davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08
Confidence vs. Fear

Secretary Roper: "I believe it is the duty of everybody to do all that they can to develop confidence we are stale mated by the fear of fear, the fear Of each other" A great many reasons have been given for the current business recession; those two words that all of us would like to see struck from the record. Among those that have been presented from time to time are spite, getting even, capital ism or labor or both, endless country wide strikes, communism, the present administration, and the most common ot all. fear: fear of what the administration will do; fear of what capitalism will do; fear of what labor will do; and com poSite fear resulting from no one lndl- vidual trusting his fellowman.
 President Roosevelt once said as does the Secretary of Commerce, if you can see it that way, that the only thing to fear is fear itself Some of the best the ologians point out that proper Chris tian spirit is lacking, and that when all is raid and done your worldly goods taken from you, your business undermined, no one can interfere with your spiritual out look or what is called faith which belongs to man inherently. That there IS so much widespread fear in this country IS a funny thing too, because as nation we are pretty cocksure. On the surface we take nothing very seriously because each new catastrophe is the signal Tor an- other jest or wisecrack. Maybe you would call it whistling in the dark. So let's en- courage confidence, to offset fear. That's nothing tangible but it is something to have a happy state of mind, if nothing else
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08
On Time

One of the merits of the Metropolitan Opera Company of New York is not musical, but businesslike. It begins it's performances, whether at home or on tour, at eight o'clock. And when the man- agement says eight, it means eight-not
 nine or eight-thirty, or even one minute past eight. The curtain rises on the dot, and any customer who enters after that moment is not seated, but has to stand at the back of the house until the first act is finished Sometimes it means standing there for an hour or more.
 This seems to many absurdly old fashioned, and also cruel, at time when so many public performances start later than they used to. It is sound, however, for two reasons. First operatic perform ances at best are likely to drag on and keep their patrons out late. Second, it sets good example for evening affairs in general. Staying up has become a national vice. Most people nowadays don't get enough sleep. That's largely what ails us.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08

Strange as it may seem two of high, lights of entertainment for the years 1887, and 38 thus far, feature inanimates. Charlie Mccarthy is @ dummy, just a doll and what dollD, and Snow White and the Seven DWarfs and Company, are animated cartoon drawings so UJil- ized with music and speech by mines that the general effect makes for collti- nuity. Snow-White is like real person as are Dopey and the Wicked Witch- Yet, like Alice said about the characters in Wonderland, you are nothing but pack of cards" what are the Walt Disney characters, but lot of drawings, and clever ones at that.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08
Current Comment

We should lead the way back to sane interchange of goods and services. That way lies peace. On the other hand, continuation of the world on it's present course leads inevitably to war.
 Frank Knox.
 It is probably the prevailing con- servatism of our colleges and uni- versailles which is in large part re- sponsible for their reputation for radicalism.
 pr. Alexander G. Ruthven. pres
 ident, University of Michigan. Members find these services a real joy. A real spiritual need is filled for them.
 Rev. Theodore F'rederking, who conducts a travelling church for the deaf and dumb by spelling | out his sermons on his fingers. We are dragging bottom now and
 we are expecting the consumer goods
 industry to show the first pickup
 John D. Biggers, director, fedora unemployment census.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08

A commission of the Mathematical As sociation of America and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics de- clared the other day at Columbia Uni versity that the teaching of mathematics has become so slipshod that young Ameri- jeans are growing up without sufficient knowledge to plan their own personal budgets or figure out simple income tax, that is if there is simple income tax. Perhaps the commission is right but the fault would seem to rest, not with the system but with the students The best of teachers cannot get arithmetic into pointed out, is not that the student grows up mathematically dumb, but that they fall victims of phoney economic the orieS'
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08
High10ay Safety Conference No Longer Is Single Remedy for Reduction in Traffic Accidents Sole Hope - Many Varied Means of Lowering Death
 Do4a
Rate Available.
HARTFORD COURANT

