Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 173, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1918 — Page 3

GAMBLERS PREY UPON WOMEN AS HUSBANDS FIGHT

American and Canadian Officers Visiting London Also Fleeced by Sharpers. GIRLS ARE USED AS DECOYS International Coterie Using Private Houses for Games' Operates Undisturbed—Tragedy of Jan Avia- r , tor's Wife—Women Worse Than Men. London.—There Is a man living in retirement in one of those fine, upstanding old Jacobean manor houses, not fifty miles from London; a model country squire, popular with his tenants, a thoroughgoing sportsman, who rides to hounds most religiously and entertains on the most lavish scale. He can afford it His annual income is somewhere in the SIOO,OOO line. Yet before the war this particular man hadn’t a penny to his name. The secret of his extraordinary success lay in quiet sumptuously furnished back rooms in quiet commonplace houses in those somber streets that nestle In and around Mayfair. Chemin de fer, poker, faro, sometimes a roulette wheel, and the gilded idlers of old British aristocracy would be swarming round like moths about a candle. They seem to have an intuitive sense for such places, these fblk. Where the average • man would pass by without comment- they nudge one’s elbow and whisper, “That’s old so-and-so’s place, if ever you feel inclined for a quiet flutter” —that notorious “quiet flutter” signifying anything from a five-pound note to SSOO or so. Among this select coterie are. men and women of doubtful nationality, who make best use of their business for extracting information of their more highly connected clientele. This was proved in the case of a recent raid, where the woman proprietor was discovered to be an agent in German pay. Thus they attain a double object.

Women Worse Than the Men. Bat there is also another class who frequent these places. Manufacturers from provincial muftition districts, flushed with their new and easily won fortunes, and wishing to be in the social swim, run blindly into these wellbaited traps. Perhaps their unpleasant experience gives them wisdom. They never repeat the performance. They belong to that eternal type which thinks it can beat the thief at his own game. They are gamblers for the same reason that drugtakers and dipsomaniacs are what they They can’t help it The women are worse even than the men. At least 60 per cent more of the other sex favor the green table. They take their gambling seriously—dead seriously. To them, is nothing of the element of the affair; it Is cutthroat business of pay and receive. Once a woman is seized with the gambling “bug” nothing on earth can hold her. It ht the first step of the many great tragedies of life. Tragedy of an Aviator’s Wife. Perhaps one of the most tragic instances of this nature was that of the wife of a commander in the British flying corps. Prior to the war he was a member of the stock exchange and they lived in a quiet village 30 miles from London. When he joined the colors they sold their home and the wife went to live in town —in a tiny flat in Knightsbridge. She was little more than a child, and a charmingly unsophisticated one at that, so fell easy victim to the gambler’s wiles. They got hold of her through the maitre d’hotel of the restaurant she frequented—‘even the smartest maltres d’hotel and head waiters are sometimes, though unwittingly, the instruments of the confederates, who go to the restaurants as part of their daily business to get at the lonely men and women with money who are to be discovered in every London. hotel. One day a charming woman of distinguished appearance strolled over tb her table with a polite request to share it with her. Consent was readily given, and they got ijito conversation. The welcome stranger sympathized with her loneliness, and finished by inviting her to a dainty maisonette off Park lane. After dinner cards were produced. And the fleecing had begun. By the time her husband was able to got home on leave and rescue her the unhappy woman had been robbed of the best part of $20,000. Organized Like a Company. That is only one of the brilliant methods employed. This international gang—its agents cover every city and large town in the world —even in the , enemy countries —is organized like a company, on a profit-sharing basis. There are trusted agents nt every port, fashion center and high-class health resort. It is the business of these agents to live in princely style, gradually worming their way into the confidence of the notables of the locality, giving full detailed reports of their movements and business transactions to a general headquarters. When a moneyed man or woman sets out from one country to another the agent at the port of embarkation wires full particulars of his —or her—business, available capital and intended period of visit to his confederate at the other end. The victim is shadowed and approached on the train, aboard the ship, even in hotels. Their -oceanization is the acme of thorough-

