Evening Star Newspaper, April 17, 1937, Page 22

B—8 Queries in Recent < Romantic Atmosphere - About Midnight Tryst Is Entirely Dispelled Mysteries Vanish Before the Clear Light of Fact, and Glamour Fades With the Coming of Knowledge. BY BETSY CASWELL. S OME weeks ago I was moved to set down in black and white some matters which were keeping me awake at night in regard to railroad trains and their (to me) eccentric habits. got the problems down on paper in neat order, they wouldn't bother I had an idea that if I me so much. My plan worked, but not in just the way I had anticipated. The result was far better than that—all my questions were answered in a clear and authoritative manner! A few days after the article ap- peared, I arrived at the office to find a letter awaiting me, which laid all my worries to rest. Feeling that, - undoubtedly, there are plenty of other people to whom the doings of rail- road trains are mysterious, I have once again broken a rule, and am includ- ing the letter, verbatim in the column today. To its writer and my informant I give devout thanks—she has restored my capac- ity for sleep and bids fair to turn me into a really intelligent traveller for the future! I only wish I knew as much about my job as she does about trains! Betsy Caswell. o ox % “T)EAR MISS CASWELL: “Your recent article relative to the temperamental qualities of rail- road trains was most interesting. “Perhaps you might be interested in knowing the answers to some of the mysteries which seem to keep you awake. “First, in respect to the use of the whistle for grade-crossings. The laws of various States provide for the use of a locomotive whistle in a number of different ways. Some States require that a whistle be blown continuously from the time a train passes the whistling post until the pilot of the lo- comotive is actually upon the grade- crossing. Other States specify, by law, only as you state, a perfunctary two long and two short blasts when pass- ing the whistling post. “Why, sometimes, when the train comes into a station, does it ‘buck like @ broncho and hump itself all over the place’ as the brakes are being applied? This could be caused by a number of things, such as the grade into the station or unequal braking effect on the various cars. The for- ward cars may have greater braking effect than the rear, resulting in the rear cars taking up the slack between couplings when the forward cars have stopped. “The above likewise applies to pull- ing out of a station. If it should hap- pen that the cars are compressed be- tween couplings tle cars toward the rear will experience more or less of & jolt when the slack is taken up, no matter how carefully the engineer may glide his train out of the station. There is no way in which he can help it. “At other times the train may have stopped with the main drivers of the locomotive on ‘dead center’ In this case the train must be reversed suffi- ciently (a foot or two) in order to get & forward start. * ok ok k OU mention the problem of the train stopping in the middle of the night, ‘to all intents and purposes, entirely alone.” “Fortunately, .or you, and other passengers, it was entirely alone. “It is an axiom of railroad men that two trains cannot occupy an identical piece of track simul- taneously! ‘Quite probably the incident to which you refer is a ‘meet order.” An inferior train must give rights to a superior train. There are very clearly defined orders by all railroads on this point. “Upon stopping, for this reason or for any other, the engineer must give one long and three short blasts on his whistle, which is a signal for the flag- man on the rear of the train to go back the required distance on the track to protect the train. He does this by means of flag and torpedoes by day and torpedoes, lantern and E3 | fuses by night. The minimum dis- | tance which he must go back is 1,320 | feet in most States. This is in addi- tion to the automatic block signal system and the automatic train con- trol used by railroads. “Upon passing of the superior train, | the engineer of your train will give | either four blasts or five, as the case | may be, to call the flagman back to the train. (Four blasts are for south and west and five blasts for north and east, in order to avoid confusion to the flagman when other trains are in | the vicinity.) “Upon signal from the flagman that he is aboard, the engineer will give two short blasts to notify the crew that the train is about to leave. * ok k% "IT IS occasionally necessary for a train to stop, as you say, ‘in the bushes,’ if the engineer suspects stick- ing brakes, hot-box, leaking train- line or steamline. He immediately calls attention to the train crew so that they can make an immediate inspection of the train by one short and one long blast. They must inspect at once. “No! 1In all of these signals of the whistle the train is not ‘calling for its mate.” It is talking with its own train crew, section crews, towers and crews of other trains to protect you in your berth or compartment. “The laws of every State, as well as the rules of every railroad, absolutely forbid the use of a whistle unless absolutely necessary. In many years of traveling I have never heard a whistle blown except when needed. Whistles really are an improvement on mental telepathy. Why not learn the