Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, May 03, 1963, Image 4

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    4 A -
"Everyone in Southern Oregon
RedLTn MaU Tribune"
Published Daily except Saturday by
UEUKORO PRINTING CO.
33 North llSt.. Ph;77a-14l
ROUERT W RUKU Editor
HERB GREY Advertlni Manaeel
GERALD T LATHAM. Bui Mir
ERIC ALLEN JR.. Mna Editor
KARL H ADAMS. City Editor
HARRY CHIPM AN, Teieg Editor
RICHARD JEWETT. SporU Editor
OLIVE SXARCHER Women'e Killtoi
DALERICJtSONlrcuUUon Msj
An Independent Newspapel
Inlered a second class matter at
Medfoid Oregon under Act ot
Morcn S, 1887
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Official Paper oTclty of Med("T
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Flight or Time
Medford and Jackson County
History from the files of The
Mall Tribune 10, 20, 30, 40
and 50 years ago.
10 YEARS AGO
May 3, 1833 (Sunday)
Parking meters will be In
tailed tomorrow on West
Main t. between Holly and
Ivy sts.
Medford was one of t h e
warmest places In Oregon to
day with an official temper
ature reading of 80.
20 YEARS AGO
May 3. 1943 (Monday)
George Jantzer top winner
at Medford Gun club's bi
monthly iihoot.
From Arthur Perry's "Ye
Smudge Pot" column: "Ow
ing to improvements, one of
the residential streets Is In
deplorable condition."
30 YEARS AGO ..
May 3, 1933 (Wednesday)
Thief steals petunias from
Frank DeSouza's yard.
Patricia Hayes named May
queen at St. Mary's academy.
40 YEARS AGO
May 3, 1923 (Thursday)
Ruch horseshoe pitchers is
sue challenge to Medford
pitching experts.
Gala dedication ceremonies
held for new Jacksonville city
auto camp.
SO YEARS AGO
May 3. 1913 (Saturday)
Lime deposit found in Ap
plcgate valley said to be big
gest in state.
Unknown persons sprinkle
tacks across section ot Ross
lane to catching passing autos;
district attorney investigating.
What's Your I.Q.?
Nina or fen correct ft superior
seven or eleht Is oxcollentr five or
sia fs good.
1. The highest mountain
peak in North America la ML
Whitney; true or false?
2. What U. S. Constitution
al amendment replaced the
18th Amendment?
3. Is the proverb "To fish
In troubled waters" of Bibli
cal or ShakesDearian nrlaln?
4. Is Anzac an Indian tri
bal name?
5. Purity or majesty are the
symbolic qualities attributed
to which flower?
6 If, In England, you' are
paid a quid, would you re
ceive a pound sterling or a
shilling?
7. A snake will not crawl
over a hair rope; true or
false?
8. What Is an amendatory
addition to a Inst will and test
ament called?
9. Which year of life Is con
sidered to be the most critical
lor children?
10. Was Augustus St. Gu
dens a priest, composer or
sculptor?
Answers! 1. False (McKln
loy), 2. None - iho 21st re
peals it. 3. Biblical, 4. No. S.
Lily. 6. Pound. 7. False. I.
Codicil. 9. First yaar. 10.
Sculpiw?.
NEW QUEEN PORTRAIT
London - UTD - A new por
trait of Queen Elizabeth II
will go on exhibition at the
Jloyal Academy's summer
ahow which opens on Satur
day. It was announced. The
painting showed the Queen
mounted on the police horse
Imperial rehearsing In the
grounds of Buckingham Pal
ace for the trooping of the
colors. It was done by Terence
uueno and Is the first the
Vueen has personally commit-
aionea.
Km
FRIDAY. MAY 3. 1SS3
High and Dry
The near desert conditions brought about by
lacK oi moisture during
Denver area makns us
creen of the Kogue Valley this time of the year.
The Denver area is on a high plateau near the
edge of the Rockies where moisture should be
common, and we always
for water, at least this
But this year, mile -
taking another look at the snow-barren moun
tains to the west, a look at the rainless, high
clouds drifting overhead, and shaking their
heads.
They forecast a real
1 1
iuiure spring snowers Di'ing some renei 10 me ex
tremely dry conditions. The spring showers had
not started yet when a
tors were in ine area
FIELDS on the upper
and lawns in the
watered, are brown. The
The wind blows dust
isn t ground cover, and sometimes where there is.
Even the mountains are dry. Snow covers the
ground up about 10,000 feet or more; little if
anv is below that level.
