The Athena press., September 16, 1910, Image 2

in
GUARDS AT WHITE HOUSE ARE
. ALWAYS ALERT.
Prices of Tobacco Will Be Increased
Because of New Internal Revenue
Tax Which Falls, on the
Consumer.
Washington. Not far from ten per
cent of the 8,000 souls confined in St.
Elizabeth's, the government hospital
for Insane at Anacosta, D. C, were
committed to that Institution because
of an insane desire to see the presi
dent. All sorts and conditions of
men, women and children for some
, have been the merest boys make
their way to the White House, some of
them to warn the president of impend
ing danger to himself or the country,
some to reveal to him the will of
heaven, some to implore his aid or
protection, many tor offer him ground
floor business chances which ought
to make him many times a million
aire. John E. Wilkle, chief of the secret
service, has two of his most trusted
men stationed at the White House
day and night to guard the president,
and wherever the chief executive goes
-$A
J ' )' .
!
I' - - lL t -J . , , j
we ease ena. to wait, presumamy, lor
the president A cab was called from
a nearby stand, and the man persuad
ed to enter it The driver had his or
ders to drive to the first precinct po
lice station about half a mile away.
Just as the cab started the Swede
drew a heavy revolver and fired point-
blank at the officer who had him in
charge. Fortunately his aim was as
lad as his intention. The wound he
inflicted was, of itself, slight. But sub
sequent developments led the doctors
to believe that it was coated with poi
son, and that had this particular crank
gained access to the president, Mr.
Roosevelt might have shared the fate
of his predecessor.
An elderly woman once called at the
White House to ask the president to
drain the sea off Old Point Comfort
for her. She told those who questioned
her that she was of a prominent Vir
ginia family and had lost large sums
of money through ill-advised land
speculation. She was, however, en
titled to a share in an estate amount
ing to $600,000, but conspirators were
keeping the money from her. She had
learned through a medium that It was
buried in the sea off Old Point And
as the president owned the sea, would
he kindly remove it while she secured
her fortune?
Of course the overwrought suf
fragist has not been lacking in the
White House collection of cranks.- It
includes several choice specimens of
her. Two of them, one from New Eng
land and one from Pennsylvania,
have made demands that the chief ex
ecutive surrender his Job to them.
Both of these were accompanied by
I young sons, find expected when they
naa goi wings running propeny mat
their children and their children's
children would succeed them in the
position.
The Pennsylvanian had her cabinet
all selected, and was particularly viru
lent in her objection to Admiral
Dewey. She was going to remove him
first thing for she felt sure that with
a woman in his place there would be
no need of any Hague conference to
keep the United States at least from
war.
HIGH RECORD MARK FOR RENT .PREACHER J.0SES $2 OF FEE
Small Store In New Fitzgerald Build
ing In New York Lot for
$9,000 a Year.
It was announced the other day that
the first ground-floor store In the new
Fitzgerald building, now being erect
ed on the southeast corner of Forty-
third street In Times square, oppo
site the Times building, has Just been
leased for a term of ten years at ap
proximately $9,000 a year, says the
New York Times. The store will be
the third from 'the Forty-third street
corner. It will have a frontage
Broadway of 11 feet and will be 40 feet
deep, giving a total of 440 square feet
The price Is one of the highest ever
paid in the city for a small store front
age, exceeding the prices asked for
some of the choicest locations in the
busiest Fifth avenue retail district
For the corner store, which will con
tain only little more floor space about
450 square feet the rental on a ten
years' term is $16,000, or about $36 a
square foot which is well nigh if not
the high record mark for business
leases in Manhattan. There will be
seven stores in the Broadway front
ft the Fitzgerald building, and before
lie structure is completed by October
1, it is believed that all will be rented,
as negotiations are practically closed
for some of them. The building also
Includes the George M. Cohan theater,
entrance to which will be in Forty-
third street
All of the ground-floor stores will
have large glass fronts, and the same
fllan will be followed in the adjoining
building to occupy the rest of the
block on the Forty-second street cor
ner. It is expected that the demolition
of the present structures, including the
Shanley restaurant building, will begin
early In July.
