Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-16

y
MIR PICKERING But you
should see the number OF SOL
diers and sailors, especially the
sailors. One thing they like is
itching powder to put in some
body's hammock. And simple
magic tricks. Sailors love magic.
Like these magic vases, or put
ting a burning cigaret through
the center of a handkerchief"
Whitley (real name Harold
Goswick) and Bill Zakoor Oper-
ate their place down near JEFF
ferson avenue, and you can see
the Canadian shore from their
front door. They call IL the
Border Novelty Company, and
auirks OF fate have made II one
Of the war crossroads Of the
world.
"Soldiers, sailors, Canadians,
Australians, Raj fiiers-I guess
we've had somebody from just
about every country" Whitley
says. "We have quite q few
fiers with fighter plane expert
ence who are over here TO learn
10 handle big bombers. Most of
the men from the other side say
our army training Is lot
tougher than on the other side"
Most men from other coun-
tries, Whitley said, lean toward
pennants, souvenir cards, identi-
fication bracelets, cigaret cases
and wrist watch straps. And
jewelry for girls, which applies
TO soldiers of any country.
The girls do their snare OF
shopping. too. And III tell you
something about the girls in
this town, too" he commented.
They're navy minded. Well
sell Is things with navy insignia
for one of anything else"
He went on: Were In a mill
tary season now. i mean for
things like this air corps COM
pact. There's place for the
girl to put her boy friends
picture"
Lou Hirschberg. an importer,
wandered in. You mean patri-
Otto season, don't you?" he said.
No" said Whitley. Not patri-
otto - military. Used TO be
patriotic, but I guess people
have all that stuff now. The
patriotic swing started before
Pearl Harbor, and a big jump
right after Pearl Harbor. but
now people are going on 10
something else.
Tt started with God Bless
AAmerica.' God Bless America
In pillow covers and everything
else. When she-Kate Smith. 1
mean-staNed that song she
made n lot of money for n lot
OF people. But / guess that Is
over, now"
Like flags" said Hirschberg,
morosely. Cant get 'em. 1
wrote TO n company and they
don't even write back"
silk" said Whitley. And rub
her novelties. Rings that squirt
water, and imitation hot dogs.
"AIl rubber-that's gone, ex-
cept what's In stock. And this
can of peanut brittle, with IL
feet of snakes inside. They're
new, but you can't make any
more. on account of the springs.
That was a right idea that came
along at the wrong time"
Pepper chewing gum keeps on.
So do compounds TO make
cigarets taste bitter. handshake
buzzers and novelty salt shakers
some people have collected 400
or 500 different kinds of shakers,
Whitley says.
And dribble glasses (which
Bill Knudsen used to buy for
banquets, Whitley says and col
lapsing steak knives, and what
they now call "sugar-rationing
spoons" with Invisible cellophane
over the bowl so you dip and
dip but never get any sugar.
Things stay the same and
things change" said Whitley, "A
lot of stuff we don't get-a good
35 per cent of practical jokes
used TO come from Japan and
Germany.
MISREPRESENTATION some
thing useful TO somebody. Like
a man who bought IL auto
bombs that you hitch on the
uIpark plugs and they explode
aid people always parked In
front of his house and he never
could park there himself. He
came back and says he has no
trouble now"
Novelties and practical jokes,
nonsense and the war. And the