Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 July 1937 — Page 13

a

Y Vagabond

From Indiana — Ernie Pyle

Yarn About the Man Who Ate a Bear |

With Its Own Teeth Tracked Down And Found to Be Correct—Almost.

AGLE, Alaska, July 21.—All the way from Seattle to Eagle I've been hearing about Nimrod. Everybody in Alaska knows about Nimrod and the bear's teeth. According to the story, Nimrod was an

Alaskan woodsman who lost his teeth. So he killed = bear, took the bear's teeth and fashioned a crude plate for himself, then ate the bear with its own teeth. So I went to sit at the feet of the great Nimrod and to hear the epochal varn from his own storied lips. I found the story true in its larger elements, but its purveyors had neglected a number of small things. They neglected, for instance, to state that Nimrod, instead of being an uncouth creature of the wilds, is a cultured gentleman : . from Maine who still speaks with {, a Boston drawing-room accent § . after 39 years in northern isola- & tion. And they didn’t mention tha: Nimrod is an experienced artisan, who can do any sort of minute mechanical work with his hands. Making a set of false teeth was no great task for him. And they didn't say that Nimrods life is a deep and subtle studv in searching, the sky, but never quits . . . but let's not have that now. On with the bear-tooth story. Nimrod was living way up the creek out of Eagle, he and his partner, working at a little gold and cutting some wood. The vear was 1905.

Scurvy Started It All

That winter the wolves got in and destroyed all the cache of meat. leaving them with nothing but vegetables and canned foods. Nimrod got scurvy, Within a few months there wasn't a tooth in his head. So he decided to make himself some teeth. He knew how. For the four front ones he used mountain-sheep teeth. He says they are almost like human teeth, except longer, so he just filed them down. Back of these, four on each side. he used caribou teeth. And for the grinding molars he used bear's teeth. Just on» on each side—a bear's back tooth is so large it takes the place of two human teeth. Nimrod made his plate of aluminum, drilled out holes for the teeth, set them in and then worked the warm aluminum back over to hold them tight. It took him a month. He made two sets, uppers and lowers. And he wore them for nearly 25 years! About seven vears ago a Seattle dentist offered to make him a set of real teeth in exchange for these home-made ones. So Nimrod sent in his specifications, and back came the store teeth. He's wearing them today, and the “teeth of the wild” are on display in a Seattle dental shop. As the story is told “outside.” Nimrod ate the bear with the bear's own teeth. He says he ate a lot of Poor meat with them, but not the bear the teeth came rom.

Jeweler by Trade

Nimrod's real name is Ervin Robertson. He was nicknamed Nimrod when he was a boy in New England because he was such a good fisherman. He was a jeweler by trade for 15 years in the East before he made the break for Alaska in the "98 days.

For more than a third of a century he lived “up the crick” from here, in a cabin. He hunted and fished and cut wood and played at gold. Nothing much ever came of anything. Today he lives in a tiny old log cabin in this streetless river-bank village of 85 people, not more than a dozen of them whites. Nimrod is one of those perplexing human questionmarks you find now and then in far spots of isolation. Buried, by choice. Why he came here, and why he has staved for nearly 40 vears, is something that Nimrod himself probably doesn’t know.

Mr. Pyle

Mrs. Roosevelt's Day

By Eleanor Roosevelt

First Lady Inspects Craft Work And Discovers Valuable Invention.

YDE PARK, N. Y., Tuesday.—I left home yester-

day to motor up to New Lebanon, N. Y My friend, Mrs. Charles Fayerweather, and a group of her friends have been very active in starting craft work in that vicinity and this was their second exhibition. I arrived to find a great many cars parked outside the school and, as there was a sale as well as an exhibit, I decided this was a fortunate day for them. > The most interesting work, it seemed to me, was some iron work done by a man in Hudson, N. Y. There were two very simple little wall brackets, holding flower pots, which were very charming because of the graceful line of the scroll work above and below the flower pots. He also had some very nice fire irons and a toasting fork. This last particularly appealed to me, for I have often either burned my face over an outdoor fire, or dropped whatever I was toasting off the forked stick on which it hung insecurely. This long handled fork will obviate many of my difficulties. He had many other very attractive things on exhibition. I must not forget to mention that one of the prettiest hooked rugs was done at the Hudson River Training School for Girls. Spinning and weaving were demonstrated by two young sisters, borrowed for the occasion from the public schools in Saratoga. They will, I think, greatly improve the work done and enhance the interest of the people in this type of craft. The knitting is quite lovely, some of the mittens being done in real Norwegian style. If it had been nearer the winter season, I would have been tempted to buy scme. I was interested to have the woman who is in charge of that department, murmur in my ear:

