Indianapolis Times, Volume 40, Number 181, Indianapolis, Marion County, 19 December 1928 — Page 13
Second Section
IT SEEMS TOME u tt By HEYWOOD BROUN
Ideas and opinions expressed in this column are those of one of America’s most Interesting writers and are presented without regard to their agreement with the editorial attitude of this paper. The Editor.
A LITTLE while ago I said that William McFee was the friend of columnists. And this I felt because I’ve found that it was always possible to wangle a long contribution from him by the simple expedient of saying something about
Conrad, particularly something derogatory. The last time I tried this nothing happened. I ex pres s e and the opinion that the women in McFee’s own novels were more vivid than any created by the dead master. Several correspondents came to Conrad’s rescue, and one wrote at suffi-
cient length to fill half a column. McFee was silent. By now all is forgiven, for it seems that he was out of town, and at the earliest opportunty he wrote to me. tt a From William McFee “t AM sorry I have fallen down Xon the job this time,” he apologizes. “I have been sick and then away in Baltimore, and then sick again, and I did not see your article of the early part of the month. Even now it has come to me by way of the Toledo News-Bee of Dec. 3, and I saw Harry Hitchcock’s letter in rebuttal in the Telegram before that. “Indeed it was Hitchcock’s indignant tirade which made me send for your article. I agreed with him in toto, but I had to find out just what you had said about Conrad before I could turn and rend you. “Hitchcock is right in his contention that there is something about Conrad that is simply human greatness I don’t pretend to define it more closely. I know I felt the same in the company of Muirhead Bone, the etcher. “I feel that the afternoon Muirhead Bone took me round the Oxford colleges last August, putting me in just the right corner to get the full glory of some vista he has gloated on for years, telling me in a few words the beginnings of this, that or the other college, was a complete education in genuine culture in itself. And in the same way, when I read Conrad I am lifted to higher plane of human life. “I speak with a certain amount of energy on this subject of Conrad, because I have just spent the summer in England with a family of writers who cannot bear Conrad at all. They have a positive dislike of his methods and philosophy. “Os course, Hitchcock will not expect me to feel a great pleasure to hear that he can not remember any of my women. That may not be my fault. Some men never can remember women anyhow. “But I do feel that he is unusual when he reports Conrad’s v.omen as being so much clearer to him than the men. I do feel that Dona Rita, to take only one, is not a success because of Conrad’s insuperable reluctance to tell us the whole story. I have had to leave re-reading of ‘Arrow of Gold’ because as a novelist I felt that Conrad was muffing the story. It was too near to himself I think. Something happened to that young Polish sailor in Marseilles. Conrad was living romance then and in his endeavor to get it over into the book entire he failed. This is my view and I don’t suppose anybody will say I have a prejudice against Conrad. “Nobody likes to feel that he doesn’t ' know anything about women and can not depict them in his books. I suppose this is masculine pride. For myself I have long known that any knowledge I may have is purely theoretical, it is some years since my wife put the whole matter in a nutshell. She said, dropping a copy of ‘Command’ in the newspaper basket and lighting a cigaret, ‘you write ze books, but you know noshing about ze women.” tt tt Denying an Accusation M’FEE along with many others, does me a signal injustice when he expresses himself with ardor in a belief and then add-., “perhaps you can make fun of it.' 1 It is not in me to scoff at things which men hold dear. Possibly an exception should be made in the case of hell-fire preachers, but even then such ridicule as I can invent is not intended for levity. I am just as much in earnest as they, though on the other side. Certainly the conductor of this column is not a cynic. I would like it fine. The barrier is lack of capacity and not the need of inclination. j So frequent is the phrase “cheap cynicism” that people have come to confuse the more recent word “wisecracker” with an ancient and honorable attitude. It is not just to assume that every one who scoffs at the opinions of his day is shallow or mean spirited. There was more humanity in the cynicism of Anatole France than in all the cheer-up stuff by the Cadmans, Cranes and Harold Bell Wrights. One can love mankind and still be cynical about human pretensions and the smoke screens behind which mortals live. I’m not cynical, simply because I’m not good enough. A cool and detached point of view is necessary and I don’t possess it. 4 (Copyright, 1928, lor The Times)
