Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-24


their Summer vacations in temporary
work or ainleSs pleasure have now
- taken to the trees in a sincere effort
to establish new records for endurance sit
ting. Others are pedaling bicycles on lengthy
nonstop rides, while still more are trying out
forms of endurance stunts that have never
before been attempted.
The reports of these Nation wide contests are
pouring in like the returns from presidential
election Every day brings new facts from the
txee-sitters.
Before Bill Kearney, the 10-year-old tree
straddler; of Kansas City had reached the ZOO
hour mark in his endurance sit, hundreds OF
other aspiring juveniles were in the race.
Chicago boasts an 11-month-old baby-the
worlds youngest e-sitter'-who was hoisted
to a limb by his 6-year-od sister and "refueled
with milk bottles supplied by his proud mother.
Buck Sawyer Of Sweetwater. Tex, Is an en-
terprising youth who sold ads at dollar apiece
and hung them on the tree where he was
perched.
Judy, a bulldog, of Amarillo, Tex. entered
the game and remained on a board in tree
for more than SO hours, while Camden N. j.,
and Monroe La, are credited with tree-sitting
kittens that have willingly accompanied their
owners to lofty positions in the tree branches.
THE craze has become SO rampant that it
has excited both comment and action from
local and Federal authorities Mayor Hoverter
of Harrisburg, Pa. broke up the efforts OF nu-
merous tree-sitters by instructing the police TO
clear all trees between the property lines and
the curbs. C. S. Ling, United States weather
observer, also pointed out the dangers of tree
sitting in electrical storms and advised the use
of lightning rods.
DIR. Hugh s. Cumming, surgeon general Of
the United states Public Health Service, in this
CITY has issued statement branding tree
sitting as Injurious" through exhaustion to
the health and proper mental perspective of the
youths who attempt it. The city health officials
IAxna nEWy in to froa-
sitters to protect them from falling from their
roosts and to prevent them from being bitten by
caterpillars or other insects.
The police of Philadelphia have been called
into action on several occasions, not only TO end
the tests" of certain tree-sitters but to protect
others against annoying attacks from boys who
have not succumbed to the epidemic.
The boy bicycle derbyiSts are on the increase.
They have been recorded in Indianapolis, chi
cago and more than q dozen towns In New Jer-
sey and Long Island. Their stunt is to pedal
bicycle in relays six hours at q stretch, with
short rest periods, and their purpose Is to keep
the vehicle going until it falls apart.
II ZEN analysts of Juvenile manias find that
they are usually efforts to emulate some
thing that is being done by grown-upS. This
seems to be the answer to the new craze for
endurance for the principal varieties of youth
full endurance efforts can be directly traced to
the recent activities of well known adults
Early in the Summer, when boys and girls,
babies bulldogs and kittens began to perch in
trees, "Shipwreck" Kelley was already estab-
lished atop a fagpole in Atlantic City, seeking
to break the championship mark Of 80 days set
by his rival Ralph d'Agnostino. This was the
crowning event in q series of fagpoe-sittings
that had been gaining popularity for more than
three years, ever since "Shipwreck himself
started the craze with 12-day endurance test.
Flagpole sitting has become national sport.
The exploits of Kelley, Hold EN- Hoe" Powers.
Frank (Sparrow) Holl and others have reached
every town in the United States. few months
ago crowds of phlegmatic New Workers gazed in
awe at a huddled form at the top Of the flag
pole on a tall building, only to learn later that
they had been looking at an 18-inch ball that
was an ornamental part of the pole.
It was almost inevitable that some enter