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Show THE RICH COUNTY REAPER, RANDOLPH, UTAH J AT THE CROSSROADS 88 ' By MEREDITH SCHOLL Associated Newspapers, WNU Service. T USED to be, said Andy Blum, that muscular develop- ment was a mans chief asset in competing for his ladys fair hand; today we have females who endorse such masculine qualities as mental alertness, cleanliness, artistic development, personality, etc. Andy tapped out his pipe and blew through the stem. I grinned at him. But Isobel Venn belonged to the old school, eh? I asked. Well, yes. said Andy, stuffing fresh tobacco into his pipe, and then again I 1 no. He struck a match and puffed contentedly. You see, he went op, it was like this : Isobel was pretty as a picture to begin with, and popular, too, She lived over in Barrett, which is a town fifteen miles north of here, boasting a population of some 2,000 Inhabitants. Isobel went away to college when she was eighteen, and came back when 6he was twenty-two- . College had imher The looks, anyway. proved her; young chaps around town kinda opened their eyes and goggled when they saw her at the Country club dance the night after her return. And before the evening was over, shed made dates for every evening two weeks ahead, and had rejected two proposals of marriage. You couldnt blame those youngsters much. Isobel was beautiful and she had culture and knew the technique of flirting to the nth degree. It was fun being the belle of a small town, she thought, where there was no competition to worry about. And, though she had no intention of ever becoming serious with any of the town boys, she encouraged their attentions and enjoyed herself. In a month she intended returning to the city, anyhow, so what difference did it make? But the month passed and Isobel didnt return to the city. Her fathers machine shop was running on half time and he couldnt afford to send her a weekly allowance until she secured herself a Job, so there was nothing for Isobel to do but stay home. She didnt mind, however. She was getting a big kick out of being the belle of Barrett was, In fact, acquiring a touch of swelled headedness. There was one youth among the local boys named Ben Hutchins who interested Isobel more than the others. with whipcord He was a big muscles and fearless eyes and a wide grin. Isobel admired him for his physical fitness and skill as much as anything. Ben played on the local baseball team, had captained the high school football squad; could do high and fancy diving, and could drive a golf ball farther than any two members of the local club. Besides this,. Ben had ambitions. He wanted to be a lawyer, and was taking a night course In a neighboring city to bring about this end. By and large, he was a little above the average Barrett youth, though he had neither breeding nor education, and several times Isobel vaguely considered accepting one of his many proposals of marriage. She could do a lot worse, she thought, because Ben was dependable and could offer security in these uncertain times. "When you are out of touch with the world that lies beyond your horizons for any length of time you are apt to become acclimated to your present environment and slip all unknowingly into the proverbial rut of living. It was so with Isobel. Before a year had passed she had adjusted herself to Barrett and to Barretts mode of living and become a part of It .With each passing week Ben Hutchins became more attractive, more desirable. And when summer again rolled around she had about decided to succumb to his constant pleadings, probably would have done so had it not been for Ted six-foot- er J . v ed the fact that she was going to marry him. He was not like them or of them. In fact, when you came right down to it, he wasnt much of any- Firestones on a thing. There were whisperings that he was a coward, that he lacked physical Isobel felt tmeasy. She recourage. membered that Ted had expressed a loathing for athletics, for most things, in fact, that required physical aptitude. She began to wonder, thinking of Ben Hutchins. There had never been any doubt in her mind but what she could always respect and admire Ben, and she knew now that the reason for it was because he was physically strong and lacking in fear. Ridiculous to doubt, because of this, her love for Ted. Yet the trait of respecting and admiring physical prowess in a mate was inherent with Isobel, as it was with all the folks of Barrett If he proved himselw a coward, she would forever regret her decision, would always be unhappy. "Foolishly, unthinkingly, she resolved to put him to the test. She condemned herself for it, yet felt the need of knowing if the rumors she had heard about him were justified. And so, In late summer, when Ted came back for a weeks vacation, he one day received an anonymous letter through the mail. It was typewritten and read: We believe in fighting for our women up here. Isobel belongs to Ben Hutchins. Unless youre a coward, be at the Wayland crossroad tonight at nine oclock, and come alone. Ted smiled to himself and tore the note to bits. That night at nine oclock he stopped his roadster near the Way-lancrossroads and sat in it waiting. Presently a figure approached, and he heard a joyful feminine cry. Isobel stepped up on the running board and threw her arms about his neck. Oh, darling, I knew youd come! I knew you werent afraid that all those things they said about you werent true! Oh, Ted darling Just a minute, said Ted, in his soft voice. I dont quite understand. Let me get this straight. I received a note He broke off and his eyes opened wide. Did you write that note, d