agree as to the precise value of each, but none denies that all must play some part if the safety program is to prove successful.
 More and more it becomes evil dent that high pressure campagins are of little value in themselves. Merely urging driver to be more careful or inducing him to promise not to perform specified list of dangerous actions is a waste of time and effort that might better be de- voted to more constructive purposes. Publicity has its value in the move ment to make the highways safer but that is primarily to persuade the public to support an integrated safety program launched and ad- miniStered by experts.
 The New Haven conference has pointed out a number of features that need strengthening in Connec- ticut as in most states. The high way system as a whole is still less than satisfactory for safe driving Too little attention is paid to the physical and mental abilities of ap- plicants for drivers licenses. Progress is being made in fitting the motor vehicle laws to modern conditions, but the enforcement of those laws is woefully weak in most parts of the country. AS result of these and other shortcomings, progress to- ward highway safety is distressingly slow.
 The encouraging thing, however, is the amount of knowledge that is being accumulated on the subject, Research, in highway safety as in other subjects, is far in advance of the application of the new discover ies, but more and more the country is turning to the experts to tell it how to halt its rising accident rate. We know the cost of accidents; slowly we are learning that the cost of accidents is in realty the cost of ignorance and of laziness in not applying the knowledge that is al- ready available.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08
A Thought for Today
Money for the Asking

Following hard on the announcement that we'll over million dollars III teo- eral funds would soon be available III Connecticut for the institutional oullo- ing program that the state hopes to launch this year comes more surprising news from Washington. President Roose- welt. desirous of stilling all thoughts of re- cession, depression, unemployment, seeks to further his "pump-priming'' program with a huge outlay of public funds through the PWA and WPA combined. Billions would be made available Tor states, cities and towns through grants based on the old PWA formula.
 This "pump-priming" program IS m addition to the enlarged REC !endlng spree that has just been authorlzeo py Congress and which opens up avenues of borrowing by businesses all over the country In addition to that there IS the further hope of increasing general ln- terest in the Federal Housing Admins tration. In the case of Connecticut this latter phase of planned borrowing gains importance through a FILA ruling Tn Washington that our state housing laws are in conformity with federal demands and local communities can share Tn whatever funds may be made available for their needs.
 Here are three extraordinary means at hand for any community to take ad- vantage of and use to offset rising relief costs and increasing unemployment. In the case of Waterbury much could be done Much will probably be done, too, as the local housing authority has plans and with government sanction projects can safely be launched, when and Ii brought forward. AS to our local share of PWA funds again the city could play an active part, if and when this huge spending program secures the needed congressional approval We have pro- jects in prospect that would "prime more than one business pump.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08
|PresSCOnanent
THE FINES AND COSTS (EartTord TimeS)

Litchfield county's states Attor- ney William H. Blodgett appears to have overlooked an important con- sideration if, as reported he advised at Winsted recently, that the fines imposed by city, town, borough and justice courts should go to the local municipalities supporting them rath- CT than to the state.
 Such a recommendation would be based upon prime argument that should the fines be so disposed of, the practice of remitting fines would not be so common as now, the idea being that the judge or justice is more inclined to lenience which merely affects the state treasury toward which he feels a less direct responsibility.
 In that very suggestion, however, lies the reason for the present law which exists purposely to remove from the local minor courts tempta- ton to fatten the local treasury by the collection of fines, particularly from non residents and emphatically from violators, or alleged violators of the motor vehicle laws.
 The motorist prosecution racket has not been abolished in Connecti- cut, but has been much reduced in prevalence by the fact that the fines do not go into the treasury of the town, or the pockets of the court officers, justices-of- -the-peace, grand jurors, or constables. The costs rarely are remitted. The pockets explain why.
 Bad enough should not be made worse. Give the fines to the towns and appeal to the beneficient infltrs i ences of Providence to protect the nonresident drivers who pass through them. This admonition is based upon notorious Connecticut
 experience and impugns sharply MT. Blodgett's otherwise reasonable views. The fines in automobile cases should go to state whose public maintains the highways. Let the fines which have no such implica- ton go to the local treasury. Above everything see that the minor court judges or justices are men of char acter appropriate to their service There is a means of reform which scarcely can be appealed for toe much.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08

