SUPPLEMENT TO “NAPREDEK” _SEPTEMBER 16, 1936 F “ Lukec in njegov škorec Nad lepo Vipavsko dolino je ležala jesenska noč. Nebo je bilo jasno. Sredi neba je pla¬ val mesec. Podoben je bil veli¬ kemu zlatemu novcu. Njegov obraz se je zrcali v Vipavi, ki se je tiho vila med zelenimi loka¬ mi in polji. Mesečina se je raz¬ livala po zelenem listju dreves, po rjavih rebrih. Blestela je na stenah spečih hiš, pred kate¬ rimi so se razpenjale brajde. Igrala se je z listi košatih murv in prilikavih smokev. Sredi doline je ležala na hol¬ mu bela vas. S korci krite hiše so stale tesno druga poleg dru¬ ge kot kokoši na gredi. Na sa¬ moti za vasjo je stala borna ko¬ ča. Spodaj je bila kovačija, a nad njo kuhinja in izba. Skozi okno koče je pokukal meseč. Ob steni je stala po¬ stelja. V nji je ležala mati Marjeta. Bila je zagrnjena do ust,- iz sence ji je gledal šilast nos. Na široki klopi ob oknu je ležal njen sin Lukec. Eno roko je držal pod glavo. Usta je imel odprta, kakor da sanja o peče¬ nih golobih, ki mu letijo v gr¬ lo. Novi bratec Dideldom, dideldom, moj očka ima svoj dom, tam na koncu vasi hišica stoji, v nji se bratec moj novi smeji. Dideldom, dideldom, ponoči nastal je grom, štorklja se je oglasila, bratca malega nam pustila. Kaj hodila bi drugam? Položila ga je kar k naši mam'. Dideldom, dideldom, vedno ga vesela bom. Pa kaj hitro rasti, bratec, da te peljem v naši Vrtec, Ne jokaj in ne bodi hrom, dideldom, dideldom! Dideldom, dideldom, ■iz srca se smejala bom, ko poklical bodeš mamo, po štirih plazil se za mano. Dideldom, dideldom, kako te jaz vesela bom ! Dideldom, dideldom in tvoj patron, katerega sem izbrala, da Tom te bom klicala. Ti pa klicaj me kakor hočeš, samo, da mi ne jočeš. Dideldom, dideldom, na zdravje tebi, Tom! A. Zait z Na Lukca je posijal mesec. Dolgo ga je gledal in se mu sme¬ jal. Deček se je zganil v spa¬ nju. Rahlo je odprl oči in zrl v svetlo oblo. V sanjah se mu je zdelo, da visi prav nad njegovo glavo rumen in dišeč kolač. Iz¬ tegnil je roke, zgrabil kolač in ga našel k ustom. Ugriznil ga je, sladko se mu je razlilo po grlu. Ta kolač je imel čudovi¬ to moč, o kateri se bere v prav¬ ljicah. Lukec ga je pojedel, že mu je tičala na glavi čudodelna čepica, ki mu je visela prav do velikih ušes. Kdor ima tako čepico, se mu izpolni vsaka že¬ lja. To je Lukec dobro vedel, saj je že nekatero pravljico bral. Od veselja mu je poskočilo sr¬ ce. Včasih si je srčno želel, da bi imel perotnice in mogel leta¬ ti po zraku. Komaj je imel če¬ pico, že je na tihem izrekel to željo. In glej, v tistem trenut¬ ku so mu zrasle perotnice na hrbtu. “Ha!” Lukec si je želel: “Da bi bil daleč proč!” In je že odletel na zeleno tra¬ to sredi črnega gozda. Okrog in okrog so stala visoka dreve¬ sa. Sredi trate je ležalo jezer- ce. Bilo je tako majhno, da je Lukčeva senca padala na drugi breg. In tako okroglo in jasno ko ribje oko. Lukcu se je zdelo ko zrcalce. “Kakšen sem v kapi?” se je vprašal. Pristopil je, da bi po¬ gledal, kakšna mu je glava in kapa na nji. Preveč se je nag¬ nil, čudodelna čepica se mu je zmuznila z glave, mu štrbunk- nila v vodo. Potegnil je veter, kapo odpihal na sredo jezerca. “Joj!” Lukcu ni bilo le žal za kapo. Objel ga je tudi strah, kako si bo neki brez kape že¬ lel domov, Kraj je bil tuj, nje¬ mu popolnoma neznan; morda se je nahajal v Ameriki, ali v Afriki kje. • Toda Lukec ni bil mila Jera, da bi pretakal solze in pačil u- sta. Zavihal je hlače do kolen in hajdi po kapo. Toda — glej! Ko se ji je približal, se je kapa v njegovo grozo spre¬ menila v velikega raka. Ta se je zadenski potegnil proti nje¬ mu in odprl klešče. Preden je Lukec tegnil ubežati, ga je rak popadel za palec na nogi, ga ti¬ ščal in vlekel, da je bilo vese¬ lje. “O, joj!” je Lukec zakričal od bolečine in groze — in se prebudil iz spanja. Pred njim je stala mati. Majhna, bleda in suhljata. Ona ga je bila potegnila za palec. Zdaj ga je gledala z mežikajo¬ čimi očmi. “Zakaj tako kričiš? Šolo boš zamudil.” Lukec je sedel na klopi. Po¬ mel si je oči, se začuden oziral. V izbo je sijalo sonce. Pod ko¬ čo je rumenelo trtno listje. Med listjem so viseli težki črni groz¬ di .. . Deček se je spomnil sanj, zgrabil se je za glavo. Kje je kapa? Ni je bilo. Od razočaranja mu je bilo težko pri srcu. “Kaj se grabiš za glavo? Ali še vedno sanjaš?” ga je vpra¬ šala mati.' “Kapo sem imel,” je povedal Lukec. “Perotnice tudi. Frlel sem ko ptica, rak me je uščip¬ nil . . .” Mati