The Alamance gleaner
VOL. LIV. GRAHAM, N, C., THURSDAY NOVEMBER 15, 1928. NO. 41. |
BROUGHT
J GOOD LUCK ?
i? b* D J Walsh.)
TAMES BRYANT lacked confidence.
He (ailed because be didn't bnve
nerve I
v "There's a wonderful opening
here In Jlmtown for a modern grocery
store," Mrs. Bryant declared ui the
dinner table as she and her husband
discussed the family fortunes; "we
might easily establish one."
"But, Hattle," Bryant cautioned,
"we haven't the capital stock. We've
only our little savings account of
$500."
"But that would give us a start,"
the wife countered; "the wholesale
men will 'carry' you for a time If
you make an initial payment. Five
hundred dollars ought to lay the foun
dation for a nice stock of fancy gro
ceries. The rent on the Stuhbs prop
erty isn't high. If we could operate
the first month then we could take our
profits and increase our stock for the
coming months?"
"But, stop, my dear wife," Bryant
urged, "we can't take a chance. What
if the business failed? Then our life's
savings would be swept away and we
would have to start all over again. 1
tell you, Hattie, my $35 a week at
Cohen's Isn't so bad. Bookkeeping
gets on my nerves sometimes. But a
fellow has to do lots of things that he
doesn't like."
Thus It was for the thousandth time
the family of James Bryant indefi
nitely postponed the day when the
head of the family would launch out
in business for himself. The wife at
length agreed her husband acted wise
ly In urging a conservative method of
operation.
One day a tall, bewhlskered gentle
man stepped from a train in Jlmtown.
The street urchins trailed at the heels
of the aged man and people at shop
windows eyed with great curiosity this
odd-looking stranger, who, unheralded
and unannounced had entered the
streets of quahl! Jlmtown. The ven
erable gentleman paused before a sign
that read "Cohen's General Store" and
a moment later stooped to enter the
rather low door.
"I'm lookirn, fer a boy named Bry
ant." the old gentleman announced,
"or rather a man perhaps by this time.
James Bryant's Ills name. I'm his un
cle. I'm Tex O'Brannon from Del Rio.
down on the Rio Grande, a gold miner
In Mexico and I'm here to see my
nephew."
An Instant later and James Bryant
was shaking the hand of his aged
uncle. In another instant he was
studying the huge stone worn on the
uncle's hand. The uncle discovered
that ring with the giant set had been
seen, and he smiled with satisfaction
"It's the real article!" O'Brannon
said; "why. in Del Rio they call me
Headlight O'Brannon due to that
sparkler!"
"Hut whore did you get It. Uncle
Tox? Here In Georgia we don't have
mines that produce such gems as that
?guess you dug it out of the ground?"
Uncle Tex O'Brannon smiled at his
nephew's apparent Ignorance of the
mineral products of Texas.
"No, I was given that diamond ring
us a reward for kindness done an old
miner down In Chihuahua," explained
O'Bunnon. "The miner was dying of
pneumonia and I nursed him In his
shack until death released him from
his misery. Now, the old miner gave
me this ring and I've worn It ever
since. They say It's worth a fortune.
But I've never worried to find out Its
real value. I had a special purpose
In view for this ring during the five
years I have kept It, and now I'm go
lug to dispose of the ring as I have
planned and then rush on to a miners'
meeting before the congressional com
mittee at Washington."
Bryant grew Interested. Ills eyes
widened with excitement and he lis
tened witli the enthusiasm of a school
child expecting a holiday announce
ment.
"Yes. James, my dear nephew," Tex
O'Brannon unnonnced. "I'm going to
make you and Battle a present of this
ring?a wedding gift 1 I've meant to
give yon something all these years
But we Westerners Just get careless
I'll run down and leave It with the
wife and then catch the next train
northward. I'm In somewhat of a
rush I"
Jim Bryant could hardly believe his
own eyes. He sat In a dazed condi
tion for several minutes. Then, with
a reckless daring that had never been
exhibited before by him In hl> life.
Bryant picked up his felt hat and
boldly walked from the rashler'a room
like an Imprisoned bird filltlng
through the door of a cage accidental
ly left open
"I'll be hack shortly," Bryant an
nounced to his employer, "going out
to get a bit of fresh air: haven't had
nitieh lately.
The store owner overlooked the
?urprlslng reinurk and smiled He
was of a generous natore and really
was delighted to see good fortune
cume tlie way of Ills hard-working | I
bookkeeper. I
"Dlil lie leave It?" questioned Bry | ,
act In on excited tone as he entered I
the humhle Brynni cottage In an out- I
lying section. "Hnttle, did he leave I
It?"
