I N^EMBER 5, 1931 I Today and Tomorrow K "v ?? By FRANK P. STOCKBRIDGE Fleas Something happened to the fleas of Germany that killed them all off. German scientific laboratories are paying as high as ten marks, or J2.50 apiece for healthy fleas for experimental purposes. Russia's infested with fleas and the Soviet government will not countenance any effort to get rid of them. They say that fleas are good for people, because they make folks turn over in their sleep, and sleeping on one side is bad for the heart! California is still waging war on chipmunks or ground squirrels because they harbor the fleas which carry the bubonic plague. Every port in the world takes precaution to keep rats from coming ashore from ships arriving from .ports where the plague has been, because rats carry the plague?fleas, too. A book could be written about fleas. One of the world's most famous short poems, by the great Dean Swift, was written when those who spoke good English pronounced "tea" and "flea" as if they were spelled 3 and "flay," as Dublin Univer?? P|ity men pronounce them today. It IS &8?'S?; naturalists observe, the flea y '"*Has lesser fleas that on his prey, And they, in turn, have lesser fleas Upon ther backs to bite 'em, a ? *1? ? ?, nnij ivsa'ci "ireos nave swaner neas, ;r And so ad infinitum." |j| Some years ago the New' York Sun printed what it termed "the shortest poem in the English language." Its title was "Fleas," and the entire poem read thus: yr. "Adam Had 'em." Eyes Quite the most marvelous application of scientific research is the dep: velopment of photo-electric eye, the sensitive little tube which not. only detects the slightest change in the amount of light that shines on it, but can convert these variations into electric currents. One electric company has an elecitric eye mounted upon a tower which automatically switches on the street lights of a big city when the darkness reaches a certain degree, and turns them off again when morning arrives. Working on the same principle, an electric eye is used in many homes, factories and offices to turn on the lights automatically on winter afternoons when it gets too dark to work without artificial light. In another application the electric eye acts as a sentinel in the stores and Warehouses. The slightest flash of extra light, such as might be made by a burglar's flashlight or a fire, is caught by the electric, eye which turns on all the lights in the place and at the same time rings an alarm for the police. In one big mail order house the electric eye is being used to sort mail sacks going to different destinations. The sacks bear labels of different sizes and colors which reflect varying means of light as they pass under the electric eyj on an automatic carrier. Depending upon the exact amount of light reflected from the label, the photo-electric cell opens one or another compartment into which the mail sacks drop. Engineers are trying to combine the electric eye with an apparatus which will convert the letters on a printed page into sound. They say it is not impossible that a machine may eventually be built which will read a book aloud. I have long gotten over being surprised at anything. Calendar The Committee on Calendar Reform of the League of.-Nntionr. has postponed its effort to put the calendar on a sensible basis, partly because of hard times and portly hecause certain religious bodies object to any change which would make their sabbath fall on a different day. That is a foolish objection, but perhaps more powerful than any reasonable argument. Eventually it is certain that the present calendar will be changed. Telephone uennan telephone exchanges have inaugurated a new system whereby, when a number called fails to answer, the person calling may be switched to an operator who will take a message for future delivery over the 'phone. This is an intelligent and practical thing to do, and ought to be adopted in Amerioa, as it doubtless will be. f 11 ~ Bud r 'n' Bub By V ? ED KRESSY \ Accidents Recent statistics show some curiouj facts about railroad crossing acci dents, which are difficult to explain The number of automobiles strucl by trains at grade crossings has beer declining steadily since 1926, but the number of automobiles crashing intc the siue of moving trains is increasing. Evidently motorists are more careful in crossing railroad track; than they used to he, but it is hare to imagine any person sane enough tc drive a car, driving that car into s railroad train. Perhaps bootleg liqunt