ness. If necessary they will follow a man or woman round the world. Quite the smartest of their independent missions was that established in a sleepy old world village that hugs the banks of a quiet reach of the River Thamefe. The delightful scenery and the picturesque surroundings attract the most exclusive clientele. A family of the most delightful people are always there to welcome a stranger at all hours —a family of three, father, mother and beautiful daughter. And the plan of campaign is the simplest and oldest in the world. Girl Is Used as Lure. . This particular stretch of water is extremely popular. Punts, canoes and motorboats go flashing up and down from early morning until well after dark. Half a mile up stream is situated the riverside annex of one of the most exclusive London clubs. Thitherward every afternoon and evening the beautiful daughter, attired in the most fetching costumes and In the daintiest of dainty canoes, goes paddling. The younger members of the club are also fond of the river. There is a fleeting smile as they pass in midstream, and they very soon become acquainted. , At first the maiden appears Inclined to be reserved. There are the proprieties to be observed. She is no fool. It is no use frightening your fish at the first bite. But toward the end of the flirtation she relents somewhat. Her mother is giving a small dance —“Nothing formal, you know; just amongst ourselves” —that evening. “If Mr. —eh —ls Mr. Jones wdll drop in they will be delighted to see. him.” Mr. Jones goes. More often than not he takes a friend. They dance and are accorded the most hospitable reception. Mother is there, a charming, statuesque woman in flowing draperies. Father—they apologize profusely—is in a somewhat merry condition. That is obvious from the thickness of his accent and his halting gait. The visitors —in such delightful company there are numerous pretty girls, unconscious of snares of the band —pass the matter off with a smile and a jest. But father is not quite so “mellow” as he would have them believe. At least there is nothing the least bit unsteady in that Searching glance to which he treats them from beneath beetling brows. And the hand that pours out the drinks is hardly that of a drunkard.

AIR RAIDS ONLY BORE LONDONERS

They Watch the .Weather and Draw the Blinds But Refuse to Be Panic-Stricken. MANY DON’T SEEK SHELTER Busses and Subway Trkins Operate as Usual and Club Men Sit Calmly Under Glass Roofs—Only the Foreign Element Frightened. By FLOYD MACGRIFF. London. —The thick London fog. often referred to in America, is one of the British capital’s 1 chief protections from air raids by the Huns. If it is a foggy or misty night the searchlights of Zeppelins cannot reach their long fingers of light to the earth and pick out the English coast or find their way to London. Airplanes, likewise are baffled. So a thick fog gives a sense of security and one buys a ticket to a theater with far more cheerfulness than on a moonlight night when the air is clear.

The weather has attained a new sphere ns a topic of conversation. One Londoner may gre|t another with: “Well, It looks like a good night for'a raid,” if the evening is fair. More than a hundred bombings have taught the Londoner to expect a raid on such nights. He considers it lucky if none occurs, “Blincis must be drawn at 9:30 .p. m. today," runs a line in the daily papers. As summer approaches the hour is made later, to correspond with dusk. And the blinds are drawn. Hotel maids are Instructed to attend to this promptly. Hotels also have placards warning guests that police will hold them responsible if a light shows from thef- window. Bosses Operate as Usual. All. London does not take to cover when an air raldTs on. During a recent raid, when bombs were being dropped and bits of shrapnel fell fullsumely, the auto busses, ■with their woman conductors, operated as usual. And there were passengers. Britishers do not regard the air raids with fear. People in the street' get under cover, If It is handy, so as not to be hit by falling. shrapnel. But they do not dash madly to shelter or push or jam their way into safety In the underground railway stations. The subway trains are operated as usual. Only the foreign element, largely employed in munition factories, has become frightened. .Many.of these..havemoved into safety zones. As an instance of air-raid boredom a British officer on leave, was on his way to his hotel room when the warning to take cdver was sounded. “What are you going to do?" he was asked. “Do?” he echoed. “Hell, Pm

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN. RENSSELAER. IND.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN NOW IN MARINES

Kansas City, Mo. —Benjamin Franklin has joined the marines, and the “Immortal four” of the Kansas City marine recruiting office is now complete. The others are George Dewey, William Jennings Bryan and John Hopkins. Ben hailed from Dewey, Okla., where he has been “discovering” oil wells. He said he wanted to “discover” the way to Berlin.

