GROUND HOG
DAY GAME TO
US AS MISTAKE
AP Newsfeatures
Groundhog Day, February 2, is
•an old American tradition, but it
seems possible that the whole idea
is based on a case of mistaken
identity. The groundhog is sup
posed to come out of his den on
that day and take a look around.
If he sees his shadow, he is
supposed to hurry back to his den
and hole up for an extension of
winter for six weeks. If he does
\
not see any shadow, good weather
is supposed to be in prospect.
Actually, says the National Geo
graphic Society, this tradition was
first attached to the European
hedgehog, a porcupine. When the
idea was transferred to America
the weather chore was attached'
to the groundhog, which is a kind
of marmot.
The hedgehog seems to be a
good candidate for such honors.
He sleeps only lightly through
the winter. On many days he can
be seen wandering around out of
his den.
The groundhog, cm the other
hand, goes to sleep in mid
autumn. He sleeps so soundly that
his breathing can be detected only
Five Dog Teams “Mush'’
Anchorage-to-Seward
To Publicize Rendezvous
SEWARD, UP) — Five mushers
pushed into Seward Saturday to
meet a special excursion train
from Anchorage—part of a stunt
to publicize the Fur Rendezvous.
The deg sled brigade left An
chorage Thui'sday and found
rough going for their dogs on icy
trails. Most were driving five
dogs with a couple of “spares”
along. The men camped out in
tents and ate Army rations and
frozen foods. They went back by
truck Sunday.
The mushei's followed the route
of the old Seward mail trail when
possible, but there were a few
unscheduled side excursions.
Once a dog team took off across
country after a moose and once a
farmer’s terrified spaniel looked
like fair game to the dogs.
The spaniel, said driver A1
Field, may be running yet.
with the most sensitive instru
ments. And he does not wake up
until about the middle of March.
The groundhog is also some
thing of a pest. In a season he
can eat his way through half a
ton of alfalfa. He can clean out
a small garden in a night.
But the groundhog has been
the Feb. 2 weather prophet in the
United States for so long that he
is not likely to lose his place.
His prophetic duties remain today
what they have been for a long
time—a pleasant fantasy.
If the sun shines next Monday
men, women and children will
nod to each other in mock solem
nity. “The groundhog must have
seen his shadow,” they will say.
“We are in for six weeks more
of winter.” A gloomy Feb. 2 will
bring the opposite prediction. It
is so much fun that some towns
have societies dedicated to the
observance of the day.
British Car Ferry Sinks
In Irish Sea During Storm
With Death Toll of 130
STRANRAER, Scotland, UP) —
The British steamer Princess Vic
toria capsized and sank in a hur
ricane Saturday, carrying an esti
mated 100 to 130 persons to their
deaths in raging seas off the
Northern Ireland coast.
The first exhausted survivors of
183 aboard were landed at Dona
chadee, a North Ireland coast
town 15 miles from Belfast, but
their number was not disclosed
immediately.
Several airplanes, reported to
include an American aircraft,
were helping spot survivors by
dropping flares in the dark. By
the time lifeboats came into the
light of the flores, however, the
! survivors usually had disappeared
j in the surging sea.
High seas washed benumbed
surVivors off rafts, and the res
cue ships themselves took a heavy
1 pounding in the northern neck of
the Irish Sea. Veteran sailors suid
the seas were the worst in their
memory.
The Princess Victoria, a twin
screw vessel, was especially built
for the shallow Stranraer harbor.
She was the first vessel of the
car ferry type put into service be
tween Scotland and Northern
Ireland. Her car deck was equip
ped with turntables and had ac
commodations for 80 vehicles.
WASHINGTON, !>P)—The Board
of directors of the Aircoach Trans
port Association, Friday accepted
the resignation of Amos E. Hea
i cock as president.
Heacock, president of the inde
pendent airline trade association
j since August, 1950, alsp is presi
dent of Air Transport Associates,
operating out of Seattle.
The announcement said he was
resigning to devote more time to
his own business.
--- - --—•-“—“-—■---—-‘—”—-—-1—a ——■—"—r
My Mistake8
Your
Bargains!
X
fc6My Day” on a yearly buying trip
— FIRST HOUR —
A Dress Factory
(Thousands of them)
— SECOND HOUR —
Men’s Shirts & Slacks Showroom
— THIRD HOUR
Men’s and Women’s Shoes
i
Lunch with a Luggage Salesman
— FIFTH HOUR —
Giftware and Novelties
(Two entire floors)
— SIXTH HOUR —
GROCERIES
(Five or six different salesmen)
— SEVENTH HOUR —
MEATS
(New packs, government charts, etc.)
— EIGHTH HOUR —
Lingerie Showroom
(This does it — I’m a wreck!)
Remember - - I’m buying for an
entire community for a year!
Now at the end of the year, our clerks
have a few sizes, colors, styles, eltc., that
didn’t sell. They have to be cleared out before
my next trip . . .
My Mistakes . . . Your Bargains!
(Signed) Dewey Goodrich,
Your Hopeful Buyer
Your Friendly Community Store
s\)Pfc* F* Ma*Kbt
Wholesale and Retail
Phone MAin 133 FREE DELIVERY