Observing the dry
with people who live there, we had the uncom
fortable feeling that perhaps we were witness-
. i i ' . p i f . . . t l -rt i tir
ing me Detrinninizs oi anouier uusi duwi. vve
certainly hope not, but it appears that the only
thine: to nrevent another Dust Bowl is a consid-
erable amount of ram.
A N INDICATION of
that area the eastern edr?e of the Rockies
was a small forest fire m Clear Creek County
west of Evergreen. The fire burned over only
a few acres about a week
And that was at an elevation of about 8,000 feet.
There were, in the area we visited, few cat
tle where once thousands grazed. The ranches
are now inactive as cattle
They are inactive principally because they
can no longer support came, in me aays wnen
the Great Plain was cattle country, along with
1 1
much of the Rocky Mountain area, the land was
overgrazed to a point that even now ground
cover is rather thin in some places.
Perhaps this has made its contribution to the
problem facing people of that areanear desert
conditions. E. H. A.
Varieties of
Just what is "news"?
papers cover it f
These are questions
are forever asking themselves. The answers are
not always readily apparent.
If news is to be considered the stories or cur
rent happenings in politics, the economy, in
ternational or military
so on the papers do a
But if the "news"
less tangible things, then
ing so well.
TMAX LERNER touched on this subject in a
" column in the New York Post the other day.
What, he was asked, are the stories that the press
is not covering well?
He said :
"... The great uncovered story Is that of the news
paper reader himself. The newspaper doesn't dare deal
with his (and her) sexual drives and behavior, which
are taboo; nor with his emotional life, his anxieties,
his fear j and rages and neuroses; nor with his horror
of death and his hope of heaven; nor with any of the
thousand things that make up his underground Interior
life.
"Partly this Is because of taboos, partly because
we still don't know enough, partly also because the
i way we define 'news' excludes most of these concerns.
So they get left to the magazines, which reach millions
exactly because - well or badly - they move Into the
area which the daily newspaper has abdlcted."
1MAYBE Lerner has a point. But there is a
" real question in at least one newspaper
man's mind whether the people who put out the
newspapers are equipped to delve into such mat
ters with clarity or constructiveness.
Doctors, lawyers, judges, professors, research
ers, scientists these
with such matters on a
year out. And when
great human mysteries,
such length, and in such esoteric terms, that their
articles are hardly suited for daily newspapers.
Thus the magazines, which have the space
and the format to handle
articles, become the obvious media.
e e
COME newspapers, a few of the big ones, have
'"' the rescources to employ specialists in various
fields. But most papers employ men and women
who are "geneinlists,"
about a lot ot things, without necessarily Hav
ing a background any specific area.
Such people are equipped to write and inter
pret the daily grist of "news" in an understand
able, even expert, fashion.
But it occurs to us that the more profound
aspects of human existence can best oe dealt
with, in depth, by men and women who have
devoted their lives to studying them.
Such things may be "news" in the broad
sense, but they are not "news" which can be or
should be reported in the same manner which
works well with the events of the day. E. A.
The Oregon House of Representatives will
consider the proposed new Constitution as a spe
cial order of business Monday morning. There
is still time, if you wish a chance to vote on the
proposal, to let your legislators know. E.A.
tne past year or so in the
appreciate more the lush
believed to be well off
time of the year.
high area residents are
problem of water, unless
! - I-,.- il
group of Medtora eauca-
viBiung scnuuis.
a
edge of the Great Plains
residential areas, unless
ground is hard and dry,
up from wherever there
conditions, and talking
what may be in store for
before we were there.
ranches.
111. T il. 1
"News
And how well do news
which newspapermen
affairs, accidents, and
pretty good job.
really involves a lot of
the papers aren't do
are the people that deal
daily basis, year in and
they do write about the
they are apt to do so at
thoughtful and lengthy
who know something
"Do You Think
Of fentive
aaaBeB- .mrSP'JSCJt- i"i?'-t . I
... Communications ...
Letters to the Editor must
certain circumstances the us
Th Mail Tribune reserves Ih right to edit all letters with a view to clarification and
condensation. Loiters submitted for publication must not exceed 400 words. The loiiors
printed in this column do
contrary is often th case,
Now Version
To the Editor: This writer
wishes to submit for publica
tion the following, a parody
on the old song, "I love that
bearded lady, because her
whiskers tickle so."
Mr. Krushie's new song: "I
love that bearded Castro be
cause his whiskers tickle so."