"Yes. my dear!" Mrs Bryant, ner
cheeks Hushed with excitement, ex
claimed,"'and he says It's worth u tor
tune 1" "Dear old Uncle Tex, I re
member tie once wrote us s letter
from Mexico telling us lie was going
to remember our wedding. We've been
married all these years and I hud long
sluce forgotten about tils promise.
Dear old Uncle Tex; a real diamond!
Big as a headlight; a fortune, but
he'll never miss It. He's past seventy
now and worth half a million, he
says."
Just two weeks after the visit of
Texns O'Bruunoi to Jlmtown the coxy
little neighborhood grocery of Juines
Bryant opened on au important street
of the ttoorgia cotton town. The Bry
ants, made confident with the posses
sion of the headlight, had Invested
their savings in a stock of choice gr?e
ceries. They had a nest egg I
James Bryant was u natural busi
ness man. His store prospered and
the first mouth's receipts were suffi
ciently large to pay outstanding debts
and to Increase the stock. Within six
months the store was found too small
and a larger place was rented on an
Important street Intersection. But "
Bryant's business still Increased. At >
the close of the first year he opened a
second store.
Then, with the passing years, James -
Bryant became u wealthy man and a
power In the commercial world. Uncle
Tex O'Bannon hod long since passed
away, but his enterprising nephew was
following In the footsteps of that man
whose boundless energy and venture
some spirit had wrung a fortune out
of the desert sands of Chihuahua. 1
Meanwhile a baby daughter had
been born to the Bryants, had grown
into young womanhood and had ehos
en for herself a mate. The wedding
was approaching and James Bryant,
now weighted down with cares of a
huge chain of grpcery stores and a
half dozen other business enterprises,
had but little time for romance. But
at length he came to discuss the mnt
ter with hiB wife. They must select
some suitable wedding gift.
"Oh, III tell you," the wife suld en
thusiastically, "the headlight I It
brought us good luck. Now let us
pass it on to our daughter."
James Bryant hurried away to the
National Bank building. A teller es
corted him to a safety vault where a
private lockbox was removed. The
headlight was taken wltb tender care
from the place where It had rested for
many a year. Then Bryant went to
a Jeweler's establishment across the
street. He would have the headlight
mounted on a better class of material. I
The wedding day approached and
Bryant went after the headlight. Tbe
Jeweler wore a perplexed look when
the wealthy James Bryant entered.
He seemed to have something on his
mind that was giving hint a lot of
trouble.
"Is the headlight ready?" Bryant
"Not yet," the Jeweler replied, "I've
delayed the work pending a confer
ence with yoo. Mr. Bryant. The head
light Is worthless! Just glass! Noth
Ing more!"
James Bryant was silent.
"I'm afraid somebody has taken ad
vantage of your Ignorance of gems,"
the Jewelet announced. "I'm willing to (
help locate the culprit I"
Bryant stood as erect as an Apache
on guard. He didn't see the Jeweler.
He saw Instead a struggling hookkeep
er who was afraid to resign from u
$3.>n-week Job and take a chance with
fortune!
"I'm sure you are wrong I" Bryant
finally said, "the stone Is worth a mil
lion dollars of anybody's money I Go
ahead and mount It on the most val
onble material that you can obtain."
Daddy of Timepiece?
According to the London Dally Mall,
there are more than BOO clocks In the
palace of Westminster, the official des
ignation of the honses of parliament
all synchronising with "Big Ben." fa
ther of timepieces.
There ure more than 5(10 rooms In
the "palace," and each has Its clock,
while oilier clocks are placed In corrl
dors and on stairways. /. gentleman
with a light ladder In his hand Is con
stantly In attendance on these clocks.
Act of Gratitude
Washing dishes is not to he don*
merely that they may be used again
says Soutoko Nlnotniya, a Japanese I
writer. It Is also an act ot gratitude
for the service they have given.
Though he have nothing more to
eat. let a man clean his dishes and
then starve, for he owes something to ,
the dishes for having been useful to
him when he had a use for them.
Advice for Parenti
The gamesome humor of children
should rather be encouraged, to keep
up their spirits and Improve thelt
strength and health, than curbed and
restrained.?Locke.
ussian Youth Poke Fun at Uncle Sam
M~??? 1 I WW If' ">T
Scene In Moscow during the
International youth day celebration,
showing the caricature of Uncle
Sara as an angel of peace perched
on a cannon and carrying a re
volver, which wns a feature of the
parade of 150,000 young men and
women.
VLasai Y ouths
Are Early Fighters
?? <5
Members of.Africa's Fierc
est Tribe Called to War
at Age of Sixteen.
