Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1936-11-12
Lights Of NewXork
bv IL. STEVENSON

feeling restless every time he
hears liner whistle-your CORE
spondent encountered Ray Hender-
son who devotes the greater part
of his time to writing about Kath-
crime Cornell. Knowing that at
this season, his employer spends
many hours reading manuscripts,
naturally the question asked con-
cerned the outlook for young dram
artists. The answer was a bit sur
prising. On an average, only once
in 200 manuscripts received at the
Cornell offices from unknown
dramatists is there an original
idea. Still, an editor once stated
that in five years, during which
time he'd read thousands of unso-
icited manuscripts, he had found
only three worth buying and of
the three, one turned out to have
been plagiarized. Oh yes, another
thing. Mr.. Henderson mentioned
that during the last few weeks,
the Cornell play department had
received a preponderance of anti
war manuscripts.
Proceeding along Broadway,
your correspondent stopped for
word or two with Phil Baker. The
conversation concerned complica-
tons caused by copyrights in mu-
sic which, as everyone knows, has
been responsible for the revival
of many songs of the past because
if the new ones were put on the
air, there would be lawsuits. The
Baker comment was that the way
things are now, if Gabriel wanted
to blow his trumpet, nine chances
out of ten, the tune would be re-
stricted and Judgment day would
have to be postponed! Which
brought to mind the charge made
by Phil Duey that song writer's
have banded together in a cam
paign against public utilities with
electric companies as their chief
target. AS proof, he cited, Lights
Out" "After Dark" early to
Bed" Sleep" "a Perfect Day"
and cat Dawning.'
In one of those vacant lots on
Eighth avenue, your correspondent
encountered two youngsters play
ing a game they called might
club" Their equipment was an
old table on which stood a num-
Der of assorted bottles, all empty.
Asked where they got the idea, one
little girl spoke up and said they'd
heard their parents discussing such
places and had followed the de-
tails so far as they were able.
<'And if we could only get that
goat over there to stand still near
our table, we'd get the right smell,
too" added the other little girl
solemnly. incidentally, a number
of the night clubs have added tele-
phones to the table equipment.
One of the habits of inhabitants
of this town to which your CORE
Spondent is unable to become &C
customed is that of going to a store
and buying dirt or rather "earth"
as it is termed by those who sell
it. New Workers spend regular
money for little black soil for
spend much more to make those
penthouse gardens. At current re-
tail prices, shoe scrapings of boy
hood days would have sold for
enough to have bought new cane
fish pole. Even the residue from
face washings, under maternal SUI
pervision, would have brought con-
siderable. Instead of buying dirt,
we had to work hard to get rid of
it. But this is New York.
At lunch recently with a few
friends, Frank Buck explained how
East Indian fakirs are able to ham
die even the most poisonous snakes
without endangering their lives or
their health. Before giving a dem
onstration of his control over rep
tiles, the fakir irritates his snakes
to such an extent that they are so
fighting mad they will bite any,
thing that gets in their way. The
fakir allows them to vent their ire
on some harmless object, such as
an orange, until their venom sacks
have been emptied. Then for the
next few hours, he handles them
without risk. 1t may be all as
the Bring Em-Back-Alive" Buck
says, but l wouldn't want to try
it. Some old snake would be just
mean enough to hold back a few
drops for my benefit.
The truly rural again is being
shown New Workers by means of
that travelling farm" which made
such a hit last year. There are
COWS and chickens and a red barn
with a milkmaid, which by no
means are commonplace in a city
where kids know the country only
through pictures. Each month this
year there will be a Today vaca-
ton for the exhibit so that the ami
mails may rest, continual stares
firing them no end
g Bell Syndicate.-wNU Service.