at Postoffice. Indianapolis. Entered As Second-Class Matto:
PRE-YULETIDE JOY IS GIVEN CITYWREN Fifty Are Honored Guests of Kiwanis Club at Turkey Dinner. OPTIMISTS TO BE HOSTS Lodges Plan Parties for Members: Grotto Fete on Thursday. Indianapolis today was deep in the whirl of pre-Christmas activities. Downtown streets and stores were crowded with shoppers. Santa Claus was the principal subject of conversation in the majority of homes, and clubs, church, and civic organizations held or planned their Christmas parties. Four hundred children from the city’s orphans homes will be guest.; at the Optimists’ Club sixth annual party at the Claypool, Friday. A turkey dinner will be served and each child will be given a gift by Santa Claus, impersonated by Lucien W. Lewis. The children will be taken to and from the party in special street cars and busses provided by the Indianapolis Street Railway Company. The Kiwanis Club held its annual Yule party today at the Claypool. Fifty “under-privileged” children were guests at a turkey dinner and received gifts. Special holiday entertainment was provided. Grotto to Give Fete The Sahara Grotto will give Its annual fete for children of the Indianapolis Orphans’ Home, at the home, 4107 East Washington street, Thursday night. The Grotto will have its annual Yuletide dance Saturday night at the Claypool. Annual Christmas dance at the Elks clubhouse will be held Saturday night. Santa Claus will be the master of ceremonies and provide gifts for women guests. Mystic Tie lodge, F. X A. M„ will have its annual party at 8 p. m Saturday at the Masonic tempi s, North Illinois street. Shambah temple, No. 139, D. O. K. K„ will give a Christmas party for members and their families, especially children, at 8 p. m. Friday at Castle hall, 230 East Ohio street. The South Side Turners will have a party in their hall at 8 p. m. Friday. A program of musical and dance numbers and an exhibition by the organization’s gymnasti: team will be given. W. C. T. U. Plans Social Members of the Mary Balch W. C. T. U. will be guests at a Christmas social Saturday night at the home of Mrs. George H. Long, 3829 Winthrop avenue. A play, “Christmas Phantasies,” will be given b> the expression classes of St. Philip Neri scholo in the school auditorium, Rural and North streets, at 8 p. m. Friday. Members of the Women’s Bible class of the Central Christian church were guests at a holiday party Tuesday afternoon at the home of Mrs. A. B. Chapman, 2447 North Delaware street. Friendly Society of Christ Episcopal church held its party Tuesday night in the church parish house. Shortridge high school ParentTeacher association held a Christmas musical festival in the new Caleb Mills hall Tuesday night. The musical program was provided by the school music department. All city clubs will observe Christmas day by serving special dinners in their dining rooms for members who do not desire to eat at home The Athenaeum will serve a special holiday dinner from 12 to 2 and 6 to 8 p. m. Churches to Hold Service A number of churches of the city held special Christmas musical services last Sunday, but the majority will have their special observances this week. Children of members of Murat Shrine will be given their annual Christmas treat at Murat temple Friday afternoon from 3 to 5 p. m A program of vaudeville numbers especially arranged for children will be given. This will be followed by the Christmas treat, in which Santa Claus, in person, will participate, according to announcements. The Caravan Club, luncheon booster club of Murat temple, will turn its regular Thursday luncheon into a Christmas party for member:; this week. Potentate William H. Boclcstahlcr will hold the annual New Year’s open house for Shrine members and their wives on New Year’s day from 2 to 5 p. m. The annual Indianapolis Teachers’ college Christmas vesper service, scheduled at the school Tuesday night, was postponed until Jan. 4 school for Christmas vacation.
