The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-11-24
In New York
RY PAuL HARRISON

BY PAUL HARRISON
 New York-It may be that the hob by craze is getting just little out of hand. There are hobby associa- tions, hobby books, hobby clubs, a Leisure league, hobby lectures, school magazines and expositions. Hobbying has become, you see, a business.
 It's all predicated on the idea that people have found a lot Of spare time somewhere and must scurry around in search of a way would like to turn us into nation of part time glassblowers and au- tograph collectirs. None has sus- gested however that we make hobby of collecting our wits.
 Straight thinking isn't much fun, because we're not contempla- tive people. But it can be diluted with other simple pleasures such as reclining in the sun, or fishing where there aren't any fish. Social conversation Is pastime that should bear reviving, though it's likely to be mace garrulous by guzzling. Nap-snatching is a good hobby, and healthful, too. know some nap collectors who brag of having slept in every hotel lobby in Manhattan.
 They Write Book
 However, the let-us- -now-be- up- and doing lobbyists are busy again. A lot of celebrities have contribu- ted to book that has been printed by Harper and Bros. In it l find Rudy Vallee doing a piece about an amateur motion picture photo graphy. Seems he used to. crank the projection machine at the Star theater in Westbrook, Me. and has been fascinated by the flickers ever since.
 Don Marquis, the writer, has chapter on beans. His special hob by apparently is the preparation of beans. When MT Marquis has a free afternoon he rushes to the scullery and gets down that fine old earthenware bean pot inherited from a favorite grandmother. He makes quite a rite of the baking, and, also makes me very hungry.
 Ely Culbertson, talking about bridge, confeses that the game is his hobby only when he's winning Fannie Hurst, who raises Per sian cats, regards all cats with re- spect and not a little awe. Fred Waring, the orchestra leader, re- veals himself as a collector of min iature sculptures of musicians, of phonograph records, and cigaret lighters. I have no idea why he collects lighters, since he doesn't smoke.
 Albert Payson Terhune's hobby. as'you may have suspected, is dogs .. Casey Jones, most prominent tors, has a passion for motorless gliding Johnny Farrell, who makes a living from golf, insists that it's also his hobby. Tony Sarg writes about the marionettes which have made him famous. Helen Hokinson, the artist, gives a hint of the fun in the pottery mak- ing .,. Ellis Parker Butler collects stamps, and has been for I51 of his 65 years.
 Fortified Hobby
 One of the biggest collectors I know about is the very social Mir stephen H. P. Peli. His hobby is not one that could be recommend ed to just anybody, because it's pretty expensive and involves some weighty articles. MT Pell collects cannon.
 He collects cannon because he also happens to own Fort Tcon- deroga, which is up by Lakes George. His grandfather bought the historic place about a century ago after the government had al- lowed it to go to ruin and the can non to be taken away. Pcll started out many years ago to restore the fort, and became particularly in- terested in early guns when he found how difficult it was to buy up enough to fill the "A embrasures iit Ticonderoga's walls.
 ,Nearl all of the emplacements now are filled by cannon of the proper type, and in addition he has dozens of artillery pieces from other wars. Some have come from as far away as Egypt. and few cost as much as $1500 each. 9th CTS have been gifts. The British government sent him a set of four teen bronze 24-pounders. and the French pair of cannon cast m 17O2. Agents all over the world know about PelIs collection, and always query him when they find some interesting old gun.