The National Commission of Fine Arts in Washington has rejected the design and site for the proposed memorial to Thomas Jefferson. Also disappearing it is the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. It is claimed that both these groups previously approved the design and site, the former in ''the form of Roman Pantheon drawn by the late John Russell Pope. Among the protests included the statement that it would be a "mausoleum", that it would dwarf the Lincoln Memorial, and that it would inn peril the Cherry Blossom trees bordering the Tidal Basin. '
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08
A Book a Day
Here Are Three New Mysteries
BY BRUCE CATION

A refreshing new mystery story now on the stands is Marco Pages Fast Company" (Dodds, Mead: $2) we have a hard-boiled young man who makes living as a book detective-that is, he runs down and brings to justice the fakers who swindled rare-book dealers in New York. One of the dealers gets mur- dered, and the hard-boiled young man undertakes 70 find out who did it.
 MT. Page provides an excellent plot, rapid action, good character ization, witty dialog, and-novelty! "a particularly entertaining love affair between the detective and the detectives own wife. Altogether this is about as satisfying a detec- tive story as you would care to find,
 Unless you are shock-proof you'd best lay off of Jonathan Latimer's "The Dead Don't Care" (Crime Club: $2). In this one two private detectives go to Florida estate to foil 8 Kidnapping plot. and get up to their ears in complicated set of mighty sinister doings. The story itself is exciting and well-con- structed but the people, the language and the things that happen are more than a little crude. Incident ally the chief detective does more two-handed drinking than any other sleuth on record.
 If I Die Before I Wake" by Sherwood King (Simon and Schuster: $2, is an unusual book which. if it maintained the high level of its first half, would be a bell-ringer. Unfortunately, it doesn't, but even so, it is pretty well worth reading. A slightly stupid young chauffeur gets involved in seem- ingly innocent little hoax which re- suits in his confessing to a murder he did not commit; and there is an air of breeding dread about the unfolding of this yarn that is ex- tremely forceful. There is also a neat, if slightly unconvincing, sur prise at the very end.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08
TODAY'S COMMON ERROR Never pronounce calm-kam; say, kahn.

came alarmed at the popularity of Mickey-the reigning princes dou- ble-Who was substituting for the absent prince. The uncle, seeing that Mickey's popularity was stead- fly increasing, decided to halt this. The story had just reached the point where the uncle was organiz- ing a military conspiracy when the Belgrade censor intervened, forbid- ding it's continuation. It was later explained that the probable reason for the action of the censor was the fact that the next cartoons in the series showed Prince Mickey Mouse, whose people had been com- planning bitterly of overtaXation, going to a safe to see how much money the state had accumulated, but when he got there the safe was bare-his prime minister had been there before him.
 o. Has the secret process by which Stradivarius made his violins ever been discovered?
 A. Julius D. Horvath in his book "The Golden Key to Cremona" claims to have discovered the secret. But his solution has not satisfied many of the violin experts.
 @. Has the United States post office issued a fraud order against the Natural Eyesight Institute, Los Angeles, Calif.?
 A. Yes; the order was issued May 19, 1887.
 @. Has Edgar Bergen, the ven- triloquist, ever been married?
 A. No.
 @. How much do hippopotami weight at birth?
 A. Approximately 45 pounds.
 @. Where is the railroad car in which the Armistice was signed?
 A. Forest de Compiegne, France.
 If you want a copy of our book let WEIGHT CONTROL" write to Waterbury Democrats Washington Bureau, 1913 Thirteenth street, Washington, D. c. Enclose 10 cents in postage.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08
Daily Almanac

Moon sets 1:36 a. m.
 Sun rises 5:25 a. m.; sets 6:23 p. m.
 All vehicles must be lighted thirty minutes after sunset
 Snow in April! Poor mans fertilizer! Nothing unusual about it as a ready weather calendar might reveal if checked back over the last fifty years. We often get snow of varying degrees of intensity at this time of the year and they are usually hailed by agrieulturists unless they happen to be ac- companied by extremely low temperatures Valuable builders are carried in snow, which upon the melting are readily absorbed
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08
Selected Poem
SEASONS