USE OF HOLLY AND Ml STLETOE AT YULE DATES BACK TO HEATHEN DAYS
By Science Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 19. Christmas means many things in many places, but in almost every land where it is celebrated at all, Christmas means at least one thing—holly. Holly was part of the Yuletide feast even in the days when Yule was not Christmas. For the people of Europe celebrated a midwinter feast which they called Yule even while they still were heathens, and they used holly and mistletoe at Ithis feast. When they became Christians and began to observe th</ feast of
The Indianapolis Times
City Dons Festive Garb for Christmas Holidays
„ . . r: Indianapolis in Christ’ buildings, clubs, streets homes will don the festive .fir- 'imm? fMW'WW A • / A S'* '/ which looks like a gigantic 'jjjj Q ,*, •- i- W c 'Y " v XH \ ■Br M Hn -
WOMAN DIES ON ICYMOUNTAIN Man Companion Is Saved From Freezing. By United Press GRENOBLE, France, Dec. 19.--Jean Duboin, a journalist of Lyons, was resoued Tuesday from a snowswept peak on the “Casque of Nero” (Nero’s Helmet) after a gruelling battle against snow and wind in a futile attempt to save the life of his woman companion Mademoiselle Renaux was froze*; to death before rescue parties reached the stranded pair. Duboin was dragged to safety from an icy slab of rock where he had clung to a rope for hours until his rescuers could scale the peax to his position. The rescue party, which went out to search for the couple after they failed to return from a climbing expedition Sunday, stumbled upon the body of the woman high on the frozen peak. The body was wrapped in Duboin’s coat for protection against the terrific cold and blinding snow. Meanwhile, Duboin had started out —coatless—to risk his life in an attempt to bring aid. In his effort; to find his way down the step peak, the journalist was caught on a balanced rock at a dizzy height. The rope he was using in scaling the peak caught in a crevice and he was stranded on the rock. TALKS AT I. C. CHAPEL Y. M. C. A. Student Secretary Preaches at Exercises. “Buying Up Every Moment” was the subject of J. H. Ehlers, student secretary of the Indianapolis Y. M. C. A. at chapel exercises Tuesday at Indiana Central college. A short farewell talk was made by Dr. H. W. Marshall, head of the education department, whose resignation becomes effective Jan. 1, after sixteen years at the school. Dr. Marshall will become head of the New Mexico State Normal school’s psychology department. Man, 84, Hurt by Auto By United Pres MARION, Ind., Dec. 19.—Richard Johnson, 84, prominent landowner and one of the best known men in this section, was struck by an automobile and seriously injured here today.
Christmas they kept the holly and the mistletoe with it. The old feast of Yule used to be celebrated at about the same time we hive Christmas. To our heathen ancestors this day, about a week after the longest night in the year, was a time of rejoicing, because the days had begun to get longer, and the sun did not seem to be so far away. So they searched among the dead and empty forests for the trees and bushes that showed some signs of life, and the little holly tree, with its bright green leaves and still brighter red ber-
INDIANAPOLIS, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 19, 1928
POISONER OF BABY GETS NEW CHANCE
Mother Who Tried to Kill Family, tor Fear of Starvation, Freed. By United Press CLEVELAND. 0., Dec. 19.—An apparently hopeless fight against grinding poverty, climaxed by a question as to whether Santa Claus would forget again this year to visit her little home, led Mrs. Anna Kempf several weeks ago to try to poison herself and her three small children. With almost the last of her money, the mother bought a cardboard container of ice cream and a package of rat poison. She mixed them, and the family sat down to what the children greeted as a treat, but what she thought would be the end of their earthly troubles, at least. One baby girl died. The others, though made seriously ill, recovered. Mrs. Kempf was tried for first degree murder at once, there being no romance or drama in the case and no reason for delay. The jury disagreed. A second trial followed Tuesday, distracted, hardly caring what happened to her, Mrs. Kempf decided not to fight, and through her attorneys offered to plead guilty to manslaughter. The plea was accepted and Judge Roscoe Hornbeck sentenced her to a reformatory then he changed his mind. “No jury would have convicted this mother,” he said. “I shall place her or. probation.” Mrs. Kempf was freed, to start over again her fight to feed the two remaining children, and to remember in her moments of rest how the third one died. WINS IN UNUSUAL SUIT Vincennes Man Hurt by Own Car— Awarded $4,500 Judgment. Bit Time * Special VINCENNES, Ind., Dec. 19.—C. O. Miller, garage proprietor, holds a judgment for $4,500 for injuries suffered when he was run over by his own wrecker car. The wrecker was struck by a taxi • cab as Miller stood in front of it hurling his own machine against him. He won a $4,500 verdict against the Yellow company in a suit for SIO,OOO.
