Evening star., 1933-01-17

! Depressions cause hobbies to thrive
The outstanding instances of this az
/ the present time ere presented in the
i realms of stamps, books, and tropical
| fishes, which are not so far apart as
might seem at first glance. and to some.
Each one of them represents an en-
! thusiasm. a hobby based on variety,
rarity and the power to divert the mind
| Reports from all over the country
| businesses which have to do With these
things are flourishing as never before.
| Only tho5c who have in ane meas
urc investigated, as newcr mers, the
prevailing interest in the "trcpicals," as
/ they arc called can understand the
/ spread of the vogue for fishes.
| This interest, of course, Is no new
| thing, but somehow the prevailing dis
content has sharpened it, given it an
| edge of interest keener than ever be-
fore.
If we seek to understand why this is,
why a new magazine devoted to this
hobby has seored a big success, in its
way, when many old periodicals are
having a hard tine OF Ii, We arc Grlfen
irresistibly back TO an attempt to ua-
dcrstand the power Of divertlng
hobby
Medical men for years have told
"tired business men" that they should
get themselves a hobby and SUCK 10 II
| for all 1t was worth.
The aquarium hobby, for instance
which seems recently to have taSen
| hold of Washington as never before, ];
one which enc bleS the dcvCtec to &C.
outside himself.
1t Is reasonable to presume that many
a man following it does SO because ne
is not sure what may happen In tne
world in the next FIVE years, and, nav
ing found something which interests
him 2 great deal. he IS determined 10
enjoy himself before the night cometn.
These tropical gems from South
America and other warm countrles--a9
/ they not represent, now mere than ever,
mans urge toward beauty. that beauty
which permits oae to share in the dl-
vince creation?
Not every sort of hobby does this, but
books and stamps and flsh DO. quar-
terlv devoted to the interests OF the
hook collector has had its two best
wears. People who still have the money
to collect are doing it more than ever.
This does not mean an indif1erence
to the state of the Nation, in any sense,
but simply shows that men IN TINS
world do what they want to do. when
they can do it. That is a pretty plain
way of putting it, one which may be
disputed, but we believe 1t is so.
Psychologists say that when FRIEND
apologies for net having called on you
! he might as we'll rave his breath. Tor II
you have studied their science you VIII
know that the very fact the gentleman
has not been around shows that ne dlo
not wan. to come. He would nave
called. if he had wanted to come.
The craze for tropical fishes is one
built soli5ly on the goldfish, that in
teresting member of the carp family
that never goes out cf style. 1t is SOLD
in this country in ever-increasing num-
bars, some gay as high as 100000 a
| year.
What becomes of that many every
! year?
The newcomer to the aquarium world
can tell you instantly.
Most of them die.
The great fault OF the beginner Is
| that he insists on cramming too many
fishes into given number OF gallons
! Of water.
/ Efficient aquarium management Is a
/ thing not to be grasped offhand. Each
! type of fish has its rc1uliarities, and
each must be handled according to
these peculiarities. The great point OF
! difference between the goldfisheS and