Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 283, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1918 — Page 3

TALES FROM BIG CITIES

War “Block Parties” All the Rage in Gotham n ECENTLY there has swept through the city of New York and across the K river interßrooklyn and down along the neighboring towns of Long Island a kind of wartime entertainment called a block party. A block party Is one

where the neighbors, especially the people belonging to that particular street which is to hold the festivity, give a party along a specified block in their Immediate vicinity. The street Is roped off for the entertainment Usually there is a procession first; sometimes - persons dressed to impersonate leaders for liberty ride truck horses. These truck horses are gayly decorated, and if skillfully ridden and Judiciously stirred up with a spur present quite a

creditable Imitation of war chargers bent on carrying death and destruction to the enemy. , ' ' The big event of a block party is the raising of a service flag, while the the band plays “Over There” and the crowd cheers. But though this Is the main event of the evening, “The Star-Spangled Banner” is played first while the flag is raised and the people stand at attention. Then follow the national anthems of the allied powers while their flags are raised to wave over the street. The block is gayly decorated with bunting of all colors, with little flags of all the allies, with colored lights and lanterns and streamers of ribbons. After the cererijOny of the raising of the flags is over a dance takes place. The couples dance in the center of the street, for which they are charged a small sum, and this money is contributed to various wartime activities, such US the smoke fund for 'the boys abroad, the Red Cross and the Y. M. C. A. The expense? There is not much expense. People contribute pretty liberally to these war block parties in the way of work and material. The actual money expense is paid from the receipts from the dancers. The various war activities get pretty much all of the money taken in. This new sort of party is considered a good'thlng by those who study the signs of the times. Of course, it is evident that they arouse and, foster patriotism, which in itself is well worth while. It is likely, however, that the effects are far-teaching in many directions. They probably bring the people of the neighborhood closely together and make real neighbors of them. It Is a standing reproach to the great city that one man knows nothing about the other man, even though he live next door, and has no interest in his affairs. War block parties should change all this. ”

“Water Everywhere and Not a Dropto Drink” DETROIT.— -The Wayne county house at Eloise reports a great decrease in the number of wayfarers. Travelers still stop at Eloise, dead broke and footsore, to ask for a night’s lodging, but the professional tramp has ceased

decline in the affectlonsof these visitors. Whep the county board decreed that every wanderer applying for food and a bed must take a birth, Eldise became a place to be shunned. Prohibition still further thinned the ranks. The only thing your simonpure tramp objects to more than water taken externally is water taken internally. The “work or fight” ruling has completed the work begun by the other agencies. In 1916 there were morethan 1,700 wayfarers taken care of at Eloise, but the average now is not more than 12 a month. “It Is not only the tramps who have forsaken us,” says J. J. Marker, superintendent. “We have very few cases of alcoholism. We used to have a good many of these as regular visitors. One man had been received here 54 times.” For the first time in some years the yearly report of the Wayne county house shows a balance Instead of a deficit, despite the fact that the dally cost of supporting each-inmate has increased from 54 to 71 cents within the year. ■ The total cost of maintenance in 1917 was almost $36,000 more than In 1816. f

“Anguish /Squad” Thinks Sherman Hit It Right HOUSTQJfA-Orders were Issued recently from division headquarters that all-officers of. the Fifteenth division would be required to devote two hdursa day to equitation or the practice of horsemanship. To many of the officers this order involved no little - .

anguish of body and mind. Horsemanship is, like ancient Gaul, divided into three parts: The horse, the saddle and the rider. In the first division, the horse, many factors, certain and uncertain, reside. If the mount has reached the age of discretion through yearg of experience and much service the third factor, the rider, passes through the varying stages of the ordeal with comparatively few misadventures. If,

however, the horse proves to lack in Judgment and reasonable discretion, the Initial stages of acquiring skill in horsemanship combine all the features of a popular definition of war. Officers of the Eightieth Infantry are now regularly devoting at least two hours each day to the development of the latent powers or abilities of equestrianism, which military regulations assume lie more or less dormant in each of the commissioned officers of the Fifteenth division. Each day the “anguish squad” sets forth upon its parade. Promptly to the minute at the expiration of the two-hour period the more or less subdued rider releases his mount into the custody of his orderly and retires to his quarters for witch hazel and other soothing external applications. It has been observed that officers of the various organizations of the Fifteenth division'now stand in preference to sitting down.