“Please tell Frances Perkins you saw me here. We |

were in college together.” Some interesting work is being done by a man who makes stools with tops of woven tape. He started out with the idea that he must put a finish on his wood like the kind of gloss one puts on to hide defects in workmanship. He has now grasped the idea that a finish should be soft and bring out the grain in the wood. The stool which I purchased has real charm. To compensate for an afternoon spent driving through lovely country over roads off the usual beaten track, I spent the evening at my desk catching up with the day’s mail which, as is usually the case on Mondays, was particularly heavy. This morning I had a very interesting visit from Mr. Bourjaily who brought Mr. Rihani to see me for a little while before the latter sailed to retire to his country place in Lebanon, Syria, to write a book. I was secretly amused at the coincidence of spending vesterday afternoon in New Lebanon, N. Y., and talking to a gentleman today who was returning to a spot in his native land after which our modern village was

named.

‘Walter O'Keefe —

W TELL, we New Yorkers had a bit of an earthquake Sunday night, but Washington doesn’t need to be jealous. They'll have a terrific shake-up down there this week when they go to the mat on the Supreme Court. issue, Various reasons have been given to explain the quake, but it’s probably due to the contagious quality of the eurrent popular songs. Mother Earth finally decided to swing it. Personally I didn't pay any attention to it. I thought I was getting Spain on my radio. Of course the ground didn’t open up into great huge holes but, even if it had, nobody would have noticed it. They'd have simply t t it was another unfinished Government project. 4 : 4

reaching, feeling for |

i |

The Indianapolis Tim

Second Section

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1987

Syphilis—The Secret Scourge

(Fifth of a Series)

(Editorial, Page 14) ET us bring the picture of syphilis and its ravages closer home. What are Indiana: and Indianapolis doing to combat the disease? What progress are they making? In three articles, written especially for The Times, Dr. Verne K. Harvey, State Health Board director; Pr. Herman G. Morgan, City Health Board secretary, and Dr. Charles W. Myers, City Hospital superintendent, give their views on the local situation.

» » » R. HARVEY says: “The law of Indiana makes no specific reference to the disease, syphilis. However, it gives the State Health Board the power to make certain rules and regulations. Rule No. 10 of the State Board designates syphilis as a disease to be reported directly to the offices of the State Health Board at Indianapolis. “Once syphilis is reported to the State Board, the record is kept in a confidential file, which is not open to the public or used for any purpose other than statistics and administration. It is extremely important that every case of syphilis be reported as soon as it is diagnosed by the physician. “The State Board furnishes free drugs for the treatment of this

disease, the drugs being sent to any physician who requests them. It is generally understood, of course, that these drugs will be used only by those persons who cannot afford to pay for them themselves. In addition, the State furnishes half of the drugs which are used by the 13 free clinics of the State, the clinics being established in the larger population centers, whereas in other areas treatment is given by the family physician, “Clinics for the treatment of syphilis are also supported in each of the State’s penal and correctional institutions, and routine blood tests for syphilis are made on all incoming inmates of these institutions. The blood tests are made in the laboratories of the State Health Board, which gives

this service free to all State institutions, and to all persons who are designated as indigent by their family physicians. Last year this laboratory made 60,000 blood tests for syphilis. The number of tests made is constantly increasing as the public is coming more and more to realize the value of these tests.

» » J T= Bureau of Health Physical Education of the State Health Board and the Bureau of Venereal Disease are constantly attempting to educate the public concerning this disease. Exhibits are being prepared for the State Fair, the county fairs and various other educational meetings, at which posters, graphs and motion pictures are shown. “A great number of talks by members of the staff are made each year. The Division of Health and Physical Education maintains a film library, and will send out films to be shown throughout the state. Approximately 100,000 vpieces of free literature on syphilis were distributed last year. “It is impossible to say whether syphilis is increasing or decreasing in the state at the present time. A great many people assume that it is a great deal more prevalent than it used to be, simply because they are hearing more about the disease. The fact of the matter is that we do not know how much syphilis there is in the state now, and neither do we know nor have any way of ascertaining the amount of syphilis there was 10 or 25 years ago. “It is certain, however, that rapid progress in the control of the disease is being made at the present time for the reason that the public is really getting awakened to this important situation. Deaths in Indiana from syphilis

and

Dr. Charles W. Myers

Dr. Herman G. Morgan

during the first six months of this year as compared to a similar period last year dropped from 116 to 91. = »n » hs HE press is to be commended highly in the effort which it has recently made in getting this subject before the public. Everyone should know that syphilis is strictly an eradicable disease. We have thorough knowledge as to the manner of its transmission. We have excellent methods of diagnosis, and unusually effective means of treatment. Such being the case, this should be ‘the next great plague to go.’ “Syphilis costs the State of Indiana many millions of doilars each year, and causes premature deaths in literally thousands of its citizens. Such being the case, every effort should be made to apply the instruments of eradication which are ‘all ready to be used. It is of the utmost importance that citizens of the state avoid dangerous contacts; that they avail themselves of all means of prophylaxis in case such contacts are made, and thirdly, that they see their physician at once in case they have any reason whatever to think that they may have the disease. “By no means should they attempt to treat themselves, or seek treatment at drug stores. Advertising quack doctors should be avoided, v » » ”

T is extremely important that each person with syphilis understand that the disease is capable of passing into periods of latency without being cured. “All persons under treatment are

Side Glances

too prone to believe that they are cured, when such is not the case. They commonly stop their treat‘ment long before they are actually cured. “They should continue until seve eral months have passed beyond

what seems necessary—in so far as symptoms are concerned.