ries, was one of the chief things they brought back to make their houses more cheerful. And the wise missionaries who made Christians of them saw that this custom, though heathen, was harmless, and they did not tel 1 the people to stop it. And they have not stopped, even to this day. Everybody knows about the romantic side of mistletoe. For years its story has been part of the standard literature presented to the public during the holiday season: how this myste-
Sweet Home! By United Press COESSE, Ind., Dec. 19.—For the third consecutive year, Alexander Miller has obtained a supply of honey from beneath the siding of his home. This year bees stored 150 pounds, more than half of which was of high grade.
SEARCH ACT UPHELD Judge Rules on New Wrinkle in Seizure Law. Anew ruling of the supreme court upon the search and seizure laws was invoked Monday by Municipal Judge C. R. Cameron in a liquor case. Huley Pinkston, Negro, 330 West Sixteenth street, and three customers, tried to avoid conviction on gambling and liquor charges on the ground that Sergeant Michael Morrisey and squad had no search warrant. 1 Judge Cameron held Morrisey did not need a search warrant. He said the supreme court has ruled that when an officer in a public place, observes a law violation in an adjoining place, even though private, he can lawfully enter. Pinkston was fined $25 and cost and his customers $1 and costs each. GIVE REALTORS CHANCE Home Building Commissions to Be Offered at C. of C. Luncheon. Local realtors will have an opportunity to make actual business commissions at the Indianapolis Real Estate Board luncheon, at the Chamber of Commerce, Thursday noon. Members of the Indianapolis Home Builders Association will offer for sale on a commission basis some of their recent home-building Jobs. Fred L. Palmer, president of the association, will preside. The business program will be in' charge of Everett J. Holloway. Other speakers on the program will be E. L. Cothrell, William L. Bridges and Walter M. Evans.
rious plant, whose leaves remained green when the whole forest was bare, growing on the oak and yet not of it, was an object of veneration among the Druids of old; how the Celtic maidens went forth at the winter solstice to gather it with golden sickles: how like other pagan customs it survived into Christmas usage, being left with us as a first aid to the bashful and a peril to determined bachelors. Science, however, has robbed the plant of much of the glamour that attaches to mystery. What the mistletoe is, its relation to the i
Indianapolis in Christmas costume! Stores, office buildings, clubs, streets ablaze with red, green and silver decorations. Soon homes will don the festive decorations. Above—Columbia Qlub, which looks like a gigantic Christmas card. Center—Circle theater. Below—lndiana theater with its grove of silvered Christmas trees. Lest —One of the huge trees the city park department placed on each segment of the Circle. \
OLDEST MAN TO BE QUEST GOAL Roy Chapman Andrews to Return to Mongolia. Bu United Press BELOIT, Wis., Dec. 19.—Search for the “oldest man” will take Roy Chapman Andrews back into the lonely places of scarcely explored sections of Mongolia next March for an intensive study expected to yield scientific facts. Dr. Andrews, who was awarded an honorary degree of doctor of science from Beloit college, his alma mater, last night, for his explorations in the Gobi desert, discussed both his forthcoming expedition and the one he and his party just completed. He and his associates of the Asiatic expedition of the American Museum of Natural History, expect to find in Mongolia the predecessor of the Java man, the closest relation of the so-called "missing link” known to science. This forerunner of the Java man will be sought in a treasure trovo of Pliocene fossils estimated from one million to six million years old, in eastern Mongolia. “The expedition just finished,” Dr. Andrews said, “was intended mainly to explore sections of Mongolia ’never visited before, in all we mapped 3,000 miles of virgin territory. We found many interesting fossil specimens of strange prehis toric animals, including the giant animal erroneously termed the ‘woolworth,’ weighing in the neighborhood of ‘thirty tons; a titanhose, with battering ram nose; and a mastodon with shovel-like beak, that used to feed in succulent forests millions of years ago.” i Mrs. Hannah Bradbury Celebrated Birthday Less Than Month Ago. By Times Special GREENS FORK, Ind., Dec. 19. Mrs. Hannah Bradbury, 100, is dead here, less than a month after celebrating her one hundredth birthday. More than 200 persons took part in the celebration. Heart disease caused death of Mrs. Bradbury. She was a native of Wayne county and had lived here eighty years. She was a Sunday school teacher at 15 and was one of the first W. C. T. U. workers in Wayne county.
