davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1937-02-11
World Day of Prayer Unites Two
Missionary Societies

Missionary Societies of the Meth
odist and Congregational Churches
will unite Friday afternoon with a
program at the Methodist Church
beginning at 2:30 o'clock. This day
has been designated as a World
Day Of Prayer and Missionary So
cieties everywhere are observing
the day. The Women's Home Mis-
sionary Society of the Methodist
Church and the World Friendship
Society of the Congregational
Church are cooperating.
The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1937-02-11

st. PauPs Luth. Church, Unity
2:30 p. M. Lenten Service in
German.
j. f. Schumacher, Pastor.
Evening star., 1937-08-31
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS K. HENRY.

other atoms can set them in violent mo-
ton. When such an atom collides with
a helium atom, he points out, it would
give it velocity OF about ten miles a
second recoiling itself at quarter of
this speed. Every such helium atom will
fly out of the earth's atmosphere alto
gether unless it bumps into another atom
on the way and bounds back.
This will usually happen, but the loss,
though small, will be steady. Any indi
vidual helium atom probably will remain
in the earth's atmosphere about 30 100000
years, but it eventually will get away.
When the amount now present is con-
sidered in this light it. indicates an age
for the earth very close to that indicated
by the geological time scale
1t was also objected, DR.. Holmes points
out that at the present rate of deposit
OF sediments which eventually turn into
rock the building up" of the earth s
surface would have taken much less time
than is calculated. The fact is. he says,
that sediments are valueless as time indi-
Gators when taken by themselves. Some
times thicknesses of sediment are laid
down in few weeks in certain places
that in other places would not accumu-
late in thousands of years. They must
always be considered in relation to other
evidence. The accumulated evidence
that the earth is really old-at least a
couple of billion years is now sufficient
and can be checked from two separate
sources First is the lead-uranilm ratio
and second is the amount of helium actu-
ally still shut up in the rocks.
The lead scale points to greater age
than the helium scale for two reasons.
First, rocks always are contaminated by
some natural lead which is not the prod
uct of uranium disintegration. Second,
some helium escapes from the rocks.
When allowances are made for these two
sources of error, however, the agreement
is very close.
Evening star., 1937-08-31
Superior Men.

DR.. F. L. Wells of the psychological,
laboratory, Boston, is studying superior
men. The quality of imagination or
creative ability" he has found, is 'the
only basic difference between one hun
dred subjects who made fve thousand
dollars year all through the depression
and one hundred who did not make
more than thirty -five dollars 4 week."
In the former classification more "rich-
ness" and more "reasonableness" of mind
has been detected. Challenged to sug-
gest solutions for certain emergency
problems, the members of the latter group
couldn't think Of anything to write"
But DR.. Wells is not dogmatic. Many
external factors" he comedies, may
conspire to hold In the low-salaried
group an individual whose personality
traits are actually closer to the mean
of the high-salaried group: just as the
present high-salaried group doubtless
shelters more than one inadequate, who
would be well down in the low-salaried
group but for the grace Of God."
It is fashionable at present to stress
opportunity in any judgment Of success
or failure. The public has been taught
to believe that great numbers Of men
Evening star., 1937-08-31

