Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-26
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRAcEwELL.

The boys on the street car were
blowing down the Straws upon the
sounding board of the clenched palm
of the hand
The noises produced by this act were
at once diverting, weird, and, 1t must
be confessed, a trifie disconcerting at
times.
Each variation was applauded with
shrieks and whoops.
The master of these queer instru-
nents was big-mouthed lad with a
sideways twist to his lips. We thought
this gave him q decided advantage,
but he made the most of it.
The program which he rendered, COW
ering some S miles of travel, ranged
/ from sound somewhat resembling a
pig under fence to an approximation
of SouSas Stars and Stripes Forever"
His masterpiece, however, was per-
feet playing OF what used to be known
as the hooch-a-ma- kooch, an ingrati-
ating bit OF melody which by no means
ever deserved the malign reputation
which it achieved
We were delighted to find this old
gem a favorite with the rising genera
| ton.
Together with Hail, Hail, The Gangs
All Here" 1t may be regarded as the
perennial favorite of boydom.
And in this the boys are right, for
both are mighty good tunes.
Few youngstres-or their elders, for
| that matter-know that the Gangs All
| Here" song Is taken almost note for
note from a chorus in Sullivans Pirates
of PenZance." 1t Is a good tune, yes,
but why it should have become SO over
whelmingly popular with the under
| graduates of the United States Is some
thing of mystery. 1t may be added
that the rather striking Interrogation
| which follows Immediately after the
announcement of the completion of the
group, IS not in the original rendition.
y X
What amazed some of ld-timers or
that car was the perfect uproar which
those few boys kept up necessarily.
After each straw was blown on few
times, 1t becomes too wet, and was dis
carded for a fresh one by the simple
expedient of tossing it into the air and
permitting the wind to carry it out the
window
If it side-swiped some one In its pas
sage, well, so much the better. Har!
Harl Har!
Usually the moist end Of the straw
managed to drag itself across passen-
gers face. much to the dismay of the
said old fogy, and tremendously to the
fun of the occasion for the boys anc
girls.
When this little amusement palled
straight yelling was INDUCED in.
X
We hope We have not given the i'm.
preston that these boys were anything
out of the usual
They seemed perfectly normal young
sters, having good time. and not mind
j ing much who minded it, If any.
Everybody tried not to mind. SicklI
smiles of appreciation wreathed a few
faces but it was plainly manifested tina
most of the. other riders wished the kid!
would pipe down.
What struck us most about those boy
was their willingness TO be absorbed IL
themselves In passing over a bridge
which is being rebuilt one of the mos
interesting pieces Of construction II
Washington, not one of the boys man
Tested the slightest interest.
They had an opportunity to see laboI
in action, skill united to science, the
power of muscle and brain in co-ordi
nation
And they sat and blew on straws.
And then all of sudden we though
to eurself, Why, you fool, they arr
nothing but big babies, after all
And we felt ashamed Of ourself, anS
/ looked out the window at the stee
workers.
And one steel worker winked at a
solemnly, and we winked back