University of South Carolina Libraries
THE SUN, NEWBERRY, S. C„ FRIDAY, JULY 8, 1938 Tlotyd ADVENTURERS* CLUB HEADLINES FROM THE LIVES OF PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF! “Vanishing Corpses’* By FLOYD GIBBONS Famous Headline Hunter H ello, everybody: You know, boys and girls, I’ve often noticed, in these ad venture stories, how in a good many cases, one mishap leads to another. That’s probably because the first thing that goes wrong so upsets the fellow it happens to, that—well—he just loses his head and plunges right smack into another danger. It’s bad business when a man loses his head in the face of danger. But at the same time it has produced a lot of red-hot double-barreled and triple-barreled adventures, and the story I’m going to tell you today is a mighty good example. Paul Moore of Chicago is today’s distinguished adventurer. The events this yam deals with happened to him and two other lads, in Sep tember, 1923. At that time Paul was just a kid of twelve, living In Grand Rapids, Mich. Paul had just been given a .22 caliber rifle for selling perfume, and one Saturday he and his two friends, Art Kohles and Archie Eastman, started out on a hunting trip. Art and Archie had air rifles. Paul had no cartridges for his .22, but Art said he knew where he could get some. They started out early, taking their lunches with them, and after walking a couple hours, came to a patch of woods four miles from the outskirts of town. Art Pounded the Cartridge. There didn’t seem to be any game in sight, so they sat down on the bank of a small creek to eat their lunches. Paul had put down his gun and was just starting to untie the package that contained his grub when Art spoke up, saying there was a wild canary on the other side of the creek. “Let’s have your gun,” whispered Art. “I can’t get it with mine.” Paul passed over his rifle. Art had the cartridges in his own pocket. He took one out and tried to put it in the chamber. It wouldn’t lit. Young Art didn’t know that the cartridges he had brought from home were the wrong caliber. He thought this one wouldn’t go into the Archie Pitched Forward on His Face. cham v -r because the gun was new. He tried to force it in with his fingers and then, in his haste to get a shot at the bird before it flew away, he picked up a stone that happened to be lying at his feet. Art hit the bullet two or three times with that stone. And then, suddenly, there was a loud crack. The bullet exploded. Art dropped the gun, crying, “I’m shot!” Then he fell to the ground and lay still. The other two kids stood speechless. Art had killed himself! Paul had an uncle who lived about a mile away on the other side of the woods, and the first thought that popped into his mind was to run there and get help. He told Archie to stay behind with Art, but Archie insisted on going along with him. They started off on a short cut through the woods, run ning as fast as their legs would carry them. On the other side of the woods they came to the tracks of the inter- urban line that runs out of Grand Rapids. There was a third rail along the right of way, set up a foot or so above the ground. Paul knew about it. He was well up ahead of Archie, and he went over it with a flying leap. But he didn’t think to warn Archie about that electrified rail. His mind was too full of the thought of Art lying back there by the creek bank. Archie Stepped on Third Rail. The next thing Paul knew, Archie was stepping on that rail. He just lit on it for an instant. Then he pitched forward on his face. And he, too, lay still! Archie’s body was lying between the two tracks. “I took one look at him,” says Paul, “and decided he was dead. Then I turned and ran as if the devil was after me.” It was a long way to his uncle’s house, and by that time Paul was all but out of breath. But he didn’t dare stop running. He stumbled on. At last he reached the house and burst in, panting, “Uncle Abe! Quick! Art’s killed himself with my gun and Archie’s been electrocuted!” Everyone in the house, including two old ladies who were visiting Paul’s aunt, dropped whatever they were doing and started for the tracks. They hurried through brush and corn fields to the spot where Archie had fallen—and when they arrived, there was no sign of Archie. Uncle Abe turned on Paul. “Young man,” he said sternly, “are you sure this isn’t a joke of some kind?” But it was no joke to Paul. He thought maybe a passing interurban had stopped to pick Archie up. He crossed the track and started through the woods toward the stream where they had left Art. ~ Both Bodies Had Disappeared. The women turned back, but Uncle Abe followed along after him. They ran through the woods in breathless haste—tore up to the spot where Art had shot himself—and then Paul stopped dead in his tracks. Art was gone, too! It was too much for Paul. His uncle was