language of the whistles? “Then again you mention the mat- ter of adding and subtracting cars from trains in stations. That is not arithmetic; it is almost algebra, in- cluding even some of the principles of geometry. On almost all through trains, cars are picked up and dropped off at many division points. Naturally, the reason for this is to save the pas- | senger the inconvenience of changing cars. “A through train will pick up cars from another road from one point, dropping them off at another point. The passengers never know the differ- ence—they may have traveled over three or four railroads during the night. This procedure goes on all night long on some ‘trains. Quite frequently your car is the only car of the original train to reach its destina- tion. All of these cars must be kept straight by yard and train crews, as well as despatchers. * x *k x ‘THE question of the dining car is next. Very rarely is it the same dining car that you were trying to locate. The usual procedure after the evening meal is over, is to drop the diner at the next division point, where it is restocked and picked up by an- other train in the morning, probably for a return trip. “Long before you are ready for breakfast in the morning, another diner has been picked up, fresh, which will most likely be dropped off later in the morning, to be replaced by another fresh one for the noon meal. This, as you of course understand does not necessarily apply to buffet cars, cafe lounge or club-cafe cars which are sometimes carried the entire trip. “As to arriving on one section when you started on another—that is hardly understandable. One section always leaves on schedule time. If there is sufficient trafic a first section leaves ahead of time, carrying flags and lights, denoting that a second section is following. A proper whistle signal is given to all track workers, signal- men and yard crews that a second section is following. “And trains do not play leapfrog! “So, now that your problems are settled, please get some sleep tonight. I need some, too, after writing this! “Most Sincerely, “A. V. PUMPHREY.” NeEoLewoRK ARTs ‘When you crochet edgings, it's so often hard to find patterns that will work up dainty and lacy; but, you need have no doubts about these. Whether 1t’s your most attractive guest towel, & bureau scarf, a delicate pillow slip, dainty underthings, or even a hankie, that needs trimming, youll find that one of these edgings will suit your requirements. To obtain this pattern, send for No. 4566 and inclose 15 cents in stamps or coln to cover service and postage. Address orders to the Needlework Edif of The Evening Star. (Copyright, 1037.) THE EVEN The Old Gardener Says: One of the most useful of all edging plants is the ageratum. This year there is a new variety on the market, which is called Blue Boy. It seldom grows more than four inches high and the plants are compact in their habit of growth. The flowers are a particularly rich, deep blue and are produced very freely. Not only does this ageratum make an attractive edging plant, but it is very satisfactory for bedding purposes, and as a pot plant. Seed can be sown in the open ground as soon as the soil is warm., (Copyright. 1937.) Frankness With One’s Relatives Think Twice Before Canceling Your Engagements. BY EMILY POST. EAR Mrs. Post: I accepted an in- vitation from a near relative for Sunday dinner. On the Friday before, my husband had still not returned from a several weeks' business trip, as he had expected to, and telegraphed that he would not get in before late Saturday. I felt that as he had been away 80 long he might be tired and might enjoy staying home on Sunday. Accordingly, I called the relative and explained that we could not come after all, and why. I certainly ex- pected she would understand. Her last remark before saying good-bye was that such rudeness was the penalty of being only a relative and that had she been somebody else I would have considered that by Sunday evening my husband would be able to fulfill an obligation I had made for him in his absence. I haven't heard any- thing from her since, and I have made no further attempt to talk to her. Under the circumstances, do you think too that it was inexcusable for me to decline her invitation? Answer: It is perfectly true that the freedom to be frank between mem- bers of a family is very different from the ordinary relationships with those outside. As a rule, we prefer that members of our family do what they really want to do. And yet, on the face of it, it would certainly seem that 24 hours ought to have been enough rest fer your husband unless he had been ill or unless the trip he took was unusually fatiguing or unless there were other mitigating circum- stances, which you have not explained. * x ok x DEAR Mrs. Post: I have a man and wife boarding and living at my house because otherwise I would have to live alone. They would like to invite two out-of-town friends to dinner and I told them to ask them by all means. Will it be proper for me to sit at the table with them as we always do or should I let them entertain alone, simply having the maid look after them? And if I am present, who sits where, since I am head of the house although these are not my friends who are coming to dinner? Answer: Taking it for granted that your relationship