October
Day 21
His endurance was so much admired that runners ever since have attempted to run similar long "Marathon" distances.
They felt sure that such a feat would attract large crowds. Chadwick had swum the English Channel in both directions. However, no one - neither man nor woman - had crossed Lake Ontario. It was a 32-mile swim through cold water and difficult currents.
Marilyn not only had to overcome her fears of the dark, but she was attacked during the night by blood-sucking lamprey eels. As dawn approached, the winds and waves increased, and Marilyn's weariness mounted. Her coach, Gus Ryder, passed her some corn syrup on a stick, and later gave her liniment for her tired legs.
Sometimes, he tricked her into thinking that she was nearer to the shore than she was. Marilyn fell asleep in the water twice and had to be awakened. The second time, a friend of hers jumped into the water beside her, and swam with her for a distance.
Because Marilyn's strength was declining, she was being pushed off course by the currents. Although the direct route was 32 miles, Marilyn swam a total of 45 miles.
It was getting dark again, and the swimmer was barely conscious as she approached the shore. Thousands of people lined the shore hoping to touch her or get a picture of her. Marilyn's supporters had to push the crowds back so they wouldn't stop her from touching the shore.
Finally, after 21 hours in the water, Marilyn reached land. The exhausted girl was rushed to an ambulance. She had lost about 20 pounds of her 120 pounds weight in the crossing.
Two days later there was a parade in her honor through the streets of Toronto. Everyone admired the courage and endurance of the 16-year-old girl,
Day 16
Many people visit Europe and see the old castles left from the days of knighthood. Toronto businessman Henry Pellatt actually built such a castle - Casa Loma. His father opened Toronto's first stock brokerage firm in 1866.
The young Pellatt was especially attracted by the military and the British armed forces. When Henry was 18, he joined the Queen's Own Rifles, a militia unit. He was soon one of the soldiers sent to suppress a railway strike.
He was gradually moved up through the ranks, eventually becoming a brigadier general. Meanwhile, Henry was learning the stock brokerage business.
There were 98 rooms, three bowling alleys. It had an electric elevator and an indoor swimming pool. A temperature-controlled wine cellar, a shooting gallery, and a large art collection.
Pellatt ordered only the most expensive materials and employed the best craftsmen. Pellatt had hoped that Casa Loma would be the center of an extensive subdivision.
In 1924, Pellatt turned Casa Loma over to the City of Toronto because he could not pay his property tax. His $1.5 million collection of art and artifacts sold for only $250,000.
Day 15
When someone dies, arrangements are made with a funeral home to get the body and prepare it for burial. Funeral homes are private businesses. They usually handle most or all aspects of a funeral, except for providing the burial plot. That usually has to be purchased separately. Old roomy private homes and new modern one-level buildings are common types.
When the funeral director receives the body, his staff embalms it so it will not decay quickly and will look lifelike at the funeral service. The deceased person is usually dressed in their best clothes, and lying on their back in a coffin. Members of the dead person's immediate family usually act as hosts for the funeral home visitation. They greet the mourners and talk to them about the deceased.
Usually the mourners are asked to sign a guest book. Frequently, however, the service is held at a chapel at the funeral home. A minister or priest usually conducts the funeral service. There will be hymns, prayers, and perhaps a sermon, like a regular church service.
At the end of the service, the coffin is wheeled out to a waiting car, called a hearse, which drives the dead person to the burial place. The mourners go to their cars and follow the hearse to the cemetery. At the cemetery, a hole has already been dug to receive the coffin. Usually there's a short ceremony at the grave. A handful of soil is tossed on the coffin, indicating burial.
Sometimes, the deceased will be placed in an expensive rental coffin for the visitation and funeral, but buried in a less expensive coffin. Even so, a full funeral rarely costs less than $5,000, and is usually quite a lot more. This does not include the price of the burial plot or the stone grave marker. Sometimes poor people are buried at government expense.
The advantage of cremation is that it is less expensive, uses less land, and it appeals to people who don't want an elaborate funeral.
It is now becoming common for people to plan their own funeral service before they die. And usually attempts are made to make the service appropriate to the person who died. This makes it more satisfying and memorable for family and friends.
Day 14
Scientists do not talk very much to literary men and vice versa. Neither group seems to know, or want to know, very much about the other. Few scientists or engineers read literature; very few writers or intellectuals know or care anything about science.
Literary culture seems to be anti-science and anti-technology. This affects Western reluctance to train more scientists and engineers. Nonetheless, relatively little effort is given to encouraging and developing these areas of education.
Westerners, who are part of the literary culture, do not encourage or understand the scientific revolution. As a result, they are insensitive to the desire of Third World peoples to improve their lives through technology.
In 1800, only a small portion of society could expect to live well.
Snow agrees that most scientists and engineers do not read novels or cultivate the arts. However, he doesn't consider this to be as dangerous as when literary people ignore science and technology. Science and technology are too important to our standard of living to be ignored; our education systems have to be changed to reflect our need of them.
Snow's article was quite controversial. Not everyone agreed with him that science and technology are being ignored by our educational system.