THE 3IORXIXG OREGONIAN, FRIDAY, JANUARY 0, 1922
t'
MARRIAGE AGE
L
LEADS GIRLS TO FIB
Nebraska Maids Quickly Be
' come Three Years Older.
LIMIT ADVANCED TO 21
AVould-Be Brides Turned Into
Gaiuxy of Liars to Edge In
Under Matrimonial AVI re.
OMAHA, Neb.. Dee. 31. (Special.)
The marriageable age of Nebraska
'women has been postponed three
years and Nebraska girls are being
turned into a galaxy of liars. So say
the marriage Hcense clerks. A new
law Is responsible for the new con
dition. Formerly a Nebraska girl became
lier own "boss" at the age of 18, so
far as marriage is concerned. At that
time, on and after her 18th birthday,
she could snap her fingers at father
nd says, "I will."
But she can't do It now. Under the
new law she has to be 21 or ask the
consent of her mama when she wants
to get married. And when mama says
"no," the young thing becomes three
years older in a single night.
"When a girl's in love she will Jump
three years as agilely as a grass
hopper," declares Rev. Charles W.
Savidge, who has married more than
000 couples and Is considered an au
thority on what girls will and won't
do to get married.
Detection la Difficult.
Under the old regime comparatively
few lies were told In order to get
under the matrimonial wire. Mar
riage license clerks could fairly well
detect a 15-year-old girl who tried
to pass herself as 18, but the differ
ence between 18 or 19 and 21 Is not
Co eaBy to see.
"Time was when we could tell some
thing of the age by the length of the
skirt," says License Clerk Stubben
' dorff of Omaha, "but you can't do
that any more. Now, you don t know
whether It's little Susie or grandma
If you try that means of telling ages.
The age of a cow may be computed
hy the rings on Its horns; that of a
horse by Its teeth; the age of a tree
by the number of rings disclosed by a
cross section; the age of the earth
Itself by the geological layers, but
there Is no way under the sun to tell
the age of a woman, say the public
officials who have been studying out
the answer to the question, "How old
U she?"
The new Nebraska law, which went
Into effect some months ago, provided
that those girls who had passed 18
but h-.d not reached 21 when the law
became effrctlve, were to be consid
ered as having reached the legal age.
But the new "crop" of girls would
not be legally of age until they
reached 21. The girl who" was 18
years and one day old when the law
became operative was legally of age,
while the girl who was but two days
younger had to wait three years be
fore she could marry without the con
sent of her parents.
Law Doeaint Stop Bfnrringea,
Only she didn't do arythlng of the
kind If she wanted to marry. She
either "advanced" her aga by a single
year and came under the wire, or she
became three years older In a night
and ' thus became of legal age to
marry.
"Did you ever see a girl who would
not tell a fib about her age to get
married?" asks Judge Willis G. Sears
of the Omaha district court.
Equivocations, prevarications, fibs,
lesser falsehoods and white lies have
been more or less conceded to be the
legitimate weapons of women, but
they didn't have to make oath to the
truth of those means of love war
fare. Now, under the Nebraska law,
they not only have to make use of
those weapons, but they have to
wear to them as being the truth.
But here's a point those girls who
grow three years In a single night
are overlooking. Their parents may
have their marriages dissolved or an
nulled by the court upon a showing
that they have not reached the real
legal age of 21. Under the Nebraska
law a marriage before the bride or
bridegroom, either, becomes 21 Is Il
legal unless the consent of the par
ents Is secured. And a parent can
have the marriage annulled by mak
ing the proper showing.
Whether the new law Is going to
cause an Increase In elopements to
Iowa, bring about more annulments.
Or curtail the number of divorces by
doing away with a large number of
these very early marriages, are ques
tions which social workers in Omaha
are watching closely. They all agree,
however, that the new law Is adding
to the number of liars very rapidly.
Furthermore, they all pretty well
agree that legislation like this new
law. Insofar as it affects marriages, Is
about as effective as putting a "No
trespassing" sign in front of a Ne
braska cyclone.