At last they grow tired of dancing. A friendly hand of bridge is suggested as an alternative. Only small stakes are allowed at the start. Bnt as hand follows hand and drink follows drink they increase in value. Between 11 p. m. and 3 a; in. the host and hostess may make anything from SI,OOO to $2,000 out of the gamble —a gamble for them, but no gamble for the unlucky army subaltern or the impecunious college youth. Once they have rid themselves of all their available loose cash they are courteously sent home, with a pressing invitation to return some other night for their revenge. They don’t fail to accept the challenge. By the end of a week the whole of their capital may be in the box of their* hosts. Young and fashionably dressed women are invariably the decoys of the gambling fraternity. The game is played in . the most respectable house and among most respectable people. That is the chief difficulty of bringing these criminals to book. Quite recently an American woman wrote to the editor of a London newspaper giving him particulars of one of these respectable entertainments, lhe address of the house was mentioned in the letter; also the time at which the game was commenced and the name of the proprietress of the place. This woman, said the American, had made SIOO,OOO during the war. Many American officers had been decoyed to the place. One lost $2,100, another $1,500 and a Canadian SSOO just before leaving for the battle front. Women decoys were allowed to put their losings “on the slate” up to SI,OOO and take winnings in cash.

going to bed!’’ During the same raid the musicians in a hotel which fronts the Thames and Is well known in America played on as usual and the case crowd did not know there was a raid until the “all clear” was sounded. Club Men Talk Calmly. But the booming of heavy guns in and around the city generally reaches most ears. A crowd rtf men sat in a smoking room at one club, with a glass roof above, and talked of one thing and another during the raid. Seeking shelter in a subway would appear as impossible to them as going down Broadway barefooted. Only a very small proportion of London can be accommodated in the subways. The crowding of public buildings during raids has been discouraged, because it is realized that very few of them can withstand the Kfttvy bombs. Residents now are officially advised to stay at home during raids and take their chances, which are about one in 400,000. Despite more than 100 raids on London one has to hunt for any evidence of damage, although scores have been killed and wounded. Houses which have been demolished are in widely scattered districts, London being a city which is sprawled over considerable territory with low buildings. Business houses, public structures and fan. tories show no evidence of attack. But houses which have been bombed ar" so much mortar and dust, even houses that were four stories high. Spirit of the Trenches Prevails. The spirit of the trenches, which makes men face death bravely, is the spirit of London during a Hun attack. Mothers are the most nervous, and many babies have been taken into the cold night air, during a raid, too thinly clad, each mother believing she was doing the best thing by going to a subway. And these babies have died from the exposure. But there are many overbalancing cases of bravery. The bishop of London Is authority for the story that one girl, aged seven and one-half years, who was alone during a Gotha raid, aroused her four younger brothers and sisters, brought them downstairs, placed them about a table and . was reading a Bible when her mother, a widow employed as a trnm conductress, returned In panic, fearing for her little ones.

Awning Saved His Life.

Tulsa, Okla. —Harry Skoog, an employee of a caulking company, while working in a fourth floor window of an office building lost his balance and fell opt. Asmarting crazy bone was the sum of his injuries. An awning had just been lowered beneath; the window. He lit on it and rolled to the sidewalk, lighting on his feet. He had struck his arm in the descent on » flower pot in a lower window.

