alley: Humphrey Bogart went to a vaudeville theater to see Benny Davis’ act. Davis has written oodles of song hits. In the middle of the act (after the manner of aU son s smiths) Benn y ran hia fingers over the piano keys and —' f said: “And then I wrote ‘Margie’!” . . . “Yeh, y ’ responded a heckler, “I’ll bet she didn’t answer!” . . . Overheard at Forty-fifth ^street: “He looks like the three stooges” . . . “Which one?” ... “All of ’em!” mm quehannock Indians, thereby as suring the settlers of safety which left them free to develop $he land and build homes and communi ties. When the colonists were dis cussing problems which led to revolt against England, patriotic meetings were held in the shade of the Liberty tree, out of which arose its name. Later still, Gen eral Lafayette was, entertained beneath its shade when he visited Annapolis in 1824." The Royal Oak or Tree of the Lighted Lanterns, near Easton, Md., also stands as a living memorial to this country’s fight for independence and the right to her own trade. During the War / Of 1812, a British ship came to anchor at night opposite the town of St. Michaels in Talbot county apd began to shell the town. The townspeople, who were unprotect ed, hung lighted lanterns in the tops of th# high tree and so de ceived the- enemy into mistaking Historic “Evangeline Oak” in St. Martinville. La. them for lights of the town, with the result their shots passed harmlessly overhead. A stalwart oak at Chesterfield, S. C., which was already a lordly tree in 1852, played a role in the Civil war. The first flag bear ing the words “Immediate Sep arate State Action” was fastened to its branches and fluttered there until General Sherman took the town and ordered the flag down. Even before gaining fame in the Civil war the tree had been marked as one of Chesterfield’s historic points of interest as it had served as a place for Indian par leys and their pipes of peace, to gether with stores of arrowheads, were found buried beneath it. New York cherishes as its old est tree, the Inwood tulip tree, on the northern end of Manhattan island. Said to be more than 225 years old, the tree was in its youth when Henry Hudson made his memorable voyage of discov ery on the river that bears his name. Corydon, Ind., claims one of the country’s famous trees, the Con stitutional elm, beneath which, on June 10, 1816; members of the Constitutional convention met to deliberate on the articles of law to be adopted for-the ( government of the new state of Indiana. This ' tree is protected by law against depredations. Roosevelt Oaks. Even in our own piodern era trees have their place in current history. When the final plans were drawn for the library of President Franklin D. Roosevelt at Hyde Park, in which his pa pers Will be kept for posterity, the President decided to preserve the landscaping of the grounds so that future generations might see the place just as it exists today. Thus, the landscaping plans ne cessitated preserving, in appear ance at least, the six great oaks which surround the front of the library: These trees have stood for several hundred years and it was because of their beauty the library was erected on the pres ent site. Accordingly, President Roosevelt decided to have young oaks planted next to each of the old oaks, so that when the old ones finally died and were re moved, the young ones would grow in their corresponding places. The oaks chosen were a group of 19-year-old trees that had Been planted by the Presi dent’s daughter, Anna Roosevelt Boettiger. Of even more historic interest is the use of the trees which grew ; about the groups of Lincoln’s childhood home to flank the white marble walls of the memorial to the Great Emancipator’s mem ory. It was under these same trees that the boy Lincoln spent his childhood summers learning to read and write. Two of the huge shade trees which have been included in the landscaping were those under which two of the his- . toric Lincoln-Douglas debates were held. A tree which needed neither age nor historical background to bring it fame is the unique “Ap ple Annie tree” which marks the graye of Mary McGrath, for years a, familiar and colorful fig ure in the theatrical district of * Broadway. Mary McGrath walked New York’s “Great White tVay” fof years, selling apples to passersby who included many of the great theatrical names of her era as well as the less great. She inspired a story and subsequent photoplay and when she died a few years ago the Broadway v theatrical world mourned her passing. A group who had known “Apple Annie” through the years planned a unique memorial—a tree composed of the seven vari eties of apples which had consti tuted her wares. The tree, which bears Astrachan, Gravenstein, Fall Pippin/Baldwin, Greening, Hussett and King apples, now is planted on her grave. In addition to serving as monu ments, historical trees have them selves inspired monuments. A ‘bronze monument marks the site Of the old Liberty elm in Boston. The tree was planted by a school master ‘Iqng before