Baker. Completion of the work would
mean the reclamation of approxi
mately 60,000 acres of arid land, of
which nearly 40,000 acres are govern
ment owned or undeeded.
It Is understood that the upper dam
site would have a storage capacity of
118.000 acre-feet, while the lower site
would hold 140,000 feet. Track grad
Ings-ln the vicinity prevent, it Is un
derstood, a greater capacity for the
upper dam proposed. Th's is generally
considered as the reason why the
lower dam location is favored.
At Denver the designs and est!
mated costs of the two locations will
be worked out and if a government
appropriation is made for the project
It is thought that tests will be made
for a foundation for the lower dam.
DESTROYERS HUE WARNED
WAR ORDERED OS RECKLESS
CALIFORNIA DRIVERS.
164 STUDENTS ON TRIAL
Agricultural College Puts Group on
Scholastic Frobatlon.
OREGON AGRICULTURAL COL
LEGE, Corvallis, Jan. 6. (Special.)
One hundred and sixty-four students
have been placed, on probation until
their work proves their ability to
keep up the regular college course
and take part In student and social
activities at the same time. Unless
these students have completed the
specified requirements by mid-term
their registration will be canceled au
tomatically. One hundred and forty-seven men
were on probation list with 17 co
eds. Seventy-four freshmen were in
cluded. The sophomore class had 27
on the list, the Juniors 17, ami the
seniors 3.
Those listed are notified at once of
their delinquencies and are given as
sistance and plenty of opportunity to
make up the Work. A grade averaue
below 70 per cent automatically
places a student on probation.
TWO DAM MAPS FINISHED
Prospectus of Powder River Proj
ect Sent to Denver Office.
BAKER. Or., Jan. 5 (Special.)
Compilation of details gathered by
engineers and surveyors of the recla
mation service was concluded today
and two maps showing the prospectus
for either of two dams to be used in
the development of the Powder river
Irrigation project In this county have
been sent to the Denver office of
the government service for Inspec
tion. The two projects are known as
the upper and lower dam sites, of
which the lower is known to be fa
vored by engineers working on its
details.
The irrigation project calls for a
dam in what is known as Thief val
ley, about 20 miles northeast of
Motorist Who Kills or Maims Vic
tim and Then Speeds Away
lis Declared Criminal.
SAN FRANCISCO. Jan. B. (Special.)
The automobilist who maims or
kills and then speeds away Is a crim
inal and- should be treated as .such
Is the stand taken by the California
State Automobile association. Assur
ance waa given yesterday that this
powerful organization would De wnoie
heartedly behind Chief of Police
O'Brien and District Attorney Brady
who have promised a drastic cam
paign against lawless drivers.
This ultimatum comes' as a result
of the killing of three persons by
automobiles New Year's eve. In two
cases the drivers kept on going.
The records of the coroner's office
tell a grim story of the cost of reck
less driving. During the past six
months there have been 48 deaths In
the city as a result of automobile ac
cidents, including eight children. Most
of the accidents were preventable
But the blackest page In the record
Is that showing that In four cases the
driver of the automobile first ran
down and killed the victim and then
without compuncton sped away at tot
speed.
In one of these four cases of speed
ing away from the crime the driver
was apprehended the next day. In
the remaining three cases the guilty
ones are still at large. Eight per cem
of the deaths during the last six
months were caused by automobilists
who did not stop to render aid. But
the records of the coroner's office d
not tell the whole story, for they
treat only of fatalities and do not
cover the number of pedestrians In
jured more or less seriously by auto-lsts.
WOMEN RUN LAND OFFICE
Men in San Francisco Division
Have Only Subordinate Jobs.
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., Jan. 5.
(Special.) The government land of
fice here, for the first time in its his
tory, was Wednesday in full charge of
women, so far as head officials go,
with Mrs. James B. Hume of Berkeley
and Mrs. Harriet Jewell Anderson of
Oakland holding down the first two
desks.