Isobel? Oh, Ted, dont you see? I had to know. They said you you were afraid ! Ted smiled and gently disentangled her arms from about his neck. I see, he said, a lot of things, chief among which is that we that I have made a mistake. I mean, darling, there would be a few difficulties about our married life that never could be ironed out. We dont speak the same language, if you get me. We belong to different ages, I mean. However, thank you for showing me the light before it was too late. And with this, Ted stepped on the starter and drove away. Back at the crossroads, Isobel stood and watched him go. There was blank astonishment on her face. She couldnt understand what hed meant, which Is proof enough in itself that they never would have been happy together. Gateway of St. James Is All Left of Old Palace The gateway of the palace of St. James, London, is all that remains of the old palace of St. James. Its name is derived from a religious house dedicated to St James, situated upon this site before the conquest, notes a writer in the Indianapolis News. After Westminster was burned, Henry VIII obtained an act of parliament which secured all the land between Charing Cross and Westminster as a , royal manor. This gave him York palace, the residence of Cardinal Wolsey, and St. James. He changed the name of York palace to Whitehall and connected it with St. James park. This was the town residence of royalty from Henry VIII to William III After the burning of Whitehall, William III bought Kensington, the fourth royal residence, but St James was retained as the court palace. All state ceremonials have taken place here since the reign of William and Mary Hence the English government is called the court of St. James. Any Englishman who has been presented at St. James is entitled to a presentation at any other court of Europe. Carroll Charles I resided at St. James here Ted was a civil engineer. He came his three children were born, and from up from Frisco to investigate condi- here he walked across St. James park tions around the site of the proposed to the scaffold in front of Whitehall. power dam hack of Eagle hilL He was Queen Victoria was proclaimed queen a boy, but with, the un- and was married at St James. mistakable mark of the city about him. And about him, too, was an air of reSt. Elmos Fire finement and culture. He was different The brush discharges of electricity from the youths of Barrett, because his known as St Elmos fire, or corposants not to mention a score of less faways were gentle, his voice soft and musical miliar names are most often formed Isobel met him at the opening ball at the tips of masts and spars on ships at the Country dub. They danced to- and at points and angles of various gether all evening, and the next day, elevated objects on land, Including Sunday, Ted drove her up to the dam lightning rods, church spires, and the site in his roadster. They seemed to ridgepoles of buildings, writes Charles be living in a sort of spell, as if each Fitzhugh Talman in American Mer had awakened something in the other cury. They occur when, with low clouds that was beautiful and inspiring. A overhead, thunderstorms are breeding month passed, and then Ted asked Iso- or in action, but also frequently during bel to marry him and Isobel accepted. snow and . dust storms. They are They set the wedding date for next caused in all cases by a leakage of electricity from charged objects into September. Ted went back to Frisco, and Iso- the surrounding air, such as gives sim bel, left alone, became slowly aware ilar effects in the laboratory and may of the ill will of her fellow towns- be seen at night forming a violet corSurprisingly, she discovered, ona along an electric transmission- line people. Ted Carroll, and resent carrying high voltage. resented they good-lookin- g Tire-Les- e Two of Every 3 Chinese Babies Die in First Year Hongkong. Two out of every three babies born In China die before reaching the age of one year, according to figures taken from the Annual Medical Services Report and from records compiled by the League of Nations. chilOut of every 1,000 dren born in Hongkong, 49.78 die within their first year. A total of 19,516 Chinese deaths were registered last year in this city, and of these 7,094 were babies. Infant mortality figures for the Far East, with the exception of China proper, for which there are no available figures, are as follows: Hongkong, 347.38 a thousand ; Straits Settlements, 166 ; Philippines, 165 Ceylon, 158 ; Federated Malay States, 139; Japan, 132. The death rate among Chinese In Hongkong is the highest throughout Asia with 21.13 a thousand of popuOf lation. countries, the only ones with a higher mortality rate than Hongkong are Egypt, Chile and Puerto Rico. According to the most recently compiled figures for other countries, the death rate of infants under one year of age a thousand population is: United Kingdom, GS; England and Wales, 65 ; United States, 63 ; France, 76 ; Ireland, 71; Austria, 103; Germany, 143; Bulgaria, 154; Hungary, 186. non-Chine- These members of the Firestone tire clan are in Madeira enjoying a rifle on a vehicle that has no tires not even wheels. They are skidding from a high point to the valley' guided by two natives holding the ropes. Left to right on the vehicle are: Mr. and Mrs. Harvey S. Firestone, Jr, of Akron, Ohio, and Roger S. Firestone. End Boundary Squabble Between Iraq and Iran Important River Was Chief Bone of Contention. Washington. Iraq and Iran (Persia) recently settled themselves, a boundary dispute so serious that it had been taken to the League of Nations. The bone of contention