Crowbar Surgeon
Sirs: Please refer to TIME, May 2, p. 26, to a paragraph reading as follows: 'Often surprising are the brain's reactions to violent injury. A prize exhibit of Harvard's bright & cheery Warren Anatomical Museum, into which the public cannot get, is the Crowbar Skull. The foreman of a crew of Vermont road builders in 1848 let a charge of explosive detonate prematurely. The explosion drove a crowbar through the left side of his head. He was then 25 lived twelve years and nine months longer, showed no physical impediments, but did develop an abnormal truculence. The museum has a plaster model of his head, and the actual crowbar."
You may be interested to learn that the physician who was summoned at the time this accident occurred in 1848 was no less a person than Dr. Edward H. Williams, who later became general superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad. From there he entered the locomotive building business as a member of the firm of M. Baird & Co., later Burnham, Parry, Williams & Co , and later Burnham, Williams & Co. operating the Baldwin Locomotive Works here in Philadelphia.
I was fortunate in being a business partner of Dr. Williams for many years during which time he 'frequently spoke to me of this case. Furthermore he stated that at a dinner given in his honor in Boston in appreciation of his conduct of this case he addressed the assemblage and told them if they promised secrecy in the matter he would advise them as to the course of treatment pursued. This having been given, the Doctor said to them he simply fed the victim artificially and left him alone in every other respect and he speedily recovered this to the consternation of all assembled.
SAMUEL M. VAUCLAIN
Chairman of the Board
The Baldwin Locomotive Works Philadelphia, Pa.
U. S. Novel, 1900-31
Sirs:
The Fifth Annual Contest of the International Mark Twain Society will be for the best letter of approximately 1,000 words on the subject: "What I Consider the Most Representative American Novel from 1900 to 1931 Inclusive, and Why.
The letters will be judged on three points: the reasons given, the literary quality of the letter, and the novel chosen. The best letter will receive $20 and the three next best a book. The judges are Hamlin Garland, Temple Bailey, and Joseph Hergesheimer.
CYRIL CLEMENS
Webster Groves, Mo.
Berlin's Key
Sirs: ,
I was interested in your write-up on p. 27 of your issue of April 25 in connection with Mr. Berlin's playing of the piano. I was familiar of course with the fact that he was unfamiliar with the instrument but I am wondering why he picked out as the only key he could manage that of F sharp. As you know this key is in six sharps, one of which is not even a black note, and I am surprised that someone merely picking out melodies by ear would select such a difficult key to play.
Most amateurs would unquestionably pick out either the key of C with no sharps or flats--or G with one sharp, or F with one flat.
I am also interested to know something about the sliding keyboard and what is meant by the effect of playing another key. The piano as you know is an instrument on which, due to its construction and temperament, there is no difference between the effect of keys other than that ot pitch. . . .
LAURENCE McKiNLEY
Albany, N. Y.
F sharp and G flat, called the "nigger keys" because they use all the black notes, come easily to many a person who plays the piano by ear. Like Composer Berlin, Negroes who pounded out ragtime in old- time honkey-tonks were partial to F sharp. Composer Berlin plays his songs over first in F sharp. Then aided by the sliding keyboard, an old invention operated by a crank on the side and a supplementary pedal, he transposes them to fall within the easiest singable range.--ED. Tall Cedar at Sight
Sirs:
In your issue of TIME, March 28, I note an article that Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt was an active joiner and you list 47 organizations. However you omit one which is Greenwood Forest No. 81 Tall Cedars of Lebanon of Warwick, N. Y.
On April 25, 1930 Gov. Roosevelt shared the honor of being made a Tall Cedar at sight by Supreme Tall Cedar H. Franklin Brossman of Reading, Pa., at a meeting of Greenwood Forest No. 81 held at Newburgh, N. Y.
HARRY M. LITTELL
The Supreme Forest of Tall Cedars of Lebanon Chester, N. Y.
Japanese Sightseers
Sirs: ,
I congratulate you on your accurate report of the Shanghai events. I felt sure that even TIME would print some nonsense this time, with all the trash that was being broadcast, cabled, written from here during the trouble, but I could only catch you on two minor slips: 1) Kiangwan Racecourse, contrary to your report, still is in a remarkably good condition, the grandstand having got away with only a few shellholes. 2) The retreating Chinese may not have left a scrap of food, but going along the deserted trenches three days after their withdrawal I saw hundreds of hand grenades, most of them laid out ready to be thrown. The Japanese sightseeing parties on the whole were clever enough not to touch them, only relieving Chinese corpses of bugles, trench spades etc. to take home as souvenirs.
These slips are so unimportant that I am glad to have finally convinced myself of the reliability of your reports. Carry on the good work.
W. VENNEWITZ
Shanghai, China
Mile-A-Minute
Sirs:
I have been a regular reader of your interesting journal for some time, and have at last been able to find a mistake.
In a past number you stated that Henry Ford in 1900 established a world's speed record on a car named 999 at Grosse Point, Mich.