and theirs is exactly like that of a single family, your place is certainly at the head of your own table. Of course, if you happen to have an engagement for that evening, you would say so and be free to go out. On the other hand, if you go out or stay away purposely, it seems to me that you might be setting a precedent for future times, which would oblige you to go out whether you want to or mot. If they really want to give a dinner without you, they could, of course, take their friends to & restaurant. * ok ok X DEAR MRS. POST: I have re- cently moved here and only just begun going to church where all the people call the clergyman “Rev. Goode.” It seems very strange to us to say “Rev. So and So” because where we came from the clergyman was called “Mr.” unless, of course, he had the degree of doctor. My husband and I, after talking this over, wondered whether it is always best to do as the Romans do, even in cases where we believe our way is better form. We don’t, of course, want to make ourselves conspicuously different and we wouldn't like others to think that we were perhaps dis- respectful in not calling him what they may consider to be his proper ecclesiastical title. Answer—I really don't know what to advise you, since “Rev. Goode” is not only provincial but illiterate. However, on the other hand, if you call him “Mr. Goode,” as you sug- gest, other people may consider you lacking in respect, and yet if he is not a doctor you can’t call him “Dr. Goode.” “Rev. Mr. Goode” would also sound strange. Perhaps the best answer is that you do as others do, assuming to yourselves that “Rev. Goode” is simply his individual name, and one that you would never apply to any other clergyman. Manners of the Moment WE KNOW that there are some girls who refuse to meet a man anywhere. They make him call for her. But they must be geniuses. Somehow, we can’t make the men see it. Our boy friends are so terribly logical. If they’re going to be down- town, they see no sense in coming all the way uptown, and then going all the way downtown again with ys. It’s especially hard to make husbands feel that they should always pick a wife up at her own doorstep. ‘We've been trying to manage things better lately. First we tried pretend- ing that we were waiting for busses, but the cop on the corner saw through our ruse. Then we tried taking along an exciting book, and becoming ab- sorbed. That was a good idea, but it’s awfully hard for us to read stand- ing up. Pinally we convinced the boy friend to meet us either in the public library or in a soda fountain, where we would have something to do while we waited. That works fine. our girl friend says she thought of that in high school. But, then, she's one of these geniuses. - (Coprrishé, 1937.) I NG STAR, WASHINGTO D. C, SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 19317. Mrs. Eleanor Washington Howard holds the little hood worn during her childhood days at Mount Vernon, and discovered a few years ago in the closet under the eaves where she used to do penance when naughty. Character Not Made By Money Poverty Does Not in Itself Breed Criminals. BY ANGELO PATRI. R!tPEATEDLY of recent months I have read reports and articles of one sort or another that seem to con- vey what I believe to be a great error. Society is rightly concerned about the number of youths who go wrong, com- mit some act that puts them in the courts, reformatories and jails. In our anxiety to find a cause and a rem- edy we seem to have picked on a cause that is not a complete 100 per cent right one. I mean poverty. It would seem, in reading these re- ports, all made by well-meaning peo- ple, that the child born in a poor home, in a poverty-ridden district— was born to be a criminal. I want to protest against that with all the power of my body and soul. It is not true. I lived in such a district, I have worked in such a district. I have known thousands and thousands of boys and girls from such homes and they were as fine a lot of young- sters as a country could boast. They are as fine a lot today. I am all for good housing, for open play spaces, for sun and air and clean- liness for all homes, for good heat and lighting and plumbing. I am for every comfort and convenience that can be found for every home in the world, beginning with those in my own district. In the meantime, while we struggle toward that goal, I am against labeling poor folk and their children as likely criminals. Poverty does not in itself breed criminals. You know that is true. All you have to do is to glance over a group of your acquaint- ances. Poverty adds to all human ills. It is a curse, poisonous to the bodies and souls of men. Away with it! Fight it tooth and nail. But don't use poor children or poor parents as a weapon. Use the greed, the stupidity, the ig- norance of our social scheme instead and educate the community to the place where they can overcome the evils that cause poverty. And I don’t agree with any one who says that poverty is a good stimulant to the ambition of boys and girls. It is nothing of the sort. It is a de- pressant of the worst kind. All chil- dren should be, and some day will be, relieved of its black burden. ‘What I want to make clear is this: Character is not dependent upon money or the lack of it. It is a mat- ter of the intelligence, the cultivation