Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1918 — Page 3

When Khaki Calls

By M. E. Stanton

(Copyright. McClure N«w«pap«r Syndicate-J It was evening and the big office buildings were discharging their quota of humanity, who, though still in workaday garb, stepped forth briskly into the crisp autumn air, conscious that the chains of toil were loosened for a few brief hours and that they were free to play, relax and to take their little parts in the comedies and tragedies of social life. Ann Donovan w;as one of a group of animated, chattering girls that emerged from one of these immense beehives of industry. They lingered for a moment on the sidewalk, laughing and talking, then scattered on their various homeward ways. Ann started off, but had only gone a few feet when a quick step sounded behind her and a pleasant masculine voice said: “Hullo, Ann! What’s your hurry?” It was annoying. Why would Tommy insist on waiting for her every evening? Of course he was pleasant company, and all that, but —well, a girl likes to dream sometimes, and that walk home in the evening, along the quiet, shaded streets, was the only bit of time out of the whole busy day she might have for herself. “Good evening, Mister Regan,” Ann managed to respond, taking a certain satisfaction In using her most formal prunes-and-prisms tone, usually reserved for impertinent salesmen or persistent book agents who invaded the office. “Why so distant, Acushla? Doesn’t Tommy sound good to you any more? That mister stuff doesn’t listen natural cornin’ from you to me.” And the cheerful Tommy softly hummed: “Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag. And smile, smile, smile!" “Them’s my sentiments every time. Fellow that wrote that song must have been a real fellow. One who knows that a smile makes the digging easier, whether you’re digging with a shovel, or a pen or a —a sword." Tommy’s voice faltered a little on the last word, and he gazed a trifle anxiously and uncertainly at his silent companion. “Er—Ann, there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you, and I don’t see wfcy I mightn’t as well tell you now.” Ann. was panic-stricken. Why could not Tommy be satisfied with things as they were and not begin treading on dangerous ground. Besides —and this was the real reason —a certain resentment had been lurking in the background of Ann’s mind for some time with reference to this same Tommy Regan. How could he sit tamely behind a desk and watch other fellows, dozens of them, marching away to “Carry the starry banner over seas?” Tommy was a strapping, stalwart youth, clean-cut and pleasing to the eye. Aggressive and intelligent, he had in him the making of a splendid American soldier. But he had not enlisted when the nation-wide call for volunteers went forth, nor had the long arm of con-» scription as yet reached out for him. He and Ann had never directly discussed the subject. It was constantly in Ann’s thoughts; but a certain hesitancy had prevented her from introducing the topic, and though she had skated dangerously close at’ times, for all of Tommy’s unfailing cheerfulness and Apparent willingness to chat on anything and everything under the sun, somehow he had never given her a clue as to his real reason for putting himself in the slacker class. Ann herself was an ardent patriot. Fifteen dollars a week is not a munificent sum, but when a girl lives at home the stretching qualities of even a meager fifteen dollars are remarkable. So by dint of wearing her last season’s suit, by studiously keeping her head turned the other way when passing an ice-cream parlor, by sundry small economies and self-denials constantly practiced the world over by thousands of working girls, she was able to buy a Liberty bond, to join the Red Cross and to contribute her mite to various special funds for the benefit of “Our Boys.” She was even now learning to knit In the “From Pothooks to Knitting Needles” class recently launched at the office. So when Tommy announced In that serious tone that he had something to tell her, she mentally besought her patron saint to ward off the imminent proposal without hurting the lad’j feelings or destroying their friendship. For, after all, thought Ann, they had grown up together as neighbors, and there had always been a friendly feeling between the two families, though of late years the social intercourse had been confined chiefly to the young people save for an occasional ’cross-the-fence chat between Mrs. Regan and Ann’s mother. They were on a quiet side street now and her prayer seemed hopeless when, just as Tommy started to resume his confidence, the heaven-sent Interrupt tion occurred. The interruption was just a pair of lovers strolling along arm in arm —a scene old as the ages, yet ever interestingly new to observed •a well as to observers. The youth