(Name on file)
Ashland, Ore.
Don't
To the Editor: Young worn
1: DON'T:
Marry a man who does not
read the sport section of the
newspapers. Young fellows
who profess no interest in'
sports are not apt to be Inter
ested in anything but them
selves. Marry a man who plays
cards for money. Love for
games of chance usually sup
plants all other loves.
Marry a man who says he
has no bad habits. He is pretty
sure to ' have a vice much
worse than smoking or even
drinking. If ne'e of the "holier
than thou" variety he soon
will become a pest.
Marry a man your parents
object to, unless your parents
are most unreasonable. It la
court history that 65 per cent
of all elopements end in the
divorce courts.
Marry a man who says he
In the Day's News
By FRANK JENKINS
In New Hampshire, the gov
ernor signs a sweepstakes bill
that has kept the state in tur
moil for months and calls on
the legislature to help him
make it work "efficiently and
In compliance with the laws
of the Unitev! States govern
ment." He says tickets for the
sweepstakes, first to be legal
lied In any state In nearly 70
years, can be sold to persons
whether or not the,- live in
New Hampshire. He adds: "It
Is perfectly lawful for our
neighbors to come here on va
cations, buy sweepstakes
tickets and collect their prizes
if they win."
He says federal law Is con
cerned only with Interstate
traffic and not with sweep
stakes conducted within a
single state.
WHAT'S a sweepstakes?
Webster defines it as
"the whole stake on an event,
a given amount being put up
by each contestant, and the
stake awarded either ALL to
the winner or In shares to sev
eral. A LOTTERY offering
to distribute sweepstakes as
prizes."
What's a lottery?
According to Webster, it's
a "scheme tor the distribution
ot prizes by lot; especially, a
scheme in which lots or
chances are sold."
HISTORICALLY, over the
world, state lotteries have
been the last resort of a bank
rupt state that has taxed and
taxed until there isn't much
left to be taxed.
So, the state falls back on
the lottery, realizing that peo
ple will GAMBLE regardless,
If permitted to.
GOVERNOR King concludes:
"As for those who raise
the fear of undesirable ele
ments Invading our state, I
firmly believe the fear Is
without foundation. I am con
vinced that we can conduct
an honest and respectable op
eration that will have the ten
dency to discourage those who
seek gain in this field."
LETS cite a little history:
In 180ft. the bankrupt
state of Louisiana established
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD. OREGON
You Really Need
Weapons?"
-rue uvww-j rir
boar the nam and address of
ef a pen nan or Initial
not necessarily represent th
does not care for children.
Marry a man because he Is
a good dancer. Perhaps that
is the only thing he can do
well. Men who have intelli
gent feet seldom have any
thing in their heads.
Marry a man who detests
dogs. Something is wrong with
that sort of man.
Marry a man who drinks on
the sly. If he isn't fair and
square on that subject he'll
deceive you on other accounts.
Marry a man who speaks
slightingly of your parents or
of old people. He'll neglect
you when you begin to get
wrinkled and gray.
Marry until you are old
enough to know what you are
doing.
Mary K. Jones
428 North Holly st.
Medford
Prolost
To the Editor: Let it be said
openly that everything estab
lished does not please me. i
do not like the way the coun
try is being run. I don't like
the way big business rides
herd on all that stands in
front of it. I take exceptions to
the hundred and one abuses
that stare me in the face no
matter where 1 go or turn. I
have been referred to as a
disturber, but must 1 accept
a lottery. By 1890, the lot
tery's power had become so
great that it was able to con
trol to a large extent the poli
tics of the state In its own In
terest. Its revenues were enor
mous. One-third of ALL the
mail matter received at New
Orleans was addressed to the
lottery, while the money ord
ers which it cashed exceeded
$30,000 a day. In these inflat
ed days, of course, $30,000 a
day is mere pocket change.
but in the Louisiana of 1890 it
was an IMMENSE sum.
The lottery dominated the
whole state of Louisiana.
TUT the MORAL sentiment
- of the state revolted
against the continuance of
such a gigantic gambling con
cern. When the company pre
pared to ask for a renewal ot
its charter, a determined cam
paign against renewal was
launched. The lottery com
pany offered to pay a million
dollars a year for 23 years as
a renewal fee.
By a liberal use of money,
a proposal to amend the con
stltution in order to allow the
company a new charter was
pushed through the legis
lature by a two-thirds major
ity, but was vetoed by the
governor. An amendment to
the constitution of the state
was submitted to popular
vote.