The earth is being stripped bare at
rate unique in geological history.
Evidence for this is presented by DR..
Arthur Holmes noted British geophysl-
cist, in a report just issued by the Com
mittee on Geologic Time Of the National
Research Council. DR.. Holmes is COL
laborator with this committee, which Is
headed by DR.. Alfred c. Lane OF Tufts
University.
Last years report contained spirited
attack on the committees deductions as
to the earth's age based on the ratio OF
lead in uranium bearing rocks. The
radioactive uranium breaks down into
lead at known rate, and thus meas
ure is afforded of the age Of the rocks.
One point of criticism was that the
uranium lead ratio time scale is SO
greatly at variance with the amount OF
salt in the seas. Presumably this all was
derived originally from the land. The
present rate of salt deposition can be
calculated and shows that II the process
has gone on at anything like the same
speed throughout history, the planets
history must be relatively brief.
But, Prof. Holmes replies, this sort OF
evidence is very misleading. The amount
of sodium being deposited in the sea
depends on the rate of erosion and other
processes by which 1t is being extracted
from the rocks. Among the factors
which he cites as evidence that the
denudation process now is abnormal are:
THE wide expanse of continents and
the great heights of many plateaus and
mountains, some of which still are ac-
lively rising such as those of Thibet and
Central Africa. Owing to this many
rivers are in a stage of youth and en-
dowed with an exceptionally high degree
of mechanical energy.
"The blanketing of widespread areas
with easily eroded glacial and flood
glacial deposits.
Human activities, including engineer
ing excavations, agricultural processes
and deforestation, burning of coal and
oil, and emission of acid gases from
chemical, ceramic and other factories" !"
The simultaneous cooperation of all
these factors" says Prof. Holmes, "can
never have previously occurred, and a
method OF time measurement based on
the assumption that present conditions
are representative must obviously lead
to an incalculably low result. Further
more, the amount of sodium in rocks
undergoing denudation must have in
creased in cyclic fashion during geologic
time and now is greater than it ever has
been"
Another point of attack on the ura-
nium-lead ratio time scale was based on
the amount of helium in the atmosphere.
This all has been derived originally from
the radioactive rocks and 1t can be CAL
culated that, assuming steady rate, the
present accumulation is only about q
flftieth as old as is claimed. This leaves
out of consideration, DR.. Holmes says, the
fact that helium constantly is escaping
from the earth's atmosphere to outside
space.
Spectroscope observations have shown,
he says, that there is present in the
upper reaches OF the atmosphere = form
of oxygen atom which by collision with
Evening star., 1937-08-31
Shooting Stars.
BY PH1LANDER JOHNSON.
Not So Bad.

Not So Bad.
Bill Badger by his cabin door
Sat still and viewed the landscape DER,
Remarking, Boys, it seems to me
Life's not as bad as 1t might be!
The work I do amt nothin' like
AS much as would suggest strike,
I have no income tax to pay;
No stocks to speculate away.
My mind Is perfectly serene
About the cost of gasoline.
seek not by flnesse or force
To chase a golf ball round the course.
I have no need for social show.
So can let my whiskers grow
And wear the clothes wore last year
Nobody cares If they look queer
Somewhere the lights are all aglow.
I ask not for the jazzy show.
The starlight, when the shadows creep,
Shines DER me till turn to sleep
Amid the melodies that play
So softly where the branches sway.
I've missed some pleasures, III agree,
Yet life seems pretty good to me-"
Evening star., 1937-08-31

Several days Of continuous or near
continuous rains have depressing effect
on perhaps nine out OF ten persons.
The tenth person is fortunate.
# he is interested in farms he rejoices
for the corn, is fearful for the tomatoes.
II he is interested in nothing of the
sort he manages to hnd philosophical
basis for his liking.
To be philosopher, in the everyday,
is to resemble in no way the philosopher
of the books, but more nearly the
stocal man Of the people.
That is, the everyday philosopher
merely makes the best Of things.
Now, this is not easy, either on rainy
day or on clear one.
The desire Of most humans is to
have what they want, when they want it.
Making the best of things usually
means not whining when things do not
go exactly as one desires.
1t takes genuine philosopher OF sorts
to carry this attitude through to sue
cessful conclusion.
Many persons try it and fail; some try
1t and win, but do not deserve to win
because their success depends neither
upon their intelligence nor emotions,
rightly applied, but solely upon good
fortune, often SO simple matter as one
of birth.
The real philosopher will find Sc
quence of rainy days very much to his
liking.
Equally he would, and often does, find
fair days very much to his liking.
1t is a question of balance with him.
You see, he is interested in gardening
A small plot of ground only postage
stamp" in comparison with farm,
nevertheless is large enough to afford
him this interest.
When the weather is dry he pines
for rain, so that his flowers and trees
and shrubs and evergreens may be
watered.
When too much rain falls, as it some
times does. he longs for the rains to stop
and sunshine to come again.
He knows theoretically that too much
of anything is bad.
Actually he watches this work itself
out in the garden.
His yard is tiny, but big enough for
this lesson.
Fortunately, he Is not afraid OF les
sons. He is willing to recognize them
and take heed. Too many persons now
adays shy from lessons" feeling that a
perfect modern. whatever that is, cannot
be "lectured" about anything.
A poor attitude, he recognizes. and
therefore replies to 1t by being willing
to listen to words of wisdom.
That is easy; what is difficult is to
apply them personally. and to act upon
them for the individual good, feeling
that only when the individual has
found good can he help others to the
same good.
4 X
A very old-fashioned idea, 1t is true,
one to bring down upon its holder S
head the walls Of wrath of all real
modernS.
Evening star., 1937-08-31
their emotions forget the habit Of a
lifetime to rejoice.