Mere East Meets West

SALONIKI Is one of those extraordinary spots where East meets West, w’here man’s Idlest inventions are seen side by side with the simple Implements of centuries ago, a land of many people and quaint customs. War has brought Saloniki Into the limelight, and in years to come many of those who soldiered there will feel that they have added a strange experience to their lives. It has alway's been the fashion to criticize military administration; still, however slow war office machinery may be, it usually gets you somewhere in the end. It may not, of course, be the place you particularly wanted; but you get there just the same and make the best of it, writes a British officer in the Christian Science Monitor. I never thought of going to Saloniki, but one fine morning orders came for my dispatch, and in due course to the Orient I came. Of the country I was bound for I knew little or nothing. It was a part of the Levant, most of the European powers had a post office there, and I had heard something of the wily Levantine and his ways, that was all. I was quickly to absorb a good deal’ more information, for the moment you land in Saloniki it thrusts itself upon you with a joyous shout and many smells. * Pearl of the Orient. It was midday when we entered the harbor, perhaps one of the finest in the world, and, taking into account its natural possibilities, little wonder that Saloniki is the Pearl of the Orient. The first impression is good, nothing could be finer or more picturesque than the general appearance of the town. Countless minarets rise above the houses, and an occasional group of tall, stately poplars give the necessary tone of green to relieve the white mass of .buildings. The town slopes up from the sea front, the old citadel In the Turkish quarter behind making a good background and helping to remind one that this, until recently, Was a part of the Ottoman empire. Behind the town again stretch the seemingly endless ranges of hills, tier on tier, devoid of frees and with signs of habitation few and far between. The harbor itself is a fine picture and affords an excellent setting to the whole panoramic effect. Few types of craft are not represented there, from the modern battleship flying the tricolor of Fiance, to the quaint, gaudily painted vessel, rigged with a single triangular shaped sail, high out of the water at. the prow and stern, a relic of the days when the hardy Phoenician mariner made Saloniki his port of call. There are British, American, Italian and Russian traders lying side by side, and a little way out a white hospital ship, whiclj, in mqre peaceful times, flew the house flag of the Union Castle line. Picture all this under a turquoise sky, and the result is not unpleasing. The military landing officer is soon on board and after a few words with the O. C. troops, we commence the disembarkation ceremony. Yes, the best impression of Saloniki Is to be had from the deck of a transport—and for choice the boat should be outward bound. Groups Talk on Street. As we land we get a closer and better view of the nearest buildings and the strange crowds of people.. At Saloniki the quayside belongs to everybody; just as the boat? of all nations come to anchor- in harbor, so do men of every race, caste and station come to rest on the waterside. Along the front are shops of all kinds, one or two of the chief hotels, and the continental style trf case is present in force. The shops are mostly of the open kind; that is, you are expected to do business through an open window while you stand on the pavement. You will, of course, be in the way of all pedestrians, especially as there will be sure to be one or two Interested spectators of your deal; but then, to stop the traffic, either on the king’s highway or on the sidewalk, is quite permissible in Saloniki. Two friends meet in the street, they stop, exchange salutations, and an animated conversation ensues. They take up a great deal of room; but every one respects the unwritten law of the Orient and our two worthies continue their discourse, heedless of time and place, as only your true Oriental can

View of Saloniki Harbor.

be. This sort of thing would be entirely out of place in a western land. Should we attempt it, our fellow men would resent it, and we should become exceedingly unpopular. All this may seem rather a small matter to dwell upon; but it is really one of those peculiarities which make a great impression on the r pew arrival. In course of time we grow accustomed to it, and usually find ourselves respecting the law of the East. .Later on we, too, will indulge in the same promiscuous habits of conversation. People of Many Races. As we pass from the landing stage on our road to. the base camps it is borne home to us that the inhabitants are of many and varied races, and if further proof were wanting the clamor of many tongues would at once confirm it. Bearded, sun-tanned fishermen, fine fellows, who would add luster to any stage production of “Sinbad,” spruce, well-dressed clerks and merchants and hosts of ragged, nondescript rascals mingle together on all sides. Turkish women with yashmak and quaint trouserings, all complete, move side by side with Greek ladies, arrayed in the very latest vogue, and heedless of the passing throng strides a tall Greek priest, umbrella in hand, with his flowing black robes and his ample locks crowned by the quaint headdress of his creed —not unlike an inverted tall hat. Crowds of soldiers of course are there, khaki-clad English and Serbs, Frenchmen, prominent in their new blue uniforms, sage-coated Italians and Russians in their tightly-belted blouse tunics. Add to all this motley crowd swarms of partially clad children, whose never ceasing cry is “penny, Johnny,” and you have some idea of what a Saloniki crowd is like. Include the noise, smell and indescribable dirt and you have Saloniki complete. Familiar Traffic Officer. The roadway is packed with traffic, too. Slow moving bullock carts hold up the flying motor lorries and the horse and mule transport of the allies comes and goes in a never-ending stream. Leaving the English quay, we come to a large open space, the junction of four of the principal thoroughfares, and here the press is worse than ever. This is Piccadilly circus, for wherever the English soldier goes he dearly loves to christen places after familiar spots in the home country. It may be a communication trench or it may be a road or street, it is all one to him and a name it has. In the middle of all this is a tall khaki-clad military policeman. With a wave of his arm he holds up the stream of traffic to allow our column to pass. There is something very familiar in that majestic action, it i»done so naturally, there is no shadow of doubt in his expression as to the signal being Instantly obeyed. Our Soldier policeman is in his element, his present job is not new, it is child’s play for him, this handling of a few lorries and a swarm of noisy . Orientals after the traffic in Piccadilly over the sea—or it may have been the Marble arch —for his name and number wiH be found in the roll of honor of the London police force. He has done a bit of soldiering since he left England and now he is once again the guardian of the public, a power to be reckoned with. wle gladly received him as an old friend, a link with home, and later we appreciate his full worth when, as a wanderer on pass, we inquire the way to the Bank of Athens or the field cashier. His sphere of usefulness does not end there, for he it is who knows when and where the “busses” go, for the motor lorry is your only means of transport to and from the town. He has a paragraph all to himself here and he deserves it, for he is one of the happy recollections of a wanderer in the East.