The people of the state di
vided into two parties one
pro-lottery and one anti-lottery.
The anti-lottery candi
date SWEPT THE STATE.
that cooked the famous Louis
iana lottery's goose, and at
the expiration of its charter
the lottery outfit abandoned
Louisiana and moved to Hon
duras which by then had
spent itself Into bankruptcy
and nerded the lottery racket
to pull Itself out of the hole.
NEW Hampshire's governor
is confident that he can
make a great success out of a
state lottery, raking In enough
money out of it to put his
state back on its financial
feet.
Maybe he can.
But the experience of Louis
iana some seven decades ago
is rather interesting.
ST' s t war - . M J
Ben Bella
Being Reformed Along Castro's Model
By PHIL NEWSOM
UPI Foreign News Analyst
As a Socialist revolutionary,
Premier Mohammed Ben Bel
la of Algeria frequently has
expressed his
admlmiion ior
Fidel Castro,
But as the
head of a new
nation almost
totally depen
dent upon
Western help,
he hu had to
temper h i i
v4
Newaoas
public utter
ances with assurances that Al
geria has no intention of stif
ling private 'enterprise or
abandoning the agreements
which led to its Independence.
Next to Castro,' the man
most admired by Ben Bella
Drobably is President Gamal
Abdel Nasser of the United
Arab Republic. This month,
on separate occasions, he will
play host to both.
Despite the difficulties, he
can point out to both that he
has been an apt pupil.
After a relatively slow
start, he can say that he has
ih writer, although under
for publication is permissible.
views of th papon In fact th
everything that is handed
down to me?
I don't like being maneu
vered into doing things I don't
like. I don't like being jock
eyed into something to which
I'm not aware of or that dis
interests me.
There is much about this
country and this wonderful
world I do approve. But I be
lieve as others do, that no one
nation is capable of running
the affairs of another nation.
especially so when they can't
seem to keep things running
smoothly in the home front.
I'll even go a step farther and
say there are too many people
in our home nation running
affairs of other people.
The things I do I am re
quired to do to comply with
the demand of the township,
county, municipal, and feder
al agencies. We Americans are
most dedicated to government
and are the most overgov
erned people on God's earth.
Nowhere on the earth's sur
face can you find more laws,
more rules, more regulations,
more dictatorship than in our
beloved America.
Before the 21st Century
we'll need a permit to grunt
after 10 p.m. or between the
hours of 4:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Law says you can't park
the car here, you can't walk
there, no noise around the
next corner, then the law says
no driving in that lane, you
can't stop In this lane. No
driving under 50 MPH on this
road but you can't go more
than 60. You must turn left in
this lane, turn right over
there In that lane. These are
laws and many more we live
by.
Other orders like these: Be
here before 10 a.m. or b here
after 10 p.m., no one on the
streets after 2 a.m., barking
-dogs will be shot at sunrise
but you can't shoot my mad
dog for biting you.
We must indeed be a bad
lot when we must have so
much law enforcement and
such strict, authorities with so
much domination. I don't
think people were meant to
live this way or be treated in
such a manner, especially
forced to do things against
one's will and better Judg
ment, or even forced to take
Imprisonment if a person tries
to protect himself from mean
ness. E. Dykes
Central Point, Ore.
Seeks Enlightenment
To the Editor: In regard
to the proposed Oregon Dunes
National Seashore I wish you
or someone would inform me
and others just what the Na
tional Park Service proposes
to do to make the area more
attractive or accessible as a
tourist or recreational area.
It is now readily accessible
from Highway 101 which runs
the full length of the pro
posed park, and any part of
it is within easy walking dis
tance from the highway.
There are now motels and
other tourist accommodations
at frequent intervals along
the highway, and more would
be provided as the need arose.
The Forest Service and the
state have provided numerous
camp grounds and picnic
spots for those who with to
use them.
The Park Service would
no doubt grant some conces
sionaire exclusive right to put
up a big hotel to cater to the
high toned tourist who would
not stay in a motel, and a
restaurant or cafeteria and a
souvenir shop, etc., but In a
60 mile strip It couldn't be
located where It would be
convenient to but a small por
tion ot the park.
One object stated for the
park is to preserve as a more
or less wilderness area for all
time from the possible exploi-4
Consolidates Power;
eliminated from public life
most of his political opposi
tion and made himself the
controlling figure in the gov
ernment and in Algeria's sin
gle political party.