Purple Silk Umbrellas Are Scarce in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE.— It is the small things of life which frequently make or break the careers of people, and the fact that Mrs. Helen Pearson, a maid in the employ of H. EL Franke, 226 Thirteenth street, president of the

Guenther while riding up. Grand avenue In their automobile saw Mrs. Pearson with her suitcases and the umbrella, said to belong to Miss Franke. The women drove to the Franke home and found the entire house ransacked and the jewelry missing. They notified the police, who arrested Mrs, Pearson, According to Mr. Franke, the woman had been in his employ two weeks. He said that she didn’t produce any references, but stated that her husband had died recently and that her son, her only support, was fighting “over that* M ' were.

to be. Weary Willie with his tomato can and coat of many patches no longer trudges the highway or broils his pilfered chicken over an open fire in the corner of some pasture land. A few years ago as many as 80 a day have stopped at Eloise for supper and a night’s lodging. Often they returned every week after a circuit of the neighboring towns. Clean water has frightened the tramps away. Water, to bathe in and water to drink explain Eloise’s rapid

Franke Grain company, was seen, walking toward a railroad depot with a purple silk umbrella, resulted in the discovery of a jewelry theft at the Franke home and the arrest of Mrs. Pearson at Evanston, Di." Mrs. Pearson, who is forty-seven years old, and whose home id in Chicago, was returned to Milwaukee and locked up in central police station in connection with the robbery of jewels valued at 11,500. Miss Gertrude Franke and Mrs. L

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN. RENSSELAER. IND.

NOT DRAMA BUT THE REAL THING

Mons—The open warfare which was conducted by the allied forces in Flandefk over long stretches of inhabited territory along the northern battlefront produced strange situations which were a far reach from the trench fighting, which marked the greater part of the war. The correspondent was motoring along the highway leading to the recently freed city of Denain when a French officer beside the road asked 'for a ride. As soon as the car started he leaned out and began to inspect the surroundings eagerly. Occasionally he would wave to civilians and shopt greetings. Asked if he lived in the vicinity, the officer said that his home was in Denain, where four years ago he left his wife to join the colors. Just after his departure his first child, a daughter, was born. Then came the German occupation, cutting off his loved ones. Now he was going back after .these long years to his wife and the baby he had never seen. He was visibly wrought up to the highest pitch, as well he might be. It was quite possible he might find his family dead or gone and his home in ruins. '• Entering the city the officer directed the correspondent toward his home, through streets showing the cruel marks of the invaders’ hate. Turning into his street, the first house was in ' ruins. He gave a nervous start, but said nothing. A few doors farther on was 'his home, and the car stopped across the street from it The officer climbed out slowly and with an effort, his eyes fixed on the place. Afraid of Her Father. There were no signs of life. . The windows were -shuttered and on the door was a sign showing that German officers had been living there. Crossing the street,' the officer pulled the bell with shaking hand. No one answered. He backed away like a man in a trance and leafled against the car, trembling. Suddenly the door opened and an aged woman servant appeared in answer to the bell. She was leading by the hand a beautiful baby girl with a wealth of golden curls. The officer took one step toward the child and then halted. He was a stranger to his own flesh and blood. The child hid behind the skirts of the nurse, peering out in fright. Un*

LIKE A THUNDERCLAP OUT OF A CLEAR SKY

Dixon, Hl.—Things happened pretty quickly for Harry L Miller, an Amboy farmer, after he was alleged to have said: “I will shoot anyone who comes on my farm to sell me a bond in this Liberty loan'drlve.” He was called before the local exemption board, given a lecture, compelled to subscribe his quota of bpnds, S2OO, examined by the exemption board physician, passed and ordered to report for service in thg next call.

ONE OF THE YANKEE TROUBLE-MAKERS IN ALSACE

Americans in Alsace picking off Boches a 37-milli meter gun on the parapet of a second-line trench. These guns are known among the Yankee infantrymen as the "trouble-makers.” •

YANK IS A “HIGH-BROW”

Paris. —"To get a good idea of the high intelligence of the average American soldier, one should have a job of censoring letters,” said an American officer, who had just been released from a front hospital where both privates and officers were cared for. “While recovering from my wound ” he continued, "I used to pass away the time acting as temporary censor for the wounded, and also for part of the hospital personnel. “And the letters that those chaps wrote were wonderful. Especially the letters to their mothers. They were diplomatic, that’s all. Most of the letters the wounded wrote, would start off with some commonplace eminent on the weather or the war and then the writer would casually mention that he had been wounded. But the next sentence invariably would be something like this: “TJon’t worry a bit, mother, about roe. Pm getting along fine; it’s only a slight wound and Pm getting fat on

doubtedly her mother had told h<*r .many times during the Boche occupation that men in uniform were bad and that she must avoid them. The horizon blue uniform of France meant nothing to this tot The hitlfbliml eyes of the old nurse had recognized her master, and she held out her hands to him, repeating, “Monsieur! Monsieur 1” in ecstasy. He crossed the road and grasped her hands, but the baby drew back stilt farther. A door opened at the end of a long hall and a comely young matron came through to see what was going on. When half way down, the hall she caught sight of her husband. She stopped, her hand flew to her breast, and she swayed for a second as though about *to fall. With a sobbing cry of joy she hurled herself into his arms.

