Evening star., 1927-09-01

There is staid old Boston, with it's
'pale cast Of thought" which should
not be disturbed with riotous noises.
Not since the Indians swarmed down
to the harbor and, with raucous
whoops, threw a lot Of tea into the
salt water, have the proprieties been
so shocked as they have been in the
recent Sacco-VanZetti riots. That
must not occur again. and while they
are facing the nuisance of unseemly
noises in the public streets, they will
scientifically analyze the causes. SO
today there are professors on the un-
dertaking, measuring every rattle and
cry and rumble which disturbs the
peace. Boston chooses to have silence.
Perhaps it is only preliminary re-
port which the scientists have given
out, but the Boston Transcript re-
ceives 1t with open-mouthed wonder:
The way to have silence in the houses
is to revert to small-paned windows,
for small panes do not make the wide
vibrations made by big panes. When
the Indians lived there, before the
Mayflower doomed into the harbor,
the paths were quiet and the ways
were ways of peace. Even when the
Pilgrim Fathers built their log huts
they used no single-pane sashes; they
used oiled paper. That gave out no
rumble or rattle. So it must be the
windows that make all the noise.
Small panes, colonial sizes, but mod
ernized by using plate glass at least
half an inch thick! Then il the rivet-
ing machines do not respond to the
officers "Hush!" let all subscribers to
the Transcript go out and demonstrate
with "Tut.tut" Just like that! That
is language that the riveters must un-
erstand-Tut-tut-tu
SO far, the scientific analyZers seem
to have considered remedy which
fits only Winter, when the windows
are closed. Is that because OF this
Summarizes season? Have they so
soon forgot that even in austere Bos-
ton windows are cut decollete in sum-
mer? How be quiet when windows
are run wide open?
* " X
This passion for silence has spread
already and is epidemic In Ne"
York. There the cause OF the null
sance noise Is not windows, but MIX
men. These rafting milkmen are
using iron tires on their wagons ana
arriving in reverberating courts at
unseemlv hours, so disturbing the
morning beauty maps of residents
who have just left the Great Wnite
Way and long to have quiet. An IN,
| junction Is demanded which VIII ehd
| in rubber tires, for there Is no snort
age of rubber necks avallaple as raw
material Rubber makes Tor slience:
And If the sleepy New YorKers sue
coed in their slogan, tits time TO re-
tirer, probably they will go a step
farther and demand rubber heels on
the horses hoofs. In some countries
| the people require their milkmen 10
"show them" where they get 1t, ana
so the goats are driven right up
stairs and milked before the gentle.
men from (hgurative) Missouri.
New York, too, Is progressive, ana
| NAV vet get the milkmens goats.
| But thew must be deaf and DUMP
goats, fully denaturized as to out-
| ters."
After all. this matter OF nuisance
noises Is serious in all cities OF the
| first class, whatever 1t may De In
towns Of the sixth class, sucn as
tolerate a VIII Rogers mayor. Tesia
| the scientist, once declared tnat ny
ascertaining the keynote OF any ouiiu,
ing or stone archway he could cause
the stoutest masonry to crash. simply
by playing that note upon a viohn'
There are people who quite agree
with that statement, after enduring
unnecessary noises so long that their
frenzied nerves crash and everything
tumbles about their distracted brains
If a violin can bring down the house
what of a trombone persistently prac'
ticed? All things have keynotes.
Every noise requires certain
amount of physical resistance. even
though the listener Is unconscious OF
the sound. One acquires subcon
scious habit of refusing to hear un
welcome noises, but they tax the
nervous powers Of endurance and re
aista uca inst the same. One may