was clad in khaki and be carried himself with a jaunty, conscious air of pride that found eager reflection in the admiring maid at his side. Ann and Tommy turned to look after them. Who can resist a backward glance at a pair of lovers? “Oh !” sighed Ann, “doesn’t he look splendid?” And then valor tweaked discretion’s ears and rushed into the fray. “How can you stay at home and let folks call you a slacker, when all these brave fellows are giving up their homes, their work —yes, even their lives, to make our homes, our work and our lives safe? You’ve told me before that you loved rife, but I don’t want to hear you say it again, for I’ll never marry a slacker. Never! Oh, how I wish I had been a man!” And to Tommy’s consternation Ann started to cry. He waited until her. sobs had ceased, then said: “But look here, Ann, I want to tell you—•" * • “Oh, what’s the use of arguing about it now?” queried Ann wearily. “There’s only one way for a man —a. strong, healthy young fellow like you —to prove his patriotism. If you won’t do it, your friends can’t force you to.” This was the proper cue for a dignified exit, and as at this precise moment they reached the front gate of Ann’s home she murmured a brief “good night" and left him abruptly. Tommy’s voice, still maddeningly cheerful, called after her: “If you happen to steel like the movies tonight, darllnt, dogt forget my ’phone number.” W And Ann could hear him tramping up his own front steps whistling: “Keep the home fires burning.” “Yes, you’ll keep them burning all right,” she spitefully apostrophized him, as she entered the house and clammed the door with a vigorous bang that brought her mother hurrying from the dining room, where supper w r as just sending forth Its savory invitation. . V “Why, dearie, you came In like a cyclone. No villain pursuing you. Is there?” And Mrs. Donovan laughed expectantly, for she and this only daughter of hers were chums and shared a sense of rich Irish humor. “Nothing, mother. Tm just a little tired and hungry, I guess, and supper smells so good. I’m ready, if it is.” “All right. But, Ann, did you hear about Tommy Regan? His mother was over this afternoon and told me about it. She cried and cried, but she’s so proud of him, and she says he’s so anxious to go, and —” “What, mother? Tommy hasn’t —” “Enlisted! Yes, he has,” exclaimed Mrs. Donovan,’ dabbing’ at a furtive tear with the corner of her apron. “That’s just what Tommy has gone and done. She told me all about how he’s felt ever since this war started; how it hurt him to see the other fellows marching off when he had to stay at home.” “Well, did he have to stay at home?” interrupted Ann. “Of course I know it would leave his mother alone, but Mr. Regan must have left quite a lot of money when he died.” “But he didn’t,” exclaimed her mother. “Everyone thought so, but It appears that he speculated heavily, not only with his own money, but with some "that had been Intrusted to his care. His sudden death was a result of the shock of losing everything, and Tommy, who was just starting out to make his way in the world, promised his father that he would see that the funds which had been misused were replaced, though it took years of selfdenial on his part. His mother .says he has stuck manfully to his premise and has done everything possible to restore his father’s honor, but it seemed such, a hopeless task.” Mrs. Donovan paused for breath. “Go on, mother,” prompted Ann. “Well, what do you think? Some of that mining stock has turned out to be valuable after all. There wasn’t any gold in the mines, but they have found something else —tungsten, I believe It Is called —that Is worth nearly as much. Anyway, they can pay off all their debts and Tommy will know that his mother is well taken care of, even if he's away off In France. She said after he made sure he didn’t waste a minute getting down to the recruiting headquarters.” Ann started for the telephone. “Where are you going?” asked her mother, with the kindly Inquisitiveness of those near and dear. Ann looked around the cozy living room with a speculative eye. “Tommy wanted me to'call him up. But I wonder if we wouldn’t rather stay at home than go downtown tonight? I’m kind of tired of the movies myself.”

Honesty and Carelessness.

There are so many ways in which to be careless with the things that belong to others. Most of us seldom think of these small sins of commission and omission. We would not, for anything In the world, knowingly trespass on the rights of others. Yet, day after day, because we do not think, we do things that are reilly destructive, and verge very closely upon dishonesty of act. If not Intention. Dishonesty is an ugly word. But it is better to face the fact that the careless person is really the dishonest person, for. only by admitting a fault can it be cured. Are you careless? If so, look to It that your carelessness does not .work harm to yourself and to those about you.