of the intelligence and the resultant soul. If the well-to-do and wealthy were all honorable men, of high char- acter, of nobility of soul, there might ‘be some reason for this prevalent idea, or excuse for an idea. But we all know that virtue and honor and nobility of character have little relation to money. Nor does poverty make saints. Saints have taken the vow of poverty, but I never could see that that had any- thing to do with their saintliness. Nor has poverty anything much to do with crime. Criminals were that way be- fore poverty added its weight to their load. Let's be honest as we fight for the salvation of the oppressed of the earth. We want decent comfort and freedom from most of the economic ills for all. But we need not smear decent people who happen to be poor in the meantime. TCopyright, 1937.) Carving Crown Roast. Crown roast of lamb should be earved by cutting from the top to the bottom, allowing ome bone to each seeving. —Star Staff Photo by Elwood Baker. Dorothy Dix Says Young Mothers Are Doing a Grand Job of Rearing Their Children. EAR MISS DIX: I am fed up with hearing the young, mod- ern mother pushed around and generally lambasted. I am a young mother with several lively children and I can testify that I, and all the young mothers I know, work themselves into nervous exhaustion trying to raise their children, hold their husbands, keep beautiful, have an attractive home, keep up a social life of sorts, and so on. Believe me, the modern mother gets no help from the modern grandmother. Grand- mother goes socially more than any- body else; is always studying or writing a speech and doesn't want the children around. They “bother” her. Why, she won’t even let the children call her grandmother, and she would throw a fit if one of them called her granny. The other day my youngest asked me, “Mamma, why is it that we haven't any grandma or grandpa? All the other children at school have them.” And I replied, “Why, honey, Toto is your grand- mother and Bobo is your grandfather.” Well, it was news to him. JUST A WORNOUT YOUNG MA. Answer—Raising a child is like carrying an umbrella or making a fire. The onlookers always think they could do it better than the one who is doing it. But you are mis- taken if you think that the young mothers of today are getting an un- due amount of criticism. Most of us think they are doing a grand job; a far better one than their mothers did. * x *x % REARING children seems to go in alternate cycles. Onme generation spoils them and the next one disci- plines them. Whichever way your parents brought you up, you take the opposite course with your own young- sters. The mothers of yesteryear were strong for the theory that you must never say “don’t” to a child or make it behave for fear of repressing its ego. The reaction from that has given us the modern mother, who puts her baby to bed without any coddling and lets him yell his head off. She tells you that she is not going to let her children run wild, the way she was permitted to do, and she is going to take better care of her girls than her mother ever took of her. The modern young mother tries just a8 hard to be a good mother as all the generations of mothers who have gone be‘ore her, for there have been mighty few women who haven’t been willing to work and sacrifice and die, if need be, for their children. The mother of today has this advantage: She is better taught and can give more in- telligent care to the rearing of her children. No children have ever had such scientific care given to their health, nor had their psychology so studied, and if we oldsters sometimes think that their mothers are bringing them up a little too much by the book and not enough by the heart, why, they are erring on virtue's side. ‘What my correspondent says about grandmother becoming as extinct as the dodo is, alas, only too true. But it is partly the young mother’s fault that she is passing away. It kills the grandmotherly spirit not to be allowed to cuddle the baby. But the woman who won't let her grandchildren call her “Granny” because it dates her misses one of the sweetest relation- ships in life. * % ok % JDEAR DOROTHY DIX: I am en- gaged to a boy whom my parents disapprove, and we are going to get married without their consent. He says that when we are married he will positively refuse to have anything to Iq i do with my family; that they have run over him enough and that he will never enter their house. But he will not object to them coming to ours, though he will never see them when they do, and that I can go to visit them as much as I please. I know there will always be contention be- tween us over this subject, and I won- der if a marriage under these con- ditions can prove successful. Should I forget my family and think only of him? LORRAINE, Answer—You can't forget your family. No matter how devoted you are to your husband, there will always be this older love of the mother who bore you, the father who cherished you and the sisters and brothers with whom you grew up. They are a part of your being, so interwoven with your life that you cannot separate them from it. Many men seem able to give up their families and simply blot them out of their memories, but women cannot do this. They cling to their own and are never really happy when separated from their own