Bloody Breathitt

Sirs:

Four hours ago I stood waiting for a train at Jackson, in Breathitt County. I had just read TIME'S generous words for my first novel, River of Earth.

This was publication day. I was proud. Deputy Sheriff Jerry Combs walked by. I saw his small badge, thought he should have a larger one, size of a fist. He turned away, and within three minutes was shot down stone dead. I don't know why. The high sheriff came. Men set off upriver and down, running with guns in their hands. A woman cried, "Oh Bonny, my uncle's jist got his brains shot out."

Long have I looked to this day, but I've got no pleasure out of it. I have seen a man die,

JAMES STILL Dead Mare Branch, Ky.

-- Because of its many feuds, Breathitt County, Ky. long ago became known as "bloody Breathitt." One day last fortnight Frank Howard and his sons, Tom and Brown, walked into the Federal Surplus Commodities office at Jackson, demanded their quotas of apples, oranges, grits. E. J. Dawkins of the office staff told them to come back the next day.

The Howards, said Dawkins, began to talk tough and Tom Howard started filling his sack. Dawkins called Deputy Sheriff Combs, whose last words (to Tom Howard) were: "If you persist in this, I'll have to arrest you." Police Chief A. S. Sizemore arrested Frank Howard on a charge of murder.

Tom and Brown Howard fled to the hills, a posse after them. The posse came back without the Howards, who sent word by their mother that they would surrender in a few days. Seven days later they gave themselves up to High Sheriff Walter Deaton, who clapped them in jail until court comes March 11.--ED.

Still's Degree

Sirs:

You may be correct that James Still (River of Earth, TIME, Feb. 5) was "educated at Vanderbilt," but he, as did "better-known 'Mountaineer Poet,' Jesse Stuart," received his A. B. degree from Lincoln Memorial University.

Thanks for splendid review of splendid book.

STEWART W. MCCLELLAND President

Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, Tenn.

Cherries

Sirs:

Please compare the enclosed copy of Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries with your footnote in the review of my Since Yesterday (TIME, Feb. 12). How about it? Knowing that there were various versions of the song I followed the published version.

FREDERICK LEWIS ALLEN

New York City

-- TIME'S apologies to Author Allen, who followed the published version: Life is just a bowl of cherries Don't make it serious Life's too mysterious.

But the U. S. public learns its songs from records, not from sheet music, and the recorded version by Rudy Vallee (who sang the song in George White's Scandals of 1931) goes: Life is just a bowl of cherries Don't take it serious It's too mysterious.--ED.

Shell

Sirs:

Often in your columns you tell of a ship's having been brought to a halt because of a shell's having been fired across her bow.

I have a fairly good imagination but I still can't figure out how the captain knows about this shot. Does the shell leave a smoke track? Does it look like a comet? Does the captain see the gunner aiming ahead of his path?

I have thought of all these, but I still can't figure it out.

LESLIE R. KAUFMAN

New York City

-- When a captain gets an order to stop, hears the sound of a blank shell being fired, sees a puff of smoke, he usually stops. If he does not stop, a real shell may cross his bow. Real shells whistle.

--ED.

Shumlin's Advertisements

Sirs :

You describe me as "short, bespectacled, intellectual." I am pleased about the "intellectual" and have shown it with great pleasure to all my friends. But I am hurt at being called short. I am no giant, but I am 5 it in height. You also say that I wear my hat indoors in order to conceal my baldness. Whenever you like I'll arrange a public unveiling.

As for being the only Broadway producer to advertise in the Daily Worker, no one has ever accused Broadway producers of being smart advertisers, and I try to follow the advertising policies of the large motion picture companies like the Radio City Music Hall and Twentieth-Century Fox. What's good enough for the Rockefellers and the Chase Bank is good enough for me.

HERMAN SHUMLIN

New York City

P.S. By the way, did any masked informer point out that as of April 3, 1939, Herman Shumlin was the only Broadway producer advertising in TIME? If so, what deduction was drawn and/or quartered, what brands burned in whose hides?

Chicory, Chickery

Sirs:

May I rise to a point of order? In your issue of Jan. 29 Radio, p. 50, you describe one of the Grand Ole Opry sponsors as a chicory manufacturer.

I believe that this is an error. You probably refer to Carter's Chickery, Eldorado, ILL., which is one of the Grand Ole Opry sponsors.