The Eye for an Eye.

Mother (to curate)-rAnd do you .really pray for your enemies? Ethel (overhearing)—l do, mummy. Curate —And what do you say in your prayer, my child? Ethel—l pray that they may be beaten. —Punch.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN. RENSSELAER. IND.

WRESTLING IS JUST AS MANLY SPORT AS BOXING, THOUGH NOT AS POPULAR

Strange that the reformers never raise a howl against wrestling. They go the limit to slam boxing. They bring out their hamtners against Sunday baseball and horse racing, but, as a rule, they never make as much as a whimper against the mat game. Boxing, according to our best little reformers, is brutal. Baseball on Sunday, and horse racing are demoralizing. We have the word of the reformers for it, which doesn’t make it unanimous by a whole lot, but they continue to yelp. Wrestling, when properly conducted, is just as much a manly sport as boxing, though not as popular. But wrestling, as it was conducted in the recent international tournament in New York, was a knock to Itself. Still, no one made much- of a howl except a couple of wrestlers, who protested against losing part of their anatomies. “Strangler” Lewis, who was mqch in evidence in the recent .tourney, uses

ED RUELBACH RETIRES FROM HURLING DUTIES

Ed Reulbach, former star pitcher of the Chicago Cubs in the days of Frank Chance and championships, is done with baseball for all time. He has become associated with the Submarine Boat corporation of Bayonne, N. J. Reulbach was with the Boston Braves last season, but did little work.

COACH ENTERS FLYING CORPS

C. M. Price, Athletic Director of San Diego High School, Awaits Call as Aviator. A coach who brought a football and a baseball championship of - southern California to San Diego in one year awaits summons to join the aviation corps.- He Is C. M. Price, athletic director of the San Diego high school, one of the best-known coaches in California prep school athletics. Under his direction the baseball team won the 1917 Championship and the foot-" ball eleven the 1916-17 honors. '

ARMY CAMP BOXING INSTRUCTORS NOT EXEMPTED FROM DRAFT

The district' exemption board has refused Willie Ritchie’s claim that he should not be put in class one under the new. questionnaire, on the ground that he is “in the military service.” The board ruled that boxing instructors Are not in the military service, and are subject to draft, the same as other individuals.

Two New Handball Courts.

The Multnonah club of Portland, Ore., is building two additional handball courts and will accommodate, 100 players. *

what he calls a headlock. It just manages to escape being a twin for the strangle hold, which is under the ban, but because there was no rule against Lewis’ hold he was allowed to get away with it to the point where he came close to taking Wladek Zbyszko on a personally conducted tour to a world unknown. The head hold is apparently more dangerous than the strangle hold. It is so dangerous that Zbyszko became unconscious from the effects of it, and everyone who saw the match agrees that it should be bayred. Wrestling is very much a man’s sport. It requires ability to stand an unlimited amount of punishment and it requires men of great strength, but it. Should be cleansed of such things as the head hold. It can get along without them, and the promoters should see to it that the game is protected by rules which leave no opening for bone-crushing methods.

BIG TRIO IN 1900 SOLD FOR $15,000

A war year, and $75,000 is paid for two baseball players. Rather a far cry from the day when the old Baltimore club sold John McGraw, Wilbert Robinson and Billy Keeler —a great trio in those days—to the St. Louis club for $15,000. At that time the deal was regarded as the last word in baseball extravagance. That same year—l9oo, with the reduction of the National league from a 12 to an 8-club circuit —Pittsburgh gave $25,000 and five players, one of whom was Jack Chesbro, for 14 men of the Louisville club.