their emotions forget the habit of a
lifetime to rejoice.
Qualification for professional legal
career probably means more than a dis
interested bystander might suppose. The
labor Of preparation is a toll in which
many persons are apt to be involved.
Teachers and parents especially must
assist In the task. Certain funds must
be found, certain concentrated reading
faithfully pursued, cervain routines of
application established Reasonable quiet
Is wanted at home, where much Of the
work is done. Likewise, perhaps most
important of all, hope and confidence
require to be stimulated. The background
for successful effort may be illustrated
by this story from Washington home:
A little girl, four years old, is the youngest
member of the household. OF course
she does not pretend to understand the
ordeal through which her youthful un-
Gle is moving, but she knows that it is
something pretty fearful So, for weeks,
her bedtime prayer is: Dear God, please
help Joe to pass his zamination!" And,
finally, the moment comes when she can
be told: Darling, you needn't ask for
that any more-because the 'zamination
is over" The child may rot weep for
happiness, yet everybody comprehends
the delight which she does not attempt
to suppress.
Doubtless, the struggle never Is fin
ished. There always is more to be
learned, greater honors to be gained.
Such is the law of human life. And 1t
is good that it should be so. What a
dreary place this earth would be If there
were no challenges to be met, no VIC
tories to be achieved. Let 1t he added
that the best triumphs are won with
the active cooperation of love.
Evening star., 1937-08-31
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL,

A rainy day, to the smart and sophis-
ticated IS merely something to overlook,
in the consciously lordly way Of the
best types.
A rainy day, to our old-fogy friend the
philosopher, is something to watch with
genuine interest, something which is,
and therefore belongs to the scheme Of
things, his as we'll as natures.
And existing, and being this very real
thing, the rainy day, the precipitation is
interesting as most real things are in
teresting.
Why, every one admits the interest OF
queer fishes with unbelievable shapes
and colors which come and 60.
Not every one, however, can see some
thing interesting in two or three rainy
days, with their sogginess and wet and
difficult breathing.
This is where being philosopher, In
the common sense, enters the picture.
To such a person, no series of days
Is more interesting.
The very glistening Of the streetways
intrigues him.
The slosh and slide fascinate him.
Easily fascinated? OF counsel That is
being philosophical in the best everyday
sense.
The things he likes fascinate him
and the things he does not like fascinate
him.
He is open to all stimuli and all stimuli
come to him as he waits.
Like a patient spider in his glistening
web the everyday philosopher (who is
you, as well as HIM looks along each
line, willing and ready to see, to hear,
to listen, to be, to admit being to others,
whether he approves of them or dis
approves OF them, whether they help
him or harm him, whether friend or foe.
He is, as Walt Whitman said, large;
he contains multitudes.
X
Old Walt said many good things.
Have you ever read what Robert Louis
Stevenson wrote about him?
Written about 1873 when Americas
most original poet was in his prime, this
essay remains now one of the best things
ever written about Whitman. 1t is still
very much worth reading.
Both Stevenson and Whitman knew
the value of rainy days.
Recall the formers poem about the
stormy night beating In vain, and the
latter's many rhapsodies on nature in
all her moods.
\
Rainy weather is test Of intelligence.
Carping against it is useless.
The time may come when man can
regulate the weather, but it is far in the
distance, if ever. BY that time, at the
present rate, man will have reverted to
the brute.
In the present status of things, it is
possible, at least until bombs and poison
gas overtake us, to find good in the
weather moods day by day.
Just as long as they bring nothing
worse than few days Of rainfall, all Of
us can be philosophers, and bless our
stars that our beloved city seems to be
situated in an enviable position in the
world.
Evening star., 1937-08-31
American Murder Rate.
From the Rochester Times Union.