John E. Wilkle.
these keen eyed detectives are al
ways on the lookout. Their work is
to prevent annoyance to the presi
dent as well as to guard him from
danger. Several Washington police
men are also on duty at the White
House and it is hard for a person who
has a scheme to unfold to the presi
dent to reach even the outer offices of
the executive's headquarters.
If Mr. Roosevelt, for Instance, is not
richer than Rockefeller and the Roths
childs rolled Into one, it is entirely his
own fault, or, perhaps, that of the
guards who stood between him and the
fortune about to be offered him by an
Inventor from Colorado, who dropped
In one day for the sole purpose of let
ting the president in on the ground
floor of a corporation which he was
forming for the purpose of exploiting
a patent to utilize gravity.
Gravity, not steam or electricity,
was the coming power. It was to run
the world railways, mills, foundries,
all the great Industries were to be
revolutionized by it Of course, he
wanted the president to help him in
such trifling matters as the forming
of his corporation and the securing of
bis patents. Particularly he was to
compel the commissioner of patents to
Issue to him the necessary patents on
his invention.
Yet another, a New Yorker, had a
novel scheme to frustrate the ice trust,
in which he wanted the president's
help. He wanted the president to make
congress appropriate enough money to
cut the ice from around the pole, and
to bring it to the United States on war
vessels, for distribution in the various
cities where the ice trust was opera
ting. This, he thought, would lower the
price of Ice during the summer, when
prohibitive prices were charged.
That man was regarded as decidedly
In the category of "harmless" cranks.
It would not have occurred to any one
that the president would have been In
any serious danger if his visitor
had succeeded in forcing his way Into
his official presence. Dut after being
taken to St. Elizabeth's he developed
the most violent form of mania, and
died within 36 hours, exhausted by his
paroxysms.
Indeed, the question of dealing with
these people Is always a difficult one.
For no man on earth can toll just when
a crank Is harmless. Just when an un
balanced mind will forsake the gro
tesque for the homicidal la a thing that
even the expert alienist would hate to
have to decide in advance. What seems
at one moment a humorous situation,
to be dealt with in a spirit of gentle
cajolery, may in a moment become se
rious even to the verge of tragedy. The
flimsiest excuse will, In nine cases out
of ten, suffice to turn these would-be
guests of the president from their pur
pose, but there are cases which in the
twinkling of an eye develop from In
sane obstinacy into Insane fury.
Take, for Instance, the case of a
Swede, regarded by the authorities as
about the most dangerous that ever
came under their notice. He came to
Washington In the spring of 1904,
journeying most of the way from his
home In Minneapolis in a freight car.
lie made his way to the White House
and demanded an audience with the
president, that he might lay before
him certain facts of an alleged perse
cution. He was led through the basement of
the White House to U uard room at
PRICES OF TOBACCO GOING. UP.
The new internal revenue tax on
smoking and chewing tobacco went
into effect at midnight, June 30, the
tax being increased from six to eight
cents per pound. Cigars, with the ex
ception of the small cigars weighing
not more than three pounds per thou
sand, are not subject to the Increased
tax. The tax on the small cigars is
increased from 54 to 76 cents per thousand.
The tax on cigarettes weighing not
more than three pounds per thousand
In packages containing 5, 8, 10, 15,
20, 60 and 100 little cigarettes will be
Increased from 64 cents to 75 cents
per 1,000. The tax on large cigar
ettes weighing not more than 3
pounds per 1,000, will be Increased
from 64 cents and $1.08 to one rate of
$1.25 per 1,000. Cigarettes weighing
more than 3 pounds per 1,000 must
pay a tax of $3.60 Instead of $3.
At the same time the statutory sizes
of the packages of smoking tobacco
are changed. A quarter of an ounce
becomes the unit of weight for these
packages and each package must con
tain a multiple of this unit.
