Image provided by: YMCA of Ashland; Ashland, OR
About Southern Oregon miner. (Ashland, Or.) 1935-1946 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 1935)
SOUTHERN OREGON MINER PAGE OF READING FOR THE FAMILY Modem Wheel* Sing a Discordant Note In Rural Azores. parks along the curving const. All about Is the trilling, piping, and fluting of bird*. In the fields bare foot men sing as they toll. Portugal’s “Island* Adjacent." In the Fifteenth century, the val iant ocean-mapping Portuguese col onized these Islands and, save for 09 year* of Spanish rule, have gov erned them ever since. The Islands, of volcanic origin, stretch for about 375 miles from northwest to southwest. In three severed groups with clear channel* between. Corvo, smallest and by far the most primitive, Iles farthest north; Flores, beautiful and well watered farthest west. To the southeast, across a tern pestuous stretch of sea. is the cen tral group: Fayal, seat of the ocean conical mountain; Sao Jorge, with its rich pastures, exporting excel lent cheese; Graciosa, with “more wine than water"; Tercelra, most interesting historically, preserver of old customs. Another wide channel and the traveler reaches Sao Miguel, which the British and American* call St. Michael's, largest and most Impor tant of the group, with Ponta Del gada, chief city of the archipelago; and. again to the south, Santa Marla, flrat to be discovered and colonized. “Island* adjacent” Is Portugal's official designation of Madeira and the Azores, the last named, a* one wit ha* remarked, being adjacent only to one another. In Portugese the name I* Acorra. which signifies “hawks.” The wide expanse of ocean on every side and the force of the en compassing wind* tend to give the newcomer a feeling of Isolation. This lessen* as the weeks pass. In spite of the provoking sight of many big ocean liners, which stenm past the Azorian capital with only the blast of the siren as a nod of recognition. IN PRACTICE Portuguese mall boats, leaving Lisbon twice each month, come by way of Funchal, Madeira, and reach Ponta Delgada In four days. One of these ships goes only as far north as Fayal; the other goes beyond Fayal to Flores, touching six timer a year at lonely, storm-harassed lit tie Corvo. The round trip from Pon ta Delgada to the northern Islands can be made In one week. Motor boats and sailing vessels also ply, when weather permits, be tween Insular ports. Independent of ths World. There Is a fruit and passenger line of small ships, with semi monthly service between Ponta Del gada, London, and Hamburg. Ital ian, French, and Greek transatlan tic liners stop at the Azorian cap ital. Ponta Delgada and Horta, with their adequate artificial break She—Aren't you afraid of sharks! waters, are havens for ships In need He—No, Indeed! I used to be in of fuel, provisions, or repairs. real estate myself. Cruising ships crossing the North Prepared by National Geographic Society. Washington. D. C-WNU Service 1TTLE more than 1.000 stat ute miles from European mainland and about 1,300 miles from Newfoundland, In lati tude a little north of Lisbon, a lit tle south of New York, lies the most westerly of the nine Azorian islands. Fast steamers from New York reach Ponta Delgada, metropolis of the Azores, in five and a half day*. Seaplanes have flown across from Newfoundland between dawn and dusk. Three hospitable har bors in this friendly archipelago await the coming of commercial seaplanes, which will form another link between the New world and the Old. Closely allied as they are with Portugal, of which they form an Integral part politically, these fer tile green Islands, with their lush pastures and mist-wreathed moun tains, long ago turned their faces toward the West, sending their frugal. Industrial son* to the United States, where, before 1929, there was probably one Azorian to every two left at home. Most of them are found In Massachusetts, Rhode Island and California. More than once on the streets of Azorian towns, a traveler Is ap proached by a stranger who dofTs his hat and politely inquires: “You are an American?“ When you assent, your new ac quaintance Informs you he voted In New England or California, but was born in the Azores; was “back home to see the old folks," or "here until times are better In the States.“ From a rounded hilltop back of a rainbow-tinted town, one looks past oblong fields bordered by high wtone walls of dark-gray lava to tile- roofed, many-windowed buildings stretching between gardens and Atlantic now and then Include the Azores on their itinerary. To the quarter of a million Azor ians their tenqierate, agriculturally productive archipelago la a com plete little world In Itself. For their food supply these Islanders are practically Independent of lands beyond. They produce their own cereals, vegetables, fruits, meat, milk, butter, cheese, and eggs. They make sugar from the beet, spirits from the aweet potato, press their own grains Into wine, “roll their own” tobacco, "curl their own" tea. Their seas abound In flsh. Their buildings are constructed from the volcanic basalt of the Is lands. Furniture Is made from na tive wood*. They manufacture linen from home-grown flax and woolen garment* from sheep'* wool. Lux uries are Imported, chiefly from the Portuguese mainland; but should every ship sailing these sea* fall to call at the "Western Is lands," the Azorian* could survive. Ponta Delgada's religious festival In honor of Santo Cristo dos MIL agre* (Our Lord of the Miracle), la one of the Azores' most striking feasts to tourists. The devout wor ship an Image called locally “Sant* Crist’.’’ This Image, revered for nearly 490 years. Is remarkable for the number of precious stones with which It I* adorned. When a na tive of Sao Miguel prospers tn the New world, a portion of his first saving* Is usually sent to bls be loved Sant’ Chris'. The festival lieglna on a Thurs day with the arrival In town of farmer* bringing 50 head of cat tle to be slaughtered a* meat for the poor. Banner* wave; rocket* shoot skyward In broad daylight; ■ band plays. Worship With Skyrocket*. On the following day the meat, with bread, I* blessed and distrib uted. On Saturday the sacred Im age I* conveyed with ceremony from It* home In an old convent to the Church of E*|*eranca (hope), next door. That night thouaand* knee] before It Not only from the rural district of Sao Miguel, hut from the neighboring Island of Santa Mnrla, worshiper* flock to the capital. The facade of the church glow* with electric light*, adjacent build ing* on the public square are Il luminated, and a line of flaming arches stretches across the street*. There I* a band concert with flre works and rocket*, the latter be ing closely associated with religious ceremonies In all Portu**se land*. On Sunday afternoon comes the procession, when the Image, accom panied by the clergy and hundred* of laymen, I* conveyed through the city and back to the convent. Men and women of distinction, of the middle class, of the peasantry, all participate. Embroidered hanging* drape balconies. The streets are strewn with Incenso (Plttosporum) leaves, aromatic fennel, and fresh blossom*. All kneel a* the Image, under It* canopy of native-made feather flowers, la borne pa«t. One Is disappointed that so few old native costumes are to be seen on the street* durlng-those festival days, but glad that one, at least, still survives. It I* the capote e capello, distinctly Azorian, the wom an's long, dark-bine cloth cape, cir cular In shape, with a large hood of the same material, resembling ■ coal scuttle. It Is amusing to see two capotes stopping for a friend ly gossip. The scuttler* meet and only gesticulating hands are visible. The shrouding of the woman's head and shoulders Is a relic of cen turies' of Moorish rule on the Ibe rian peninsula. This particular gar ment may be of Flemish origin, brought by early colonists from Flanders. Some Azorians believe It owes It* being to the period when these islands were ruled by Spain. The hood Is not always the same, being larger on the Islands of Santa Marla and Sao Jorge, more stiffen ing with buckram and whalebone in Fay at The young moderns acorn LIGHTFOOT WATCHES WAITS AND other creature. He didn't seem at HERE had been a great change In Lightfoot the Deer. I’eter Rabbit liad noticed It. Sammy Jay had noticed it. So had Blacky the Crow. All three of them understood It. They understood It perfectly. They knew that Lightfoot was watching and waiting for the day which would bring Into the Green Forest the hunters with terrible guns seeking to kill him. A* long as the leave* had re mained green Lightfoot had wan- T Peter Rabbit Had Noticed IL ■w dered about where he pleased, care less of who saw him. He had even visited Farmer Brown's garden In broad daylight. lie had Joined Farmer Brown’s cows In the Old Pasture and grazed with them con tentedly. He had been free of fear. But now Lightfoot was like an- It; but, conservative, convenient, protective, and long-lived. It I* still worn by some of the older women, especially for enrly mas*. If the wearer happens to see somebody on the street whom she wishes to avoid, presto! the hood I* pulled farther forward and she Is within her own fortress. • all the same animal. It waa rarely that he moved about much until after the Black Shadows had crept out from the Purple Hills. It waa then that he fed and visited hl* fa vorite drinking place at the laugh ing Brook. But from the time the tlrat Jolly Little Nunbeam came creeping through the Green For- rat at the Iteglnnlng of day until the Black Shadows chased them out at the beginning of night, Light foot remained hidden In thickets or behind tangle* of fallen tree* In the depth* of the Green Forest. Sometime* he would lie for hour* In hl* hiding place. Sometime* he would stand motionless for the longest time, hl* big ear* cocked forward to catch every little sound, hl* great, soft eye* watching for the least little movement among the tree*, his delicate noae testing every Merry Little Breeze that came hl* way for the dreaded «cent of man. When he moved about he took the greatrat care to move silently. Every few ate|>* he stopped to look, listen and test the air. The snapping of a twig would aet him to trembling with fear and suspi cion. Lightfoot wa* watching and wait ing for the coming of the moat dreadful thing that can corn* Into the live* of the people of the Green Forest, the coming of the hunters with terrible guns. Sometime* he wished they would cemc. It would be ensler to know what to do. Noth ing. you know, la harder than watching and waiting a* Lightfoot was cfolng. He lost hl* appetite, lie could no longer sleep |>eacefully. but continually awoke with fright. Each day he became more anxious. No sooner waa one day ended than he would begin to dread the coming of nnothcr day. It wa* very beau tiful In the Green Forest, but Light foot saw none of the beauty. Fear destroyed all beauty for Lightfoot. ©. T W. Uur*MM.—WNU Sarrica. n n PUDDVIW9 an9 PBE CK? by JIMMY GARTHWA1TE CO U LUCKY DUCKS 88 1 LOVE to see duck» 1 On a summery day Go scuttering down to the pond. They stretch out their necks As they scutter away To the water of which they’re so fond. They never wear Blockings And never wear shoes— They have nothing whatever to C j . I think after all That if I could choose I’d as soon he a duck, wouldn’t you? e by Harper & Brothers—WNU Service.