The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1944-11-09
50 This Is New York

country so it couId i've more happily
on a farm. It was decided that the
healthful open spaces were a better
place for Flossie to live than in a New
York apartment. The cat was sent by
express and arrived safely and COM
fortably. | am told. Then ] was shown
the contract covering the shipment OF
animals by express, and found 1t quite
interesting. For instance, it provides for
the shipment Of alligators and snakes
for a certain rate, provided the values
of these do not exceed $25 each. Ferrets,
guinea pigs, mice, opossums and prairie
dogs can be shipped somewhat more
cheaply. But bulls, zebras, burros and
ostriches come somewhat higher as do
calves, deer, goats and sheep. In the
higher brackets are camels, CRATES
hippopotamuses and rhinoceroses. High
est valued are elephants which seems
appropriate considering their size.
The shipper agrees that the company
will not be liable for the conduct or
acts of the animals to themselves, or to
each other, such as biting, kicking, gor-
ing or smothering. A note in the con-
tract says that women and minors will
not be granted free transportation or
permitted to ride in the car with the
animals. | wonder if the ones who drew
up this unique legal document could
have had in mind some Of the people
who ride the rains nowadays. From re-
marks | have heard from conductors
who try to maintain their patience in
dealing with the crowded conditions in
wartime trains, l wonder IL they would
not like to apply the terms of this con-
tract to some human beings.
Alec Templeton is one of the most re-
markable entertainers l know Of. Watch
ing him broadcast over the radio the
other night, l was impressed by the
versatility of this blind musician. Not
only is he a fine pianist but he is quite
witty as we'll and often gives off some
clever lines which send his audiences
into gales Of laughter. Templeton was
born in Wales, 35 years ago, and his
first appearance was as a child when
he scolded the audience for ~applauding
him too long. He learned a Beethoven
selection from a recording by heart in
eight hours and later played before
King George v. He has composed a
number of pieces himself, has a hobby
of collecting old music boxes and has
a pet cat named Louis Armstrong.
The taxi driver slowed down as he
was passing a street corner on Park
Avenue. He had heard a shrill whistle
like that Of a young boy who wanted to
hail n cab-or something. He looked a.
round. No one was to be seen except a
bunch of dignified looking men stand
ing on the corner engaged in serious
conversation. The driver started to go
on, when he heard the whistle again. He
looked back. On the opposite corner, he
saw q smartly-dressed, white-haired
woman, apparently \ Park Avenue dow
ager, her two fingers between her teeth,
kid-like giving him the shrill whistle
He shook his head and backed up. Now,
ne %mumbled, he had seen everything.
There are so nan ribbons on uni
formed men nowadays it is hard for
those in the service to keep up with the
meaning Of them, let alone civilians who
are too busy to stop and learn the vari-
Gus distinctions. A small boy sat on the
subway staring at a yellow ribbon worn
by a sailor on the opposite side of the
car. He knew a lot of them but this one
puzzled him. What foreign country did
it represent? The sailor noticed his
anxious stare and as he got off, leaned
over and said to the ~youngster, Il got
this for joining up before Pearl Har-
bor".
With the elections over, New York is
settling down for the winter-that is if
you can call a city of eight millions
with seemingly that many visitors
crowding the hotels, apartment houses
and theatres-capable of settling down.
Most vivid sign of the coming of winter
is the ice rink in Radio City whore those
in charge lose no detail in changing the
seasons in colorful manner. During the