Washington.?When the prince of
.Vales recently visited Nairobi, Kenya
?olony, the Masai tribesmen enter
ained him with a war dance. Amid
'oaring war whoops the tribesmen,
ildden behind their large shields,
uenaclngly wielded their spears in a
way which showed the prince why
jxplorei's avoid Masai villages when
be tribesmen are on the warpath.
"The Masai are one of the fiercest
ribes in Africa, says a bulletin from
;he Washington (t>. C.) headquarters
3f the National Geographic society.
'While members of the tribe near
Nairobi have been tamed by British
md missionary influence and bave
settled down on plantations, their
relatives in the hills of western Kenya
still spend their time raiding neigh
boring tribes when not tending their
herds.
Begin to Fight at 8ixteen.
"A Masai village is a military bar
racks. At the cull of the chief, the
young warriors don lion manes which
they wear about their heads, and, per
haps, a string of beads. With spears
and leather shields as their only
arms, they set out to attack the 'ene
my.'
"The Masai Deglr-> his military
career at sixteen. When be is thirty,
be becomes an elder, settles down,
and has us many wives as he desires.
The furniture in his home of mud
plastered sticks costs no more than
his haberdashery. Over an open tire
place hangs an Iron kettle while ad
ditional utensils are made of gourds
A long gourd Is a Masai milk can and
hclf gourds are used for cups. Some
of the huts have a three-legged stool
or two for the older tribesmen.
"Even when the Masat is not on the
warpath, the American traveler would
be Inclined to avoid him for sanitary
reasons. Spitting upon a visitor Is a
sign of reverence and good will
among some of the tribesmen. Every
one who sees a newborn baby must
spit on It. If a warrior Is friendly,
he spits on bis band before greet!ag
a stranger.
"Outside the villages, one might
stumble upon tbe skeleton of a tribes
Girl Sold Worms to
Win Way to Camp
Reno, Nev.?Sixty dozen long,
fat angleworms took eleven
j ear-old Mildred Cliff to the
Nevada Junior Farm bureau
camp.
Here'a how:
Mildred belongs to the Clover
Leaf --H club of Washoe val
ley. All the other boya and
girls decided toaitend the camp,
bnt Mildred lacked the S3 nec
essary for expenses. Of course,
she could have sold eggs, ran
errands, weeded gardens and
performed other chorea, hut she
didn't.
On contract, she dug and de
livered 720 angleworms at 6
cents a dozen to her ranch
neighbor. Miss Kntherine Lew
ers. art teacher at the Unlver
slty of Nevada. Miss I-ewers fed
the wrigglers to her prize ducks
man whose bod; bag been left to the
hyenas, jackals and vultures. Only
the chlOT of the tribe deserves a
burial. After a chief has been burled
for a year the son of his successor
digs up the old chiefs skull which Is
a treasured possession In the village.
Grass and 8naket Held 8aered.
"The tribesman's wives presiding
over his hut Jingle with every move.
Their legs and arms are covered with
dozens of wire rings. These adorn
ments and a dozen or more rings eu
circling their necks sometimes weigh
between lb and 25 pounds. Both men
and women are frequently seen with
wood cylinders nnd tin cans in their
distended ear lobes.
"Masai tribesmen have been almost
Impossible to convert from nuture
worship. When the chief would In
voke the pleasure of the gods, all the
children In the village stand In a
circle nnd chant Grass Is sacred to
the tribesmen. If a Mesal hands a
stranger a tuft of green grass, It sug
gests friendship. When young war
riors start out on raids their sweet
hearts threw grass upon them to In
sure victory, The hyena has a cer
tain sacred character, i It a beast hap
pens to cross the path of a warrior,
the whole tribe goes In mourning.
The python Is held In veneration, for
they believe the souls of their ances
tors are reborn In them.
"Some tribesmen worship a black
and a red god. The black god Is
benevolent, living Immediately ubove
the earth, while the red god lives
farther up In the heavens. When the
Masai hear thunder, they believe the
red god Is trying to get through the
domain of tbe blnck god. The rum
bling Is the voice of the blnck god
pleading with the red god not to harm
the tribesmen below.
"The Masai hate agriculture In their
native environment. They are cattle
herders when not on the warpath, and
live entirely upon the food their herds
provide. It Is a common practice to
drink warm blood Immediately after
It has heen drawn from a cow shot
with an arrow through the Jugular
vein." J
Submerged City Was
Once Island Capital
Nevis, West indies.?North of
the town of CharlestoD camera
men are making pictures of the
submerged city of Jamestown,
once the capital of Nevis.