the Revolu tion and, dedicated by him to the independence of the colonies, was a favorite meeting place for pa triots. When at last it fell the bells of all Boston churches were tolled. A monument was erected to the memory of a tree which in its turn had served as a living memorial to the fight our fore fathers waged to make this a free and independent nation. Modern methods of tree' sur gery have helped to preserve many historic trees which, with out man’s help, would have died of the ravages of time, storms and insects. The new tree sur gery with rubber, originated by tl\e noted horticulturist, George Van Yahres, and subsequently de veloped by engineers of the B. F. Goodrich company, was used to | preserve the life of the old Wash ington walnut tree in New Jersey. > Tradition has it that the first £ President frequently hitched his / horse to an iron ring embedded £ in the tree when he commanded! the American Revolutionary^ forces. For more than 150 years’* the tree withstood onslaughts of weather. A few years ago decay set in and it seemed that the tree would go the way of other his-^jj torically famous trees which have rj disappeared from the earth. The Van Yahres method of tree v surgery was employed, a new type of interlocking rubber blocks being used to fill up cavities in the tree caused by decay. Whereas concrete fillings former ly used in tree surgery give the tree a rigidity which makes it impossible for the tree to bend with the wind in a severe storm, these rubber blocks have »uch pliability the danger of the iree* cracking when buffeted by a wind was eliminated. In addition, bark grows more easily over rubber as the tree scar heals. After the insertion of the filling, antisep tic wax was injected by steam pressure to kill any lurking decay germs. Today, the Washington walnut tree gives promise of re maining as an historic landmark for another century or so. New York Novelette: He is a law yer ... He accepted a $10,000 fee from three indicted men ... He took the 10 G’s and flew to Florida, where he ran the coin up to $45,000 at the dice tables ... He never showed up for their trial . . . They were sentenced to terms of 10 years . . . That was 10 years ago. They will be out in a few days . . Good-by, toots! Sounds in the Night: In the Stork club: “He’s rusting on his laurels” ... On Spivy’s Roof: “She’s the only gal I ever took out that gave me the impression a meter was tick ing” ... .In the Copacabana: “I’d rather be a fool about you than a wise guy about anyone else” . . . At Bertolotti’s; “She used to inspire poetry. Now she inspires limer icks” . . .At the Forty-eighth Street tavern: “When 7 he gets mad —he looks daggers; at your back.” ... At the Vanguard: “He’s one of those guys who talks you deaf, dumb and blah” ... In the Astor Hunting room: “He’,s snappy on the comeback—like his checks.” New York Scene i Hie pink blush in the sky after it sheds the raiment of day and, for just a few minutes, stands naked be fore slipping under the cover of night . . . The expressions of worri- ment etched on the upturned faces of the Times square electricker-tape- bulletin-readers—a Mosaic of Anxi ety. The pall on the mall in Central park these nights, as empty as a false lover’s promise . . . The Plaza hotel on Fifty-eighth street and Fifth, which was a beautiful belie when the other lovelies of today were still in their pigtails—now wearing its age with the grace and dignity of a true aristocrat . . . The pigeons perched on the library lions—a snap for any candid cameraddict. The Horst Wessel atmosphere in Yorkville — malice in Bunderland . . . The riveters stitching togeth er the' looming framework of the pew Wool worth building on the site of the once glamorous Casa Manana . . . Gay street in the Village, N. Y.’s smallest street, yet it is im possible to see from one end of it to the other . . . The Greek evan gelist, clothed with biblical quota tions, trying to save the souls of the Broadway heels . . . The slim ming lovelies on horseback in the park, drinking deep draughts of fresh air and hoping for a male Phaser. The stew In the Stork club who goes up to a celebrity and says: T beg ya pardon, but it’s the privi lege of a drunk like me to bother people like you” . . . Those noise less phone booths in the Sixth ave nue subway extension. People on the inside look like a movie with the sound track gone wrong. . . . The would-be Izaak Waltons taking les sons in fly casting on the- roof of the Anglers Roost, haven for fisher men, on East Forty-third street. Typical N. Y. greetings on B’way and Fiftieth. One fellow says: “What goes on?” the other asks: “What’s coming off?” . . . The Hotel Astor lobby, where every John meets his Jane . . . The drugstore cowbores in the soda spots . . . The Bastile- like Tombs at Centre street with its ragged line of cells—pillories of so ciety. The terraced wonderland along the Hudson river below Riverside drive—the haryi-holders’ Promised Land, built by *a man named Moses . . . The exotic, tasty foods served at the Son of the Sheik in lower Manhattan, wheVe the Armenian dishes excite the palate the way a Saroyan play excites some critics . . . Strolling down Vth Ave.