trees it lives on, how it gets there (another thing unknown to the Druids), are all set down, in a perfectly throbless fashion, in the botany books. Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant, which gets its living by sending its root-like suckers into the tissues of other plants and stealing their sap. It is not completely parasitic, because it has green leaves and thus is able to manufacture part of its own food, but for water and probably for other parts of its nourishment it must depend upon the tree that is its unwilling host.
Second Section
Pull Leased Wire SerTlce ol the United Press Association.
EARLY DECISION PROMISED ON PROCEDURE OF CITY IN TAKING OYER GAS COMPANY Holtzman to Hold Conferences With Slack on Different Proposals Before Final Action Is Taken. MATTER IS DISCUSSED AT LUNCHEON $50,000 Available for Special Counsel to Represent Municipality in Any Legal Proceedings. Assurance of an early decision as to the city's procedure in taking over control of the Citizens Gas Company as originally provided in the 1905 franchise granted the utility was given today by City Corporation Counsel John W. lloltzman. Holtzman, mayor in 1905 when the twenty-five-year agreement was entered into, will discuss various proposals with Mayor L, Ert Slack, preliminary to setting out the stand of the Slack administration to “save the gas company for Indianapolis.’’
Trustees of the utility, attorneys, city officials and civic leaders were unanimous in their opinion that the city and not stockholders, have claim to the property, at a discussion at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon Tuesday. Robert Lieber, a gas trustee, assured the group that? the board is friendly to the city’s cause and eager for conferences for the good of the public. Definite announcement of the Slack administration's plans are expected to be forthcoming as soon as legal technicalities are thrashed out. Holtzman is considering suggestions submitted to the city legal department on proper procedure. May Retain Special Counsel It is likely that special counsel to aid in the city’s fight will be retained. About $50,000 is available in the 1929 budget through the mayor’s contingency fund. Holtzman, William H. Thompson, attorney for gas trustees, and the chamber legal affairs committee, headed by James W. Noel, will confer on legislation deemed wise to protect the citizens’ interest. Early action on proposed legislation, so the general assembly will have ample time to study the proposal, was urged. “The question before the city is the proper course to pursue. There are at least two plans for the city to take over the gas properties. One is for the city to take it over directly and the other is for the trusteeship to continue under the indeterminate permit from the public service commission,” Holtzman said. “Many question arise over whether the city has the right to proceed now or at a later time. These are matters which I believe sl.ould be determined by the administration in the near future. I am not here to say that one course or another should be followed. Attitude Is Clear “If it is found that the proper method is under the public service commission, the commission will be bound by contract which fixed the price which should be paid when the city takes over the company. The administration has awaited some expression from the trustees. Now that their attitude is clear, we are glad for the expression. “We now must formulate some plan and I assure you that nothing will be left undone to save this property for the citizens, to whom it rightfully belongs. This property has been managed wonderfully and has grown in value. Every safeguard was taken by those who drew the citizens’ agreement to avoid any error similar to the one made in the Consumers Gas Company contract,” Holtzman declared. Robert Lieber said, on behalf of the trustees, that “we hold, and definitely so, that the city has the right if it so chooses to purchase the $2,000,000 of common stock at par value of $25 a share.” Held as Public Trust “I think you’ll grant the trustees went farther than it was dreamed possible in saying that, regardless of whether the city purchases the stock, that the property will continue to be held as a public trust. “If I were to make a recommendation to this committee, it would be to determine how t’-e Citizens Gas Company best can be preserved for the future use for which it originally was formed. This property is worth millions more than the debts against it. It is looked on with greed by some who do not have the city’s interest at heart. “It is my hope that, in event it is turned over to the city, it will be managed under the city manager government and grow the same
As for how it gets about from tree to tree, the old Druids might have seen that themselves, if they had used their eyes a bit. The seeds of the mistletoe are borne within the white berries, which eagerly are sought after by birds. Since the berries are very sticky, parts of them adhere to the beaks and feet of the birds, and thus are transported from one tree to another. The only excuse for the Druid’s oversight is that the seeds are exceedingly small and not likely to be noticed unless one is looking for them.