FEAR ENEMY POISON PLOT

Booklets “Made In Germany” Cause War Scare In Public School at Oyster Bay. Oyster Bay, L. I.—The discovery that they were “made in Germany” caused B. E. Whittaker, prinlcpal of the public school, to order pupils to throw away booklets which had been given to them by a stranger. Samples are to be analyzed, as It is believed the booklets may secrete germs of diseases Several days ago a stranger came here and gave the to many school boys and girls. He said the booklets had pictures of prominent men which would appear by rubbing the scrapings of a pencil on a page with tfiOrfinger. Mr.-Whittaker got one of them, and discovered on the last page the words,

French Afraid of Ice Cream

Paris.—lce cream is a new dish to the Inhabitants of France. Some of the big city dwellers may have had a passing acquaintance with it, but the rural folk and those in the villages saw their first ice cream made in the American army camps. Many of the permanent American camps in .the service of supplies have "made ice cream a regular feature, the regimental canteens turning out the frozen delicacy for several hundred men. ; The introduction of ice cream to the French peasant children has been productive of much amusement to the American troops. The youngsters think it is hot One of the men of an engineer regiment took a mess kit full of ice emm to a French farmhouse. One of the small boys took a big teaspoonful. A look of pained amazement came over his face, and, emptying his mouth of the frozen cream, he ran screaming to the protection of his mother’s skirts crying: “Chaud! Chaud!” (Hot! Hot!) The other children who had watched rather horror-strlckeh the fate of the first became convinced that , the ice

hospital food. Everyone treats me great, the nurses and the. doctors are fine, and PH be out in a jiffy.’ “Another thing that struck me about those letters was that almost all of them were correct grammatically. Several times the writers would speak of books they were reading. PIT confess I have never read such deep matters as they were taking up. “And patriotism had jts part in every letter, always a line about the war ending with the Americans on top. They were ail going to Berlin, and going as conquerors, too—those chaps.”

CHAPLAIN DIES OF WOUNDS

Fatally Injured While Going to Rescue of Two Men Who Had Been Gassed. Pittsburgh, Pa.—Rev. M. Witeon Keith, chaplain of the One Hundred -and Eleventh infantry, died in France

CARING FOR WOUNDED

Mrs. Hammond, an American Red Cross worker, is shewn serving water to badly wounded British Tommies, who are ■waiting to be taken to Hospitals. . • .

“Made in. Germany.” He collected ns many of the books as he could and instructed pupils to throw the otners away. J “I have sent these books to New York for analysis,” said Mr. Whittaker. “The children to get the pictures of President Wilson ahd Mr. Roosevelt had to rub tlieir fingers over the page of the book. Naturally, the children afterwards put their fingers in their mouths, and as there is much illness among pupils here I decided to send the booklets for examination.”

' Icream was some sort of a white fire and they would have nothing to do with it. The mother had to eat virtually all of the cream in order to induce them that it was cold rather than hot and that when not taken too fast was good to eat. Eventually, the children ate the last of the dish. But they partook of it gingerly, evidently greatly mystified that anything which first seemed hot then cold could be good to eat. But in time the kids got to liking ice-cream and they became as great a nuisance around the camps asking for ice cream as they had been before in seeking chewing gum.

OFFERS TURKEY FOR COAL

Mining Manager Plans Christmas Dinner for Working Force Making Largest Output Greensburg, Pa. —A big Christmas dinner is the prize offered by James 8. Amend, district coal manager here for the working force that produces the largest amount of coal for the month of November. There are 200 mining camps in this district.

of wounds received while he was rescuing two of his “boys,” according to letters received here. The action in which the clergyman received his death wounds wasaf ter the repulse of a German attack. According to his custom Reverend Keith was in the trench distributing chocolate and cigarettes. When the soldiers leaped out to attack the Germans difficulty was experienced in keeping the chaplain from going along. Two of the boys did not come back, after the Huns had been repulsed. Gas had left them helpless in “No Man’s Lapd.” When volunteers went dot for them the chaplain went along. It was while engaged in this work that he was wounded

Is She Champion Knitter?

glfyeland, O.—Mr* C. L. Newell, eighty years old, is the champion knitter of Cleveland. Although she is decidedly past the age when most women do much knitting, Mrs. Newell has set a mark of 175 pairs of soldiers* socks and ten soldiers’ helmets in the last twelve month* She has no sear relatives in the war.