—a squat, bewhiskered gent in shirt sleeves, knickerbocker pants and sneakers with cellar open to show his manly chest to amazed passers- by shivering in 30 degree weather. : \ • 1 4- Ruth Wyeth Spears V \ INSIDE I 27 OUTSIDE G HU —D INSIDE •18" 4 *.YARD CHINTZ- FACING S’* 15" A-STITCH FACINGCUT OPENING AND TURN FACING-CSTITCH-D-FOLD- E-MARK CURVE-F STITCH- G-TRIM-H- OVERCAST- TURN RIGHT SIDE OUT AND ADD HANGER A RE you planning things that x will sell well at a Fair or Bazaar? Or is this the season that you catch up on odds and ends of sewing for the house? In either case you will like to stitch up a bag like this one. Everyone seems to have a special use for one of these bags on a hanger. I have one that J use for laundry when I go traveling. Men and boys like them for closet laundry bags too, as they are plenty big enough for shirts. A little girl I know has a small version of one of these in which she keeps 'doll clothes scraps. I have also seen them used for everything from dress patterns to dust rags. This green and white ivy pat terned chintz with green facing makes a good looking bag. Pic torial chintz will amuse a young ster-something with animals or toys or a landscape in the design. I saw a material the other day Make Warm Slippers For the Little Folks with a pattern showing all kinds of rope knots. A boy would like that. Each step in making the bag is shown in the sketch. • * • In SEWING Book 3 there are directions for still another type of bag on a hanger; also a pocket for the pantry door. This book contains directions for the spool shelves; stocking cat; “The rug that grew up with the family,” and many other of your favorites among articles that have appeared in the paper. Send order to: MRS. RUTH WYETH SPEARS Drawer 10 Bedford Hills New York Enclose 10 cents for Book No. 3. Name Address Insignia of Officers The insignia of the 12 ranking officers of the U. S. .army are as follows: Corporal, double chev ron on arm; Sergeant, triple chev ron; 2nd Lieut., gold bar on shoul der; 1st Lieut., silver bar; Cap tain, two silver bars; M^jor, gold oak leaf; Lieut. Col., silver oak leaf; Colonel, silver eagle; Brig. Gen., one star; Lieut. Gen., two stars; Maj. Gen., three stars; Gen eral, four stars. Beware Coughs from common colds That Hang On Creomulsion relieves promptly be lt of the cause it trouble oes right to the seat help loosen and expel ip lex germ laden phlegm, and aid nature to soothe and heal raw, tender. In flamed bronchial mucous mem branes. Tell your di^iggist to sell you a bottle of Creomulsion with the un derstanding you must like the way it * * ly allays the cough or you are ia\ quickl; to ha\ ILL the little tots be proud of * * these warm Clippers! They come in three sizes. You can use angora or another wool for the dots that are embroidered on. • • Pattern 2693 contains directions for making slippers in 2, 4 and 6-year size; illustrations of them and stitches; mate rials required; photo of pattern sUtch. Send orders to: Sewing Circle Needlecraft Dept. 82 Eighth Ave. New York Enclose 15 cents In coins for Pat tern No Name Address Contentment And we shall be made truly wise if we be made content; con tent, too, not only with what we can understand, but content with what we do not understand—the habit of mind which theologians call—and rightly—faith in God.— Kingsley. for Coughs, Chest Colds, Bronchitis Man’s Will The commander of the forces of a large State may be carried off, but the will of even a common man cannot be taken from him.— Confucius. DONT BE BOSSED BY YOUR LAXATIVE—RELIEVE CONSTIPATION THIS MODERN WAY • When you feel gassy, headachy, logy due to cloggvd cy bowels, do as milliona do—take Feen-A-Mint at bedtime. Next morning — thorough, comfortable relief, helping you start the day full of your normal energy and pep, feeling like • million! Feen-A-Mint doesn’t disturb your night’s rest or interfere with work the next day. TYy Feen-A-Mint, the chewing gum laxative, yourself. It tastes good, it’a handy and economical... a family supply FEEN-A-MINT To* What Matters It is not what you have that matters, it is what you do with what you have.—GrenfeU. KENT BLADES to Paotaaa 10c Place for Money A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his hetert. —Swift. HE ■PREVENT many told* from developing Colds may be prevented—often—by the early use of Penetro Nose Drops. A sure provision of “stitch-in-time” aid. And the large supply costs only, 25a. PENETRO 1 NOSE DROPS Romance Is Poetry Romance is the poetry of litera ture.—Madame Necker. ACYCU Of HUMAN Bimmm Advertising gives you new ideas, /\ and also makes them available to you at economical cost. As these new ideas become more accepted, prices go down. As prices go down, more persons enjoy new ideas. - It is a cycle of human betterment, and it starts with the printed words of a newspaper advertisement. JOIN THE CIRCLE Q READ THE ADS \ \ ■a «...