Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 127, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 June 1918 — STORIES of AMERICAN CITIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

STORIES of AMERICAN CITIES

Cripple Naturally Averse to Giving Up Soft Snap KANSAS ClTY.—Give the cripple a chance to be an honest man Is the plea made in a reporton Kansas City cripples compiled by James Ford, district superintendent of the research department of the board of public welfare. Mr.

Ford made bls observations from 150 cripples, most of them found north of Ninth street. Of these, 70 were selfsupporting, 14 partly so, 52 were beggars and others were cared for by charity. Eighty were legal residents of Jackson'county, 10 of Wyandotte c ounty and 46 had no permanent residence. About 72" per ceht of the men disabled were under thirty years old tnd self-supporting; 75 per cent of those disabled after forty years of ige were not self-supporting. The

etudy shows that the beggars who infest the streets and claim they are too »adly crippled to, work are entirely self-supporting. * The success of the cripple »n supporting himself depends a great deal on his attitude of mind. The use of alcohol is a big factor, 80 per cent of the begging cripples being addicted to liquor, whereas 89 per cent of the self-supporting disabled men do not use liquor. A peculiar sort of “cripples’ philosophy” along the line, that the world owes them a living, Is generally the reason why a crippled man takes up begging as a livelihood. It Is often quite remunerative. One young beggar with a leg off below the knee was offered a place by a merchant at $9 a week with a promise of sls after six months. The cripple told the merchant that he could not consider the offer as be made more than sls a week in less than two hours “work” each day. Disabled people are especially handicapped, Mr. Ford says, If they have no home or relatives. Only 50 per cent of the unfortunate men included in his survey live with relatives and have any sort of home in the true sense. The balance of them live in cheap lodging houses among questionable surroundings. “It would be much better for the cripples and the public If every cripple could have personal attention in solving his problems rather than to receive -doles from passersby on the streets,” said Mr. Ford.

Something Better Than “Booze” in This Suitcase DETROIT. —The conductor on a street car bound for the railroad depot watched a small man, apparently from a rural district, struggle valiantly aboard with a heavy suitcase. The new passenger paid his fare. The crowd moved forward, forcing him to push

his suitcase under the conductor’s guard rail. A kind-hearted individual, seeing the little man fight his way back through the crowd, anticipated his object and reached for the handle of the suitcase. But the owner seized it first. His apparent discourtesy caused him little discomfort. “Booze,” the conductor said. “Bet a nickel he gets off at the Union staI tion.” He did. Also the kind-hearted in-

dividual, who trailed him to the ticket window, where he purchased a ticket. The kind-hearted individual scowled and turned to another person, who looked also as if he could scowl. Something passed between the two, for as the little man left the ticket booth both did likewise. For some time the owner of the suitcase wandered about* the station with the two men at his heels. “Walt till he sets it down,” one said, “and Til kick it.” \ The Red Cross booth was in the path of the carrier, who made a line for it. "I’ve been looking for this place ten minutes,” he told the women in charge- As he loosened the straps of the suitcase a display of current magazines was disclosed. He piled them on the crowded counter. “I was on the way to my farm and my sister asked me to bring these. She saw something in the newspapers about the Red Cross desiring books for the soldiers.” . “Come on,” the kind-hearted individual said to his companion. What do you smoke?”

No Time Lost in Naming Cincinnati Youngster /CINCINNATI. —Naming a son who has many doting relatives sometimes V proves a hard task. But for Frank Dowle, one day old and cooing in his mother’s arms in a hospital, the problem was solved in a way most . remarkable—

even for this metropolis, where remarkable adventures are commonplace. Mrs. Isabel Dowle was on her way to a hospital. During the journey Mrs. Dowle suddenly became 111. Her husband, attending her, whispered .something to the conductor. Passengers were ordered out in 4uick time and the car was switched hastily to an express track. In a few minutes Dr. Frank Moskowitz arrived In an ambulance, leaped up the steps,

Jumped nimbly across two third rails and into the car. Scores of persons stood in respectful silence on the platforms. Soon a beaming face appeared ion the platform and In a stage whisper to a group on the platform called out: . “It’s a boy.” The group on the platform gave a cheer. Many willing hands reached forward a few minutes later, when the mother and child were lifted gently ‘down from the platform. Trains were halted and hundreds of impatient men and women looked impatiently from car windows and then smiled as the Infant took its first journey across rails' and ties down to the ambulance. From the depths of the stretcher Mrs. Dowle looked up to the physician and inquired: What is your first name?” “Frank,” 'answered Doctor Moskowitz. “Then my son’s name shall be Frank,” said the mother. Mrs. Dowle is thirty-one years old.

She Gave Unruly Youngsters Lesson They Needed NEW YORK.—She was a really womanly sort of woman,.even If she was in charge of the front car .of a Sea Beach express of the Brooklyn Rapid ■Transit company. She was neither fair nor fat, but surely forty, and when six

very young men in knickerbockers roistered into her car and noisily seized seats enough for a dozen passengers she looked on with motherly disapproval. ■ Out of the tall of her eye she watched their antics as they threw each other’s caps about and disported themselves like young ruffians that had been better bred. When the woman conductor called out for all passengers “please” to have their tickets ready as the train

approached Fifty-ninth street, the biggest boy gathered the tickets of his mates and, folding each into a spile, tucked them Into the band of his cap in imitation of an Indian’s feathered headdress. The woman Ignored the hilarity and demanded the tickets. The boy was grinnlngiy disobedient and compelled her to lift the slips one at a timje, and unfold them. As she got the last ticket smoothed her indignation overcame her discretion, and she gave the boy a box on the ear that spoiled his good hnmor, and as he ducked his head his other ear tempted her gloved hand. For an instant the other boys were gleeful over their leader’s discomfiture, but the motherly conductor was rouged, and not till .the train slowed up for the Fifty-ninth street .station and doors demanded her attention did she quit her boxing exercise. -*Teli your mother* I’ve dope what they ought to have begun doing years -*go.” she remarked as the boys filed sheepishly out to the platform.