DEFICIT SEEN IN RECEIPTS

Falling Off Noted In Gate Money at Pittsburgh—Retrenchment Will Likely Follow. Successful as Pittsburgh’s football season was, from a sporting standpoint, the receipts showed a falling off from previous years. War conditions, of course, were responsible and the result will be a general policy of retrenchment, since proceeds from the gridiron sport, as with other institutions, are annually relied upon to provide the sinews for the conduct of other sports. There is a probability, however, that there will be no wrestling and that baseball will be conducted only on an intramural basis. There will, however, be swimming and tennis teams.

WARD MILLER NOW IN NAVY

Notre Dame Star Football and Track Man Now in Detention Camp at Great Lakes. , Ward Miller, star football and track man of the University of Notre Dame, is in the detention camp on the Great Lakes station. He was discovered by Charley Bachman of the same school, who played on the athletic teams with Miller. Both have arranged to enter the petty officers’ school at the end of their detention periods. Miller was considered one of the best fullback prospects the freshman team at Notre Dame ever had. He pulled a tendon early last season and was Out of all the varsity contests. He intends to offer fils services to the station teams.

Yankees and Indians Play.

The New York Nationals and Cleveland Americans have arranged a schedule of ten games to be played between the two teams on their training trips next spring.

Jack Kelly an Aviator.

Jack Kelly of the Vesper Boat club, Philadelphia, one of the foremost single scullers in this country, is with the aviation corps at Austin, Tex.

SWEDES ESTABLISH MANY NEW RECORDS

Complete Most Successful Athletic Season in History. Track and Field Athletes Have Made Wonderful Strides and Wlil Be Factors to Be Feared in Years to Come. Notwithstanding its proximity to the scene of the European war, Sweden has just completed the most successful athletic season in the history of sport in that country. Under the coaching of Ernie Hjertberg, formerly prominent in American amateur and professional athletics, the Swedish track and field performers have made remarkable strides and will be factors to be feared in years to come when international track competitions shall have been resumed. New Swedish Records. Twenty-two new Swedish records were established, four of these being new world’s records. Three of these world record performances were the work of John Zander, the phenomenal long-distance man, whose defeat of Ted Meredith at 1,000 meters in the Stockholm stadium in October, 1916, will be recalled. A Bolin, who tied with Zander on that occasion in 2-31.2, equaling the world's record, has two of the new Swedish records to his credit, and Zander has three, apart from his world’s records. Both Zander and Bolin are special pupils of Ernie Hjerberg. Zander’s world’s records are: 1,500 meters, 8:54.7; 3,000 meters, 8:85.7; 2,000 meters, 5:31. His best performance was the 1,500-meter run, which Zander ran alpne. The former record, 3:55.8, was held by Abel Klylat. Zander clipped no less than 5.2 seconds from Attila’s record in the 2,000 meter run, and nine-tenths of a second from the 3,000-meter figures. The other world’s record to go was for throwing the javelin, best throw with each hand, in which Yngve Hackner set a record of 114.28 meters. Other Marks Made. The other new Swedish records established follow: 60-meter dash, 6.9 seconds; 200 meters, 22.1 seconds; 400 meters, 50 seconds (Bolin); 440 yards, 50.6 seconds; 800 meters, 1,55,2 (Bolin) ; one mile, 4:17.5 (Zander); 5,000 meters, 14:59.6 (Zander); 400-meter hurlers, 56.1 seconds; four-man relay, 400 meters, 48.1 seconds; four-man relay, 800 meters, 1:31.1; four-man relay, 1,600 meters, 3:28.3; four-man relay, 6,0d0 meters, 17 minutes; high jump, 1.89 meters; pole vault, 3,883 meters; discus throwing, both hands, 83.46 meters; running three miles, 14:38.7 (Zander); 1,000-meter relay, first man running 100 meters, second 200, third 300 and fourth 400, 2:1.5. One new record was also established in the peculiarly Swedish contest known as the “mellanhop,” a jump for length over the gymnasium horse.

JIU-JITSU EXPERT HERE TO INSTRUCT

Allan Smith of London and Tokyo, a well-known jiu-jitsu expert, photographed at Camp Upton, L. L, where he is instructing the officers in the Japanese art of self-defense. Mr. Smith lived in Japan for many years, where he became a master in the science. He is wearing the uniform of a United States athletic instructor.