The remains of the city may
be seen near shore, beneath the
level of the shore. On April 30,
1080, Jamestown was visited by
an earthquake, and the town
slipped Into the sea, carrying
with It all Its riches and a pop
ulation estimated at 14,WO. The
submerged city Is located ^n the
west or leeward shore of the
Island.
"Gold Rush" Is Traced
to Joke in Capital
Washington.?Washington hud Its
own "gold rush" recently. The report
got abroad that workmen excavating
for a garage had discovered an nn
clent barrel containing rare gold and
a bottle of wine a century old.
No wlldflre ever traveled faster
than this report. It started with gold
coins aggregating $20, which had In
creased to $21,000 before the curtain
fell.
Hundreds of curious spectators
tood uround tne excavation while
oys raked over the mud looking for
:ie glistening coins. A barrel could
e seen In the excavation, but all the
reasure had evaporated.
The report was finally traced to a
inn In a nearby tire shop. Re told
t to a colored helper us a joke.
FOR DRY AGENTS
The newly authorized cap and badge
to be worn by prohibition enforce
ment agents, especially those detailed
on highways at night, so that motor
ists may recognize them as federal
ofllccrs and not highwaymen.
U. S. to Teach Indians
Modern Way to Farm
ltosehud, S. I).?Through live federal
directors, Indians of Arizona, Okla
homa, New Mexico and South Dakota
are to be taught modern methods of
agriculture.
Charles Graves, one of the five
whose Job It Is to help the red man
become self-supporting, has established
headquarters here. ITe says It Is
the aim of the Indian service to have
a man In each agency eventually.
In developing the South Dakota In
dian. Graves plans to establish farm
chapters and encourage each member
with vnrlous projects, such as raising
an acre of corn, growing a garden and
raising live stock. For the boys and
girls he will emphasize 4-11 club work.
New Perpetual Service Barn
Perpetual service and use, uninterrupted by (Ires or repairs, is (lie
i.iomlse o. the masonrv arch barn, a new wrinkle In farm buildings devel
oped at Iowa State college by engineers under tbe direction ot J. B. David
son, bead of the agricultural engineering department The bam I* con
structed entirely of masonry. Aside from window frames and some equip
ment Inside, there Is no combustible material In the building. Outstanding
la the construction of the building Is the catenaiy nrcb used in the roof. The
picture shows one of the barna partly completed. , _ ?
r ? . ? Mm t* Ti?.|
Street In a Sahara Oatla Town.
(Prepared by the National Oeorrapblc
Society. Washington. D. C.)
BISKRA, In Algeria, nearly 200
miles back from the edge of tlie
Mediterranean, Is a typical oasis
town of the near Sahara.
Around It are clustered other oases,
the group making up Zlban. There,
only a short distance from tlie Eu
ropeanlzed coast, the traveler may
breathe the life of the great desert
that stretches on south and east for
many hundreds of miles.
The oasis of Biskra Is six miles
long, possesses 170,000 date palms, be
side tamarind, flg, and orange trees,
and likewise possesses what Is
claimed to be ttr most perfect climate
In the world from November till May.
Its genlsl temperature, clear sky and
luxuriant vegetation are Indisputable
charms, and Its dry atmosphere makes
it particularly curative for pulmonary
diseases. Sometimes seventeen or
eighteen months pass without s
shower, and yet there Is a never-fall
ing supply of delicious cold water
from natural wells throughout the
whole oasis.
There are five villages In this Island
of the sand-sea, and the outlying oases
of Flllah and Geddecha also belong
to Biskra. The Arab villages and
the villages des negres are hull! of
sun-dried mud, with doors and fiat
roofs of palmwood.
There Is a pretty public garden,
where feathery pepper trees make a
pleasant shade, a church, a mosque,
streets of shops, a handsome casino
and officers' club, and three good
hotels, of which the principal one,
the Itoyal hotel. Is said to be the
best in Algeria. It Is certainly a de
lightful surprise to find In the Sahara
a hotel with every appointment of
elegance nnd comfort.
Market Place I Fascinating.
A visit to the market place during
the morning is one of the sights of
the town and oriental In every tone.
Squatting groups of bronze-legged
Bedouins, in brown and white camel's
halr burnouses, are selling cous-cous,
dried peppers and. of course, dates.
Bunches of fresh grass and green bar
ley and thistles are heniied In one cor
ner of the Inclosure, Moorish slippers
here and a pile of red fezzes there,
nnd souvenirs for the tourist not lack
ing. For a few francs one may pur
chase a set of graceful gazelle horns,
nnd curious knives and Arabian guns
tempt the collector. An ehon negress
Is selling oranges, an Arab boy In a
red fez, and not much else, carries a
basket of purple fruit In green leaves
while cloaks, burnouses, turbans, and
ynkmahs. purple, blue, deep red. and
spotless white all crushed together
ronke kaleidoscopic color In the
whitewashed square. Bags of hennt
leaves, for staining the nails In Arat
fashion, send forth their pungent odor
and the aroma of coffee and cigarette)
fills the air.
