o
EIGHT MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE
Monday, December 26, 195S
Railroad, Bus
Service Stalled
In No, California
San FrSicisco (U.R Rail
road and bus service was nearly
at a standstill in many areas of
Northern and Central California
today because of floods.
The Southern Pacific reported
its Shasta route closed because
of a slide at Cruzette, Ore., but
the Shasta Daylights ran over
the longer Siskiyou route.
The Overland route was closed
over the Sierra because of a
washout at Emigrant Gap. Work
men hoped to restore the line in
time for today's Overland sched
ule. The San Joaquin Valley line
was blocked by a washout north
of Tulare. Trains detoured over
Santa Fe Lines between Fresno
and Bakersfield.
The SP canceled nine trains
yesterday.
WP Line Blocked
The Western Pacific's main
line was blocked by slides WP
trains were detoured via Bar-
stow.
Slides closed the Northwest
ern Pacific railroad between San
Rafael and Eureka. NWP offi
cials denied a report that the
line would be outP until April.
They said it should be open in
three weeks.
Pacific Greyhound Lines can
celed its service to Reno, run
ning buses only as far as Colfax,
Calif. Service to many Northern
California points was subject to
detours.
Reno Airport was expected to
reopen this morning. United Air
Lines announced it scheduled a
plane for Reno which would
leave San Francisco at I a.m
However, night flights to Reno
m;Q not be restored immediately.
Southwest Airways was un
able to land at flooded airports
at Marysville and Eureka. Its
morning plane could not land at
San Luis Obispo yesterday.
'
uwvtvn matiovat. TITLE in Farm Bureau Federa
tion's big beet contest at Caldwell! Ida., this entry by Newhall
Land & Farming Co., El Nido, Cal., is in protective custody
Of Policewoman Donna Hill. (International Soundphoto)
Snake Charming Serious
Matter in Indian Village
Bob Hope Hurt
But Gets Laugh
London (U.R) Bob Hope
has discovered after all these
years that the easiest way to get
a belly laugh is to take a fall.
Hope took the tumble from
Joan Rhodes, an English strong
woman who looks like Marilyn
Monroe with muscles. It came
during his Christmas Eve show
in Iceland.
"What am I paying script
writers for?" he groaned. "I
could have been falling all this
time forTiothing."
The fall brought down the
house but it wasn't very funny
to Hope. He had an appointment
with a doctor today for -rays and
was ordered to take it easy till
his condition is ascertained.
Hope and the muscular Iviiss
Rhodes were giving a special
show for U. S. troops in Iceland
when the accident happened. He
had made a series of cracks
about her strength when she
started to pick him up to carry
off the stage. She slung him
across her shoulder, but he kept
going and landed on his head.
Read and Use Classified Ads
New Delhi (U.R) The charm
ing of snakes is no laughing bus
iness in the little village of Mith-
apur, home of the strange and
fabled men whose weird flute
music charms the most dreaded
reptile.
Snake charming is a time-honored
and almost hereditary pro
fession in Mithapur, 12 miles
south of New Delhi. It's there
that snakes are worshipped by
the wedding party both before
and after the ceremony. It's
there that men make sacred
promises to snakes and never
break them.
Mithapur males are taught as
seven - year - olds to search out
the snakes in the thick jungle
underbrush and tame them with
the piercing music of a reed
flute.
The 35 families of the village
are members of a Hindu caste
known as "Jogi." They pay hom
age to an 85-year-old high priest
who lives far away in Punjab,
whereftnce a year snake charm
ers from all over India go on
pilgrimage to offer him coins,
flowers and part of their earn
ings. Touring Charmers
Years of training may finally
bring to a villager a certificate
from the high priest that allows
"use of the art of snake-charm
ing for entertainment and to
earn a livelihood." The severe
penalty for misusing the art is
excommunication from the caste
The caste is so strict that out
side marriages are never permitted.
The head man at Mithapur is
40-year-old Nanu Nath, who ar
ranges marriages between snake
charmers of his village and those
in other similar villages through
out India.
Although not allowed to in
fringe on another village's terri
tory, individual snake charmers
are permitted to leave India to
practice their profession in other
countries. They have gone to
Burma, Malaya, Ceylon, Thai
land and even Tibet.
Nanu Nath talked about these
strictly enforced codes as he
showed off a six-foot python,
several small cobras and a two
headed snake.
He claimed that the two-headed
snake uses one head for six
months and then switches to the
other one.
Nanu Nath's villagers go on
tour during the winter, roaming
from place to place in Mith
apur's territory with little more
than their snakes and reed
flutes. None of his group has
ever traveled by train.
Some' Biles
Nanu Nath claimed that the
snakes can be caught in the
jungle "just by playing the
flute." But he explained that the
more than 2,000 snakes around
his village were so used to .the
music that they would not re
spond. They have to be cap
tured by hand.
