The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-01
The Torch Bearer

The Torch Bearer
 Some folks object to the grade crossings. One should not be unreasonable about this. For example, the other morning we were held up by two freight trains. Ore of twenty-two cars was going east, and one of thirty-one was going west. From this we deduce that the east is producing more than the west. How in the world could we have obtained this information had we nos been held up by the trains?
 Then we noted also that there were hardly ever two cars in succession bearing the initials of the same road This taught us that all the railroads make up for their lack of freight-cara by borrowing them from all the other roads
 When the viaducts and under-passes arc completed the public will scarcely know what freight train looks like. We were kept waiting nearly long enough study out how to run the railroads. If all the people who have to wait at the crossings were to apply their minds to some profitable reflec- tian, all the aa.ion's troubles could be solved in a day or two. Just think of it!
 French Actress Plans Flight from New York to Coast.-Headline. She'll probably just jump off the wharf.
 Why Athens Fell
 "The civilization of ancient Greece and Rome was destroyed by mosquitoes planting poison in the blood"
 o-',y x,,,SrSJe oro po+ han to us hv the press agent of "Dr Umph's Insect Exter- minator, 25 cents the Bottle at all Drug gists" They are words of wisdom spoken by one of the scientists in session at Gam bridge, Mass, the birthplace of old George w. Culture himself.
 There is an ancient saying that history repeats itself. It does more than that. It. double-crosses itself. Old Man Gibbon wrote truckload of words on the Ups and Downs of the Roman Empire and modern scien- tist condenses it into one wold-"stung."
 Consider how different the modern world would be if the mel who made history in ancient days had been wise to the evil inflI- ence of the mosquito. If Homer, instead of weaving the Iiad, had woven mosquito net; if Phidias, instead of building open-work temples, had buded screened-in sleeping porches; if Cato Cor whoever it was). in stead of going around yelling Make bum out of Carthage" had cried, Swat the mos quitor' the course of human events might have been changed completely.
 When we study the statuary of ancient times and consider the lack of apparel thereon, it is easy to understand the ravages of the mosquito. The unfortunate Greeks and Romans had not enough clothes to pro- tect them. Life, toya mosquito, was just one free lunch after another.
 Now we know how Venus of Milo lost her arms She wore them off swatting mos ouitoes Now we know why Diogenes car ried lantern through the streets of Athens. It was not to find an honest man, as histo- rans have led us to believe. It was to ere-' ate a smudge to keep the mosquitoes off his legs Now we can understand why the Greeks were so athletic and warike. The mosquitoes kept them active and mad. swarm of Persians meant little to Greek who had spent his life fighting swarms of mosquitoes.
 The uncultured races that came down from the north and wiped out the civilization of southern Europe were immune to mosquito bites. They had little larnin', but they had pants. Their trousers were not the Kam- pus-Kut creations of today, but they were sufficient to protect them against insectivo- rous attack. Trousers were too ugly for the beauty-loving Greek, but the mosquito was barbarian. A meal was meal to him | nothing more. And thus Greek civilization pershed martyr to the artistic tempera- | ment.
 | A correspondent wants to know what be- came of the old-fashioned citizen who mind- | ed his own business.
 His business must have prospered so as allow him time now to look after other peo- ple's affairs.