looking at him suspiciously, and he hardly knew what to say. How could Paul ask him to believe that two dead boys had both disappeared, one right after the other? He stood there silent a minute, and then he heard sounds of splashing water, and of voices coming from some point down the stream. Together they walked toward those voices and there they found—Art and Archie. It was all explained easily enough. Archie had been knocked out by the shock from the third rail. He had a big bump on his head, but that was all the damage that had been done to him. When he came to, he went back to where Art had fallen and found him bathing his leg, which had been grazed on the calf by a bit of the exploding shell. Together they had moved down stream a ways, and that’s where Paul found them. And that’s all there is to this story, except that a short time after that, Art and Archie and Paul took that .22 rifle and pitched it in the Grand river. Copyright.—WNU Service. TOWN OF THE PASSION PLAY * Judas in Private Life Paints Pictures. Oberommergou Gives to the World Drama of Christianity Every Decade An Impregnable Fortress The stout stone walls and heavy cannon of the Morro Castle which fascinate visitors at San Juan, Puer to Rico, have a record of impregna bility both in old and modern war fare. In Queen Elizabeth’s time, Sir Francis Drake attempted to sack the city, but was beaten off. In 1898, Admiral William T. Samp son, U. S. N., searching for Ce- vera’s fleet, tried to enter the har bor, but failed when his shelling of tiie fortress had no effect. All Streets Up or Down Among the towns, England’s Clo- velly is unique. It hangs on the same stretch of Cornish cliff where King Arthur built his castle, and is about 40 miles north of Tintagel. All streets in Tintagel go either up or down, and the grades are so steep that vehicular traffic is stopped one-half mile out of town. From that point one proceeds either afoot or burrow-back. Clovelly be gins on the crest of a hill and ends at the ocean’s edge. Star Dust + Hurricane Elopement + Story of Earhart + Norma Steps Out By Virginia Valr M OVIEDOM is still gasping a little over the elope ment of Frances Langford, the radio singer and movie actress, and Jon Hall, who skyrocketed to fame in “Hurricane” and hasn’t been seen on t£e screen since. Just after it was announced that they wouldn’t marry until he had be come more firm ly established in pictures, they slipped off to Prescott, Ariz., with her mother and his sister and got married. Bui Hollywood didn’t know about it un til four days lat er, possibly be cause he used his real name, Louis Locher. Frances Langford Even after Hall made such a hit in “Hurricane” he drew only $150 a week for some time—mere chicken feed in Hollywood—but this salary was finally raised to $200. * Kay Francis’ last picture under her present contract will probably be based on a story that she herself wrote and sold to the studio. It’s all about a famous aviatrix who goes into a round-the-world flight contest, and gets lost on a desert isle. Can it be possible that Miss Francis heard about Amelia Ear- hart? —*—' Fashion news: Claudette Colbert has a daytime costume of dark blue with white floral buttons down the Side of the jacket, like one which the duchess of Windsor likes to wear. Recently, one evening in New York, Helen Vinson wore a black chiffon gown with a skirt yards and yards wide, banded with many rows of nerrow black velvet ribbon. No shoulder straps. * The New York revival of those two Valentino pictures, “The Sheik” and “The Son of the Sheik,” was so successful that Agnes Ayres, the heroine, has been booked for a 20- weeks’ personal appearance tour. And two more Valentino pictures will be brought forth. —*— Speaking of those Valentino pic tures, Verree Teasdale and Adolph Menjou were in New York, before sailing for Europe, when they were being shown, and he was none too anxious for her to see “The Sheik” and see how funny he looked on the screen in those days. * Norma Shearer would like to do a smart modern comedy, after her long siege of costume pictures, so you may see her in “The Women,” NORMA SHEARER which had a long run as a success ful play before being handed over to motion pictures. Norma has a way of getting what she wants—as Marion Davies found out when they both wanted “Marie Antoinette” and Norma got it. * Remember Eric von Stroheim, who used to make pictures (‘Greed” and “Foolish Wives” among them,) that cost milliqns? He’s acting in French pictures now —which usually cost not more than $75,000. Incidentally, Jean Hersholt was reminiscing about “Greed” the oth er day—how it was way over the right length, and von Stroheim felt so badly about having it cut that he wouldn’t even look at the film that was finally released. * ODDS AND ENDS—A radio actor and director who learned nineteen language* is on the air—as a dialect stooge and imitator of animals . . . Many of the professional radio announcers are bad, but after hearing a dozen amateurs try out the other day the worst of them sounded marvelous . . . Bette Davis re fused to be included in a list of movie dom’s ten most beautiful girls; said “Th> idea is silly, because I’m not even a neai beauty" . . . It's said that Metro spent $250,000 developing “I Married an Anger as a picture, and finally abandoned it— whereupon it was bought for the stage, where its a tremendous success. 