Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 21, Number 202, Decatur, Adams County, 25 August 1923 — Page 3

EVERY DAY jt is not so much what you do that counts as it is what you <l<» regularly every day. Saving is not a resolution to be adopted once. It is a habit to be kept up. This bank is here to help you form this happiest of habits. The Peoples Loan & Trust Co. I x “BANK OF SERVICE” Most Assuredly • we want your shoe repair work. Look over your old shoes and if the heels are run down or they need a new pair of soles, bring them in to us and let us repair them. You’ll save money by having us fix them up. * How about a pair of rubber heels? You’ll find they make walking much easier. Decatur Shoe Hospital OPPOSITE COURT HOUSE < MARTIN GILSON, Proprietor. I r For Sixty-Seven Years T H E Van Wert County Fair has been constantly increasing in popularity and thousands of satisfied patrons are among the many safeguards back of it. Will You See It? Van Wert, Ohio Sept. 3,4, 5,6, 7, 1923 $5,500 For Horse Races and SIO,OOO For Class Premiums. If you have visited this fair in other years, you will want to come again. If you have never seen it, you are urged to come this year. Hundreds of seats in shady spots and an abundance of pure drinking water for your use and comfort. The many amusements will be clean, clever, thrilling, whoesome. Other interesting free events will follow' ach other with fleeting delight, ing delight. MUSICAL AIRS TO DISPEL YOUR CARES. WE WANT YOU TO COME. W. A. Marker, Secretary, Van Wert. J. W. "Weaver President, Spencerville.

FORMER DECATUR YOUTH, NOW A DAYTON POLICEMAN, HAS INTERESTING CAREER

Au interpgtinß article concerning Francis Merica, a former resident of Decatur, who is a policeman in the city of Dayton, Ohio, at present, appeared in the Dayton. News one day last week. The item, headed "Tales of Our Sturdy Cops,” which was accompanied by a picture of Mr. Merica Is as follows: "Battling Eddie" Merica has done a heap of living in 24 years. He has been a boxer, a soldier, a teacher of physical culture. and officer In two I state institutions for the insane, a barber and finally a policeman. When Merica was in tho army he says his "buddies" made a play on his name and called him “(A) Merica First” and “(A) Merica so proud and free. But it’s not “(A) Merica so proud and free any longer for Merica is married now and his wife banters her husband with the words of a onetime popular song, “America, I love you; you’re like a sweetheart of mine." Os course Merica is constantly being reminded that, but for the absence of ' one letter he might have been named i for this continent. Policeman Merica is a snappy looking officer with a sparklnig eye and quick wit. His appearance belies the , fact that lie traveled for three years with a road carnival at the head of ■ his own athletic show as a welterweight fighter and took on “all comers’ There is not a mark on his face. Standing up under the blows of men twice his size, the young boxer hattlI ed three times a day for three seasons 1 of six months each and offered one dollar a minute to any volunteer who could stay with him for three rounds of three minutes duration. "Merica did you ever have'to pay?” "I did.” “Battling Eddie” said very frankly that he fought rough-and-tumble pugilists who could stay with him long enough to win the purse, but he tangled with no “comer" who could knock hiim off his feet. Merica has been boxing since 1915 and has never been knocked out or knocked down. He has done a bit of impromptu fighitng since he joined the police force and has likewise held his ground. He staged his last semi-professional bout

I True Flapper Os Late Summer; Demure Thing !o— — ° New York, N. Y„ Aug. 24.—Through batiks have away with them, the flappers say "away with them.” Brilliant colored batiks. Egyptian prints and huge figured effects have no place in the wardrobe of the average flapper. Consensus of flapper opinion seems to be that blatant es sects are not for the youth, but for women with sufficient bulk to carry them. Young girl a between sixteen ami twenty-one years of age have altered so greatly in the past year that flapper will soon [become an obsolete expression. It is hardly believable that the demure little girl one sees these days dressed in organdy frock, poke bonnet, lace mits, etc., is the same person who cavorted last year in full-fledged flapper attire—extremely short skirts, wild hair, and saucy- . upturned hat, to say nothing of the rougish eye. Giris would rather demure than unique, it would seem, this season. They gather on the golf links and at the smart country places, where one would expect extremities in styles and color effects, in simple little sweaters with white collars and cuffs Their colors are usually subdued ones, such as tans, greys, delft blues, etc. Their hats are rakish little ribbontrimmer affairs of felt or leghorn. It is only the matrons who feel kindly disposed toward blatant effects this season. Flapper in The Evening Evening finds the flapper dressed in organdy, mull of French viole cut in simple manner with slender bodice and full skirt. Garish metalic and beaded effects are not for her. For dances at the country club she varies crisp organdies with pastel chiffons of fairy-like frills. Even the youthful "bob” is losing it’s., popularity— changing from the FIJI Islander effect to the center part, with buns over the ears. Those who cleave to bobbed hair wear theirs without a sign a permanent wave put cut short in boyish fashion with straight bangs over the forehead. Often the hair is cut so short that tips of the ears show. One wonders what has taken the “flap” out of flapper. Perhaps she refused to compete with the kittenish matrons one sees in sleeveless gowns with bobbed hair, sandals, etc. At any rate she has become a cunning, girlish little thing with a decidedly feminine slant toward life and we love her for it.

(DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT, SAT., AUGUST 25, 1923.

In tho ring at Eagles hall, Dayton, in 1921, During Morica’s career as a chigger his nose was broken three tlmo R but wan not permanently disfigured, "Battling Eddie" Merica dosed hln contract with Bill Hau's Greater Shows in Dayton in 1918 and began to study physical culture under the direction of his uncle, Harry Votaw, an expert, here. After he mastered the art he assisted his uncle as a teacher. Merica has a splendid physique and says that, physical culture is great dope. When ho discovered that the pursiut of teaching was not as lucrative as it might be. he decided that ho would go into business for himself. So lie opened a barber shop on the West Side, hung out the red, white and blue pillar anti began to slaughter hair and whiskers Now Merica had never had any train ing as a barber, but he made a success of the trade ami in less than three months was working in a down town shop at a good salary. Merica learned (plough about the barber business to decide that he wouldn't be a barber at any price. "I got so tired inhailing hairs,” he said, “that I was ready to do anything to get an other breath of fresh air." The determination to abandon his white trousers, scissors and razor led him to seek employment as a policeman. He was appointed Aug. 19, 1922 when he was 23 years old. Francis Merica grew upin Decatur, Ind., where he was born June 10.1899. He attended the public schools of that city and after thrashing all the boys in Decatur went to Montpelier, Ind., in 1915. There he began to fight in earnest and was paid for it. He enlisted in the army in 1917, was attached to the military police in Chicago, and was discharged the same year on account of impaired vision. Merica was and attendant in tile Ohio hospital for epileptics at Gallipolis for a year and was connected with the State hospital for the crim inal insane at Lima in similar capacity for the same length of time. Merica lives with his wife and son Edward at 266 Obeli court.

Out Where The West Begins Life and death ire. at best, never a certainty in any respect. One never KNOWS just what is in store for them from one minute to the next. It may be that you are doing any one of a thousand things, which, seeni-inp-ly have no chance or possible danger. But, in the next second the seemingly impossible happens and then “going west.” What assurace have you that the plaster on the ceiling won't come loose, fall down just right, strike you in a vital spot and snuff out life in a shorter time than it takes to tell? What safeguard have you that the next time you cross the street, some wild and reek ss driver won't come dashing around the corner and knock you into darkness without so much as a warning? What absolute knowledge have you that everything you eat is 100' < pure and harmless to your system? Ib:\\ do you know your heart action is going to be the same from one minuh to the next? All these things may seem far fetched to you this minute whim you are in first class physical condition. However, they do happen and in just the way you least expect. It may happen to you have you ever thought of that?—and. if it does, are you so situated that your family would have suflicienl means so they would not suffer? In other words, insure yourself against any emergency that may arise. A LIFE INSURANCE POLICY is a will that no lawyer can break. Il needs no administrator, no attorneys fees, no court costs. A cheek is brought riht to YOUR OWN HOME without one penny of cost or trouble. If you have a policy in the Western Reserve Life Insurance Company, you can rest assured that the very same day that you are laid away, your wife or family will have the check for the amount of INSURANCE you carried. It is GOOD BUUSINESS. Don’t put it off any longer. It isn't YOU that is taking the chance; it is YOUR loved ones. YOU love them, therefore YOU want Io PROTECT them DO IT WHILE YOU CAN. Consult us. We will be glad Io go into the mailer with you and help • you select the proper policy best fitted for your needs. Charles W. Yager AGENT Peoples Loan & Trust Bldg. Phone 456

Change of Policy at the Crystal and Mecca Theatre To the Theatre-Goers of Decatur: Starting Monday, we will operate under a new plan which we are sure will meet with your approval. We will offer an entire change of pictures at the Crystal Theatre every day instead of the two-day run heretofore. We are doing this for the reason that it gives us a chance to show twice as many pictures during the year and affords the theatre-goers the opportunity of viewing the newest pictures, as our bookings will be right up to the new releases at all times. We have also decided to discontinue the opening of the Mecca during the week and will open this theatre on Saturday only. The prices will remain the same at 10 and 25 cents. Never any higher, no matter how big the feature. No picture ever shown on the Crystal screen that will JIT] offend any member of the family.