Carter's Chickery, you may be interested to know, is one of the country's larger producers of baby chicks. . . .

The business of hatching baby chicks has become such a fine art that it is now possible for hatcherymen to ship their customers broods made up either of all-pullet chicks or all-cockerel chicks. Formerly, the poultry raiser had to take pot luck with his chicks, which were usually divided 50-50 as to sex by Mother Nature.

JACK HEWSON

Evansville, Ind.

--Reader Hewson's point is well taken.

--ED.

Dead Men's Pistols

Sirs:

In TIME for Jan. 8, you had a story that . . . reads as follows:

"Yesterday, in a hand-to-hand fight, I was separated from my men and surrounded by Bolsheviks. Three of them, armed with automatic pistols, started hunting me. I killed two of them and the third one ran away. Thank heavens for that! . . . By that time my old pistol, which wasn't very good as you know, was so hot that it broke to pieces. ... It is now, as you know, that your brother's life is depending on his knife."

This letter was written by a Finnish soldier to his sister. We were just wondering why the soldier would ask his sister for a gun if there were two dead soldiers with automatic pistols. . . .

DOUG HORNBECK AND JACK DEDRICK Grade 8 Sidney Junior High School Sidney, Nebr.

--Let Readers Hornbeck and Dedrick reflect that the Finn's ammunition (for an old pistol) would not fit the Russians' automatic pistols, 2) that if the dead Russians had any ammunition on them, it would not last long, 3) that captured material is not the property of the soldier who captures it, but of the Army.--ED.

Flit for Finns

Sirs:

The undersigned who 20 years ago was fighting for the liberty of Finland under Field Marshal Mannerheim, as a staff member of the German auxiliary force of the late General von der Goltz, takes the liberty of pointing to the fact that much could be done to relieve the fighting troops next summer by supplying them with Rubbing Flit in individual pocket containers. Worse than the cold of the winter season is the mosquito plague in the eastern lake district of Finland, which is liable to enhance the sufferings of war and even to bias the morale of the best educated and disciplined army. I presume that an appeal to your readers might get the attention of some oil refiners who might be in a position to provide the brave Finnish army with that much needed material.

DR. LEOPOLD HEINEMANN Kansas City, Mo.

Jobfinder

Sirs:

Please let me add my thanks for TIME'S article (Dec. 25), describing the employment studies conducted by Science Research Associates of Chicago under the direction of Lyle M. Spencer and Robert Burns. Prompted by your story, I asked Mr. W. I. Nichols, Assistant Editor of This Week Magazine, to go to Chicago next day, and completed successful arrangements with Lyle Spencer to conduct a regular weekly department in This Week called "Finding the Right Job." . . .

MRS. WILLIAM BROWN MELONEY

Editor

This Week New York City

Candidate's Wife

Sirs:

In an article on my husband in TIME, which I very much enjoyed, there was a story of a sort of debate between Mrs. Bulkley and me, which never occurred. As far as I know, Mrs. Bulkley made no speeches during the campaign, and, as a matter of fact, quite often, when our husbands were debating, Mrs. Bulkley and I indulged in a friendly and sympathetic chat as from one candidate's wife to another. I feel that I should put the record straight for Mrs. Bulkley.

The story evidently arose from a somewhat similar incident which occurred during the primary campaign, but in which no other candidate's wife was involved.

MARTHA B. TAFT

Washington, D. C.

-- To Mrs. Robert Alphonso Taft, TIME'S thanks for putting the record straight.--ED.

Amazed, Disgusted

Sirs:

I was amazed, disgusted at TIME'S ruthless excoriation of the United States Senate in the issue of Jan. 29. You [imply] that the Senate is engaged in dull, inconsequential bickering while the Baltic states are, and are about to be, raped by the foes of Democracy.

TIME'S stand on the issue is alarming.

What TIME wants is immediate action in the form of a loan to Finland. One feature of Democracy is this very slowness with which official bodies take action. A feature of Fascism is abrupt action on critical matters such as this. . . .

The connotation of TIME'S report is even more alarming. TIME implies a criminal delay on the part of our Senate while the Baltic states are under invasion. TIME suggests that we could help stop the massacre.

How? By sending Finland a few millions of dollars ? The forces of the Soviet could hardly be checked by so insignificant a sum.