ga je začudeno gledala. “To pride od knjig, ki jih be¬ reš. Ali si sinoči dolgo žgal luč?” Lukec se je ozrl po mizi. Na nji je ležala knjiga. Pravljice. Prinesel mu jih je bil stric in dejal. “Na, da se boš naučil bra¬ ti po slovensko, ko samo po laš¬ ko znaš.” Spočetka je šlo to branje težko, a kmalu mu je teklo dovolj gladko. Šolskih knjig ni posebno maral, to je res. • Pravljice pa so ga prikle¬ nile k mizi. Ni bil ugriznil v kolač, ni imel kape ne perotnic. Tudi kraljič¬ ne ni videl, rak ga ni uščipnil... Bile so le sanje. Sedel je, zvo¬ nil z nogama in gledal v mater. “Umij se! V skledi je voda,” je dejala mati. “Pa ne pozabi na nos in na ušesa!” Lukec se ni rad umival. “Saj nisem umazan,” je rekel. Po¬ tegnil je z rokama dvakrat čez lica, enkrat ‘čez ušesa in nos. Na vrat in na čelo je pozabil. Ko se je brisal, je vprašal: “Kje je škorec?” “Na vrtu je. Ali misliš, da spi tako dolgo kot ti?” Lukec si je s prsti počesal la¬ se. Stopil je na prag in pokli¬ cal: “Klepec! Klepec!” Tako je bilo klepetavemu in sitnemu škorcu ime. To ime ni imelo nič opraviti z junakom Petrom Klepcem, ki je na paši ruval drevesca in z njimi tepel sovražnike. Škorca so sprva imenovali “klepetec.” Lukec je skrajšal ime v “klepec.” Ptič je stal razkoračen na vrtu. S kljunom je bil pravkar obrnil kamen in stikal za črvi. Na klic je pritekel, vpil vese¬ lo: “Luka! Luka!” Druge besede je ptič rad po¬ zabljal, to ime si je zapomnil. Deček je vzel škorca na ramo. Ta je vtaknil kljun v Lukčevo uho. Ali mu je nekaj pošepnfl ? Ali je pogledal, če se je dobro umil? Nato mu je segel s klju¬ nom na glavo, zgrabil šop las in potegnil. “Aj!” je zavpil Lukec. Ptič je kričal od radosti. Za¬ mijavkal je kot maček in zalajal ko psiček. V izbi je poskočil na mizo. Pred njim sta se ka¬ dili dve skodelici kave. Pogle¬ dal je v dišečo tekočino, piknil po kruhu. “Vse mi boš ponasnažil,” ga je zapodila mati. “Potep! Potep!” se je raz¬ hudil Klepec in korakal do Luk¬ ca. S pogledom mu je štel žli¬ ce, ki jih je nosil v usta. Mati je spregovorila: “Lu¬ kec, po šoli boš stopil na pošto. Tam je pismo zame. Prinesi ga!” “Kaj mi boste dali, če ga pri¬ nesem?” je vprašal Lukec. “Kaj ti bom dala? Ali ni gr¬ do, da si tak z materjo? Morda je pisal oče. Če pojdeva za o- četom v Ameriko, mu vse po¬ vem. Vsak dan manj me ubo¬ gaš.” (Dalje na 2. str.) Iz ioie grede ‘ Iz šole grede ! sta srečala se, t oba razigrana, prej nepoznana. i “Kam pa ti hodiš vse te nedelje? A Kam te največkrat | očka popelje?” “V nedeljo ob desetih naberi bosopetih, v , • tacih tebi enakih, pa čakaj očka in mene, bomo šli skupaj tja, kamor firbec te žene. “Pa boš vedel za moje nedelje, vedel tudi, kam me očka moj pelje — j v dvorano sredi mesta, j kjer ni nikoli prazna cesta. Pa vzemi sabo balo, ker po seji se bo metalo. Ali boš prišel? Jaz čakal bom na te. Ali ni jasno vse ?” Sta razšla se vesela, teško sta čakala, kdaj bo nedelja. Prihodnjo nedeljo so skupaj prišli, prt Vrtcu na boljšem so bili za^-tri! A. Zmt» - - - V' /£ •/' O i i LUKEC IN NJEGOV ŠKOREC SPARTAN JUNIORS (Dalje iz 1. str.J “Vedno piše, da pojdemo v Ameriko, a nikoli ne gremo.’’ “Če boš tak, res ne pojdeva. Od same žalosti bom prej umr¬ la.” Materine oči so bile žalostne. Škorec je stal pred njo in jo gledal v obraz. Ali je videl sol¬ zo v njenem očesu? Mati je molčala. Dvignila se je in od¬ šla v vežo. Škorec je gledal za njo. Lukec je popil kavo in si z ro¬ kavom obrisal usta. Ozrl se je pod strop. Na tramu je viselo nekaj grozdov. Šel je po prstih po izbi in pristavil stol. Sto¬ pil je nanj. Na tiho je odščip- nil grozdič, poskočil na tla. Škorec je zagledal grozd v 'dečkovih rokah, začel je plesa¬ ti ko norec. “Luka!” je vpil. “Luka! Luka!” Lukec je odtr¬ gal jagodo in mu je vrgel na mizo. Klepec je poskočil, jo ujel s kljunom in že je ni bilo več. Tako je izginila druga ja¬ goda, tretja . . . Ptič je med ve¬ selim krikom pozobal vse. “Luka! Potep!” je vpil, ko mu je deček obrnil hrbet. “Po¬ tep! Krr! Krr! Mijav!” Mati je pogledala iz veže. “Da ga ne boš zmeraj pital z grozdjem. To je za nas.” “Saj ga ne!” se je lagal Lu¬ kec. Poiskal je klobuk in si ga po¬ veznil na glavo. Čez ramo si je obesil torbo. Roke je vtaknil v žep in zažvižgal. Stopil .je v vežo. “Ali si se naučil?” ga je vpra¬ šala mati. “Ali si napisal nalo¬ go?” “Saj se ni bilo nič učiti,” je odgovoril Lukec. '‘‘Naloge pa ne znam napisati. Mi bodo že po¬ kazali drugi.” “Vedno isto,” je