THE LITTLE HELP

By MILDRED E. SWENSON.

(Copyright, 191 s, bv McClure rsewsoaper Syndicate.)

Both glanced up from tne rasmou paper she had been perusing to where her mother, sat sewing. She was niitkIng a dress for Beth, of course--but with all due regard to a style that would last, for their dresses had to io them for a Jong time. Beth, sighed. “Mother,” she said, “wouldn’t you be just tickled to pieces to wake up some morning and find that you could go out and get a dress already made in :hc latest fashion, without regard to whether it would wear well or not?” "Yes, dear,” she said, “but you know that would be impossible now.” “I know it, mother,” said Beth, with a sigh, “but, goodness me, I do hope that it won’t be like this forever! There, mother, forget that; I’m a little pig to care about it at all!” But her mother didn’t forget. She knew how hard it was for her daughter to go without the pretty things that she had been accustomed to have. You see, Mr. Marvin had heard his country’s call a short time before and had gone to join the.colors, leaving his wife and sixteen-year-old daughter to get along on the amount he had In the bank, after many years of saving. It was a small amount, too, but laqge enough to keep his wife and daughter in comparative comfort until he should return, but. without the luxuries of life.

No one knew when the fight for humanity would be ended, and until it was, Mr. Marvin, now Captain Marvin, would stay in France. But the little family he had left were proud of the husband and father who was over the soa, fighting that they might be free, and didn’t rCajly. rolod conserving a little, that he might have the necessities. At the luncheon table next noon Beth outlined a proposition. It startled her mother and made her realize that her little girl was growing up fast. This was what Beth had suggested: She was young and strong, and they needed girls to do farm work for the summer; so why couldn’t she go? May Jones was going to a farm in Stoneville, and she wasn’t half as strong as Beth was, etc.; but what would Mrs. Marvin do with her only daughter away from her for the summer? Beth had that all thought out, too. Uncle Jim, father’s brother, had a farm up-state a ways ahd would be sure to hire help for the summer. Why couldn’t Beth be one of that “help?” Mother could go up for a visit. Finally Mrs. Marvin decided to give Beth’s plan a chance, and wrote the letter to Uncle Jim. Then, a few days later, came .an answer. Why, of course, they could come, and he would be more than glad to do what he could for his brother’s wife and child. So, a week later, Mrs. Marvin and Beth were on their way to the farm. Early in the fall they came back home after their long summer in the country—Beth tanned and tir ed, but happy, and Mrs. Marvin satisfied that the summer had been spent to the best advantage. And when she looked into Beth’s smiling face she was more than glad that she had consented to her plan to earn extra money, and she thought how many pretty things that same money would buy for her little girl.

Therefore, she was greatly surprised, one day a short time later, when she suggested that they go doupi town and do some shopping, with the money Beth had earned, to have Beth say, “No, mother, we won’t do any shopping, I’m afraid,” and then mother looked at her in amazement: “No, mother, not now. I —l hope you ■ won’t mind, but, well, mother. I’ve ’ sent all that money to dad!” “ Sent it to dad!” cried Mrs. Marvin, “why, how could you, Beth? The money that meant so much —!” “There, ft’s all right, mother”, said Beth. “I just couldn’t tell /you, you see. I thought maybe you might object simply because little selfish me thought she wanted pretty things, and so I did it before you could know anything aWout it, and have time to stop me. You remember that last letter we had from dad, where he spoke of those boys in his company who had no real homes or friends? And he said, too, that they were lonesoaw ‘over there,’ and that if they only had something to cheer them up, a phonograph, perhaps—a cheap one, of course —it might help a lot. But It seemed almost Impossible to raise the money for it. Every one had chipped In and was looking forward to the time when there would be enough, but —well, you know how long It would take to get enough for that phonograph. So I knew that my little bit would help enough! Oh, Ido hope it did! And you don’t mind, do you. mother? You see how it waaF«*’fe£| Mind? Of course, Mrs. Marvin didn’t mind. She-simply gathered her little daughter into her arms and kissed her. As far the boys “over there,” they did get their phonograph and blessed the girl who had gone without the pretty things that were so attractive to her. that they, a few unknown soldiers who had thought no one caredJ for them, might have a little pleasure. But it was not the glorious deed they pictured it to be, although it was one of the little things that count—jusf one of the things that the people ail over this broad land are doing today, that these soldiers of ours may be kept happy and cheerful, so that itmay be easier for them to win the Sght.