DR.. Frederick L. Hoffman's most recent
study of homicide in the United States
makes us feel ashamed of our standing,
with the highest murder rate of any
country. Our rate is 83 for each 100, 900
OF population. Bulgaria, the country
next highest, has rate of 7. We are
worse than the most turbulent of Balkan
states
Contrast our murder rate with those
of other advanced nations. The rate was
less than l in 100000 in Sweden, Irish
Free State, Japan, Holland, Denmark,
Norway. New Zealand, Wales and Scot
land. The rate for the United Kingdom
as a whole was only o., the lowest Of all
Great Britains low homicide rate Is
not news. 1t is generally known there
are few murders In the British Isles. The
rate contrasted with our own, however,
makes us want to ask questions.
Why should the British rate be so low
and ours so high? One reason, undoubt-
edly, is the practice Of having firearms Of
various kinds handy. We have tried to
prevent actual carrying of pistols, but it's
q not 50 good old American custom to
have a gun in the house.
It should be remembered that, In q
large proportion of cases, murderers are
not habitual criminals. They are per-
sons who resort to weapons In an excess
of anger. If the weapon is firearm.
used at close range, death Is likely to en-
sue.
In England even the crooks seldom
carry deadly weapons Moreover, those
who might kill know that If they do the
chances are they will be caught. And
II they are caught, they will be hanged.
Evening star., 1937-08-31

are arbitrarily denied the chance to
achieve high honors. Such is the stock
argument Of the "environmentalists" and
the revolutionary socialists who have dis
cussed the difficulty; and DR.. Wells in
ferentially grants them something in his
presentation OF the results Of his in
quiry. But he does not compromise In
the animation Of his faith that men
either have Imagination or do not have
1t. 1t is logical, ther, to suppose that he
agrees that superior men commonly pro-
vide their own opportunities.
History brims with evidence in sup
port of that manifest proposition. In
deed, there is no other explanation for
the distinction won by such characters
as Sir Christopher Wren, the builder of
st. Paul's and more than half the lesser
churches of London; Thomas Alva
Edison, the inventor of the incandescent
lamp, the quadruplex system of teleg-
raphy, the microphone, the mimeograph,
the carbon transmitter, the phonograph,
the kinetoscope and the nickel-iron stor-
age battery; and Luther Burbank, the
plant breeder, who developed scores OF
new flowers and fruits trained to work
for man." The list might be prolonged
indefinitely: but in relation to each
separate entry the observation should be
recorded that the victory was attained
by independent effort. Practically no
exception to the universal rule can be
discovered. Social pressure" does not
develop intellectual and spiritual "aristo-
Gratis" The Shakespeares, the Dantes,
the Goethes, the Beethovens, the Da
Vincis and the Michelangelos Of this
world are self-designed and self-per-
fected. Dr. Wells diagnoses their emf
nence with convincing accuracy when
he credits them with the power to lift
themselves by their own bootstraps.
Evening star., 1937-08-31
Passing the Test.

When several hundred aspirants, hav-
ing studied toward that end for years,
finally pass the prescribed test for ad-
mission to the bar, it may not matter
very much to the community at large.
But to the candidates themselves and
to their families and friends the occa-
sion Is one which is distinctively thrill
ting. People who ordinarily make 1t
baasiness to be careful about concealius
Evening star., 1937-08-31

late President and Chief Justice, who
has for q number Of years toyed with
the idea Of standing for election to the
Senate. Hollister and Taft are law part
ners in Cincinnati
4
The action Of the United Automobile
Workers, one Of the major c. I. o. Or
CARNATIONS, in officially going on record
in favor OF the use Of the sit-down strike
as a weapon, is something that John L.
Lewis will have to live down If he in
tends to go forward with his plans for
a new national labor party. The sit
down strikes may be effective, where
State and local governments permit
them, but they are not popular with the
American people.
Evening star., 1937-08-31
Services Rendered.