Mrs. Hume holds the post of regis
ter and Mrs. Anderson that of re
ceiver, having succeeded J. B. San
born and Mrs. Grace Caulkins of the
democratic regime. The office of
chief clerk and other subordinate
positions are still held, as In former
times, by men.
Hoquiam Buildings Cost $261,595.
HOQl'IAM, Wash., Jan. 5. (Spe
cial.) Hoqulam's 1921 building rec
ord pushed closely the banner year of
1920, according to figures compiled by
Miss Wera Nelck. city clerk. Esti
mated total expenditures for last year
on the 255 permits issued were 1261,
595. This Included the Masonic tem
ple, to cost $150,000; repairs on the
Grayport hotel property, to cost 110,
000, and 35 houses ranging In cost
from 81000 to $5000.
Dairy Meeting Planned.
MONTESANO, Wash., Jan. 6. (Spe
cial.) Dairymen and others Interest
ed In obtaining pure-bred livestock
for Grays Harbor county will meet
Thursday night at the county agent's
office in Montesano to hear about the
"Pettis plan," a co-operative system
originated in Pettis county, Missouri.
Don G. Magruder, state college dairy
specialist, and Stanley V. Butchart,
secretary of the Washington Holstein
Breeders' association, will be speakers.
POLICE Ml CHICAGO
E
SOG AL DEBUT
Dress-Suit Detectives Look
for Petting Parties.
EVIDENCE IS COLLECTED
Big Scandal Expected When Doings
of Idle Rich Are Dragged
Into Municipal Court.
CHICAGO, Dec. 26. (Special.) And
now for the society "cop," the swallow-tailed
"bull," tne sleuth In the
soup-and-fish. Watch for him. Also
watch out.
He has made his debut In Chicago,
and as everybody knows when any
thing new happens in Chicago
whether It he fresn-kllled beef or
free verse or society-brand cops It
Is bound, sooner or later, to crash
into other cities.
The society-brand "cop" is the- In
vention of Chief of Police Fltzmor
rls. The chief has been much dis
turbed of late by reports of goings
on In Chicago's haute monde. Drink
ing and smoking and various forms
of elinor-glynlng are reported to be
rampant' in the best circles. It Is
even said that demi-tasses are a
common occurrence.
The only question, according to the
police, was how to verify these re
ports how to get the goode.
Patrolmen Arc Rebuffed.
The conventional police methods
were tried and failed. When Chief
Fitzmorris sent a regular patrolman
around to see whether the best people
were behaving themselves the butler
or footman at the door was likely to
become uppish and tell the "cop" to
go to well, he might call around at
the kitchen door if he wanted a hand
cut The chief at length got tired of this
sort of thing.' He didn't like the way
o many of his best men were being
snubbed, cold-shouldered, socially boy
cotted and otherwise deleted by the
elite. So he resorted to finesse. He
established a dress-suit squad, the
members of which, after a rigorous
training in the social arts and graces.
are said to be able to get by the most
fastidious footmen In Chicago.
The society-brand cop is more than
a mere bluecoat masquerading in a
hired clawhammer. That sort of stuff
wouldn't get by, according to the po
lice. The society-brand cop not only
owns his own dress suit but knows
how to wear it as if he owned it and
the boiled shirt and the patent-leather
pumps and the all-silk hose that go
with it. Except for the fact that he is
obliged under the regulations to carry
his nightstick concealed in one coat-
tail and his six-shooter In the other,
his evening wear must differ In no
respect from that approved by Beau
Nash and accepted as proper in the
best Chicago circles.
Debut la Success.
The recent coming-out of the first
batch of graduates of the dress-suit
squad was what the quid-nuncs call
quite an event. At least five Chicago
society reporters are said to have re
ferred to it as "an unqualified suc-
sess." W hile mere were no arresis, a
vast amount of evidence was collected
not counting spots on the shirt front
raid to have been due to the awkward-
Cowlltz Camps to Start.
KELSO, Wash., Jan. 6. (Special.)