La Jamais Contente ("never content" ), a racing machine driven by Jenatzy in 1899 set up a world's land speed record at 65.6 mi. per hour. This car is now in the carnage museum at Compiegne.
JOHN BARRINGTON BAYLEY South Kent School South Kent, Conn.
Art Mart
Sirs:
My attention has been called to the article apearing on p 42 of your issue of May 2 with respect to the establishment of an open air art "mart" in the vicinity of Washington Square Park, New York City.
Your article was accurate in substantially every important detail, but I do wish to point out that the name of the attorney involved was not --Meyer" Glickstein, but Hyman N. Glickstein.
I am glad to say that since the appearance of your article, permission from the City authorities having jurisdiction has finally been secured after considerable effort, and the open air exhibition and sale will be held commencing with the week of May 24, 1932. . . .
HYMAN N. GLICKSTEIN
New York City
Bwthyn Bach to Gwellt
Sirs:
Several months ago there was in the N. Y. Times magazine section an article about a play house made and furnished by the peoples of Wales for dear little Princess Elizabeth. My small daughters and I were greatly interested. But now I see in the Times' Rotogravure section for April 3 pictures of the poor wrecked house gutted by fire, and we wonder how it could have become ignited on its journey to the Princess. Although I recall seeing no mention of any of this in TIME, still I feel it is news that interests mothers and little girls, at least, and I should be greatly obliged if you could give some details of the unfortunate end of such a kindly-meant project. We wonder if the little Princess was disappointed or if she never knew about it.
HARRIET B. WOOLFENDIN
Dearborn, Mich.
Almost three times taller than her uncle Edward of Wales is six-year-old Princess Elizabeth's Bwthyn Bach to Gwellt or "Little Cottage with the Straw Roof " Built at a cost of $10,000 to advertise the products of 100 Welsh firms, the cottage drew Welsh crowds at Cardiff's Ideal Home & Building Exhibition last autumn. Insured for $6,250, it caught fire while traveling on a truck toward London, has been reconstructed and now contain: the original furniture which was on a second truck. Not until Princess Betty is nearly double her present age will she be permitted to play with the real gas stove and other grown-up gadgets in her cottage.--ED.
Heck!
Sir:
"Hugo Zucchini. In spite of doctors' objections Signor Zacchini climbs into the mouth of a huge cannon mounted on a motor truck, smears himself with soot, is propelled by compressed air 150 ft into a net as a big firecracker goes off
Heck can't fool you city folks. Out here last summer we thought that there contraption was a genawine cannon.
WILLIAM M. Shaw
Chicago, Ill.
Illeitimate Freight
" Footnote col. 3, p. 7 of the April 18 issue of TIME, does the French Line an injustice in that it further helps to spread the impression, already widespread through careless reporting and leave lines in the newspapers, that the "$1,26,000 worth of imported narcotics dismissed as German toys were seized aboard the Ve. Ed France, after an attempt to smuggle them in either with the help or through the carelessness of members of the crew.
Such is not the case. . . . The cases were unloaded along with all the other legitimate freight, and the narcotics came to light when the Customs officers made their inspection of the shipment. The French Line, which cooperates closely with the Customs service in its efforts to prevent smuggling in any form, could no more know what was in the shipment of "toys" than it can know what passengers are carrying in their trunks. . . -CLAYLAND T. MORGAN
Publicity Manager
French Line
New York City
Thorough v. Pure
In the "Bull & Monkey" story in your May 9 issue you say, "Farmer Charles Lewis was proud of his thoroughbred Jersey bull." There is no such thing as a "thoroughbred bull."
The thoroughbred is a breed of horses of the light type common to the race tracks here abroad. A thoroughbred horse whose sire and dame are pure and thereby entitled to registration is known as a pure bred thoroughbred horse.
Likewise a bull of 100% Jersey blood is a pure bred Jersey bull.
Outside of the livestock breeding world one often hears the word thoroughbred incorrectly used in place of the words pure bred.
RICHARD N. WILLIS
McDonogh, Md.
Twenty-four Pictures
Sirs'
At this post during the month of July we will train about 1,000 boys of high school age in the Citizens' Military Training Camp. During that period we plan to show free of charge sound pictures each evening.
Knowing your interest in American youth, I am wondering if you would suggest about 30 pictures of high moral tone and alive with romance adventure and historical worth. Your suggestions will aid considerably in wisely selecting the pictures for this fine group of boys this summer.
RALPH W. ROGERS
Chaplain, U. S. Army
Fort Thomas, Ky.
In the last year and a half cinemanufacturers have not produced 30 pictures of 'high moral tone and alive with romance, adventure and historical worth." Herewith a list of 24 which might do for a school-age camp: Cimarron, Rango, City Lights, Trader Horn, Skippy, A Connecticut Yankee, Chances, The Viking Spirit of Notre Dame, The Champ, Forbidden Adventure, Huckleberry Finn, Penrod and Sam Devotion, Pardon Us, Touchdown, The Man Who Played God, Around the World in 80 Minutes, Lovers Courageous, Alter Tomorrow, Sooky, Hell Divers, Young America, Destry Rides Again.--ED.
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