9 Western Newspaper Union. Prepared by National Geographic Society. Washington, D. C.—WNU Service. A CHANGE which empha sizes unchanging tradi tion has taken place in Oberammergau, Germany, the small Bavarian town where ev ery decade a performance of the Passion Play attracts thou sands of visitors. The change came through the death of An-< ton Lang, for thirty years the former Christus of the Passion Play. Death, however, changes the players but does not stop the presentation of the Passion Play, which for centuries has been performed to fulfill a vow of the villagers in the Seven teenth century. Until about 150 years ago the sight of the towering mountains filled the people of Oberammergau with awe; in fact, fear; and they were looked upon more as drawbacks than as objects of beauty and inspiration. The custom of offsetting the de pressing effect of the looming rocky background by vivid color still pre vails, and besides old but ever fresh fresco paintings depicting scenes from the Bible on the walls of the houses, new ones are beginning to decorate several homes. These show a more modem trend, and general ly arc done by young Bavarian ar tists. They lend vivid color to a street scene already bright with houses painted yellow, pink, green, and blue. Hardly a house lacks a balcony, and this, like all the windowsills, is lined with a profusion of flowers. Green shutters and painted frames around the windows put a special stress on the “eyes” of most homes. Usually near the door, in large letters, is exhibited the name and occupation of the owner, who might well appear to be the proprietor of the entire valley as he complacently walks through the streets and fields,' hills and mountains. Born here, he feels himself part of all this. In the Home and Fields. The inside of his birthplace breathes the same spirit. The cen ter is not the kitchen whence the healthful, frugal meals come, but the living room with a carved wooden crucifix solemnly hanging in one comer. There is the cradle of family life. There the men and women and children assemble when they come home from field or shop. The fields yield just enough grass for the cattle and potatoes for the people, though most of the villagers have their own little gardens. Farmhouse and stable are usual ly in one building. This saves the peasant many a step in bad weather and keeps him always near his be loved cows, which in turn help sup ply warmth in the long, cold winter. The arrival of the White King is hailed by everybody, for the thick blanket he always spreads over the mountains and the valley does not mean being buried for four or five months. Oberammergau lies in about the same latitude as Montreal, and masses of snow cover the moun tains, at times to a depth of 30 feet. Many visitors come to try their luck on skis, and skiing be comes an easy accomplishment for the local youngsters. St. Peter Distributes Milk. Singing and whistling, Hubert Mayr, the St. Peter of the Passion Play, drives his little pony cart through the town every day, dis tributing milk among the people. How happy and pleased he is that at last his life’s dream has come true and he has become “St. Peter” 1 The meek manners of Hugo Rutz, the village blacksmith, would never lead one to guess thpt on the stage he was the fiery high prfest, Caia- phas, inciting the mob against Jesus. Anton Lechner, teacher of draw ing at the loca’ woodcarving school, is just as much of a surprise. Ludwig Lang, fierce - looking Barabbas on the stage, is a peaceful cowherd who may be seen walking along the street at 6 o’clock almost any morning, driving a herd of cows into the fields and hills, and not returning until 6 at night. That is the rush hour for the cows, and traffic has to comply with their whims as they slowly trot home ward, never minding the honking of automobiles that might get into their path. The Play Is Their Life Mission. J)>3t as the ability to act seems to be in the blood of the majoruy, the people of Oberammergau hold a deeply inbred feeling of personal re sponsibility toward their important task, their sacred tradition. They live and die for their play. They do not play to live, but live to play— which may at times appear incom prehensible to the hurried traveler, rushing in and out again without ever penetrating more deeply into the meaning of the