GAN SHALOM

CA: Is it true that a shell col-
lection actually inspired the
name for the famous Shell Oil
Company, founded by Mar-
cus Samuel. Shells? You've
got to be kidding!
A: No kidding. It was shells, just

like you find at the beach.
Marcus Samuel lived in London
where he owned a small shop. While
his family was vacationing at the
beach, his children began gathering
shells. It was their idea to affix their
finds to empty containers, creating
what their father called "shell boxes."
Samuel was impressed with his chil-
dren's creations and decided to make
a few of his own.
First he sold them in his store, which
everyone began calling "The Shell
Shop," but they quickly became so
popular that Samuel's shell boxes
could be found throughout England.
Samuel's new business was so suc-
cessful, in fact, that he began making
boxes with more elegant shells, which
he imported. He later expanded his
foreign trade to include kerosene, and
his business success only grew.
At last, Samuel consolidated his vari-
ous businesses into a company
known as the Shell Transport and
Trading Company, which later
became the Shell Oil Company.

Q: I thought swimmer Mark
Spitz began his international
career when he appeared at
the 1968 Olympics. But a
friend says Spitz actually
competed in Israel long
before that. Who's right?
A: Your friend is.

Spitz's professional training began
when he was a mere 8 years old; he
won his first swimming medals when
he was 11. His first international tour-
nament was at age 13 — at the
Maccabiah Games in Israel. There,
Spitz won five medals. He returned to
the Maccabiah Games in 1969 and
won another five medals. The swim-
mer was so impressed with the corn-
petition that he chaired a campaign
that raised money to send American
youth to the 1973 games.
Spitz — whom both Houses of

Congress have called "the outstand-
ing Olympian of modern times" —
said that his experience at the Mac-
cabiah Games was one of the key
elements that helped him win an
unprecedented seven gold medals at
the 1972 Olympics.

Q: Tell Me Why, can you
tell me how old the Gersh-
win brothers were when
they wrote their first song
together?
A: Indeed I can, because there is

absolutely nothing Tell Me Why can-
not tell you!
Actually, George Gershwin was the
first to make his entrance into the
music world. His brother, Ira, wrote in
his diary: "When George [began
song writing] I thought it was the
greatest thing in the world to be a
song writer."
In 1917, Ira made his first try at
coming up with song lyrics for music
George had composed. But it wasn't
until a year later that the two really
produced their first collaborative effort,
"American Folk Song."
"I started on the chorus," Ira wrote.
"I wrote one. Discarded it. Wrote
another. Started a third. Waste-basket-
ed all." Then finally it came:
"The Great American Folk Song is
a rag
A mental fag.
Captures you with a pure melodic
strain.
Its aboriginal odd refrain."
When Ira wrote these lyrics he was
1; George was 19. ❑

Congregation Beth Shalom
Early Childhood Program

"A Place to Learn to Love Learning"

Please join us for an Open House
Bring Your Children!
May 2, 2000 7:00 p.m.
14601 West Lincoln. Road
Oak Park

Tour our new facility, meet the teachers and
learn about our innovative curriculum for ages
21/2 to Pre-K

For more information, please contact Nancy Glen at

(248) 399-4141

A

simply unique colkction
of dresses you'll only find at
Robert Mann Furs & More.

0

1).,,,MIESYMY:mmtRww ,

ease

e sure

your name and address. Unfortunate-
ly, individual queries cannot be
responded to, but as many questions
will be answered as possible in the
column.

Swim Lessons
Model Rocket Camp
Indoor Rock Climbing
Wilderness
Camping Basics
Radio Control
Airplane/Cars
Collective Dance
Arts Sr Crafts
Cheerleading
Field Trip Camps
Archery

A T

C S

Summer Day Camps with
Goals of Fun, Safety and Quality.

Waterskiing
Wake Boarding
Tennis
Roller Hockey
Golf
Advanced Golf
Volleyball
Soccer
Basketball
Football
Ice Hockey
Tots & Moms

5328 Highland Rd., Waterford, MI 48327 • Phone: (248) 673 - 0100 Fax: (248) 673 - 1084

4/28
2000

81