The Silver Lake Railway & Lumber
company and Ostrander Railway &
Timber company logging camps will
start logging earl l.ext week if the
we .ther permits. Tho Ostrander
camp o'perated until Christmas but
the Silver Lake camp has been shut
down for a long time.
Best grade of coal. Prompt delivery.
Diamond Coal Co.. Bdwy.. 3037. Adv.
-nr- 1 - fZZ--
jj Wallace Jici,
zQloriaSwansorii
Slliott Dexter
H
Don't Tell
Everything! S
,
ml , ' VlJ8i .' t:
SNOW TODAY:
NOW
HERE!
Lafsl
Roars! .
Screams!
With the
Colossus of
Comedy
HAROLD
LLOYD
In His First Big
Super-Dreadnought
of Joy
A Sailor-Made Man
and
TOM SANTSCHI
In His Latest
Northern Thriller
"THE HEART
OFDOREON"
' The Greatest Show
; in Town.
ness of a waiter while passing the
aiter-ainner coiiee.
As to the nature of the rest of th
evidence a-athered. no information ha
as vet been mndn nublic When it
comes out. however, something Ilk
a sensation In exDected. According to
the police, everything that Dam
Rumor. Mrs. Rrundv and the quid
nuncs have buen buzzing about is
true and then some. Revelations
Involving some of the hautest of th
haute mondn in Date de foie gras.
dulce far nlnente, grand and petite
fours, first-degree petting and simi
lar scandals are promised.
Meanwhile the work of the "soup
and-fish Bleuths" is trolnir on. No
musical morning; no linen-show
luncheon! no th riansante: no deb
tante ball; no Monday night at the
opera is complete without them
They are everywhere and anywhere
hobnobbing In drawing rooms
munching cinnamon toast In tea'
rooms, lolling at the club, leaning
wearily against the potted palms, r
the conservatory everywhere. Somt
have even been seen shaking a well-
tailored and perfectly creased leg in
the ballroom. Chicago society must
be on Its e-ood behavior. The "Todd
Cop'l" get you If you don't watch out.
Road Right-of-Way Acquired.
MONTESANO, Wash., Jan. S. (Spe
cial.) An order for a writ of neces
slty has been awarded the county in
its right-of-way condemnation pro
ceedings against tne A. O. Damon In'
vestment company. Following the
court's ruling, tne county commis
sioners reached an agreement with
officers of the company whereby a
waiver for the right of way will be
furnished for 1100. The land involved
is on the survey of the new Grass
t reek-Chenois Creek road.
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iUlUIIUUIIIIUIIHIIUIUIIIIUIIIIIIIIUIUIIIIUlMIIUItlllllllUllMUIIIi
TOMORROW!
F1T1
A
AN
STEWART
In her masterpiece
"Her Mad
Bargain
99
the screen's
most surprising
story.
It's the tale of a
beautiful woman
who sold her life
for $50,000.
to M?) q P
LAST TIMES
TODAY
CHARLES
RAY
IN
R. S. V. P.
Don't miss it; it's
a peach of a com
edy and as good
as anything he
ever did.
IT'S A BIGGER DRAMA THAN
EVER BEFORE PRODUCED!
When you're just longin to be
a man and folk say you're "jes'
torable"
When youVe seen your Dad and
big brother killed in a feud
When you grab your gun to go
gettem And your mountain mother,
who still thinks you're her baby
and wants to keep you for her
self, throws herself at your
feet
-then don't a
feller need a
friend ?
THATS RICHARD BAR
THELMESS. HE SWEEPS
TO STARDOM IN A
DRAMA OF BOY -LOVE
AND MOTHER-LOVE
STARTS TODAY
I J
The Star of "Way Down East"
CH A
D
iiJi Aii J, 1L--JL-3 JL y 11 iJL-1
In a heart-interest drama of the Virginia
mountains from the Saturday Evening Post
story by Joseph Hergesheimer.
DONT FORGET KEATES' CONCERT SUNDAY AT 12:30
V
I
fcT 103.2