These changes, say dealers here, are
going to affect the smokers through-
Women Have Nervous Feet
"Many women have nervous feet'
said a dealer in women's shoes in i
large department . store recently. "I
have been selling shoes for the great
er part of my life and I have made
a study of how the shoes affect the
mind and the body. I have studied
the structure of the foot My expe
riences have convinced me that many
women have unusually sensitive feet
I call them nervous feet. If they do
not get a shoe that fits them properly,
their entire nervous system is affect
ed. Such women often spend money
on doctor's bills when all they really
need is a pair of shoes that fits them,
Sometimes the pressure of the shoe
on a narrow instep will make trouble
for a woman. Irritating her to an ex
treme extent. Again, the shoe may
not pinch at any particular place, but
so affect all the nerves of the feet
as to wear out the entire nervous sys-
temt I am convinced that if women
would give more care in getting
proper fit in their shoes rather than
looking for high heels they would be
much happier."
Internal Revenue Commissioner
out the country. The smokers are go
ing to pay more for their tobacco,
and so are the chewers.
The prices of cigarettes are going
up, in many they have already gone
up in anticipation of the coming In
crease In the tax. The American To
bacco company and a number of the
Independents have already raised their
prices. The American company took
these steps more than a month ago.
Packages of cigarettes which formerly
sold for two for a quarter will now
sell for 15 cents straight, it is said.
The increase In the price of cigar
ettes a thousand ranges from 10 to
25 cents.
But the cigarette smokers are not
the only consumers who will be af
fected by any manner of means. The
wholesale price of plug and smoking
tobacco will be increased two cents a
pound; also the consumers of smoking
tobacco will' be compelled to pay the
same price tor packages of tobacco
weighing one and a half ounces as
they have paid In the past for pack
ages of tobacco weighing one and two
thirds ounces.
The burden of the increased tax
will fall, It is said almost entirely upon
the consumer.
Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Cabell said It was Impossible for him
to say how much the increased tax on
tobacco would affect the consumer, if
at all. It all depended, he said, upon
the action taken by the manufacturers.
He was Inclined to believe that actual
Increase to the consumer in the price
of his tobicco would be very small
For the Service of the Race.
There is no division of opinion as
to the goal for which our girls are
educated. More and moro, out of the
chaotic past, the conviction stands out
that each one of us is In training for
the service of the race. A woman's
goal, like a man's, is to give up her
life that the life of the next genera
tion may be safer and wiser and hap.
pier than this one. No higher educa
tion that is not foolish and Ill-judged
can unfit a woman for bringing splen
did children into the world and train
lng them wisely. No higher educa
tion that is not foolish and Ill-judged
can unfit a woman, who is not blessed
with children, for dealing nobly and
wisely and generously with the rising
generation. Louise Collier Willcox, iq
Harper's Bazar.
Young Man Charged for Marriage Li
cense Has Unique Plan of Get
ting Even With Clerk.
The clerk filled out the marriag
flcense and handed It over.
"Thank you," said the young man.
"Hold on! That's $2."
"Two dollars!"
"Yes; did you suppose we gave
those things away?"
"I certainly did. Chargin' a man $2
for a sheet of paper that didn't cost
the county more than a nickel at the
Dutslde is robbery. Have I got to pay
it?" ,
"You'll pay It or you'll hand back
the document"
"All right," said the young man,
taking a bill out of his pocket, ten
tering it to the clerk and waiting for
his change, "but I can tell you right
now you ain't robbln' me. You're rob
bin' the preacher. He'll get Just $2
less than I was goin' to give him!"
Pocketing the change and tilting his
hat back on his head, he stalked out
3f the office with the air of a man who
had been Imposed upon, but who knew
aow to get even.
Another Catch.
Gunner What's the latest news to
day?
Guyer George Washington's auto
sold for $500 in New York.
Gunner What are you trying to
hand me? There were no autos in
George Washington's day.
Guyer Who said anything about
automobiles? This refers to his auto
graph.