vzdihnila mati. “Nato bom pa jaz klicana v šolo in te bom morala izgovar¬ jati, ki laškega ne znam . . . Ali boš prinesel pismo?” “Bom.” “Bom, bom,” je ponovil ško¬ rec. Lukec je postal pred kočo in se ozrl proti vasi. Spustil se je ,v beg, da je letelo kamenje za njim. Iz grmovja ob poti so se splašile ptice. i 2. V vasi so že prihajali šolarji iz hiš. Nekaterim dečkom se nikamor ni mudilo. Mikala jih je igra in razposajenost. Stali so na koncu vasi in gledali pro¬ ti kovačiji na samoti. “Kod Se mudi Lukec?” Ta je bil najdrz¬ nejši, naj iznajdljivejši v igri. Na klacu so zabobneli koraki. Prikazal se je Lukec, z dolgim vratom in široko glavo, do ka¬ tere so mu štrlela ušesa. Pega¬ sta lica so mu bila rdeča, oči kot dva oglja. Izpod prevelike¬ ga klobuka so mu gledali rjavi lasje, padali na čelo. Kratke hlače mu niso segale do glež¬ njev. _ Ustavil se je pred tovariši in težko dihal. Prijel’je z roka¬ ma hlače in jih potegnil do pa¬ su. Peter, ki je Imel vdrte oči in tenek nos, ga je podražil: “Da¬ nes pa ne pojdem v šolo. Šel bom po tvojega škorca.” Lukec je pogledal križem. Vsak dan so ga dražili s škor¬ cem. Peter res ni imel torbe, dal jo je bil Tonetu. Lukec je imel bistre oči, opazil je zvija¬ čo. Obraz se mu je razjasnil. Hotel je skočiti k Petru in ga kaznovati, ker ga je dražil. Pe¬ ter je videl njegovo namero. Po¬ padel je Tonetu torbo iz rok, zbežal proti šoli. Ne, Lukec ni tekel za njim. Ni se mu zdelo vredno. Le osle mu je pokazal. Nato se je obr¬ nil do tovarišev: “Kdo mi bo za konja?” Nihče se ni oglasil. Lukca so predobro poznali. Tekel je ko žrebe, njegov bič je neusmi¬ ljeno udrihal. “Pa bodi ti enkrat za konja.” Privolil je. Omotvozili so ga z vrvco preko prsi. Tone je zgrabil za prosta konca, udaril s šibo: “Hi, hi!” šlo je po vasi ko blisk. “Hi, hi!” Lukec se je bil že naveličal, ko je zagledal učiteljico pred seboj. Prihajala je s kupom zvezkov po vasi. Lukec se ni ustavil. Bil je “konj.” Letel je naravnost pro¬ ti učiteljici. Ta je postala, od¬ prla usta, da bi jih pokarala. V tistem hipu je bil “konj” že či¬ sto blizu nje. Odskočila je, a tedaj je planil tudi “konj” na levo in zadel vanjo. Zvezki so padli v blato in se sesuli. “Konj” se je spremenil v Luk¬ ca. Prepaden je stal ob strani in se grenko smehljal. Ostali šolarji so začeli pobirati zvezke in jih brisati ob hlače. “V šolo!” je ukazala učitelji¬ ca. V razredu je bilo vse tiho,. Lu¬ kec je sedel poparjen v svoji klopi. Tovariši so ga drezali: “Danes jih boš pa dobil.” A on: “Eee! Bojim se!” Bilo mu je vendar tesno pri srcu. Učiteljica je vstopila. Pred za¬ četkom pouka je poklicala: “Lu¬ ka Brajnik!” Lukec se je dvignil. Gledal jo je predrzno, naravnost v oči. Kaj bo? “Zakaj se tako vedeš Med vsemi si ti najporednejši.” Besede so bile izgovorjene v italijanščini. Lukec jih ni ra¬ zumel, le slutil je, kaj pomenijo. Skomiznil je z rameni. Spomnil se je, da ga čaka kazen. Za¬ krknilo mu je srce. “Ne razumem.” Učiteljica je pogledala na od¬ raslo učenko v zadnji klopi. “Marija, vprašaj ga, čemu se je zaletel vame na vasi?” Marička je živela več let pri teti v mestu, hodila v mestne šole. Med vsemi učenci je zna¬ la največ laščine. Tolmačila je učiteljici. “Bil sem konj," je odgovoril Lukec drzno, ko je izvedel, kaj mu hočejo.' “Kamor me je ta gnal,” je pokazal na Toneta, “tja sem letel.” Tone se je otresel vsake kriv¬ de. Nastal je prepir. Učitelji¬ ca je udarila s pajico po mizi. “Tiho! Luka Brajnik, po pou- Preparations for United Lod- ges of Cleveland, SSPZ lOth an- niversary are well under way. Ali lodges and Vrtecs of Cleve¬ land are working together to make this affair a huge suc- cess. Neighboring and local lod¬ ges are asked to keep October 18th open and attend this lOth anniversary cele bration of United Lodges. Ali members should cooper- ate and attend rehearsals and meetings. Spartan Jrs., especi- ally note, and attend regular re¬ hearsals held every Wednesday evening 7 p. m. sharp on the stage of Slovene National Home. Spartan Jr. members attend rehearsals and your meetings and make this affair one of the most successful in United Lod¬ ges history. Soon, very soon, our series of bali games with Vrtec No. 11 for Cleveland championship will begin. Ali bali players attend practice this coming Saturday afternoon 1:30 p. m. at Gordon Park, diamond No. 4. Emblems for members will be given out. Our quota of emblems will be distributed amongst bali pla>> ers. Ali