people. This is what makes it so unfortunate when children marry against their parents’ wishes and what makes it so vital that fathers and mothers should not oppose their sons’ and daughters’ choice of mates unless there is some drastic reason for doing so. Their disapproval is like a curse on the mar- riage and blights it in its very begin- ning. Of course, there is nearly always a reconciliation after the marriage, but there is always a& bar between the parents and the unwelcome son-in- law or daughter-in-law who never forget or forgive that they were not wanted in the family. I cannot advise you to give up the man you love because your parents object to him, for they may have no good reason for not liking him. Par= ents are often unreasonable and un- just and prejudiced in their opinion. Their biased views should not be allowed to wreck the happiness of two people who love each other. » You have to live with your husband and you have a right to pick him out, but I hope he will be broadminded enough and love you enough to make a truce with your family for your sake, My Neighbor Says: Lawns, no matter how poor, may be beautified by the use of fertilizer during the months of May and June. About four pounds of fertilizer should be ap- plied to every 1,000 feet of lawn. To prevent mildew on phlox let water flow around roots in- stead of watering from overhead. If a light mildew appears on these plants spray or dust with sulphur. Oystess have a better fiavor if not overcooked. They may be rolled in fine cracker crumbs, dipped in egg, rolled again in crumbs and fried in deep fat at 380 degrees Fahrenheit. Lard used in deep-fat frying should be strained through cheesecloth after use to remove the food particles which accumu- late in the kettle. Brass trays should be washed with warm water and good yellow soap. Rinse in clear water and polish with chamois. A little lemon juice will remove stains. (Copyright, 1937.) Article on Railroad Trains Are Answered by Reader RS. ELEANOR WASHINGTON M ‘Through this proud lineage and that of County Seldens, she is connected with proper person to possess a fund of<s thrilling tales. Few of Mrs. Howard's own amr{es,‘ however, are more dramatic than that | of the little bonnet which she Wflli present to the forty-second arnual | convention of the Children of the| American Revolution on April 20 for | permanent exhibit in their national | museum here. ‘This relic of her childhood first as- sumed prominence when the C. A. R. made their annual pilgrimage to Mount Vernon. Mrs. Howard, who has been an officer of the society since 1903 and vice president presiding since 1909, accompanies them always. The group is met at the gates by Col. Harrison Dodge, superintendent of the estate, who goes over the grounds with them. After placing wreaths on the wmbs‘ of George and Martha Washington | they go to the C. A. R. tree which was i planted by their founder, Mrs. Lothrop, | in 1896. There is a short talk by the colonel and then Mrs. Howard 'll].s} stories of the old place to an en- raptured audience. One of the stories is of how, as a | very small child, she would retire to the little cubby-hole closet under the stairs until, as she says, she “could be agreeable.” | * % x x | FTER hearing this story told some years by Mrs. Howard, Col. Dodge said one year, “Mrs. Howard, T want you to take a look at something that was found in 1897 under the eaves, in the little cubby hole you mentioned, by workmen reinforcing the roof.” He produced a little quilted hood, and Mrs. | Howard had no sooner seen it than she sald excitedly, “That’s my little hood. My mammy always made that kind for | me.” Col. Dodge returned to her the little ' hood that had been under the eaves of Mount Vernon for some 37 years, and | future generations will be the richer | for its discovery. It is a quaint little | affair of brown silk, a veritable breath of the past. The ties are of checked | brown and white ribbon—one of them | tattered and worn, perhaps by swing- | ing from a childish hand. The quilt- ing on the front shows painstaking care. The lining is much worn, but the cording is as firm as when the young Negro nurse made it for little Nellie Washington almost 80 years ago. The nurse'’s name was Amanda Smith and she died only a few years ago. Mrs. Howard is sorry that Amanda couldn’t have known about the little hood. “It would have pleased my mammy,” says her former charge. “She was always so interested in us children and wanted us to have the best of everything. I remember espe- cially one time when a family came to visit us who had a child of my age, beautifully dressed. Amanda, who made all my clothes, evidently made mental notes of all the little dresses, bonnets and petticoats, for no sooner had the guests left than she sat down and copied them for me.” soon, however. In 1860 little Nellie's father, John Augustine Washingtcn, sold Mount Vernon to the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union. A move to “Waveland” in Fauquier County was followed by the mother’s death. Less than 10 months later the father was killed, in the first year of the war between the States. ok Kk K THE seven children had to give up the estate in Fauquier County and went to live with “Uncle Dick,” as they affectionately called their ‘o O/'Cfiey Brrol BY MARY ALLEN