The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1931-11-19


maple trees. The elms are growing
bare. The sycamores are holding on
wonderfully well.
Walking home at noon / paid part
ocular attention to the flowers to be
seen and there were plenty of red and
pink roses in the gardens; also dah-
| has, chrysanthemums, Gamma and cox
combs. l think it will be some time
before Autmun's rigors drive the fra
grant rose from the bushes. This
morning | heard song bird with a
most plaintive cry, singing some
where in the neighDorhood, but am
sure that he will be gone ere long.
This same whistler is one l heard IN
the very early spring. Throughout
the warm months his voice was not
noticeable and it is my belief that he
goes some place into the far north for
the summer and that his brief concert
was just an impromptu one staged
while passing through.
Undoubtedly out in the country
there are a number of birds which
are ensconced for the winter but about
the only ones we see in the city now
are the chattering sparrOws and the
obnoxious starlings. These feathered
creatures come into the heart of town
during the winter and they are to be
Lo dc
From an artistic point of view, they
are surely 10 asset and it would be
for the best if they could be
slaughtered in a wholesale fashion,
but societies founded for the purpose
of protecting birds, will not premit of
tbs being done. l can see the time in
the not remote future when these
birds will receive the attention of
Congress if something is not done to
cut done their numbers.
In anticipation of Halloween, the
District OF Columbia government ar
ranged tor Iere downtown Tor the
young peop.e by setting aside large
irolicking, and in connection with the
events to be staged, saw the biggest
radio that WAS ever heard Of. l am
sure that it stood nearly twenty feet,
high. Near to it was a motor on
wneeis, ready to provide the neces-
sary electrical power IN reception AMI
Transmission. The radio was placed
along the street to provide music Tor
the pavement dancing.
You would be interested in the
simple means used here to provide
additional street lighting. Empty
barrels were placed along the sides of
the streets at intervals and twenty
foot uprights were placed in the bar
rels and held secure by cross bars.
Then the barrels were nlled with dirt
to give them stable equilibrium and
wires with colored bulbs were stretch
ed along on the uprights.
1t seems strange for city as large
as Washington (a0out 65O,00O) to be
providing entertainment of this ma
ture, much after the fashion of one of
our western small towns, but in many
way the capital of the United States
is nothing but an overgrown village,
itself. 1t has, in fact, few Of the airs
of truly metropolitan center. About
three miles from the real business
section of the city is another mercan-
tile section, and Fourteenth street in
that region has been set aside as
'Santa Claus" lane for the Yule sea-
son. 1t will be decorated deliberately
for many blocks with symbols Of the
Christmas season and there will be
programs regularly to carry out the
holiday suggestions.
The Christmas period in this part
of the country may be almost like
summer in its weather qualities. l
have seen it so mild that one could
walk down the street bare-headed and
in his shirt sleeves and be comfort
able. On the other hand, it may be
quite severely cold.
|
Cold, it appears, is relative quail
ty. after all. l have heard people
here remark how terrible cold it was
when the mercury registered fifteen
degrees above zero, and when it SEEM
ed quite comfortable to me. Then
again have seen days when it was
cold to me because of damp atmo-
sphere and a stiff wind blowing up
from teh ocean. The chill penetrated
to the very marrow. On the whole,
however, winters in Washington are
mild and mostly pleasant.
Boys and girls get very little ice
skating. ! remember the winter OF