Evening star., 1941-11-09
Three Orphaned Gray Squirrels Become Back Yard Pets of Senate
Just
Between

BY Philip H. Love-
v,,-I CO.. rIi4z


most are the ones Warren Bowman
likes best.
Take tarantulas for instance. Do
you like them? Well. neither do l.
And, offhand, can think of no one
who doesn't regard them as things
to be avoided.
No one, that is, but Warren. He
likes tarantulas so we'll that couple
of years or so ago he adopted one as
a pet. You may recall the pictures
of Warren and his tarantula that
appeared in The Junior Star.
You may remember, too, that only
a few weeks ago, Warren told Junior
Star of the Air listeners all about
some of his other unusual pets-in-
cluding, of all things, a skunk.
Well, now the 11-year-old Frank
Buck of Taft Junior High School
has written to TIE Junior Star lin
defense of serpnts." And his words
carry the stamp of authority, too,
because snakes also have been num-
bored among his pets.
The poor serpent has seldom got
ten a square deal since the begin
ming of the world" Warren begins.
And he goes on to explain that 1t is
only ignorance that causes most
people to dislike snakes.
1T is true that some snakes are
poisonous" he comedies, and it is
wise to keep out of their way. But,
he argues, the harmless snakes out
number the harmful ones three-to-
one"
As for the harmful serpents-
even they serve a useful purpose,
Warren contends: and. as evidence,
he cites the deadly rattlesnake.
The rattler," he explains, de
YOURS mice. If all the snakes IN
the world should die at once, the
mice and rats would soon multiply
enormously. For instance, a black
snakes eats an average Of one mouse
a week, or about 50 mice in the
course of a year. 1t has been eStl-
mated that one mouse causes $40
damage a year. If farmer would
kill a black snake, the mice that
snake could have destroyed IN
year would cause approximately s520
damage to his farm and the other
farms nearby. And the black snake
is only one of the many species that
war on mice and rats.
80 the next time you go for
walk in the woods" Warren con-
cludes. please remember If you see
a little garter snake that all ser
pents are not adders or vipers. Some
are just innocent snakes"
Junior jottings:
Collecting envelopes bearing for
eign postmarks is the hobby OF
David Speigler, 10. Ben w. Murch
School. "One of the most interest
ing items in my collection" he
writes, sis from Norway. Over the
stamp is v followed by three dots
and a dash, the symbol of VIC
tory" Another Murch pupil, Bill
Early, also 10, reports on visit he
made to Texas famous Alamo Its
a great place and you ought to visit
it he summarizes. A similar
verdict comes from Helen W. Winks,
II. Cheverly- Tuxedo Md School.
regarding the National Museum. &.
And ditto from Jane Boat, II. Shep-
herd School, concerning Staunton,
Va. where she spent her vacation.
I'VE saw Woodrow Wilson's birth
place, the dollhouse and the live
stock market" she says. They were
all very fascinating" Don Buz-
zell. IA, Massina, N. Y, spent his
recent prize dollar for additions to
his stamp collection. MY collec-
ton will soon reach the 10000
mark" he reports.
/ More jottings:
Thomas j. Keane. national di-
rector of senior scouting for the
Boy Scouts of America, has been
summoned to active duty at the
Navy Department. He had been in
active exactly 20 years. -. Priscilla
Alden is a member of the staff of
the Montgomery Blair High SchOol
Silver Chips. And Herbie Heft
writes football stories for the Cen
trail High School Bulletin. . And
Mckinley High School has a Betty
Compton. -. A register of students
seeking sparetime employment has
been established at Roosevelt High
School. Coolidge High Schools
enrolment has risen from $40 in
September, 1910, to l,043 this year.
"Acres and acres of cotton" in
Southern Virginia is sight Connie
CardWell, 13, will never forget, she
writes. The Washington and Lee
High School student visited the cot
ton fields on her vacation. =. Sug-
gestion: High school boys and girls
who are interested in music should
read the article on page E-7 headed
Library Suggests Musical Biog-
raphies for Students"