The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1941-12-04
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@ 4 Is;
sY NORTH CALLAHAN

three days in New York. So far
this is something which rel Mayor
La Guardia has been unable to do
anything about. AS a result of this
metropolitan moisture, lots of local
clothes are especially designed for
rain. And what a sight they are. Men
come out in sloppy fish-skin hats,
short rain-coats that strike way above
their sloshing knees and modish over
shoes which lend just the right a
mount of careless smartness. Many
gentlemen boldly carry umbrellas
with awfully sharp ribs that stick
out and poke you in the eye if you
happen to walk too close. Then there
are some rain-going men who dress
more like humans. But women take
the water-soaked cake. Let a shower
begin and out they come on the
streets in vari-colored raincoats like
a flock of brilliantly-hued water
sprites. Satiny gaberdine and glossy
rubber coats vie with shimmering,
transparent cellophane in shapes
from the well-known Mother Hub
bard to an inverted ice cream cone.
Their misty faces indicate they are
glad it rained so they al wear this
fantastic change of clothes; and I
feel sure they remain out in it long
er than necessary for the same rea-
son.
One can't blame pretty small
town girls for wanting to be Broad
way actresses. Yet a glance at cold,
hard statistics is enough to make any
interested n pause. Last year, g.
500 professional people haunted Co
ham casting offices and out of these,
about 1000 got jobs. This thousand
worked in show on an average of five
veeks during the year and their
! average annual income was $3.50. It's
nough to make that nice little job
It home seem like a rich inheritance.
-oOo-
Like other young men in all parts
{ the country, many New Workers
re getting a new experience.
They're in the Army. Some r at
'istant posts, while others are sta
ioned nearby. Occasionally they re-
turn home and then-what a re-
union! There's no place like this city
for celebrations, either mild or
strong. From the trains in the two
large depots here the soldiers pour
and run for the telephone booths.
In a few seconds every booth is filled
and thousands of sweethearts, wives
and mothers "hello" ~joyously at the
other end of the wires. Soon there
is happiness again in these house
holds. Some officers remain away on
duty for months without seeing their
families One of these, a friend Of
mine, told me that he liked the Army,
didn't mind the long absences quite
so much now, but that he did feel
hurt the other night when upon re-
turing home from camp in his uni
form, his small daughter didn't re-
cognize him when he first entered
his house and ran away into the
kitchen crying.
-oOo-
! saw him feeding pigeons in the
park. Something about his quiet, SER
ious face was strangely kind and in
telligent. Around middle age, he was,
with steel-rimmed glasses and old hat
over a threatbare suit. At first l
hardly dared speak to him but fin
ally ventured to break his reverie Of
bird-feeding and asked him about
himself. 81 am an inventor" he ans
wered in a low voice, "but now l am
down and out. Why, did you know
that l invented the V-8 engine?"
Somehow ! vas taking him at his
word. He went on to explain that
the company which was beginning
to manufacture his patented engine
years ago wasn't large enough to
produce it profitably and had to sell
the rights. Along with these went his
job. Now, he said, he had been work.
ing on q safety device for airplanes,
after years of manual labor andsav-
ing to be able to create something
else worthwhile. But his money ran
ont. Today he lives in the welfare
shelter near the Battery. His face
had lighted up, but it fell as he adj
mitted this. He turned and looked
away, then slowly tossed another bit
of bread among the grateful pigeons.
In my pocket, I fingered a half
dollar. But something told me not
to offer it to a man with such pride
of memory and still so much kind
ness in his heart.
-oOo-
AT a Times Square theater, I at
tended the premiere of a new NOV
ing picture, Keep EN- Flying That
this was something comparatively
new even to blase Broadway was
evident by the c~uriousity of crowds
outside who, unlike the Hollywood
flrst-nighters started at the bril-
liant goings-on and gaped in wide