Eyeball To Eyeball
With Birth Control
By Arthur Hoppe
I'm sorry. I mentioned the
other day that Mr. and Mrs.
Kennedy had separate bed
rooms merely to point out
that the richer you get, the
farther away from your wife
you get. And the fewer chil
dren you have. I noted that
this was Geographical Birth
Control - "the only system,"
I said flatly, "that really
worked."
So Mr. Kennedy promptly
announced he was going to
Europe in June. Greatl And
then Mrs. Kennedy announced
she was ...
Oregon Counties
Seek More Money
Salem - IDPD - Oregon coun
ties asked the legislature
Thursday for more money to
help pay county costs of new
programs pending before the
legislature.
Judge John W. Whipple of
Columbia county, president of
the Association ot Oregon
Counties, made the request
for an addiUonal $600,000 in
letter.
He said the counties could
be given an increased share
of liquor revenues, or could
get part of a proposed cig
arette tax.
He said more money would
be needed to pay the coun
ties' share of costs of uro
grams ranging from sex of
fense reports to additional
election clerks and new
judgeships.
tatlon by industry or other
private enterprise. The state
and the Forest Service can
take care of that as well as
the Interior Department, and
would provide more local con
trol. I hope someone will ' en
lighten me on this matter.
Ernest W. Smith '
P.O. Box 163
Butte Falls, Ore.
Mother Lot
To the Editor: The follow
ing song poem was sung by
Mrs. D. G. MacDougall at
First Methodist church on
Mother's Day 1961. I have
been requested to submit it
to Communications.
Lead, Mother Love
Lead, Mother Love all thru
my chlldlhood years;
Shine In my heart and calm
my childish fears;
Teach me the way that I
should ever know.
Lest error and temptation lead
my leet astray
From you apart.
I did not always follow where
you led in paths so true.
Nor choose to be a child of
truth and grace to honor
you.
I loved to while away the
thoughtless years.
While life moved on to bring
repentant tears.
Still true, your love hath
led me
At last to God and you.
I yield my lite and all I am
His will to do;
And all the days He gives
me now to live,
I'll fill with happiness, my
mother dear,
And love, and love for you.
L. G. Weaver
301 Haven St.,
Medford.
am guLUTiN
KHRUSHCHEV
MAY
RETIRE!
"We're become decadent our leaders oilher die
while In power, are executed or are sent to Siberia.
Who eror hoard ef a Communist retiring?"
His peasant management
committees have taken over
more than 2.5 million acres of
Aleeria's richest farmland,
and the government has
seized scores of enterprises,
t,
Well, it's all my fault. I
suppose I should've given
more detailed instructions.
But that's the whole trouble
with all our present complex
methods. They require pre
cise directions which you ve
got to follow to the letter. And
in the proper sequence. Or
else. Which is why love often
conquers all.
But our scientists, thank
goodness, are working on it.
And I'm deliriously happy to
learn that Dr. Carl G. Heller,
who's what is called " a repro
ductive physiologist" at the
Pacific Northwest Research
Foundation, has made a
smashing technological break
through. He's come up with
a pill for gentlemen that's
cheap, safe, harmless to your
maleness and guaranteed ab
solutely luu per cent effec
tive, it even tastes good. In
.fact, says Dr. Heller, tests
show it's got only one teensy
little drawback:
If you take a single drink
while on the pills, your eye
balls turn bright red.
Thus his new pills, the good
doctor told the American
Chemical Society sadly, "pro
bably would not be acceptable
to men in the Western World.'
And back he went to the old
drawing board.
Nonsense! Here we are.
faced with a population ex
plosion and our faint-hearted
scientists are willing to scrap
our salvation. All because of
one tiny little flaw, Shades
of Thomas Alva Edisonl Is
this what made America
great? No!
I say we ve got to get out
there and sell. For example.
we could sell men on the idea
of giving up drinking because
. Well, we could at least
sell them on wearing dark
glasses to cocktail parties.
But, better yet, let's Think
Positively. We will simply
sell them on red eyeballs.
"
Actually, when you stop to
think about It, there's noth
ing inherently wrong with red
eyeballs. Not that a little good
promotion work wouldn't
cure. Ads: "Are Your Eye
balls Pale, Tired, Colorless?"
Drinks: "The New Red Eye
Highball." Contests: "Mr. Red
Blooded American Eyeball."
