Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-05
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

it doesn't, we'll. it doesnt How could
anything be more simple? And yet
every one has seen a set owner who
actually prided himself on his personal
ability to pick up stations" II a
visitor turns to a particular wave
length and nothing comes in, the i'm
pulses being on the outbound of the
customary fade" of the particular sta
| ton, such set owner will jiggle with
the set until the signals" return, then
| he will turn around with look of
great achievement in his eyes, as If he
| had actually done something when all
the time it was simply Nature taking its
own course. The funny part of it Is
that no amount of argument can con-
vince him that he didn't do it all by
| himself Such is the conceit of human
nature.
What liars radio broadcast listeners
are, to be sure Old Sam Jones comes
! to you with list of 200 stations which
he has tuned in" on his set with in
/ finite skill, patience and ingeniosity
One would think, to hear him talk, that
every last station of the 200 came roar
! ing in with all the strength and power
of local" The cold truth Of the mat
| ter is that Sam barely heard 100 of the
stations, and was forced to caution his
| family time and time again to shut
up" in order that he might gus at the
call letters" (There, by the way, is
another outworn phrase, in so far as the
radio broadcast listener is concerned
1t must not be forgotten that the whole
lingo used in popular broadcaSting is
an heritage from the radio telegra-
pliers, and never had much and now
has practically no significance to the
man who has a receiver in his living
| room.)
We had Henry Gearshift on his ra-
dio set. He tuned in" (yoG can't get
away from it, in the middle of a
number.
His right foot began to wag.
Haydn" he announced, rather
proud of his ability to pronounce the
word correctly, as if written "High-din."
Low brows, Gearshift told himself, in
voluntarily called it Haydn" and no
one could blame them for it, either.
Certainly it spells hay"
Nothing delighted Gearshift more
than to catch an announcer mispro-
nouncing the names and works of COM
posers. The fact that a broadcast
announcer must have smatter of
French, German, italian, Russian and
heavens knows what else languages
meant mourning at all 10 Henry deaT-
shift. "Of course they must" was his
comment. THAT is their business"
He sat tapping his right foot on the
waxed floor.
Henry, please move your chair over
onto the rug" came an admonishing
voice.
IN bet you that is one of Haydn's
symphonies" answered Gearshift, shift
ing himself as well as he could without
getting up.
"Oh, I don't think So"
why. sure it is. Listen to that-if
| that isn't Haydn I'll eat it, Catch the
| jollity of those bars, listen to the -four
ishes, irnbibe the cheer of those meas
ures."
AS the composition progressed, Henry
grew more and more positive that he
had guessed the composer. He had
heard too much Of Papa" Haydn to be
mistaken. Why, child could tell his
music, there was something so bright,
so happy about it.
The music ended. Nov we'll
know" said Gearshift, as he waited for
the announcer. That merry person
soon came in "You have just heard
the overture to Beethovens 'Fidelio,
ladies and gentlemen" he said. There
will now be short pause for station
| announcements"