On Duty Elsewhere.

An Irish soldier had just lost an eye in battle, but was allowed to continue in the service on consenting to have a glass eye in its place, says an English paper. One day, however, he appeared on parade without his artificial eye. Nolan,” said the officer, “you are not properly dressed. Why is your artificial eye not in its place?’ “Sure,” replied Nolan, “I left it in me box to keep an eye on me kit while :‘in on parade.”—Youth’s Companion.

HOME TOWN HELPS

DEVOTE STUDY TO GARDEN Properly Planted Land of Value Both to the Owner and to the Community. It is a wise course to. plan food production in a systematic way so that the garden will give satisfactory results. Study methods of cultivation on all products. When buying onion sets, for example, see if there are not other food crops which are better procured in a state of growth than in seeds. All gardens need horseradish and rhubarb, which are best started from roots, and these can be bought from almost any dealer. Rhubarb will thrive in any odd bit of ground. It will be ready for use the second, year. It is a valuable crop as well as being bardy and prolific. Horseradish also is commonly grown from roots or sets and not from seed. Some claim they have the best success growing it aftef the early cabbage, beets, etc. The crop is dug in the fall, the small roots being removed and cut into sets four to six inches long. The top end is cut square and the bottom slanting so there will be no mistake in planting. These are tied in bundles and kept over winter in sand. When planting, time comes small holes are made with a light crowbar or long stick and the sets dropped in and covered two or three Inches deep so.that they do not come up until midsummer. Any deep, rich, well-drained soil will answer for horseradish.

HINT FOR LATE GARDENER

How Loss of Seedling Plants Through "Damping Off” May Be Avoided With Little Trouble. Many millions of seedling plants are lost annually by what is generally termed “damping off.” It may be observed In the sudden collapse of the little plants at the neck or ground Idvel, and usually occurs while the seedlWfes are still in the seed pan, though it also may happen even after they have been transplanted. It is due to the work of a minute fungus, and brought about by excessive moisture in the soil or. atmosphere, a condition the fuhgus quickly takes ■ advantage of to get in its deadly work. To prevent such conditions, th® soil must be sufficiently porous so that water will soak inco it quickly. Water is given only when needful, and so early in the day that the foliage of all tender seedlings will be thoroughly dry before night; ventilation to keep the air pure also will tend to ward off disease. “Damping off” also may be checked by placing a thin layer of sharp sand over the,,surface of the soil, or a light dusting of flowers of sulphur also may combat the evil. Guard against sowing seed too thickly, for, should the majority germinate, the seedlings will be so close 1 to one another that' they will not dry out readily.—Country Gentleman.

Old Plea for Gardens.

“Plantations have one advantage in them which is not to be found in most other works, as they give a pleasure of a more lasting date, and continually -Improve in the eye. of the planter. When you have finished a building, or any other undertaking of the like nature, it immediately decays upon your hands; you see it brought to the utmost point of perfection, and from that time hastening to its ruin. On the contrary, when you have finished your plantations they are still arriving at greater degrees of perfection as long as you live and appear more delightful in every succeeding year than they did in the foregoing. But I do not only recommend this art to men of estates as a pleasing amusement, but as it is a kind of virtuous employment, and may, therefore, be inculcated by moral motives; particularly from the love which we ought to have for our country, and the regard which we ought to bear to our posterity.” The. extract is from an essay by Joseph Addison, which appeared in the London Spectator August 29, 1714. England did about as Addison suggested, with the result that English gardens are noted the world over, and Englishmen are better for them.

Not True to Type.

“Smell anything, grandmother?’ asked the youngster who was lying on the floor drawing. Grandmother assured him she did not The young artist gave a few finishing touches and repeated his question. Grandmother sniffed the air and again declared she smelled nothing. “Well,” said the boy, “you ought to. I have just drawed a skunk!”

Only Real Test of Garden.

After all, the true test of a garden is its actual beauty, and if this quality is not there in fullness and sufficiency the garden is largely a failure, no matter what “ideals” are attained.

Art and Nature In Garden.

Art in garden is in reality but fidelity to nature, yet? both the mind and the hand of man must place their marks on the place»or we should have- but one uninteresting bit of the wilds.