(Charles Madam in the New York Sun) The old fellow said the seasons are not what they
 were, Gentle blow, timid snow The old fellow said, the times were less kindly
 to men We were too late tc know The young fellow said, there's drum beating over
 the hill Ana the slow bugles blow. The young fellow said there is hate in the nation
 of men; I must go. And he walked again back in the past, as young fellow will, Beng too late to know
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08

Perhaps the most significant thing that has come out of the Highway Safety Conference in New Haven is the demonstration that leaders in the campaign to reduce traffic ac- cidents no longer pin their faith on any single remedy. Every material advance that has been made in the past has been as a result of many small improvements. Better licens- ing laws, better automobile and driver inspections, better highways, better laws and better enforcement each has a part to play in the drive toward a lower motor vehicle accident rate. The experts may dis
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08

1. How many games were played in the 1897 World Series between the Yankees GA. L.) and the Giants (N. L0?
 2. Do any living species of birds have teeth?
 3. Name the oldest of stringed in- strumentS.
 4. What is the unit of currency of Yugoslavia?
 5. For what government agency do the initials FCC stand?
 6. What are homonyms?
 '. Where is the republic of Hon. duras?
 8. Name the leader of the Ger man minority in Czechoslovakia. g. What is third and a half-of- a-third of four?
 10. What is the state flower of Tennessee?
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08
IN |A Daily ~ III (SA Washington ~ | \ Not One White Rabbit
 In Roosevelt's Hat To
 Meet The Recession
Continued From Page D
made in the past to obtain
 peaceful relationships

made in the past to obtain peaceful relationships -.
 Merry-GO-Round
 Describing her latest journey, Mrs. Roosevelt told friend: "It began with Elliott (her second son who lives in Forth Worth, Texas) and ended with Anna (wh0 lives in Seattle)." Biggest single shipment of scrap iron (11,000 tons) in years left Seattle April for Japan aboard the Malaya, owned by the Danish East Asiatic company y. Forty three of the 88 employees of the Petroleum Conservation Division are fellow-Texans of Seantor Tom Connally, author of the law creat- ing the agency =. Mail collec- tions and deliveries in the vast Commerce Department building are made by small electric cars. Reason is that after the building was finished-it was MT. Hoover's petit was found to be without letter chutes.
 Copyright, 1888, by United
 Feature Syndicate, Incl
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08
clamoring for economy and tax reductions.

clamoring for economy and tax reductions.
 When the government took them at their word and clamped down on spending, the almost immedi- ate effect was the recession. The President feels the slump was due to the absorption of most of the recovery money by business men. and their refusal to carry on when expenditures were halted.
 In one of his private talks at Warm Springs the President re- marked that what he was look ing for was a simple recovery formula, one that would enable the government to revive business without permitting business men to grab off all the gravy. He added that he had no idea how this could be done, and none of his advisers was able to offer any suggestions.
 Winchell and Roosevelt
 Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., toured New York the other night in Walter Winchell's car, especially equipped with police radio. The ace Broadway reporter has a hobby of following police calls to see what excitement develops.
 AS the pair started out, Win chell wise-cracked to young Roose- welt:
 q hope we don't crack up to- night. If we do you'll get all the headlines"
 Publicity Hound
 For three long years Henry Bas- com Steagall, chairman of the House Banking Committee, sought to block the Wagner Housing Act. Repeatedly he stalled ac- tion by holding the measure ill his committee.
 Finally, however, under public and White House pressure, Steagall no longer could dodge the issue and had to go through the motions of taking a stand. He did this by skipping his name on a bill that was really the work of former Representa- tive Henry Ellenbogen of Pitts burgh, who had worked with Senator Wagner for several years drafting the legislation.
 Steagall brushed all this aside, and as chairman of the commit tee considering the legislation he insisted that it bear his name. In order to speed the bill, Ellenbogen bowed gracefully. After more dallying by Steagall and sharp White House prodding, the meas ure finally was enacted.
 The other day the U. s. Hous- ing Authority concluded it's first batch of contracts for slum clear ance projects. Their signing was made a ceremony at the White House, with the President par ticipating and 8 corps of camera men snapping the event.
 In the front row stood Steagall, big as life and basking in the warmth of the bright limelight. No Compulsory Study
 Mrs. Roosevelt favors college courses on the causes of war, but does not favor compulsory peace studies"
 Asked by Mrs. Beulah H. Hooks of Florida if she didn't think cause-of-War courses would "help discourage fighting, the First Lady replied:
 q am not in favor of a mandatory course on any sub ject except such fundamental things as are essential to the requirement of all knowledge. I think, however, it is an ex- ccllent thing to make available to young people a course in his tory which will deal with the causes of war and the efforts
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08
CITY SELLS BAN SIGNS