other members wish- ing to have one of these em¬ blems may have one for the small sum of lOc or a larger one for 20c. Now everyone to work, attend rehearsals and meetings for the progress and success of our SSPZ. “Uncle” Charlie Vrtec Members Will Sing TRGOVEC NOKOMIS, 111. — How do you do everybody! It’s a long time since you’ve heard from us isn’t it? Were ali O. K. and progressing as much as ever. It’s been so hot here in No- komis and we didn’t feel like writing much. I hope the win- ter weather will give us more energy. We’ve been having our meet¬ ings right along. And our pro- grams were swell. Thanks to the committee and donators. Sorry sister Ann Stražar has left. (Hope you have a good time in Detroit, Ann.) I suppose you’ve ali read about the supreme board do- nating us some money for sing- ing. We are starting now. Gee, wait till you hear us sing! I bet somebody asks us to sing over the radio. I m sure we’ll sing quite well because every- body is anxious to start. Well “School Days” (Happy Days) are here again. Good lučk to ali Vrtec members in their grades. Remember our meetings are held on the first Sunday of every month and we always ex- pect a 100% attendance. Florence Misli si, mamica, da bi mo¬ rala ostati doma in jaz da bi moral na pot v tujo deželo. Misli si, da bi bil moj čoln pripravljen v pristanišču, do vr¬ ha natovorjen. Zdaj pa dobro premisli, ma¬ mica, preden porečeš, kaj ti naj prinesem, ko se povrnem s poto¬ vanja. Mamica, hočeš kupe in kupe zlata? Tam ob obrežjih zlatih rek so polja, polna zlate žetve.' In v senci gozdne steze kap¬ ljajo zlati čampovi cveti na tla. Nabrati jih hočem vse zlate v mnogo sto košev. Mamica, ali bi hotela' biserov, velikih kakor deževne kaplje je¬ seni ? Popeljem se k obrežju biser¬ nega otoka. Tam trepetajo biseri v ranem jutranjem svitu na tratnih cve¬ ticah, biseri kapljajo v travo in bisere prše na pesek v penah divji morski valovi. Moj brat dobi kar krilatih konj, da bo letal z oblaki. Očetu prinesem čarobno pero, ki bo brez njegove vednosti sa¬ ku ostaneš eno uro v šoli.” Teh besed Lukcu ni bilo tre¬ ba tolmačiti. Mrzlo ga je ob¬ šlo po životu. Ostati v šoli — najhujša kazen. Spomnil se je na mater, šlo mu je na jok. (Dalje prihodnjič) Pofafo Dolls Popular Potatoes, the well - known spuds that used to be so cheap and plentiful that growers regu- larly used them for fertilizer, have become so dear and costly that many people have' had to give up this wholesome food. Other folks have tried to re- vere their lifelong friends by making up the few they have left into dolls for their young ones to play with. Incidentally, potatoes can be made into very attractive-looking dolls. When properly executed and dressed in the latest style they will be cherished by any young miss. Make one for youi- little girl. Here is how to do it: Choose a long oval-shapecl spud for the body of the doli and a small round one for the head. Fasten them together with a matchstick, pointed at both ends. Matchsticks, straws or twigs can be used for the arms and legs. The side of the small potato used for the head that is going to be the face can be peeled off to make it white. Then small beaas can be used for the eyes. Or the noše, mouth and eyes can be sketehed in with black ink. Suitable clothes for the doli, including a hat, can be fashioned from colored crepe paper or from Iscraps of cloth from the sew- ing basket. mo pisalo. Zate, mamica, pa moram ime¬ ti skrinjico in dragotine, ki jih je plačalo sedem kraljev s svo¬ jimi kraljestvi. Rabindranath Tagore — Al. Gradnik WITH OUR JUNIORS By Michael Vrhovnik, Director of Vrtec and English Speaking Lodges ri; a j rr\i XT j . * im , the.v constructivelv Progressive, btars At IheiVatlOnaJ Meet but also, modern in every re- Who were the Vrtec Starš of ing several questions pertaining _ spect. I’m anxious!y looking our 4th National Athletic Meet? . . . Well, frankly speak¬ ing, stars of every size (big, little and mediocre) were seen. Some, like the stars in heaven, were too far off to be recog- nized and so I was unable to judge their radiancy and, con- sequently, their names will not appear among those listed in the following lines. Included among he brighter and bigger stars at the Meet, we found ANGELINE PEVC, secretarv of the Pioneers of Forest Citv. Angy was not a contestant in any of the events, altho, she forought with her something for the “Hobby Show,'’ which, un- fortunately, due to the small number of entries, had to be cut out. She did, however, at- tend the games and cheered whenever a good play was made. Accompanied by her mother and a contingent of happy Uto- pian contestants and rooters. Angy arrived at the National Meet Headquarters early Satur- day morning of the opening day. It was my pleasure to wel- come her at the breakfast table vhere I took the liberty of ask- to the long trip from Forest City, a distance of some 900 miles, or more, from Chicago. She admitted having had a pleasant and an interesting journey which was interrupted only once, that being a stop- over in Cleveland on Thursday night. The ride to her destina- tion was not resumed again un- tii the following evening in com- pany with the Utopians men- tioned above. During her brief st.ay in Chi¬ cago, Angy and her mother found time to make a hurried tour of the “Loop” (The busi- ness center of the city) and the beautiful park scenery along Lake Michigan. With them, both as hosts and guides, went brother Anton Zaitz, assistant supreme secretary, his wife and son, Clarence. This, I’m sure, will be a treasured memory for .vears to come to our genial lit¬ tle friend from Eastern Penn- sylvania. Perhaps, we can per- suade Angy to write a few lines of her impressions while taking in the beauty spots of Windy City. Won’t vou do that for us, Angy? forward to a swell surprise he is planning for his young char- ges. Wait till you read about it and won’t the members of his Vrtec and their parents be pleased when they find out what it is! I'm sure, I wouId. if I were one of them. Vrtec Bali Game Cancelled Of course, it was one of those why Vrtec No. 9 of Indianapo- things no one could help, but it would have been niče to have two Vrtec teams from different parts of the country meet and battle it out for the softball su- premacy of the S. S. P. Z. Lack of funds, a problem that every Vrtec and senior lodge has had to bučk against was the reason lis failed to send their team to the Meet. Since we could not have them with us this year, we’ll ali patiently wait till 1937 before we cross our fingers and wish them lučk. What say you to that, Johnny and Frank- ie . . . Are you on?' Stars In The Distance And no\v, before moving on retary), Leona Marie More Vrtec Notables A panoramic view of the scenes round about us disclosed another star that shone with more than average luster, that being JOHN PRAPROTNIK, secretary of Vrtec No. 9 of In¬ dianapolis, Ind. And stili an¬ other close by was FRANK MIVC, president of the same umit. Both lads enjoyed their visit over the week-end and ibok in as many of the events on the program as time permit- ted. It was my good lučk to have Johnny and Frankie with me at the ballgames on Sunday tvhere they took turns about carrying the camera čase, films and tripod. Thanks once more for your help, boys, and may we meet again in the near future. Shining brightly, but less prominently, we spotted KATH- ERINE ZADNIK and STE- PHEN LAURICH, secretarv and president, respectively, of the Trail Blazers Jrs. They, too, showed great interest in the big national affair. From the West Side came WILMA GRATCHNER, secretary of Vr¬ tec No. 160 and her younger sister, Mary Lou. I mav be mistaken, but it seems that I was introduced to ROSE GRA- DISHER, president of this unit. It was certainly grand meeting them ali and a proud moment for me. By their appearance and speech, one had little rea¬ son to question their ability and fitness for the responsible positions to which they had been elected. Yes, the future outlook of the S. S. P. Z. is brighter than ever. Her youth- ful leaders have made that a certainty. to the active Vrtec contestants, we’re going to_ set down the names of as many of our Chi¬ cago Vrtec members who were seen at the Meet, in addition to those already mentioned, as can be recalled off-hand . . . There were the Tome twins, Conrad and Clark, handsome little fel- lows and well behaved), Jim- my Tisol (talkative and inquisi- tive), Bobby Stoffle (quiet un- til his tummjr decided he want- ed a bottle of pop), Ronald and Dolores Kuhel (a brother and sister team hard to beat), Mar¬ garet, William Jr. and Emil Rus (dhildren of our Supreme sec- Stoffle (čute as a babydoll), Caroline Musich (always with her moth¬ er), Andrew Zadnik Jr (one glimpse was ali I got of him), Frank Bezlaj (assistant camera- man . . . Thanks