'AN OVERGROWN HUMMEL'
Cyrus Prouty's Bookstore is New Addition
By Angela Zach
Emerald Reporter
It might well be called novelty
row. that section of Alder between
12th and 13th. Gracing its side
walk is a laundry, automatic; a
Chinese restaurant, operated by
university students; an apartment
house, with bright bathowels
draped on the clothesline in back.
Most recent addition to the estab
lishments is Cyrus Prouty's book
store.
Proprietor Prouty himself with
ruddy face and substantial build
looks like an'overgrown Hummel.
He speaks in the double affirma
tive with an "I was there. I was."
or "I said he could have it. I did."
Behind Prouty’s front desk
stletches 40 feet or so of stole.
The walls are lined to stretching
height with orange crates a “friend
brought over from Springfield in
his truck, he did.” And neatly ar
ranged in these crates are books
of all sizes and nearly all topics.
Some are almost slick-new still;
others show the ravages of small
children with crayons. Still others
are tattered from use that would
credit a family Bible.
Under One Percent
1 Prouty himself confines his
reading (as much as his eyes will
stand) to periodicals, biographies
and science fiction. He reads less
than one per cent of his wares, he
estimates. “Only just enough to
glance through and classify, that's
all."
Reads Everything
The 62 year old proprietor ad
GAS PEDDLER
Dr. Leland A. Huff
Optometrist
13 W. 8th Ave Ph. 5-3725
mits the bulk of his learning has
come from reading—everything.
•Didn't get past the sixth grade 1
in grammar school," he explains.
“But when my mother wanted to
locate me. she'd call the public
library and have ’em send me
home, she would.”
Home for Cyrus Prouty was just
outside Syracuse, N. Y. He was the
oldest of 14 children, a fact that
precluded the possibility of much
formal education for any of them.
“We lived in the Jewish section
of town," he recalls. “There was a
Hebrew school and a synagogue ,
right behind our house." The Rab
bi invited Prouty Sr. to send a
son, Cyrus if he wanted to. to the
Jewish school. Cyrus declined. A
brother went in his stead and ac
quired a writing knowledge of
Hebrew while Cyrus continued
reading whatever lte could lay his
hands on.
Yen for Adventure
But Prouty had a yen for ad
venture and it wasn’t all vicar
iously satisfied through reading.
He left home when he was 16. As
a maiine in World War I, he spent
four years in China, two years in
Panama, two more in Nicaragua,
and was among the first to land at
Vera Cruz. A stint in the army
during World War II completed a
record of 23 years in the service.
While in the army, he learned
quantity cookery. This skill lead
to a position of chief cook at the
Veterans’ hospital in Portland, he
reports.
The book business began in New
York during the depression. He
started by selling volumes from
his personal library to collectors in
New York city.
“Before long, they were sending
me want lists, they were, and I was
scouting around picking up books
for them. I didn’t make much
money, but I learned,” he remin
isces.
Not until four years ago did
Piouty take to handling books as
a full time occupation. His first
store was in Eugene on Willamette
street between 12th and 13th. As
his stock increased, he outgrew
those quarters hopelessly and was
happy to set up shop on Alder
near the university campus. There
he has more room and can display
his merchandise to better advan
tage. Now he sorts and assembles
his volumes by subject matter.
Formerly they were grouped for
convenient stacking flatwise.
After a day in his store that
frequently lasts until 7 pan.,
Prouty goes home to a hobby
that’s right of books. He has as
sembled some 300 volumes written
by or about Franklin D. Roosevelt.
"And I’m not a Democrat." he
declares.
Shrewd Politician
"I staited back in the depres
sion,” in the ’30's." he says. "I ad
mirea mo man ami no wa3 a
shrewd politician. He must have
been shrewd or he wouldn't have
stayed in for so long." A leaser
hobby is collecting Roosevelt
stamps from India and Indian
states.