Outside a Moorish cafe a row o
Moors, clean In tbelr white burnouses
are solemnly crouched, two of then
playing a grave game of chess but thi
rest do nothing to perfection, wlthou
a trace of boredom or a gesture.o
Impatience, a state of dreamy dellgb
achieved apparently by habit of mind
a realization of Arabian Keyf.
Street of the Ouled-Nails.
There Is a mysterious charm In tb
quiet night as one goes "slumming
In the street of the Ouled-Nalls. Th
stars are Intensely bright overheat
rod tlie briskness, purity, and twee'
ness of the al. beggar descrlptlci
Passing Into the otreet of the Oulec
Nails Is a sudden rantltlon to muc
lit* ?s .lor and noise, the street Iteel
fall of Arabs, young and old, while on
matting outside nearly every door Sit
the Ouled-Nall girls, drinking coffee,
smoking cigarettes, and chattering
what Is presumably Blskran slang at
any halting passers-by.
The Onled-Kails, sometimes called
Almees, are girls from an oasis at
some distance from Biskra, and of
mixed Arabian and negro blood. Tbey
are more remarkable for their stogn
larlty of costume and grace of dancing
than for tbe rigidity of their morals.
Their faces are daubed with tar and
saffron to accentuate the color of tbe
Afrlc sun; tattooing in blue Is quite -
la mode, and their hair, mixed with
wool and stiffened with grease and
tar, hangs In ebon loops about the
face. They wear loose gowns of bright
cotton, and gold and silver coin, coral,
and fllngree In barbaric abundance,
sometimes twenty pounds of stiver
being carried In the shu(>o of bangles,
anklets, chains, and massive girdles.
One sits In a brightlr lighted, lew,
white building nnd sips Arabian coffee '
while some of the girls dance their
peculiar desert dances
If Biskra Is the political and social
center of the Zlhan, and the Zlbaa Is
the group of prosperous oases, vil
lages extending from the foot of tbe
Aures mountains to the Chott-Vel
ghlr, the religious capital Is Sldl
Okba. Sldl-Okba Is an oasis distant
twenty kilometers from Biskra, and Is
named for that old warrior who, at
the head of a small body of Arab
cavalry, went forth to conquer Africa
In the sixtieth year of the HedJIra.
When he had extended his conquest
from Egypt to Tangier, he spurred his
horse Info the Atlantic, declaring that
only snch a barrier could prevent hint
from forcing every nation beyond It
who knew not God to worship Him
only or die. In a revolt of the Ber
bers he was killed, A. D. 641, and
when the Arabs bad reconquered the
Zlhan their leaders was buried In tbe
oasis which heart his nnme.
Going to 8idi-Okba.
The track acrosa the desert to Sldt
Okba Is practical for carriages. Moat
of the turbaned drivers gallop their
three horses harnessed abreast over
the hammocks of sand and tufts of
sage-brush till the passengers beg for
slower pace. Soon after leaving Bis
kra the road crosses a atony tract a
quarter of a mile broad, with a deep
stream In the center, the Oued-BIskra.
and emerges on the desert. The tiny
oasis of Bellah Is passed on the right,
the dome of a marabout's tomb shin
ing among Its trees. The long, low
lying line of the palms of Sldi-Okba is
In the distance; the Anres mountains
| rise In golden and rose glory, the
deep clefts In their side blue and mys
1 terlous.
Groups of Bedooln tents are passed
| at Intervals, and the scarlet rag, the
copper pan. the fire, and Its group are
r dashes of bright color In the yellow
browns of eartb and camp, canopied
| always with the dazxllng bine of the
g sky. Herds of camels feed oo the
, dry sage-brush of the plain, and the
. baby camels trot by their mothers In
rolitsh fashion.
. l-'lve other oases are passed, Chat
nah, Droh. Sldl-Khabll, Seriana, and
Garta, and at length one approaches
the mud wall which surrounds the
e sacred oasis. Four thousand Arabs
" Uve In this village, and the mad
e bouses are thickly packed, the stiesta
i. narrow and Indescribably dirty, with
I- rivulets of muddy water running dntd*
i. the center. The tiny shops are spam.
I- to the street. In eastern fashion, ant
b behind their we-ea the cross-legged
It merchants sit in dak liiiltffmi ?> j
? M