Frankie), Bil- ly and Frances Tršar, seen at most of the games), Lillian Bezlaj (grand little lady), Jo¬ seph, Emil, Frances, Lillian and Annie Torkar (one for ali and ali for one), Emil Brolich, (very much interested in the Trail Blazers Sr. team) and Fred, Philip and Edward Centa (the three musketeers of the Trail- Blazers Jrs.). There are the S. S. P. Z. Stars of the future, the “Cream of the Milky Way.” Our Vrtec Contestants Administrators On The Scene This may not be exactly the right plače for this bit of news, but right or wrong, here it is... In the huge throng of S. S. P. Z. members and friends, who gathered at Palmer Park, at Stanciks Hall and the River- dale Picnic Gardens, we spied four Vrtec Administrators. They were “Uncle” Charley Koman, director of the Spartan Jrs., brother Steve Škorjanc (accompanied by his wife and son, Louis) of Indianapolis, and brothers Victor Zupančič of Chicagos near West Side and Stanley L. Tome, of the South Side. The first and last named represented their lodges in the softball tournament. And, in- cidentally, while we are on the subject of administrators, bro¬ ther Zupančič is the oldest one and one of the most active ad¬ ministrators in the organiza- tion. His ideas for building-up the Vrtec strength and interest surprised me. Not only were Although competition among our Vrtec members at the 4th Annual SSPZ National Athle¬ tic Meet, did not measure up to our earlier expectations, it did, nevertheless, pave the way to a greater and more successful VRTEC ATHLETIC MEET in 3937. The rivalry between our-Juh- iors was narrowed to a field of six contestants from four drf- ferent Vrtec Units. Each lad (no girls among them) came thru with flying colors and in a manner befitting one of cham- pionship caliber. Of the six boys who took ac¬ tive part in the events, four of them, namely, ANDY SHUBL and TONY KUCIC of the Pi¬ rate Jrs., JOHN AHAČIČ of the Challenger Jrs., and MAN BATIS of the Spartan Jrs., par- ticipated in the Senior softball games. Every one of these boys performed brilliantly. In fact, few of the»older boys did as well. This is not surprising for among our Juniors one can find any number of youngsters ready for promotion to the Senior athletic ranks on short notice. The plaving of AND Y SHUBL. who patrolled the out- er garden for the Pirates, \vas one of the outstanaing feaiures of the entire softball tourney. No other player took čare of his position with such alertness and steadiness as Andy did his. His long running catch of a fly bali, right off his shoe-tops in the eighth inning of a nip' and tuck affair with- the Trail Blazers, brought a tremendous cheer from ali sides. The game was tied-up at the time, seven ali. Had Andy missed this fly, the game would have been ter- minated then and there and in- stead of the Pirates winning, it would have been the Chicago boys . . . Andy continued his -refnarkable work in the track and field events, taking second plače in the Junior 50 yard dash and competing with the adult boys in the running high jump until the bar was several inches over his head before be¬ ing eliminated . . . We're going to train both eyes on this young fellow next year. He’s sure to do bigger things. TONY KUCIC, star catcher for the Pirates, caught every- thing that came within reach. At bat, he was just as potent and dangerous. His cndless flow of conversation behind the bat and incessant fighting špirit (Continued on page 4) Stran 4 VRTEC 16. sept., 1936 Our RecrecrKon i Facilities Americans are perhaps the greatest playboys and playgirls in the world. According to the National Recreation Association the recreation-mindedness of ali of us has increased twofold and facilities for leisure-time pur- suits have more than doubled in the last 10 years. The associa¬ tion recently published in its yearbook a report of a 10-year review of leisure activities in this country. This review cov- ered 2,204 communities and showed bathing beaches, public golf courses, ice skating areas and swimming pools doubled in number from 1925 to 1935. During that period schools and other buildings used in part for recreation centers, it showed, tripled, while the number of buildings used entirely for rec¬ reation quadrupled. T e n n i s courts and baseball diamonds were shown to have increased one and a half times and chil- drens playgrounds and wading pools doubled. This remarkable increase in recreation