Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 159, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1917 — Gales of GOTHAM and other CITIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Gales of GOTHAM and other CITIES

John D., Jr., Makes Princely Gift to New York

NEW YORK—When John D. Rockefeller, Jr., was ft little boy and went horseback riding and carriage riding—for this was before the days of motorcars up around the northern end of Manhattan island —he used to pull

up his pony or have the coachmad stop the horses when he got- to the top of ft high knoll not far from Dyckman street and situated between Broadway and the Hudson river, and he would say to himself: “This Is a view that everyone la New York ought to see. And some day I’m going to buy all this land hereabouts and give it to the public as a park, so that everyone may enjoy it.” He was right about the view, for

from that knoll one may see far up the Hudson —even to the crest of Storm King mountain on a clear day—and away southward to the bay, and far eastward to Long Island, and even to the Atlantic sweeping beyond that. And now he has made good his boyhood resolve, for he has made a formal offer to New York city "of 50-odd'acres of ground in the Dyckman region for use as a public park, provided the city wilt do certain things about connecting it with a certain other public open space, that of Fort Washington park, which lies to the southward along the river front. Mr. Rockefeller purchased three large parcels of property last fall on the far upper west side. The southernmost, and most valuable, was the estate of C. K. Q. Billings, the noted horseman. This contains a magnificent residence as well as large stables, garages and a swimming pool. Next was what Is known as the Hays property, and above that the Sbaefer land. This latter i property touches at its northeast boundary. The whole tract is about two-thirds of a mile long. At the time of the sale it was estimated that the purchaser must about $5,000,000, but Mr. Rockefeller said: “The total price I paid was nothing like that. It waa within a few thousand dollars of $2,000,000.” Merry Youths “Planted” Bones to Make a Story

ST PAUL.—Whose skull? -That is the question. John Heller, chief of police of Shakopee, Minn., would like to know this, for Heller Is perplexed, perhaps even a trifle flabbergasted, by recent developments. In this town,

where Heller has been exercising “watchful waiting” for many moons, there was found a few days ago a leering skull and bones, all pointing to death and constituting basis for an investigation. From then on, according to the best information available, the disciple of Sherlock Holmes has followed his pursuit, stalking ancient clues to fruitless end. One day found him so busily engaged that an energetic telephone central was unable to announce any

greater success than “we are trying to find him.” Back of Charley Hart* mann’s butcher shop the find was made by pedestrians. Heller began work on the case immediately. About the first thing he did was to take charge of the skull and bones, and citizens said he turned them over to the coroner, Dr. H. W. Reiter. Doctor Reiter declared: “I haven’t got them,” which lends ground to the belief that the skeleton, equipped with as many leg, arm, wrist aed finger bones as it could pick up, has reassembled itself and is waiting for a nlgbt propitious for a gambol on some tin roof. - Meantime, to keep history straight and to pfevent even the shadow of a blot from falling on the police chiefs record, it is declared that the skull was a human skull, but it came from a college cadaver. As for the bones, they included five ribs of a cat, the thigh of a Plymouth Rock pullet, the left foreleg of a dog and two vertebrae from a cow. All were placed in the ground back of the butcher shop by Jolly youths who wanted to make a story. And they made It.

Hasty Action Costs Hotel Management $2,500 PAWLING, N. Y—Mrs. Saidee Disbrow Hurd, wife of Robert C. Hurd, engaged in the real estate business, recently won a verdict of $2,500 in the supreme court at Poughkeepsie in her action for $20,000 damages against the Astor Hotel company, New York. The

action was tried before Justice Platt and a jury, and was brought as the result of alleged humiliating treatment the plaintiff received from the hotel management after embracing her husband at the door of her room on the evening of August 17 last. Mrs. Hurd was at the hotel with a woman friend. Her husband arrived at the hotel, and coming upon him unexpectedly as she opened the door ai her room she threw her arms about his

neck and kissed him. He stepped inside the room for a minute and later emerged, going by way of the elevator to the first floor, but returned again. When they came out and walked down the corridor they were approached by David Mitchell Pepper, assistant manager of the hotel. Mrs. Hurd land her husband both testified that Mr. Pepper spoke scandalously to them and suggested that they depart before they could further compromise the staid “rep” of his hostelry by their bold acts. When Mr. Hurd expostulated, according to the wife’s testimony, Mr. Pepper said: “Well, if you are Mrs. Hurd and if he is Mr. Hurd, that puts a different face on the matter.” Mr. Pepper and the other witnesses for the.hotel maintained that the investigation was conducted In a courteous manner and denied that anything was said that could be construed as a direct accusation of unbecoming frivolities or that any reflection was cast upon either Mr. Hurd or Mrs. Hurd.

“Poison” Warning Effective as the Real Thing ANSAS CITY.—It was a. nice garden Ernest A. Fuller theyrearuf it a daily rendezvous, to the detriment and dilapidation of the sprouts therein.

and the impairment of- Mr. Fuller’sfamiability. So one day a week ago “he-spent-sonae—ostentatious-moments In the garden and then went to the front yard and put np a sign with big red letters: ■ “Poison in this back yard. Look -vont for yonr dogs and cats.” • ' And the garden flourished and Mr. Fuller beamed, but the Persians and the Spitzes languished indoors, and such outdoor exercises as they got was at the end of stout, short tethers.

A delegation of neighbors waited on Mr. Fuller. In substance, he is said to have commended them to the fact that in these crucial times of food scarcity It behooves each find all tq conserve the food supply. Capt. John Casey of the Flora avenue police station, being consulted, sent a patrolman to the Fuller home, in'Mr. Fuller’s absence. .... Mrs. 'Fuller took down the sign. Then Mr. Fuller caine home and put it up again and betook himself to police headquarters, which referred him to John T. Mathis, assistant city counselor. . ’ . “There is a statute which prohibits patting poison around thus,” quoth Mathis. \ -Any statute against the sign?” Mr. Fuller demanded. v “I can’t recollect any,” Mr. Mathis conceded. “Then that’s all right,?’ said Mr. Fuller. “There never was any poison." »- ■ —■ —~ ■__~ --