The Mystery Explained.
"See here, my man," said the phil
anthropist who was doing an lnves
tigating stunt on his own account,
'you are an interesting puzzle to me."
"Is that so?" queried the other.
"Yes, it's so," answered the party
of the philanthropy part "You are
too lazy to work. How do you man
age to live?"
"Oh," was the reply, "I get trusted.5
be-
The Real Difference.
Jack What's the difference
tween a plumber and a poet?
Tom That's old. A plumber lays
olpes and a poet pipes lays.
Jack That's not the answer.
Tom What is it then?
Jack A plumber has money to
burn, but a poet doesn't even get a
chance to smell the smoke.
As Represented.
"See here," growled the Irate man
as he entered the jewelry store. "I
bought this watch of you last week
and paid you $2 in cash for it. You
said It would work like a charm and
it doesn't keep time at all."
'That's all right, my friend," replied
the jeweler calmly. "Neither does a
charm."
As It May Be.
People are not alike," remarked th
moralizer. "What suits one may not
please another."
"Right you are," rejoined the do
moralizer. "What Is one man's auto
mobile may be another man's Jug
gernaut"
Works Both Ways.
"The clarinet," remarked the ama
teur as he paused to get his second
wind, "is the hardest instrument tc
play."
Anyway," rejoined his one-man au
dience, "It can't be any harder to play
than it is to listen to."
Building Up Affection.
Natural affection offers a fine
foundation on which to erect the edi
fice of a firm and enduring friend
ship, but it will not rise up Itself. We
must build it, stone by stone, If we
would possess it. If we have a val
ued and respected friend, what pains
we take to cherish his friendship;
how carefully we endeavor to prune
away from ourselves that which would
displease him, and cultivate those
qualities which he admires; how we
strive to gratify him by pleasant sur
prises, and to avoid all that could
wound or trouble him! Yet, let the
familiar house-door shut us In, and
how many of us take the same pains?
Clothes for the Boy.
An occasional suit in heavy ponge
is seen, even for the boy of ten, and
this, too, Is self-trimmed and finished
with the strictest tailor effects, sis a
first-class outing shirt for a man
would be. The waist which older boys
are best pleased with has a center box
plait and one or more pockets. A
heavy leather belt, with large buckle
and a soft tie, often a Windsor, are
the usual accompaniments to such
suits. Low, rolling collars are provi
ded for the boy of Ave to seven, but a
high turn-over form is preferred for
the older boy. Harper's Bazar.
Low Death Rate In Philippines.
Any Ideas that the Philippines ar
unhealthful as an abiding place for
Americans would seem to be dissi
pated by the statement issued from
the bureau of Insular affairs that the
death rate among the more than 8,000
government employees In the islands
for the quarter ended March 31 waa
only 6 9 per 1,000 a year. These em
ployees, of whom some 3,700 are Amer
icans, Include all the officials and em
ployees of the insular, provincial and
municipal governments and the polio
and fire departments of Manila
His Task.
"Did you do much sight-seeing when
you went abroad?"
"No," answered Mr. Cumrox. "Moth
er and the girls did the sight-seeing.
I had to put in my time finding the
places where they cash letters of
credit" Wasp.
City Items in Terse Form
Metropolitan News of Interest
to All Readers
Some Woes of Diet Treatment Victim
mm
(M sirnm
i ooiur Mr
1 DAIilU 1 IU
'TH'BlCCWTPJZCi
OF STEAK m
N
EW YORK. Three weeks on a lim
ited diet in an endeavor to repair
the internal damage done by a runa
way appetite couldn't obliterate the
memory of three-inch steaks and milk
fed clams and all the while that James
McGowan sat in front of a mirror In
the Memorial hospital at ' Orange
watching his waistline assuming
Polaire proportions his mind kept re
verting to menu cards he had met. He
talked constantly in his sleep, the bur
den of his oratory being "with mush
room 20 cents extra," and "dishes
marked X are ready."