facilities also helped to reduce unemployment. Dur- the decade mentioned from 17,- 000 to 44,000 men and women were employed in one capacity or another to čare for these in- creasing facilities. They also helped to put more money into circulation. Proof of this is the reporfs citation of the fact that the amount of money spent for public recreation increased from $18,816,615 in 1925 to $37,472,- 400 in 1935. During 1935, how- ever, over 25,000 of the em- ployees and approximately $16,- 000,000 were supplied through emergency relief funds of the federal government. Which do you tliink are the most popular forms of public recreation? According to the association’s report swimming, ice skating, softball, basketball, horseshoe pitching and tennis are the most popular sports. Picnicking, of course, led in in- formal outdoor activities, and hiking was especially popular. But the arts weren’t and aren’t neglected by any means. Thou- sands of children and adults go in for handcraft, pageantry, drama, mušic, folk dancing, etc. Stunt With Coins Here is a popular little stunt, with coins that will test your nerves as well as your škili. Plače four small coins ( pennies, nickels or dimes) on the back of y0ur best hand, one coin in the second joint of each of the four fingers. Having the coins so placed flip them into the air, then turn the same hand over quiGkly and catch the four coins with it, one at a time, before they hit the ground or floor. Many people can do the stunt on the first try and ali but the feeble and clumsy should be able to do it once in three tries. Try your lučk or škili. “Imate kaj kosti? Dobro jih plačam,” se oglasi na pragu i- movite hiše deček z vrečo preko rame. “Kosti? Čemu ti bodo? Me¬ čem jih na dvor, da jih glodajo psi in mačke,” zamrmra nepri¬ jazna kmetica. “Ni pametno, mati, da meče¬ te kosti na dvor. Kosti dajo zopet kosti, vzrejajo naše rast¬ line, našo živino in tudi člove¬ ka,” razlaga mali kupec. “V šo¬ li nam je pravil gospod učitelj, da so kosti najvažnejše hranivo pšenici in drugim rastlinam.” “Beži, beži! Po več let sem že videla kosti, ki so se valjale po njivi, pa pšenica zato ni bila nič boljša,” ugovarja kmetica. “Vem, mati,” nadaljuje ne¬ ugnani deček. “Vem pa še več! Kosti v tvornicah osmode v oglje, da z njim čistijo sladkor. Iz preostalega oglja znajo učeni možje dobiti neko snov tako, kakor znate vi iz krompirja spraviti škrob. Ta snov se ime¬ nuje fosfor, ki se prav rad vna¬ me in ga zato uporabljajo za vžigalice. Kaj bi vi brez vžiga¬ lic, mati!” “No, no! Vsi ljudje vse ve¬ do!” dostavlja mirneje gospodi¬ nja. “Pa vendar vžigalic tudi še nikdar nismo dajali pšenici.” “Ne vžigalic, pač pa uporab¬ ljajo umni kmetovalci za umet¬ no gnojilo fosfor, ki se s kisi¬ kom spaja v fosforovo kislino,” pojasnjuje umni deček. “Veste, mati, kostno oglje zdrobe v mo¬ ko in jo prodajajo za superfos- fat, ki prija vsem žitom, zlasti pa še ajdi.” “Kaj še! Saj še tako prebo- hotno rasto žita, ker imamo do¬ volj gnoja,” zavrača kmetica. “Vse nam polega in gnije.” “Res je, ker gnojite s svežim, a ne s preležanim gnojem. For- forova kislina ne vpliva na rast, marveč se zbira največ v seme¬ nih, kjer dela beljakovine,” po¬ učuje kupec. “In kako naj bi prišel fosfor v rastline?” vpraša gospodinja, ki jo je vse to jelo zanimati. “Prav preprosto,” odgovarja deček. “Fosfor se s pomočjo ogljikove kisline v zemlji raz- stopi, rastline ga s koreninicami použijejo, nato pa ga po stani- cah krožeči sok zanese v seme¬ na, kjer čaka, da ga použijemo. V telesu se nabira v mesu, kr¬ vi, največ pa v kosteh.” “Če je tako, bom pa odslej skrbneje pazila na kosti,” oblju¬ bi gospodinja odhajajočemu dečku. “Kaj vse dandanes ti otroci znajo! Od njih se nam bo že treba učiti,” mrmra sama v se. Josip Lapajne Visitor—This show is a fake. That fellow isn’t a dwarf—he’s at least five feet tali! Carnival Manager—That is the amazing part of the show. He is the tallest dwarf in the world. Know Any Bigger? Sometimes the family jokes and stories become boring with constant repetition, but while H. B. Potts, of Byesville, Ohio, may feel like using the ax whenever he hears these two tales, there are other people who may be amused by them. Uncle Jim Rodey used to laugh and teli about his young Durham buli killing himself. It seems the animal got peeved at something one day and in hook- ing the ground gouged out a sizable bumblebees’ nest. Of course these insects