TH E CHEM AW A
A M E R IC A N
11
M IN D S A F E T Y V A L V E S
T R A N G E S T of th e rem edies for
the relief of great m ental strain
is a violent frolic or an escapade.
Sedate business men whose labors
were long and arduous have been
know n to do the most ridiculous of
th in g s. T h eir friends even con
sidered th eir m entality affected,
but it w asn’t. It was only the
popping of the m ental safety valve.
S
It seems an idiotic and p u rp o se
less th in g to slap a cab d riv e r’s face
to calm o n e’s feelings, yet th is is
w hat a well know n actor does, and
he does it in such a gentlem anly
fashion and pays so liberally th at
the men seldom take offense.
C uriously enough when he e n
ters a taxi or cab his feelings are
of the friendliest tow ard th e driver,
b ut w hen he reaches his destination
and is w aiting for his change the
m a n ’s face invariably acts like a
red rag to a bull, and an overm as
terin g desire to sm ack it comes over
him . H e does so, apologizes, e x
plains, pays up and all is well.
O nly recently
a w ell-know n
m erchant was fined $100
for
sp ittin g on each side of a police
m an, a playful practice he was a p
parently in the habit of in d u lg in g
in quite reg u larly .
A nother highly placed business
m an has the curious m ethod of
sm ashing crockery to soothe his