Try as he would he could not erase
recollections of times when he had
compelled the cook to beg for mercy.
He read whole reams of antifat fiction
and did. everything possible to dis
courage his appetite, but it wasn't any
use. For breakfast, luncheon and din
ner he has been allowed a walnut, a
sprig of lettuce and ten drops of di
luted water. He tried hard to con
vince himself that he was overeating
and begged the hospital authorities to
cut the menu to one course.
But his dreams were haunted with
sides of beef, acres of French fried
potatoes and Bhowers of gravy.v He
stood It as long as he bould, but yes
terday morning at precisely a quarter
of four o'clock, after the last of a regi
ment of savory squabs had marched
directly under his nose, each squab
carrying a julienne potato for a mus--ket,
he satvup in bed and In clarion
tones demanded that the nurse bring
him two yards of porterhouse steak,
half a peck of French fried potatoes
and such vegetable brick-a-brack as
might be necessary Ho accompany the
steak qn its Journey,
"Nothing doing in the steak line,"
said the sleepy nurse. "Go back to
bed and I'll give you another walnut."
. "Im done with walnuts," said . Mr.
McGowan. "I've eaten so many I'm
beginning to feel like a squirrel. It's
James for a little broiled cow and fix
ings." The nurse assured him that it was
against the rules to allow diet patients
to break training. She left the. room
Just then and her patient embraced
the opportunity to take himself by the
hand and make a dash for freedom
and regular food.
Policemen McManus and Almond
saw the white-robed figure and sneak
ed up behind It with drawn clubs. Be
lieving it to be the ghost of some
misguided commuter, they were get
ting ready to soak it on the head
when Mr.. McGowan saw them.
"Gentlemen," he pleaded, "have pity
on me and get me something to eat"
"What you need is something to
wear," said McManus. "What do you
mean by frightening two honest po
licemen out of a night's rest with your
night-shirt drill?"
Lawyer's Odd Plea Sets Negro Free
S W 11." V LL J I It
TffAT HIM
UK A.DO?
WHAT,
EW YORK. M. Bourke Cockran's
eloquence won the acquittal in the
court of general sessions of Victor Nel
son, a negro, accused of the murder on
March 28 last of Claude Humphreys,
another negro. Cockran was assigned
to defend Nelson by Judge Malone.
The jury gave its verdict at 8:45 p. m.
All Its members requested Mr. Cock-
ran to give them a copy of his address
In defense of his client.
"I can scarcely expeot you to treat
this negro like a peer. Then treat him
like a dog," said Cockran in his sum
ming up of the case. "Yes, treat him
like a dog, if you must A dog that
bites wantonly we kill, but a dog that
bites in defense of his own master's
home we protect Men have given
their lives in defense of such a dog.
Give my client the samt shift you
would give such a dog."
Mr. Cockran began his address to
the Jury by reminding the jurors that
with one exception they had said
they were not prejudiced against a
negro.
"We accepted this one man with an
avowed prejudice," said Mr. Cockran,
"because we believed he was honest in
his avowals that he would be fair In
any case.
"But I am sure that you all feel
a prejudice against a negro. I feel
the same prejudice myself. I once
stopped in a hotel, where there were
private baths. I started to take a
bath and found that a negro was
using the tub. Do you think that I
bathed in that tub afterward? I could
not It was prejudice that I could not
rid myself of, and I do not feel that
such prejudice can be avoided."
The kiling, according to Mr. Cock
ran, was the outgrowth of the social
and economic conditions in this coun
try. He said that his client, while a
high school graduate, had tried to se
cure decent work in this country, but
had finally found himself driven to ac
cept work as a scullion, in the house
where Humphreys was introduced to
him. ,
Trials of Girl at the Music Counter
foi
The Modern Way.
"Has he asked your parents
your hand yet?"
"My, no. That's an old fashioned
custom that's no longer observed. My
father may consider himself lucky LI
we decide to send him an invitation If
our wedding."
Thought Quickly.