supplies tile answer. Railroads have found it so mucl cheaper to elevate their tracks than to pay damages for crossing accidents that the- time is coming soon wher no important highway in Americj will cross a railroad at grade. * a cami pill freshp back to v to dry 01 ness and CAMEX. QUART Colombia Prvidi 9 # Do, ?fk HEVER SAW VO )fi V LobK/MG- AT THE WATAUGA DEMOCRAT?E Bulwinkle Speaks at Lees-McRae College Banner Elk.?In spite of cold c weather and sudden snow squalls, 1 Lees-McRae's first home coming day ' went off very successfully. The first * event of the day was a buckwheat breakfast for the visiting trustees, \ the ckaes being made from buck? wheat grown and ground on the school farm, eaten with maple syrup * from the maple grove at Grandfather \ Orphanage. The trustees present for the meeting at 10 o'clock were Mr. Sam R. I Snllv P.Kair?MO? on/J T A O.'??-? wuv.i?.u.uu, a:iu u. XX. uuunncio, 1 of Johnson City; Dr. H. H. Tliomjp son, Bristol; Dr. E. D. Brown, of 1 Statesville; Dr. Frazor Hood, David1 son; J. Harper Beall, Lenoir; H. A. Rouzer, Salisbury; C. A. Cannon, of Ires K P'' 5 gy@M ) [11 11 SI I.S arc ii IESS aud flavor in a cigar* tatural moisture. uvernoai or process lobacc it all natural moisture you ( flavor too. never parches or toasts the fi nestic tobaccos it uses?the :ool, mellow, with natural mo molds Tobacco Company's Cocst-to-Coas Fit HOUR, Mori en DaM-y, PRINCE ALBERT I Camel Orchestra, direction "Old Hunch," an every nlfla except Sunday, direction Paul Ya casting System Sunday. N. B. *iT "f 41 1:1 ? j. vi cue ntcrary societies at Lees-McRae. The principal address of the hour was driven by John Forbes on "Lees-McRae Lives at Home." Music by glee club. At 11 o'clock Major A. L. Bulwinkle of Gastonia, representative from the Ninth Congressional District, delivered the address of the day. Major Buhvinkle spoke of the increase of crime among the youth of the State and Nation as he has seen it in the courts ever since the days of his first law practice, and stressed the importance of an institution like ' ft 1 x *jf ture ever pan itle trace right That's v blessiug 0 so harshly as cigarettt irivc out frcslv- If you genuine neTurkish and Try y are naturally favorite isture retained. r. j. rey 1 Radio Programs QUARTER HOUR, Alice Joy. d Prince Albert Orchotra, in loan, every night except Red Nchratk / iept FRESH Sfe ipping from your te Camel Humidor st end eerms. In iosphere of artifiivert fresh Camels has been smoked HINK Vol /**~\ 0 B S6< %:MU J-TH?/, I Lees-McRae in directing: and mouldj ing the lives of the young people of j ' the mountains. Major Buhvinkle paid j I a glowing tribute to the memory of ; | the Rev. Edgar Tufts, founder of j i Lees-McRae College, and the three-; Ifold work at Banner ElEk. He spoke of the last visit Mr. Tufts had paid him in Washington just the year he died and the great admiration and aitection that Mr. Tufts inspired in all who knew him. At the barbecue over two hundred and fifty people were served cafeteria fashion by Mrs. Belle West Jones and her assistants, large bonfires making it possible to eat in com- j fort out of doors despite falling temperatures. ( The ball game with Weaver resulted in a victory for the visitors of 6-0. , Here again huge bonfires along the j side lines mitigated the severity of , the weather for the onlookers. 's VVSI *hed or t % the Camel Humidor Pac to Camel smokers ? it l>rir ! fresh to start with, and / don't realize what natural 111 freshness antl flavor, switch tc this niild, slow-burning, for just one day ? then leav ISOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY, W ;gT YOV Pont EV?N\ KWOW WHO ANY OF ) )R DIPLOMATS AMt> J STATESMEN ARE. \ 1 OR WHAT THEY J \1 \LOOK | > SEVEN ?; TEACHER MEETING CALLED OFF The teachers* meeting called for Monday, the 9th inst.. has been called off. Miss Deavers of the State Department of Education, at whose request the meeting was called, writes me that it will not be possible for her to attend at this time. Notice of meeting will be called later. SMITH HAGAMAN, county superintendent. Mispress?Now, Matilda, I want you to show us what you can do tonight. VVe have a few very special friends roming for a musical this evening. Maid?Well, ma'am, i ain't done io singin' to speak of for years, but f you-all insists upon it you can put ne down for "The Holy City." R i b ousted ! k proves such a igs them a fine Irtish to smoke, oisture means in ? Camels and see. e it, if you can! ? 1931, R. I. SijiwUi Tobacco Company S*Wk I isyk----,