STAR HURLER HAS ENLISTED

Finnegan of Georgetown Is Now In Medical Corps of Army—Plays Baseball and Football. A Eugene J. Finnegan of Buffalo, a paember of the football squad and star pitcher on the baseball team at Georgetown, has enlisted in the medical corps of the army. Finnegan has played football at Georgetown three years.

Home Town Helps

EVERY YARD TO HAVE GARDEN Writer Urges Importance of Move-) ment, to Be Impressed on All Members of the Community. < One of the flrst necessities, says Dr. John H. Finley in a recent paper on gardening, is to arouse Interest in the work among the young people of the community, but fully as important a« this Is securing the cooperation of the parents. It is quite necessary for the entire success of this movement that the older people not only realize the importance of increased production during the coming year, but that they also take an active part in the production. It is especially important that only good seeds and good plants be used. Therefore, those who are in charge of this work should see to It that those having gardens be referred only to reliable firms for seeds. In order that lack of capital may be no handicap to those desiring to take up the work, there should be provided and administered a loan fund for those who need assistance in buying manure, hiring vacant lots or large garden plots, and in paying for plowing; and harrowing same. Now Is the time to deal with next winter’s disturbances; high cost of living, boycots and embargoes. A national preparedness for war demands that immediate steps be taken by every individual to do his share in the production movement. “A garden in every yard” should be our slogan. ADOPT CITY-MANAGER PLAN Twelve Cities of Texas Have Proclaimed Allegiance to That Form of Civic Government. • Of the 81 cities in the United States that have adopted the city manager plan, or some modification of it, Texas leads with 12 cities. Texas was the father of the commission form of government idea, and seems destined also to lead in the movement to adopt the-city-manager plan. The following Texas cities have adopted the plan outright: Amarillo, Brownsville, Denton, San Angeld, Taylor, Tyler, Bryan, Sherman and Yoakum. Brownwood, Teague and Terrell have adopted modified forms of the city-manager plan. Salaries are paid Texas city managers ranging from $1,200 to $3,000 per year. Salaries outside of Texan for the same work run much higher. For example, the city manager of San Diego, Cal., receives $6,000 per year; of San Jose, Cal., $5,000, and of Dryton, 0., $12,500. u A recent bulletin Issued by the bureau of municipal research and reference of the University of Texas contains information about the spread of the city manager idea, as well as a discussion of its development out of the commission form of government, with a clear exposition of what the plan really is. In addition, a complete bibliography of articles that have been written on this new way of governing American cities |s given. Free copies may be had by addressing Dr. H. G. James, bureau of municipal research and reference, University of Texas, Austin, Texas.

Jacobean Architecture.

The architecture of the Jacobean house came through the walls, forming a background for furniture that In turn reflected its motifs. A massive chimney was usually the most finished factor in the room. It bore the maDorial arms. Ceiling and walls were a frank confession of the house structure—handhewn beams broke the rough-plastered walls, giving the room a vigor and crudeness characteristic of the times. The gallery was not an uncommon feature in this period. In addition to the stone fireplace, the sturdy oak furniture, the wrought iron lights and the timbered walls, the finer of Jacobean rooms had another feature —an oriel window broken in places with colored medallions.

Hint to Cities.

The National Housing association apparently does not regard as an obstacle to improved housing generally, the admitted fact that all American communities impose a heavy burden upon citizens who erect dwellings upon vacant sites, whether for their own use or the accommodation of others, says The Public. At a time when the high cost of labor and materials has brought building to a full stop, although the need for additional housing is keen and unsatisfied, it would seem an obvious emergency measure that the city or town should exempt buildings from all possible burdens, but no public bodies seem to think so.

Building Lawns.

Lawns that are patchy or spotted may have bad spots filled with new soil and sown or planted with sod taken from elsewhere and well fitted and battered down. The hitter is the better way. If the lawn is to be made anew, please remember it cannot be too heavily stirred, too heavily fertilized nor can the fertilizer be too thoroughly mixed with the soil. Then settle thoroughly with water before seek* Ing to makesit smooth.