Miss Dorothy Thompson, in radio
address on the passing Of Andrew w.
Mellon, commented on the size of his
fortune. To illustrate its proportions,
she listed the many different phases Of
business in which, through his banks, he
was interested. In effect, she said, he
ruled an empire which included every
home in the land. His wealth, logically
then, represented profit paid into his
hands by every family, every individual,
under the American flag.
But Miss Thompson perhaps was not
quite as fair in her approach to her
subject as she might have been. More
equitable treatment of her theme would
have involved presentation Of the posi-
tive side of the case. The sober truth of
the matter is that Mr. Mellon was far
visioned captain of industry" who de-
veloped innumerable utilitarian enter
prises which people were glad to use.
Take the manufacture of aluminium
kitchen ware as an example: he financed
long years Of experimentation in the
faith that eventually the commercial
employment Of the silver-white metallic
element might be feasible Only COM
paratively recently had his investment
begun to return dividends. If the aver
age housewife pays tribute to his conf
dence zen she purchases frying pan,
there is nothing fundamentally immoral
in the circumstance. Rather, it reason
ably might be argued that he was en-
titled to his reward. The old Roman
law Of quid pro quo-something for some
thing-applies to the exchange; and the
Biblical stipulation that the laborer is
worthy Of his hire Is valid, even when
the laborer happens to be capitalist"
OF course, Miss Thompson did not in
tend to be unjust She knows that, with
all its faults, the so-called profit sys-
tenn is infinitely more democratic than
the feudal system which 1t replaced.
Also she is familiar with the fact that
the standard of living has risen more
rapidly during the past century than
during thousand years of earlier his
tory. If in her discussion Of Mr. Mellon
she conceded something to the prevailing
radicalism of the moment, 1t certainly
was not her intention to libel a great
and notably generous man whose con-
tribution to advancing civilization incon-
trovertibly has exceeded that Of any
contemporary critic. His will provides
the answer to his detractors. Even those
who cry aloud for the arbitrary expro-
priation of vast riches must feel some
sense of shame when they hear that the
bulk of his fortune has been assigned to
social benefits.
The former Secretary of the Treasury.
who customarily gave to the Community
Chest more than he received in salary
from the Government by which his mar
velous constructive genius was engaged,
earned his fortune by services which he
rendered to his countrymen. His money
now goes back to them. Such was his
choice, such was his wish. If the final
action of his life does not demonstrate
his patriotic idealism beyond all cavil, 1t
may be wondered what could.
Evening star., 1937-08-31

Some of the citizens who gathered at
Baton Rouge, La, to honor Huey Longs
memory probably did not trouble to un-
existence of such ideals The world drifts
easily into war without definitely UNDER
standing what the war is to be about.
Evening star., 1937-08-31

A strike leader has been ordered to
hold up cargo of airplanes until men
are paid bonus to compensate them for
going into Asiatic waters. The manner
in which the value of lives thus risked
is to be estimated would afford some par
ticularly interesting calculation.
Evening star., 1937-08-31
Your Weight and Your Health.

The booklet. WEIGHT CONTROL,
shows the relation of foods to weight
and how to control your weight without
using medicines, trick diets or appara-
tus. 1t contains 80 pages of fact and
common sense, telling in plain way
about vitamins, calories, proteins, carbo-
hydrates and all the other food essential
terms and reducing-the scientific facts
IN everyday language. Includes menus
for weight increase or decrease. Order
your copy of this booklet today. 1nclose
ten cents to cover cost and handling
charge.
Evening star., 1937-08-31

Hollywood reports that an actor will
have to lose his yacht and everybody
will feel sorry for him without troubling
to figure on the superior ability that
entitled him to yacht in the first place.
This does not question his ability. but
many excellent actors have had to 60
without yachts.
Evening star., 1937-08-31
Progress of the Ouints.

From the Birmingham News.
The Dionne quintuplets have been per-
mitted to eat with their mother. The
five little girls it was decided, need to
learn some social graces. II things keep
on, by the time the quintuplets are 10
years old they will be allowed to eat
with theax father.
Evening star., 1937-08-31

A warrior in the Shanghai neighbor-
hood feels that announcements should
wait on information as to how many
deaths we're due to deliberate intent and
how many to accident and incompetence.
Evening star., 1937-08-31
Wasted.

From the indianapolis News.
It may be argued that for one of the
Presidents sons to squirt champagne in
the face Of the mayor Of Cannes was m
inexcusable waste Of champagne.
Evening star., 1937-08-31
Rate by Mail-Payable in Advance.
All Other State. and C,n,d,
Member Of the Associated Press.

\. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled 10
credited to 1t or not otherwise credited in this
paper and also the local news published herein
herein are also reserved