Once the snake is caught, the
rules of the sect say the charm
er must promise the snake that
he will set it free within a cer
tain period of time. The charm
ers believe that if the snake
is not freed on the promised
date, then either the snake or
one of its relations will bite
him. They also feel that the gods
would be displeased.
Small snakes must be freed in
22 days. Not even the largest
snake is kept for more than six
months.
When caught by hand, the
snakes are grabbed by the tail,
WJj.jl.J,ljllIHM
Starts Tuesday!
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Is That So?
Sharpen your witsf here
comes a noggin crusher. Answers
follow questions and each one
has its individual score. If you
score 95 or better, in my league
that qualifies you as a Park
Naturalist; 85 per cent assures
you a position as Hanger Natur
alist; 75 qualifies you as a will
ing but lacking in outdoor ex
perience; 35 as a Drugstore Cow
poke; mighty in voice but weak
in knowledge. Let's gw. going.
I. Approximately, this first
section begins with winter wea
ther. 1. In which of these places did
th ehighest American snowfall
884 inches occur during one
winter? A. Canada; B. Northern
U.S.; C. Southern U.S.
2. Snow may lie a half-year
in which region of the U. S.
which is heavily travelled in
summer? A. Yosemite National
Park; B. Yellowstone National
Park; C. Arcadia National Park
(Maine)?
The deer makes a very im
portant adjustment toward win
ter's cold. A. It grows a heavier
hide. B. It puts on a heavy lay
er of tallow and body fats. C.
It shrinks its stomach.
4. Winter's deep accumulation
of snow helps the snowshoe rab
bit mainly by: A. Making a step
ladder so the rabbit can reach
higher up. B. By slowing up the
rabbit's predators. C. By help
ing make the white rabbit invis
ible. 5. Deer gather in herds when
snow is deep because: A. A
group can pack down the snow
and feed better. B. It gives them
mutual protection against pred
ators. C. It is the mating season
when a buck gathers his harem.
(Ten each; 50 points)
Extinct Birds
II. One of earth's saddest tales
is that of species' extinction.
Among the more than 100 birds
which have become extinct In
the past century are the Great
Auk, Flightless Teal, and Apa
pane. Which bird came from
each of these islands: Iceland?
Laysan? Hawaii? (Five each; 15
points.)
III. Among man's faithful dom
esticated animals are: Dog, pig,
cow, reindeer, sheep, goat, cat,
ass, horse, camel, elephant,
llama, birds, and insects. Select
the appropriate animals from
this group to which the follow
ing statements apply:
1. I serve man for meat, milk,
hide, draught, but yet I am still
in a state of semidomestication.
2. I am milked from behind.
My ancestors may have origin
ater in Iran.
Duplicating Signs
Removed From Parks
Washington (U.R) FoAhose
who don't believe in signs or
just don't like them, the parks
of the nation's capital are becom
ing more pleasant.
A removal of duplicating traf
fic signs from the parks has been
underway for six months. The
job is being handled by a three
man task force from the Interior
Department's National Capital
Parks division, including one
rabid sign-hater Robert W. An
drews, a park landscape archi
tect. "We'd like to eliminate all
signs," Andrews said.
That isn't possible, of course,
but Andrews is doing his best.
So far, 750 signs have been taken
down and only 4,212 are left.
The sign elimination drive was
started by a report prepared in
December, 1953, which said that
the increase in traffic signs was
having an "adverse aesthetic ef
fect" on the parks and causing
"confusion to the public." Ed
ward J. Kelley, superintendent
of National Capital Parks, took
the hint and appointed Andrews,
Park Police Sgt. Dave Kushner
and Sutton Jett, department pub
lic information officer, to cut
out all duplications.
The most obnoxious examples
of redundancy are parking signs.
There are too many of them and
they are too complicated to be
easily understood. So they have
been coming down under the
watchful eye of Andrews. Park
police must now get his permis
sion to put up any signs.
their wriggling bodies pinned to
the ground with a stick and
then held just behind the head.
Nanu Nath claims that noth
ing is ever done to the snake,
no teeth pulled, no venom sacs
removed.
He said that once a snake is
.caught it becomes tame and usu
ally does not bite. He has no
explanation why music tames
them.
But the man who has been
handling snakes all his life ad
mits that he has been bitten
By EUGENE BURNS
Ranger-Naturalist
3. Supposedly of Asiatic ori
gin, I am often rented today to
help increase the yield of crops.
4. T was perhaps domesticated
first in Egypt where I once pull
ed chariots. During the reign of
King Ethelred, I was known in
England.
5. I am man's oldest domesti
cated partner. (Seven each; 35
points.)