have hot tempers on both ends and im- mediately went to work on the buli. The latter soon realized he was outnumbered, and start- ed a strategic retreat around a large haystack. With the bees stili busy at their task of teach- ing him repentance for his fol- ly, the buli galloped faster and faster until finally he so gained on himself that the brush of his extended tail got into his eyes and blinded him causing him to step on his hind hoofs with his front ones, trip himself, and break his neck. Then Uncle Jim would teli about painting their big farm house down in Noble county with that vvonderful fireproof paint he invented. Some weeks after he had given the house two coats, the family returned from town one day to find that the building had burned to the ground. But ali except Unple Jim were amazed to spe .the paint whicn previously had cov- ered it stili standing. Hundreds of sightseers came that summer to see the vvonderful sight and enough admission fees were taken in to build Uncle a new house a few hundred yards away. Unfortunately he was unable to take in enough money to furnish the new house be- cause in September a cyclone came through that region and blew the “paint” house down. ANTS MAY BE GASSED An ant may be a symbol of industry but when his industry turns to svvarming over lawns and doorsills it becomes very annoying. Common ants may be conquered by pouring a tablespoon of carbon bisulfide into a hole extending eight to 12 inches into the colonies, clos- ing the opening with soil, also a damp blanket if one is handy. One treatment is usually suf- ficient. A highly refined car¬ bon bisulfide is not necessary, the “technical” grade being good enough and will not harm the soil. This fumigant should be used out of doors only and extreme čare must be used in handling it as it is highly in- flammable. WITH OUR JUNIORS (Contmued from page 3) made him a conspicuous figure on the bali field at ali times. TONY, also, participated in the Junior 50 yard dash which he won by several yards. By tak- ing part in the Senior track and field events, he contribu- ted much to the Pirates’ wide margin of victory. Here an¬ other Athletic Meet rolls along. JOHN AHAČIČ, Challenger catcher came thru pretty much as expected. John has had a number of seasons experience with the older Challenger boys in the S. S. P. Z. league as well as the Canonsburg city loop and so was ripe and ready for ali kinds of competition. MAX BATIS, Spartan Jr., played a bang-up brand of bali in every game. He batted and fielded sensationally and other- Campaigning For Ne w Members With our National Meet an issue of the past and our eyes trained on a brighter future, let’s ali hitch our WAGON OF PROGRESS to a STAR and see which Vrtec member and Vrtec Unit can gain the most new members by the last day of the year. A pleasant surprise awaits the winner . . . Remem- ber to teli your prospective members that the medica! ex- amination is free and a gold- plated JUNIOR SSPZ EM¬ BLEM will be given to each new member vvithout cost. - On top of that, the Society will pay each proposing member 50 cents for each certificate writ- ten-up, which means that a ju- venile member may have two wise proved a real nemesis to his opponents. In him the Spar- tans have a bali playing pros- pect that few teams will be able to match. ANDREW ZACOUR, Chal¬ lenger bat boy, and when need- ed a pretty fair softball player, performed his duties commen- dably. He was easily the loud- est and most prolific rooter at the games. WILLIAM OZANICH, repre- 'senting Vrtec No. 169 of Bridge- ville, Pa., was the Progressor’s official mascot. He was “Billy on the job” every minute and no one had to ask him twice to do anything. Billy placed third in the Junior 50 yard dash. A first plače always feels better, Billy; so, aim a little higher in 1937. certificates and be insured for double the amount of one if his parents or guardians so desire. The month of August proved. anything but fruitful. Only 34 new members were added to the Vrtec ranks. Of these, Vrtec No. 44 of Amridge, Pa., signed- up six; the Pirate Jrs. of Penn- sy and Vrtec No. 103 of Export, Pa., received credit for five a- piece and No. 28 of Clinton, Ind., obtained four. October’s issue of the Vrtec supplement will carry a more detailed re¬ port of our membership drive. There is plenty of room on the WAGON OF PROGRESS for your Vrtec, too. Let s ali get on!