villagers’ work, habits, and customs. All amusements, such as dancing, are prohibited during the solid year of preparation for, and concentra tion upon, the Passion Play. Yet the village, during its six months of rehearsing tinder Georg Lang’s most able direction (there are more than 30 families of the name of Lang in Oberammergau), dons fes tive attire. Houses look more at tractive. Gardens, streets, walks, and parks hum with activity. The year 1940 will display about the same course of things, but there will be more buses and auto mobiles from May until September. Once again, for a period of five months, the village will be handed over, willy-nilly, to the countless vis itors, their prejudices and criti cisms, their whims, their admira tion and praise of what is but nat ural to those laboring in the homes and playing on the stage of the mammoth theater before 6,200 spec tators, occasionally as often as five times a week. How the Play Is Presented. From 8:15 a. m. to 5:25 p. m., with two hours’ recess for lunch, the thou sands watch the performance with tense interest from beginning to end, never turning their eyes, which are often dimmed with tears, from the recently built and modernized cen tral stage. In front of it, flanked by the house of Pilate and the palace of Annas, opens the proscenium, 140 feet wide, on which—rain or sunshine— the mass scenes take place and the 47 members of the chorus—all local talent—appear, led in and out by the majestic figure of the Speaker of the Prologue, whose task is to in troduce each act of a tableau. He has more lines than any other mem ber of the cast. There are 24 of these artistically set and lavishly mounted pictures, irregularly scattered among the 16 acts and representing scenes from the Old Testament, running parallel with the New. The very beginning of the per formance, announced by the boom of a cannon discharged on a dis tant hill, plunges the audience into deep silence, and absorption. Or chestra, choir, prologue, and tab leaux heighten this mood; then the curtains part. Impressive Climax of the Drama. Now Christ triumphantly enters Jerusalem. The jealous priests be gin their work against Him, while Christ bids farewell to His Mother and friends at Bethany before re turning to the city of His doom. There the last Supper unites Him and His twelve disciples once more. Judas hastens away to betray His Master in the Mount of Olives. Christ is seized. The afternoon sees Him before the high council, slandered, mocked, and jeered, and eventually sent to Pontius Pilate, who passes Him on to King Herod. Peter repents his sin of denial, whereas Judas finds no way out but the rope. Christ is scourged and crowned with thorns, and presented to a raging mob in a scene of highest dramatic values. Pilate finally hands Him over to His enemies, and, with the Cross on His bleed ing shoulders, Christ staggers up to Golgotha to be fastened to the Cross, to die, pierced by a spear in realistic manner. We see Him rise again from the tomb, and, in the finest of all tab leaux, ascend to Heaven. —GREAT BOOKS Siege of Troy Recounted in Homer’s Story By ELIZABETH C. JAMES 'T'HE story of “The Iliad” by Ho- mer takes place during the Tro jan war and relates the wrath of Achilles, greatest of warriors. It is now the ninth year of siege when Homer begins his epic and the Greeks are encamped on the shores of Asia Minor, besieging Troy. They are dejected as the poem begins, for their hero will not fight. The mighty Achilles sulks in his tent. Agememnon, com mander of Greek forces, had demand ed a slave girl who had previously been awarded to Achilles as part of the spoils of battle. Thus un justly treated by his commander, Achil les retired to his tents with his fol lowers and refused to fight. During the days of this quarrel, conversations among the men re late previous happenings. Helen, most beautiful woman of history, was wdoed by every prince of Greece. To protect the fortunate winner, all these chieftains swore \o defend Helen, should the necessity ever arise. She finally chose Mene- laus to be her husband. Sometime after this, Paris of Troy, a hand some youth, came to visit at the palace of Menelaus. When he re turned, he took Helen back to Troy with him. Thus all Greek chieftains were called upon to fulfill their vows and go to reclaim Helen. Elizabeth James Pretends to Be Mad. Ulysses, happily married, did not wish to go on such a quest. He pretended madness, and plowed the fields, sowing salt. When the boats were ready to sail for Troy, the winds stopped. An oracle explained that a maiden of royal birth must be sacrificed. So, Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon, was made a human propitiation'to the god of winds. Nine years of encampment then followed with neither side gaining much advantage. Meanwhile with in the walls of Troy, Helen’s