during the next twenty-three years as it has in the past,” Lieber said. William Fortune, who presided, stated that there is “no disagreement on essential points in this matter.” Opportunity for harmonious procedure is presented. There may be some legal questions which need to ba settled by agreement,” he said. No Feeling of Antagonism Dick Miller, Chamber president. , who called the meeting, pointed out ' that the conference was designed to be constructive and was not to be t considered antagonistic toward the : utility. "We hope to use these committees to combat selfish Interests in this matter,” Miller declared. The public function of the utility has not ceased and will not cease in 1930. stated James W. Noel, legal affairs chairman. “The public trust goes on as long sa the corporation exists. The procedure and the time for a friendly suit to protect the trustees in these matters is not a subject for public discussion at this time, but rather a matter for conference between the city and the gas company,” Noel declared. Frank M. Fauvre, formerly president of the Broad Ripple Gas Company, which brought artificial gas to Indianapolis, declared the "stockholders have a moral obligation to surrender the stock when the company or public raises funds to take over the properties. This move should have support of the people.* Eager for Experiment “There is a disposition to discourage a municipality taking over a business concern. A gas company would render as much public service as the postoffice, which is not a paying proposition financially. I would like to see the experiment and see whether there is not still enough integrity alive to run a business for the public as It should be operated. ‘‘There is too much tendency to discourage the idea that man can run collectively what man can do individually.” Dave Coulter, realtor, moved that the legal affairs committee offer r- vices to the city administration as a means of “tying-up” the municipality with the civic representatives. “When you get into this matter, you find more questions than you ever dreamed of, ’ Gus Schnull, a trustee, said. “First of all is the question of personal liability. You can’t blame us for looking into that. “In my opinion, the city should act immediately and attempt to get a court decision before 1930. The matter of personal liability is a real one and it would not be right for us to go ahead and do things we might regret.” Conscience at Ease Notwithstanding attacks on many sides, conscience of directors is quite at ease, Franklin Vonnegut, a director, asserted. “We have a good large surplus now,” he said. “We had a surplus not half as large four or five years ago, which went glimmering. Our credit was bad and banks wouldn’t loan sufficient money. The situation might recur if we are not careful. “The gas company probably will have Its downs again. If past prosperity continues we will get along smoothly, but we will need all the money we have. We have to go kiong like any other business, and keep step with modern improvements.” Suggestion that work on legislation be started at once was made by William O. Pickens. Urges Speedy Action “Power of the city to take over any utility should be considered,” he said. “There should be legislation continuing the present board of trustees, or its successors, to be appointed, as at present, to continue operation of the plant for the city. “Such legislation should be Introduced soon and not when the legislative session is half over.” Edward O. Snethen, attorney, criticized plan of trustees to await decision of the “court of last resort’’ before turning the property over to the city. "Why force the city to spend large sums of money to employ counsel such as Newton D. Baker, when everyone is agreed the city should have the property. It seems ' just a little Inconsistent,” he contended.