“They must continue until they have a negative blood test several times repeated, and should then check at least once a year for several years.” » ” »

R. MORGAN'S statement: “Since 1918, the City Health Board has maintained at City Hospital a clinic for the treatment of syphilis and other venereal diseases among indigent patients. Approximately 12,000 treatments are given annually in this clinic. And it must be remembered that the number of persons applying for treatment is only a small per cent of the population affected by the disease. Many are receiving treatment from private physicians and others are receiving none whatsoever.

“Immediately following the World War, the City Council passed an ordinance classifying syphilis as a transmissible and quarantinable disease. In the event the patient does not take treatments when ordered by physicians, the ordinance gives the courts authority to isolate the patient.

“In my opinion the syphilis control measures which have been exercised have had a slight effect in reducing the prevalency of the disease. At intervals the disease breaks out in increased proportions, giving evidence of its preve alence. “The renewed interest on the part of the Federal Government in the control of syphilis unquestionably will result in greater headway being made in stamping out this vicious malady.”

Local Health Experts Review the Situation Here

Dr. Verne

i : A State Health Board expert syphilis,

R. MYERS said: “The ravages of syphilis can be visualized readily by a visit to the clinic of the Out-Patient Department of the Indianapolis City Hospital, or, to be a little more general, any municipal hospital in any large city. I am interested, however, only in giving some idea of the part the ‘Indianapolis City

Hospital and the out-patient clinic play in the prevention and treatment of syphilis, “During 1936, an average of 165 patients reported for treatment every day except Sundays and holidays, on which days the clinics were closed. The work in this department has been so heavy that it has been necessary to conduct evening clinics in addition to the regular daily clinics.* There is an average daily admission to the clinics of five new patients each day, and since every patient must be kept under treatment for a period of years, it is readily seen how quickly the clinics are increased. “Whenever a patient reports to the clinic for the first time it is highly important that he be examined for any infectious lesions,

Entered as Second-Class Matter at Postoffice, Indianapolis, Ind.

K. Harvey

examines cultures for evidence of

for if one patient in the early stages of syphilis, which is highly infectious, is permitted to be at

large without treatment, it is quite |

possible that many new cases will develop from this one carrier, and frequently he will infect innocent people. ”n ”» 5 - NY person with such a lesion is a menace to the community, and some provision should be made to isolate him until he is no longer capable of disseminating the disease. There is no provision at the Thdianapolis City Hospital at the present time to isolate such cases, and of course this is most unfortunate, but it does appear that steps should be taken to isolate every known case of syphilis who is capable of transmitting the disease. “It must be remembered, however, that patients who are under treatment are relatively safe, and are incapable of spreading the disease, “The ravages of syphilis scarcely can be appreciated by the average layman, but if he will only remember that a large portion of all patients admitted to the Indianapolis City Hospital are suffering from disabilities either di-

"Sound Sleep’

Isn't What

It Seems, Study Shows

By Science Rervice HICAGO, July 21. — When you wake up after a sound night's slumber you may feel as though your rest was unbroken and continuous all night long. Really, though, you went through a changing pattern of deep sleep, stirring movement, near-arousal and then sinking down into the depths of quiet sleep again. This pattern is repeated over and over throughout the night, but as morning approaches the depths of sleep become shallower and the sleeper is easier to awaken until the alarm clock finishes the job.

This pattern of sleep was found in

the course of experiments conducted at the department of physiology of the University of Chicago with both dogs and humans. By electrical means the tossings and stirrings of the sleepers were recorded and measurement was made of the degree of noise required to disturb them. Each person seems to have his own pattern of movement and level of sensitivity to noise, and he tends to follow this pattern more or less regularly, the investigators, Drs. F.

J. Mullin, N. Kleitman and N. R. , said -in reporting their |

findings to the Journal of Experi-| ‘mental Psychology.

® = » T= ease with which a person can be awakened is related to the length of time since he last moved, rather than the time of night.

Individuals differ in both restless- |

ness and soundness of their sleep, but the differences are not always in the same direction for both factors. On the average, the most quiet sleeper is the one most easily aroused, it was found. 2 In a normal night's sleep, the greatest amount of tossing and also the most frequent spontaneous awakenings of the sleeper come in the last few hours of sleep. d morning the sleep becomes shi and shallower,

rectly or indirectly the result, he can readily appreciate that yearly syphilis is making invalids of many thousands, at a cost of millions of dollars to the community.”