Of course, the ladies would
take a bit of convincing. You
know how they are. We might
start by planting a few point
ed articles in the ladies' mag
azines. Such as True Confes
sions: "There We Were, Eye
ball to Eyeball - And His
Were Whltel"
Eventually, I'm sure, we'd
convince them of the undeni
able advantages of such a
method. I mean there you are,
an attractive young lady. You
walk into a cocktail party
crowded with handsome
young bachelors. Half have
red eyeballs, half don't.
Which . . . Well, I don't want
to go Into details. But we'd
soon separate the ladies from
the girls. And most bachelors
will, I know, agree that's an
undeniable advantage right
there.
Oh, I can hear you saying
you don't cate. You still don't
like red eyeballs. Well let me
tell you this is no time for
petty aesthetic prejudices. All
present methods require dili
gence or sacrifice. Join your
local Red Eyeball League to
day. And remember our slo
gan: "Better Red Than Bred!"
Algeria
including movie houses
and
hotels. i
Eventually, It is planned
that more than six million
acres of land will be collect
ivized, with the profits divid
ed between the state and the
peasants.
The heavy hand, of govern
ment has fallen on both Mos
lem and French owners, de
spite French protests that
such action violated the ac
cords by which France agreed
to Algerian independence.
Ben Bella also has declared
that he does not intend to let
matters rest there.
He has said that just as
Cuba solved its problems, "so
will we solve them."
To demonstrators chanting
"profiteers into the sea" in
downtown Algiers this week
he pledged Algeria will have
"socialism a la Castro."
It seems fair at this point
to recall that Castro also
promised land to the peasants,
that he declared "we are not
Communists" and that he
pledged not to confiscate pri
vate industry.
It is also fair to point out
that Ben Bella operates under
enormous pressures, from the
landless peasants, from the
two million unemployed and
from the state of his treasury
which could not operate with
out more than $1 million per
flay trom the French.
In a land where almost
every man owns a gun and Is
willing to use it, he must show
some progress:
Strictly
Personal
By Sydney J. Harris
fe- field Enterprfaea. Inc.
SHORTENED WORDS
- A reader in West Vircinia
writes in to ask me whether I
find the words "Gents" offen
sive as an ab
breviation for
" Gentlemen "
on doors to
certain public
rooms. I must
confess that I
do, but I must
in all honesty
add. that my
reaction is ir-
Harria rational and
snobbish. "Gent," as an ab
breviation, has been in the
English language since the
16th century, and has better
credentials than many words
we abbreviate without realiz
ing It.
When we call a certain
kind of doctor a "quack," tor
instance, how many of us real
ize that this is an abbrevia
tion of "quacksalver"? Today
there are many such words in
the standard language that
are accepted in the shortened
forms of the words they have
displaced.
e e e
Prof. J. A. Shead. th
philogisi at London Univer
sity, has pointed out that
nobody calls piano a
"pianoforte" any more; that
a "eurio" was one a "cur
iosity"! and what everyone "
calls a "bus" today was
only a half-century ago
called an "omnibus."
Evan in th rigorous aca
demic field, wo speak of
'oxm," "lab," "math."
"metric," and so on. rather
than examination, labora
tory, mathematics and ma
triculation. No on considers it infra .
dig to speak of a "bike," a
"photo," or a "pram." in
stead of bicycla. photograph
and perambulator. Young
people invariably, go to
"proms," rather than to
promenades, and attend
"prop" rather than prepara
tory schools.
e e e
More than two centuries
ago, Jonathan Swift was com
plaining about the habit of
shortening English words. His
particular aminosities were
"mob" and "banter," which
are now thoroughly accepted
standard English. Indeed, not
one person in a thousand re
calls that "mob" is the pop
ular form of the Latin term
"mobile vulgus."
And who thinks ot a "fan"
as coming from "fanatic"? Or
"taxlcab" as being an abbre
viation of the cumbersome
"taximeter-cabriolet"? A wig
was once a "periwig," a drawing-room
was a "withdrawing
room," and even a "chap" is
an abbreviation , of "chap
man," which was a Middle
English term for a wheeler
and dealer of that day.
Only a pedant or a prig
would speak of taking his
children to the "zoological
gardens," rather than to the
"zoo." In our own time, a mic
rophone hai become a
"mike," a racetrack totalizer
is a 'tote," and the cinema
tograph became "cinema" in
England while motion pic
tures became "movies" in the
united States. "Gent" remains
a lower-class stump-word in
England, but t Infinitely pre
fer it to the ghastly American
euphemism of "John," or,
even worse, "llttl boys
room." ,
tlV