Audubon. N. J. (UP)-Signs read ing "No Circulars" may be purchas- led from the borough clerk here. Packed on the front of the house, the sign prohibits distributors from throwing circulars on the porch,
 under the terms of a new borough ordinance.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08

Governor Cross, who vii, be 76 Sunday, is going to be serenaded, but like so many surprise parties, he knows all about it, so won't be too startled. Many happy returns, your eXcellency!
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08
In New York
BY GEORGE ROSS
Copyright isas. RI

New York, April 8.-Well, the cir GUS is back in town now and Madi- son Square Garden is filled with the murmurous sounds of contented ani- mals and the smells and sights that come to the metropolis only once 8 year.
 But to many veterans of the big top things are not exactly the same. They are not the same because among the supple muscled bodies flying through the air from the swinging trapeze, there is not a member of the great family Codona, nor is there likely to be one ever again. The last of the lus- trous clan is Lalo, and only the other day his saddened circus friends heard he was an automo- mobile mechanic in Walteria, Cal.- permanently grounded.
 Spangled with glory and trag- edy was the history of the Codonas, and perhaps Lalo is right in giving up the profession that made his family famous. Superstitious as they are, the circus folk whisper of a jinX that set upon the CodonaS and particularly upon Alfredo after he had for the first time accomplished the amazing feat of triple Somer- sault high above the ground. Lalo, they say, bears its mark-a dislocat- ed shoulder received in Paris last November while he was performing comparatively simple stunt at the Medrano Circus; he would never have missed otherwise.
 Affairs of An Aerialist
 The dynasty was begun by Ed uardo and Hortense Codona, parents of Lalo mad Alfredo. Hortense was the first woman ever to work on the flying trapeze and Eduardo was the most daring aerialist of his day. Both died of natural causes in Cali fornia, Eduardo in 1884; and Hor- tense some years earlier.
 Before Eduardo died he had the satisfaction of seeing his son, AL fredo become the acknowledged and unchallenged king of the flying trapeze, a great star in the arena even if his domestic life was less than felicitous. Alfredo's first wife was Clara who served as the movie double for Janet Gaynor in 'The Four Devils" and for Lya de Putti in Variety" She took nasty fall in the Garden in 1882 and was forced to retire
 Alfredo'S Second wife WaS the in- comparable Lillian Leitzel, best woman aerialist of all time, who did tricks with one that few artists could match with two. She was killed in Copenhagen when strap broke and plunged her to the ground. Her best pupil had been Vera Bruce and Alfredo, after period of mourning, married Miss Bruce.
 In 1883 Alfredo took a spill that all but ended his career. He could still work the trapeze but he was n longer the scintillating star he had been and from a robust, hearty man he became breeding, discon- solate performer. Several years later, in 1887, Vera obtained a divorce. Alfredo begged for a reconciliation. Vera met him in her lawyers office and there the once greatest aerialist m the world drew a gun, killed his wife and committed suicide.
 Four months later Lalo was in jured; now he doctors sick car- buretors.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-08

The circus came to New York town this week, herald of Spring, or was it her aid of winter?