AMERICA’S SILLY SEASON

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 39, 12 September 1930, Page 7

AMERICA’S SILLY SEASON

ENDURANCE “STUNTS.” NEW YORK, July 20. “Endurance crazes” in the way of treesitting “stunts,” sec-sawing, and kite flying, the revival of such an ancient sport as woodchopping contests, oystei opening, barrel rolling, and pie eating are spreading like wildfire amongst American youth. Such epidemics in the past, it is commented, have usually marked periods of economic slump, and divert the minds of people from more serious things. Fn New Jersey State 43 boys of school age are spending their holidays sitting on trees in an effort to gain a national prize awarded by a patent food manufacturer. Tree sitting is a favourite test of endurance for the time being, as is proved by reports from all parts of the country, and to date it is confined to boys chiefly and a few adults.

At Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) Calvin Neill, aged 14, to-day passed his 88th hour in a tree, and will earn a new bicycle if he completes the hundred. Teams of boys have enrolled themselves for “refuelling” purposes, climbing the trees at regular hours with supplies of food and drink. Changing from one tree to another is not permitted. In one case an irate mother, angered by the refusal of her son to come down, sawed the tree through, and the boy “came tumbling after.” Girls specialise chiefly in see-sawing, and at Chicago two had been see-sawing for seven consecutive hours when the police interfered. In the meantime “Shipwreck Kelly,” the greatest of stunt artists, has passed his 27th day atop of a flagpole suitably placed in front of a popular restaurant in Atlantic City. Off and on the indefatigable Kelly has spent the best part of the last five years on a flagpole.