HOOD. RNITHOLOGISTS call them “frigilla carnaria.” Amer- icans say “canaries.” To kitty the word is “breakfast.” It wouldn't be proper to go into Dickey’s word for cat. Whatever lan- guage the bird may use, kitty is the first offender. She gets on Dickey's nerves. After all, he can only go so far and he knows just which way his feline acquaintance’s mind runs. All of which brings up the point that kitty shouldn’t be permitted in the same room with the bird. Maybe the cage is hung out of reach. Perhaps kitty has grown weary of trying and knows that her feathered desire is above her head. It makes no difference. Her casual amblings give Dickey hysterics. The situation looks bad! It's impos- sible to convince that bird that things aren't as they seem. Every canary owner should have some sort of & preparation which is M ing stories you've heard in many a day. Mrs. Howard is the great-great-grandniece of Gen, George Washing- ton and the only person now living who was born at Mount Vernon Those happy days ended all too | General Washington’s Kinswoman Will Give Relic to Organization Mrs. Eleanor Washington Howard Honors Children of American Revolution by Gift of Childish Hood. BY MARY JANE BRUMLEY. HOWARD can tell the most enthrall- This is not strange, for her mother, who was of the Loudoun all of the First Families. Just the father’s brother. The Richard Wash- ingtons had seven children of their | own, and the death of an uncle added his four children to the household, bringing the total to 18. To cap the climax, the - house burned to the ground within 18 months! Misfortunes came apace after that, but they were made of sturdy stuff these Washingtons, and they managed somehow to keep the family togeth Thus, when her sister, Maria, married Beverley Dandridge Tucker, later Episcopal Bishop of Southern Virg Miss Nellie went to live with them. It was there that she met and married dashing young Julian Howard. He died when their only child, Sarah, was 3 years old Today, the smiling face of Sarah grandchiidren y Caldwell Ingra- ham, looks down from the wall of Mrs Howard’s living room in Alexandria “And, if you're going to mention my great-grandchildren, please don’t for- get Sally’s brother Charles, better known as ‘Skipper, ” said the little lady. Sally’s picture is only one of many interesting things in the apartment To mention a few of them—there are pictures galore, most of them historical or family—a cherrywood secretary n old-fashioned highboy, a tiny walnut footstool. “I suppose that stool should be painted,” said the owner, “but I hate things that look too nev * ok x % E wall is lined with books history and genealogy. “I'm alg a great deal and they a source of much comfort to Beautifu flowers filled me a great de said. “And the 3 atter of health. You know that the e around them absorbs impure a Eleanor Washington Howard smiled “I don't know why I place such stri on health. Eighty-one is a ripe age when you remember that Washingtons are a short-lived folk And here I'm a great-grandmother, Isn't it splendid, though?” Please don't get the idea from this | that Mrs. Howard sits at home, im- | mersed in family and genealogy. Far | from it! She is fond of calling on her friends, goes often to Memorial | Continental Hall and never misses | services at Christ Church. Indeed, any one who talks with this diminu- | tive person cannot help but sense her deep piety. In speaking of her moth- er's people, she said, “I have always been proud of the fact that they were known as a holy family.” One of the most familiar figures to Alexandria residents for many years | has been that of “the lady with the staff,” as they call Mrs. Howard. The staff, which was given her by Col. Dodge to replace a crutch, is of black walnut grown at Mount Vernon. It is about 5 feet tall, is mounted in solid silver and carries her monogram The crutch still hangs in the colonel's office in the historic mansion. The use of a pair of crutches was first necessitated by a fall Mrs. Howard received when alighting from a train back in the era of sweeping skirts. “But it didn't spoil my fondness for travel.” said the indomitable little person. 1 love it—even short trips are nice, for they give one such in- spiration. And we all need that.” Well, we're sure of one thing. Even while Mrs. Howard seeks inspiration for herself, she supplies it for the rest of us, for she's the fit product of a fine heritage, l For Happier Canaries Acat of the best intentions 7s Just so much trouble constructed for the soul purpose of making the small insect known as a “mite” uncomfortable. As a matter of fact, it should be of such a con- sistancy as to cause the elimination of the “crittur” and all its relatives and children! There are several good things on the market but most of them are inflammable. The usual object for attention is the cage. That's where the little insects make their day-time abode. A good way to find out whether or no Dickey has that kind of company is to stage a surprise party. Pick a nice dark night. Turn on the flashlight and put its beam on the cage. Night-time is mite-time! After the elimination campaign put the cage in the sun. Of course, Dickey bird must be somewhere else. If there’s to be any Spring painting around the bird’s residence be sure that the paint is free of any material containing poison.