ANSWERS: 1. In the High
Sierra which is in the southern
half of the U. S., believe it or
not! 2. Yellowstone National
Park. 3. Heavier layer of tallow
and body fats. 4. Making a step
ladder. 5. Protection against
predators.
II. Iceland, the Great Auk;
Laysan, the Flightless Teal; Ha
waii, the Apapane.
III. 1. Reindeer; 2'. Goat; 3.
Bee; 4. Ass; 5. Dog.
Now add up your score man
fully. There will be fortnightly
tests in the coming year and
good luck to you. '
(Copyright, 1955, By
Eugene BuBrns)
(Released by McClur
Newspaper Syndicate)
Free: By special arrangement
with the editors of the Encyclo
pedia Americana, my panel of
judges will award each week
to the reader who sends me the
best true-life nature adventure,
the best nature observation, or
the best question on nature and
wildlife, a complete 30-volume
set of this world-famous refer
ence work in a handsome Seal
craft binding. Each week new
submissions will be considered.
Sorry, I simply can't answer
your many . friendly letters.
Please address your letter to IS
THAT SO! care of Medford Mail
Tribune, Box 575, Sausalito,
Calif.
'". . . LiqfcwX 'TH! Ti "w vnwMm
FLAMING CRASH KILLS 17 The wheels of Eastern Airlines plane that crashed in
the backyards of homes bordering Municipal Airport at Jacksonville, Fla., stopped
short of this house. The other pair of wheels landed against the porch of another home.
All aboard, 12 passengers and five crew members, died in the fiery crash.
He'll Be Well-Dressed
Refugee From Flood
Marysville, Calif. (U.R)
When flood waters forced War
ren Thornton, city editor of the
Marysville Appeal-Democrat, to
flee his home, he elected to save
what clothing he could and or
dered his mother-in-law to sal
vage some food.
When he reached safety
Thornton discovered he had sav
ed a tuxedo. His mother-in-law
salvaged bread for turkey dress
ing but left the turkey behind.
Dog Not About
To Lose New Friend
Santa Cruz, Calif. (U.R)
Garageman Stan Prolo pulled
a helpless dog to safety from the
roof of a nearly submerged car
during the height of . the flood
and the dog has followed at his
heels ever since.
Prolo says the pooch consid
ers "him "dog's best friend." .
Grind . oats fine for hogs,
coarse for beef cattle and feed
them whole to sheep.
REDS MAPPING ISLAND
Taipeh, Formosa (U.R) The
Chinese Communists have be
gun air-mapping the Nationalist
held Matsu Islands north of For
mosa, official reports said to
day. The flights touched off air
raid alerts.
SPECIAL - 2x4 Wood
3 Loads for $25
PHONE 2-8277
McGINTY FUEL CO.
11 mil 1 n it n il Mil
SMI
(December 27 to December 31, 1955)
SPECIAL FEED PRICES
Ground Barley reg. price $3.45 - now only $3.10 percwt.
Wheat reg. price $4.30 - now, only $4.00 per cwt.
Mill Run reg. price $3.00 - now only $2.75 per cwt.
Cottonseed Cubes reg. price $4.50 - now only $4.15 percwt.
SPECIAL PRICES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THIS SALE ONLY
Limit 5 Sacks to a Customer While It Lasts
10 Off Fencing-Roofing-Hails
14 Ga. Barb Wire now only $ 7.38
12'2 Ga. Barb Wire now only 10.57
39" Field Fencing-was $24.35
now only 21.91
36 Poultry Netting now only 9.40
8 Box Nails, per keg, were $14.45
now only 13.00
90-lb Roofing, was $3.40, now only 3.06
Stock Up Now at These Special Prices
15 OFF HARDWARE
Hammers - Wrenches - Screwdrivers -Saws
- Vises - Levels - Oil Cans - Brae
and Bits -Chisels -Rope-Etc.
SPECIAL SELECTION OF HAMMERS
$1.00 EACH
Assorted Stove Bolts 10c per dor.
Wood Screws 10c per doz.
BUY NOW AND SAVE
CLOSING OUT
50 OFF - Stoneware -Leather Goods -50 OFF
Vases Dog Collars Planters Dog Harnesses
Bean Pots Cow and Calf Halters Flower Pots
Cow Bell Straps Cookie Jars Leashes Etc.
THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE ON THESE ITEMS!
SEE SAMSON'S THIS WEEK
SPECIAL
50c TABLE
Here you will find a large assortment
of useful items. Values to $2.00
SPECIAL
$1.00 TABLE
You will find just what you want
on this table Values to $4.00
See Samson's This Week For the Biggest Bargains of the year.
All Sales are final and limited to stock on hand.
4th fir Front
Phone 2-5295 5 Medford, Oregon
I "about 20 times."