To handle books, says T’routy,
one must have patience and time.
The first requisite he manifested
several years ago when he as
sembled a postal history of Syra
cuse and the surrounding towns in
New York. This project cost only
about $100, he remembers, but it
took about six years.
One browsing student came on
an exquisite leather-bound volume
of German prose. When Prouty
was asked about it, he replied
simply that he didn't read Ger
man. just that "that book intrig
ued me, it did," an attitude ap
plicable to all his wares. Of his
business now, "It's a very pleasant
way to make very little money."
Nationalism Growing Among Peruvians;
People Revive Their Traditions, Folklore
By Ann Ogle
Emeiald Reporter
“A strong current of national
ism is steadily growing among ray
people" according to Inez Pozzi
Escot. Peruvian graduate student
in English.
For many years, Peru has emu
lated the cultures of France and
Spain. Miss Pozzi-Escot said. "The
Peruvian heritage was ignored.
But more and more, my country is
reviving her songs, folklore, and
ancient traditions."
Everyone, a Little
“There is very little racial dis
crimination in Peru," Miss Pozzi
Escot remarked. The feeling is ex
pressed in the Peruvian saying that
“Everyone has a little of every
race.”
Nevertheless, she continued,
there is a three-tiered social strat
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um in Pciu. with the whites and
mestizoes on the highest rung ot
the social ladder and the Negroes
nr.d the Indians on the bottom,
looking up. The three races seem
to stat* in their respective social
niches, she said, with “family” also
playing an important part irr the
hierarchy. The population per cent
age of the races in Per u is 43 per
cent Indian. 0.8 per cent Negro,
and 54.2 per cent white and mes
tizo.
Each ’ race has contr ibuted a
great deal to the Peruvian culture.
Miss Pozzi-Escot remarked. A
Peruvian showing special talent
can climb to a higher position irr
the society.
“Pregon’*
The Negros have added the "pre
gon" to the folklore. This "pregon
was the song of the Negro street
seller. There was a different "pre
gon" for each hour of the day.
At 6 a.m. the milk woman came
by, singing her "pregon." At-10 a.
nr. the tamalera came by selling
tamales, with her special "pre
gon." At 9 p.m. the "ammero.”
an assistant pr iest appeared, seek
ing contributions for the souls irr
purgatory. They used the "ani-^
mero" to frighten little children
who were unwilling to go to bed.
A policeman was the last to ap
pear on dhe scene with his “pre
Theta Sigma Phi
Pledges 5 Women
Five new members were initiated
and five women pledged by Theta
Sigma Phi, national women's jour
nalism honorary, at ceremonies
held Wednesday night.
New pledges to the campus
chapter of the honorary are Elsie
Schiller, Barbara Boushey and
Janet Blom, juniors in journalism,
and Lorna Davis and Angela Zach,
seniors in journalism.
Women initiated by the organi
zation are Virginia Dailey and
Kitty Fraser, juniors in journal
ism, and Helen Jones, La Vaun
Maier and Donna Pastrouich, sen
iors in journalism.
Announcement of the pledges
was made during an informal get
together given by the honorary
for women in pre-journalism,
Charlene Alvord and Miss Pas
trouich gave short talks on their
experiences working on news
papers.
Presiding over the ceremonies
and the program was Pat Choat,
president of the Oregon chapter of
Theta Sig, assisted by members
Donna Lindbeck and Mrs. Alvord.
gem.' (street seller songi. He an
nounced the hour until early morn
ing, crying ('Blessed Mary! It is
o’clock. Long live Peru, and
all is well.'' This “pregon" disap
peared from Pertivian life in the
early pai t of the 20th century.
Miss Pozzi-Escot said.
The Negro influence is also
strongly evident in the rhythmic
dances of the Peruvian coast, and
in the music of the country, she
declared.
Foodstuffs at “Faria”
The Indians have also added a
great deal to the Peruvian heri
tage. Most of the Indians live in
the highlands of the Andes and in
the jungles. Those on the coast
have the booths and market places.