was the a river formed by the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, flowing into the Persian gulf. The importance to Iraq and Iran is not apparent upon first glance at the map, says the National Geographic society. Only 54 miles of the river, stretching from 16 miles below Basra to the Persian gulf, are of commercial importance to both countries. More than 800 steamers sail up the to Abaeach year to Basra, Iraq,-ana of silt Tons Iran. of. dan, busy port are carried down the river annually. In flood times the silt enriches farms along the river banks. Silt a Blessing and Curse. While silt is a blessing to farmers, it is a curse to mariners. At Fao, a seaport near the mouth of the it piles up In a crescentshaped bar which (s a hindrance to navigation. Channels across the bar frequently shift and have to be dredged Shatt-al-Ara- Shatt-al-Ara- Shatt-al-Ara- b d Shatt-al-Ara- b, WHITE HOUSE AIDE non-Asia- worlds date palms in Iraq, or 30,000,000 trees. At least half of are. concentrated along the Near Basra, date groves an unbroken stretch of over 36" along the river bank. some these Shatt-al-Ara- b. form miles Oil Piped 140 Miles. Iran also grows many dates, exporting about 40,000 tons to the British empire in good years. A largo pro- portion of Irans 10,000,000 date palms grow along the Many of the steamers ascending the stop at Abadan, an Iranian port of 40,000 Inhabitants. n Here is located a refinery of the Oil company, into which oil is piped from Iranian oil fields 140 miles away. It is shipped in tankers to Great Britain, or to ships in the Mediterranean. North of Abadan, steamers reach Basra, a busy Iraq port with a population, largely Arab, of over 80,000. In the date season, the harbor of The Date City is crowded with steamers from England and India taking on cargoes of the fruit. Basra is also a commercial center for a caravan trade with the Interior, and the terminus of the railroad to Baghdad, 354 miles farther north. Besides dates, Basra exports horses, camels, carpets, wool and wheat. At A1 Qurna, north of Basra, the chocolate-colore- d Tigris flows into the slower, murky Euphrates. Natives in boats spin down queer, these rivers, meet at A1 Qurna, and float together down their mingled waters, known as the n Shatt-al-Ara- BLUE BONNET GIRL Shatt-al-Ara- b Anglo-Persia- Winner in a contest of more than girls for the honor of being Dallas' most perfect photographic model, became Irene Caldwell, twenty-two- , the official blue bonnet girl of the Texas Centennial exposition. As such she will be official hostess of the exposition when it opens June 6. The blue bonnet gown she wears In this He Gets Paid to Throw picture was designed for formal offiHis Shadow for Planes cial occasions. The hat carries a sprig Kansas City. There is nothing un- of blue bonnet, the Texas state flowusual about John Smith, Jr.s, name, er; the dress has blue bonnets delibut there is about his job. He is a cately traced upon it, and the gloves are blue bonnet blue." Smith operates the 7,000,000-candlpower searchlight at the municipal and projects his body in silhouette airport in Kansas City. When a plane over the nose of the plane to shield Is due, his activithe pilots eyes. Smith and his dark twin have been ties begin. He stabs the darkness with his brildoing this Job for eight years. He is, r. liant light. Then Smith, wearing a he says, the only professional Its light work, he heavy overcoat for protection from the heat, steps in front of the light bowl-shape- 600 d Shatt-al-Ara- b. 1 (1688-1702- ). Violin Prize Spurs Winner to Emulation Westfield, Mass. More than a half century ago Horace Ripley won a violin in a lottery. The following year he won another. That second fiddle was a pretty good one, and the more I looked at it the more I thought Id see if I could make one like it, he said. Ripley carved out a violin with his jack knife. Then another. Toyears of age, he day at eighty-fivestimates he has made 75 to 100 violins, several zithers and two guitars all by hand. , (1509-1702- Vehicle s shadow-throwe- r. e shadow-throwin- g ). shadow-throwe- Commander Paul H. Basted o, (J. S. navy, who was appointed naval aide to President Roosevelt, effective in May, 1936. Commander Capt. Wilson Bastedo Brown, who succeeds resumes Jubilee on His First Birthday V Hkx- sea duty. continually. Along the rivers lower reaches, the reed and banks are composed of mud so soft that it is almost impossible to land on grass-covere- d them. Once across the bar, ocean steamers for nearcan ascend the ly 93 of its 123 miles. Its average depth is from 20 to 35 feet, its average width 500 to GOO yards. The trip upstream gives one lively glimpses of the life of the region. On the banks one catches sight of ducks and snipes, wild hogs, and herds of cattle and buffaloes feeding on vegetation that extends down to the waters edge. Both banks of the river are green. Gardens and groves stretch inland for from 1,000 yards to two miles. Grains, opium, hemp, lentils, and dates are produced. When one buys a package of dried dates in a local shop, the chances are it came from Iraq, via the for Iraq produces more than half of the world supply. In 1933-3it exEstiported 114,300 tons of dates. d mates place nearly of the Shatt-al-Ara- b ' Shatt-al-Ara- 4 one-thir- b, 4 Jubilee," the baby chimpanzee at the London zoo, recently celebrated bis first birthday. His mother, Boo Boo," aided her youngster to make merry. Two cakes, a teddy bear and a ball were among the anniversary gifts received. In this unusual picture Boo Boo is supervising her offsprings eating of a i frosted cake bearing one candle. ; |