great TRADITIONAL POET The Iliad and the Odyssey were recited or performed every four years at Athens during the clas sical period. Homer is the tradi tional poet of these two poems; be has no existence apart from his poetry. The facts of his life are traditional or are surmised from his writings. As far back as the classical period in Greece, Homer was an ancient poet. The classical Greeks made translations of his work, they wrote lives of Homer, they taught his poems and made analyses of his work. The lan guage which he used in the origi nal poems was ancient to the classical Greeks. beauty had so completely captured the Trojan people that they fought madly to keep her within their city. Hector Challenges. Then occurred the incident of the slave girl and Achilles’ wrath. Hec tor, the greatest warrior of Troy, came forth and issued a challenge for individual combat. But no one answered. Achilles was the only man to fight this Trojan warricr, and Achilles would not fight. Then Patroclus, dear friend of Achilles, borrowed the armor of Achilles and went forth to uphold the fair name of Greece. From his tents Achilles saw his friend die. With a roar he rushed into the battle, but he had no armor. He would recover Patroclus’ body for burial. The sound of his voice was enough; the Trojans were back inside the wall. Achilles must have new armor. His goddess mother came and of fered to have a suit forged in the fires of Vulcan. Achilles Fights Hector Clad in his new armor, Achilles sought Hector for combat. The mighty warriors were evenly matched. Around they circled, each seeking an opening in the other’s guard. Time passed, yet they fought furiously, neither gaining advantage over the other. A goddess favoring Achilles flew down from Olympus and clouded the eyes of Hector, so that Achilles succeeded in smiting him a powerful stroke with his sword. Hector lay in the dust, his plumes and fine clothing despoiled. A wail went up from the tops of the walls of Troy as Achilles fastened thongs in the heels of Hec tor and tied him to his chariot, then drove madly round the walls of Troy. Late at night there came a visitor to the tents of Achilles, it was Priam, aged king of Troy and father of Hector. Weeping, he pleaded for the body of his son, he recounted the glory of Hector and with tears of love he proved that Hector was too noble to be forced to wander forever through the shades for lack of proper burial. Achilles heard his prayer with compassion and gave to him the body of his son. S Bell Syndicate—WNU Service. MidsummerFashions For Tea and Tennis 'T'WO of the most important -*• things for midsummer are: a sleeveless dress of the most cas ual sort for sports and daytime, and a cool dress with cape or jacket, to wear on the street and for afternoons. The two here sug gested represent the very best of these types. Make them yourself, in fabrics and colprs of your own choosing, and rejoice in the km>wl- edge that you have some verf in dividual new clothes. Sleeveless Sports Frock. Even if you never take a tennis racquet in your hand, you’ll enjoy having this cool, classic dress for summer daytimes. In pique, linen, seersucker or gingham, it will look and feel so cool and fresh! Perfectly straight and plain, it has darts at the waistline to make it fit with becoming slim ness. This is a diagram pattern —practically nothing to make! Afternoon Cape Ensemble. With or without the cape, this dress with lifted waistline to flatten the midriff, is a charming, slenderizing style. The cape is a darling—puffed high at the shoul ders, and made with arm slits so that it won’t be always slipping off your shoulders. Make this de sign in georgette, chiffon, linen, or in a pretty combination of plain or printed silk. The Patterns. Pattern No. 1544 is designed for sizes 14, 16, 18, 20; 40 and 42. Size 16 requires 3% yards of 39 inch material for the dress; 2y« for the cape; to line cape, 2% yards. Pattern No. 1546 is designed for sizes 12, 14, 16, 18, 20; 40 and 42. Size 14 requires 3 yards of 35 inch material. ZVi yards bias binding to trim as pictured. 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. 6 Bell Syndicate.—WNU Service. KQDLAID^# ' FREE AVIATION Law of Existence Compensation is the law of ex istence the world over.—Emerson. ruined eyes by neglect; they get red and sore and you let them go. Don’t do it. Leonardos Golden Eye Lotion cures soreness without pain in one day. Cools, heals and strengthens. LBONAKDrS GOLDEN EYE LOTION MAKES WEAK EYES STRONG 303 at ad New Large Sit* with Drafftr—SO coats a. El L.»«rM W Ca^Maw EMertl., M. T. Aimless Speaking without thinking is shooting without aim.—Cato. Everything you want in NEW YORK! • it right around thli quiat, conganial hotel. Room, with bath from $2-50 tlnglo, $4 double. FAMOUS FOR OOOD FOOD. Wocrdstock 43rd St. East of Broadway TIMES SQUARE NEW YORK