The answer is that TIME seems resigned to sending the United States to war.

From a professional standpoint TIME'S report of the Senate's stand is as narrow as any piece of reporting I've ever read in any issue of any publication. TIME has entirely too much influence to indiscriminately flay the Senate on so vital an issue--unless TIME wishes to support its capitalistic advertisers rather than its peace-loving readers.

WALDEMAR OSBORNE ERICKSON

P.S. I, who subscribe to TIME, do not entirely agree with my caustic roommate.

JOHN DUNN

Grand Forks, N. Dak.

Sirs:

With reference to your reporting of the weaseling of the President and the Senate in the matter of the loan to Finland, I believe this is the first time I have ever noted a touch of passion in your otherwise even reportorial style. You could not have picked a better occasion to make an exception to the rule. It makes one almost ashamed of his Government. My congratulations.

RICHARD HUHN Washington, D. C.

Bindle (Cont'd)

Sirs:

TIME is right as usual, and so is Mr. Webster, in defining "bindle" as bundle. Mr. Howard F. Clark is slightly in error when he insists that "bundle stiff" is the proper term. It is "bindle," not bundle.

"Bindle" is a Pennsylvania Dutch version of the German noun Buendel, in which the umlaut u is pronounced as in the French rue.

"Bindle stiff" is an American hobo term. The regular, full-blown, 100% hobo travels "as is," unhampered by any such sissifications as luggage, package or bundle.

The hobo who does carry a bundle, be it ever so little, is regarded as a stuck-up stiff or bindle stiff.

I know this is right. For I once was, and was called, a "bindle stiff."

ERNEST COLER Detroit, Mich.

Gracious Poetess

Sirs

: Your book review of Period Piece: Etta Wheeler Wilcox and Her Times, p. 64 of your Feb. sth issue, recalls a meeting with Mrs. Wilcox. . . . Another infantry officer and myself ... in early Aug. 1918, on a short leave in Paris, had become fed up with the overly anxious feminine French dinner companions at every restaurant we entered and tried the Hotel Petrograd dining room--G. H. Q. of the Y. W. C. A.-Americaine.

While eating our dinner we noticed a little old lady dressed in black, smiling and nodding to us from a distant table. We were about the only males present. "Lord," said Andrews, my comrade, "they keep flirting over here even when they are up in the eighties." Presently, we were surprised to find our lady crossing over and standing at our table.

"I am Mrs. Wilcox," she said in perfect American. Neither of us replied. I remember thinking to myself: "Well, Mrs. Wilcox you shouldn't be talking to strange men in restaurants." "Ella Wheeler Wilcox" came next, with a very sweet and disarming smile. We were both on our feet, sputtering apologies.

The Poetess was very gracious.

Mrs. Wilcox said she had been depressed with the appearance of the men, the actions of everyone and the air of gloom she had found in Paris since her arrival. She said our appearance of fresh, healthy, crusading youth impressed her so much that she wanted to tell us so. Were we both mortified and proud! After a short chat she left, stating she was bound for England. Later I wrote to her from the front and received several very interesting and highly treasured letters.

H. L. REESE Philadelphia, Pa.

Soldier of Fortune

Sirs:

I read with great interest the article concerning Charles Joseph Stehlin and myself in the issue of Jan. 22 of TIME.

For your information, I am advising you that my name is spelled "Joseph," not "Josef," which might infer that the person referred to could be a foreigner. This unquestionably is a typographical error. However, TIME, having the reputation that it does for accuracy, I thought you would like to have this brought to your attention.

In addition, I note that you refer to me as a "soldier of fortune." Usually, as I understand it, such a term is generally applied to a mercenary soldier, or one who has sold his services to any government for compensation. You may be interested to know that I never sold my services to any country, and that I always served as a volunteer, receiving the same compensation as officers of similar rank in the respective armies. And further, I never volunteered for any country unless I was sincerely in sympathy with their particular cause. It appears to me that the average American would like to know the difference between a soldier of fortune and one who has served as a volunteer.

COL. JOSEPH C. STEHLIN North Miami Beach, Fla.

-- Webster defines soldier of fortune as "one who follows a military career wherever there is promise of profit, ad venture or pleasure." To Adventurer Joseph C. Stehlin, thanks for clarifying his record. -- ED.

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