The "faria" or fair spread was an
open marketplace, where silver
woik. pottery and the popular
crafts were represented. Food
stuffs were also sold at the “faria."
The Indian dances are a com
munity affair, Miss Pozzi-Escot
continued. The instruments used
for these dances were the native
harp, a variation of the violin and
horizontal and vertical flutes. Mu
sic plays an important part in the
Indian life, she stated, and every
community sends a group of musi
cians to celebrate the birthdays of
Peru’s patron saints.
Some of the Peruvian Indians
are very superstitious, Inez noted.
“There is the Indian woman who
sells herbs, continuing the tradi- j
tion of the medicine men. The In
dians in the southern part of Peru
have faith in the “ekeko,” a fat
doll with tiny bags of food on his j
back who is thought to be a good
luck symbol.”
Hispanismo or Indigenismo
Since July 28, 1821, when Peru j
gained her independence from
Spain, there has been a war be
tween "Hispanismo,” the predom
inance of Spanish tradition, and
“Indigenismo,” or emphasis on
Indian tradition, Miss Pozzi-Escot
said. In Peru’s search for a nation
1 al soul, there is a strong move to
combine these two dissenting fac
tions into one word “Peruvlanism,”
Above all, she remarked, Peru now
wishes to keep her ancient culture
alive.
Inez also spoke on Lima, her
“home town,” It always seems that
the city is in constant prayer, she
said. “Perhaps it is because there
are so many churches, towers and
bells in Lima. The plaza and church
are the essence of every Peruvian
town, no matter how tiny or mis
erable the town may be, she point
ed out.
Inez cited Lima as the great
South American center for bull
fighting. Concha Cintron, the
worlds greatest woman bullfight
er < who appropriately eno'igh just
tv.: Tried a Portuguese lion hunter
conies from Lima, she noted.
The Peruvians regards hullfight
ing as the “triumph of life over
death." It is like seeing a "curious
mixtuic of ballet and sculpture.”
The Peruvian people have a 11 ag
io sens - of life, Inez remarked.
"Death looms large in their
thoughts. Perhaps that is why fu
nerals are the only occasion on
which Peruvians arrive promptly
on time." In contrast, the No ;ioe3
of the coastal regions of Peru are
very gay and lighthearted.
"Peruvians ai-o have an aversion
to st: nding in line. We just d.d not
know how to make lines;" Inez
said.
At first it was necessary to hire
policemen to force Peruvians
stand in line for certain things,
she pointed out. Finally the con
gestion in bus terminals during
the war years taught the Peruvian
people to form lines.
Initiation Rites
Held Wednesday
For Phi Eta Sigma
Twelve sophomore and freshman
men were initiated into Phi Eta
Sigma, freshman scholastic honor
ary for men, at a formal banquet
and initiation held Wednesday eve
ning in the Student Union.
Sophomore men initiated on the
basis of a cumulative GPA their
first year of 3.5 or higher were
Walter White, Thomas Taylor, Joe »
Gardner, Bait Koeppen and Bob s
Summers. Ted Goh, special stu
dent, was also initiated.
Fre3hman men who were init
iated on the basis of 3.5 or higher
GPA fall term were Gordon P-ice,
Otto M. Nelson, David Tang, Jack
Socolofsky, Justin Smith and Bob
McCracken.
W. A. Roecker, assistant profes
sor of Germanic languages, ad
dressed the group at the banquet
on the subject of "Education and a
College Career,” The meeting was
presided over by Bill Reeves, pres
ident of Phi Eta Sigma.
I/O Catalog Librarian
Returns From Korea
William F. Lindgren, former cat
alog librarian at the University
library, has returned after a two
year period of military leave, sev
enteen months of which were spent
in Korea. Lindgren had been with
the library, prior to his leave, sinco
1948.