"What is a totem pole?" his w
asked.
"A totem pole," he said, thinking
fast, "is the rall-r-or pole on whtek
an objectionable citizen is ridden -a
toted out of the community."
The Better Way.
Maude - Formerly when Miss
Screecher was asked to sing she would
say "Oh, I can't" v
Clara But sue doesn't do that now.
Maude No; she lets the audienc
tnd It out for themselves.
Gentle Protest
Barber (on train) Yes, this Is a
great road, sir. Let me describe it to
you as I work,
Man in Chair Er yes, but dont
put the curves In my cheeks with
that razor.
Getting Back at the Prof.
Prof. Is a watermelon a vegetable
or a fruit?
Stud X lon't know. But please
tell me whether clam digging is fish
ing or agriculture.
T. LOUIS. "Young woman," said
a motherly Individual, holding two
small children in her weary arms.
will you play When the Roses Bloom
Again' for me, please?"
The music counter young woman.
perched on her stool, selected the
piece mentioned among a heap of oth
ers and prepared to "reel" It off.
The shabby woman listened atten
tively until the last notes died out
She ogled the children in the mean
time. "Thank you very much," she said,
and strolled slowly off.
"There," grumbled the girl behind
the music counter, "that is only one of
the things that we've got to put up
with. There are a hundred others, and
as soon as I can get in the ribbons' I'm
going to get out of the music, once and
for all. The work is worth twice a
much as any other job in the store.
People think that you are there to en
tertain the public instead of to sell
goods. I feel safe in saying that fully
65 per cent, of the people who ask for
a conoert do not buy a single ten-cent
song."
Whereat the music counter girl
whirled on her stool, dashed off a few
chords on the piano and looked around
just In time to catch the eye of an
old gentleman who was studying a list
attentively. Hesitatingly, he asked :
"I want to get a list of songs here
they are," he began. Then there en
sued a long search for them. The
songs were old ones and they weren't
on hand, so the old gentleman asked
if the lady would play over a dozen or
so In order that he might "match 'em"
as near as possible.
Large store managers realize that
the people at the average music coun
ter are busy, hard-worked individuals.
There are so many things to contend
with aside from the knowledge re
quired of music lists, and the ability to
play the piano. That Is why the sales
man and saleswoman in this depart
ment average higher wages than a
most any others in the whole store.
Cubs' Mascot Tamed After Wild Chase
A Cautious Game.
"Does BUggins ever bluff when he
plays cards V
"Never until he gets horn and ex
olalna where he has been"
CHICAGO. Bruno, a black cub bear
late of Montana, mascot of the
Cubs baseball team, was tamed a few
days ago.
Bruno escaped from his cage home
in the basement of the Monroe club,
West Monroe and Green streets, and
ran amuck on the West side, creating
a panic among pedestrians and chil
dren, snapping at cats, growling at
chickens, and attacking stray dogs.
Two baseball "fans" were in the
midst of a heated argument over the
merit of the Sox and Cubs when
Bruno, running at full speed and pur
sued by a score of club members, pe
destrians, policemen and children,
mdelv upset the Sox f
"Pretty good team we have, eh?" "
asked the Cub fan of the Sox sup.
porter, who waa brushing the dust
from his clothes.
"Oh, I don't know."
"Well, that was our mascot And
the team is traveling about as fast as
Bruno," added the Cub rooter.
"Then the team Is going some," ad,
mitted the Sox fan as he turned and
watched the bear mascot disappear in
a cloud of dust -
Bruno, closely followed by the small
army of pursuers, continued to fight
everything that came his way, until,
bleeding from a dozen flesh wounds,
the animal fell exhausted at West
Adams and Morgan streets. -
The cub waa penitent and showed
no desire to romp and play until one
of the club officials had tied a red
ribbon about its neck. Then Bruno
brightened up. but did not try to es--"
cape again. The cub was to make its
first public appearance at the West
Bide ball grounds as mascot of the
Cubs In the afternoon