NEXT-—What other nations have done about it,

PAGE 13

Our Town

By Anton Scherrer

Society and Fire Department Were Indianapolis Synonyms From 1826 Until Steam Engines Came in Style.

AYBE you don’t know it, but class dise tinctions and that curious phenomenon known as Society started in Indianapolis with the Fire Department. I don’t know where it’s going to end, and to tell the truth I don’t care, because I have all I can do today to stay with the start. The Indianapolis Fire Department didn’t get started--and neither did Society—until we had the second fire, which was sometime around 1826 when the residence of Nicholas McCarty on W. Maryland St., burned. That of Major Carter's tavern (The Rosebush) in 1825 was the first. Major Carter lost everything he had in his fire, including his shirt and his signboard, which was fastened to a tall post in front of his hotel, There isn’t any doubt about the sign, because Ignatius Brown left a written account, in the course of which he said that = squad of citizens thought to save the sign, and chopped it down as they would a tree, the fall smash« ing the sign all to pieces. Indeed, Mr. Brown went so far as to point the moral, and said that “it illustrates the folly that sen= sible men will commit during the excitement of a fire.”

Be that as it may, Major Carter's fire didn’t have anything to do with the start of Society around here, because it wasn’t until June 20, 1826, or after Mr, MecCarty’s house burned, that the first fire company was formed with John Hawkins, president, and James Ray, secretary. Harvey Bates went his own way at the time and organized the first fire insurance company,

Everybody Helped Out

The implements of the first fire company were buckets and ladders. The alarm consisted of general yelling and the ringing of church and tavern bells, Every householder was expected to give all the ‘bucket help he could, but no “fire buckets” for that burpose were made until some years later, probably not until the Marion Engine Company was ore ganized. When they came, the buckets were big leather affairs that looked for the world like small beer kegs. They were made by our own harness makers, and painted blue by Sam Rooker, the same man who painted Major Carter's signboard.

The Marion Engine Company absorbed the original fire company in 1835, and was organized to operate the “Marion Engine,” purchased at the joint expense of the State and City. It was an “end brake” and required 24 men to run it, A two-story frame house was built for it in 1837 on the north side of the Circle. About 20 years later, the old engine was transferred to a two-story brick building erected for the purpose at the corner of Massachusetts Ave. and New York St. Sure, it’s the same building that’s standing there now.

In 1840, a second engine, and a second-hand one, too, called the “Good Intent” was purchased and rah with the “Marion” for a year. Then a portion of the company under John H. Wright took her and formed the “Relief Company,” and right then and there is when Society started in Indianapolis,

Blow to Society

At any rate, from that time on, a man’s social prestige and standing depended on whether he be« longed to the Fire Department or not. The law at that time exempted firemen from city taxes and Jury duty, and though they were slight considerations to the first of our volunteer firemen, they amounted to something by the time the second generation came along.

Anyway, 10 years of active service entitled a member to retire as an “honorary” with all its exemptions and perquisites. This sort of thing lasted until 1860 when we got our first steam engine. It was an awful blow to Society, because everybody in Society couldn't run a steam engine. After that, Indianapolis was hard put to think up new ways to get into Society,

A Woman's View

Mr. Scherrer

SHORT "SHORT STORY

LIGHT WAS

By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

Mae West Can Blame the Girls for

Wallace's Suit, Feminist Observes,

T= most devoted husband of the season is Mr, Frank Wallace. His attentions to his wife, Mae West, who brought the Wwhaleboned corset back into favor during the strip-tease era, ought to be pres served in a screen romance, and probably will be, With each million added to his lady’s fortune Mr, Wallace's love grew until finally it got completely out of control and he now has the law on her.

With the assistance of his attorney and the come placence of American jurisprudence, he will probably manage to get a sizable sum from Miss West, Although they have not lived together long enough to be recognized as husband and wife by their most intimate friends, the law says they are one—and by a2 mandate which was good English Justice in 1750, and who would have the temerity to flout anything as venerable as all that?

Mr. Wallace merits no special castigations, how= ever. He has taken his cue from the women theme selves, many of whom have successfully put over the same trick when they needed extra cash,

Some day, we hope, the plain fair-minded citizens of the country will rise up against the grand larceny that is now committed in the name of the law. And when they do, the fair sex will get what's coming to it. For much as we regret to say so, women have set the precedent for the shameful tactics now used to harass the successful, ‘The activity of alimony-minded wives, and of those useless females who use breach-of-promise suits and other forms of blackmail to get money from men, has lowered us greatly in public esteem. And every time we slide down another notch, Jurisprudence,

which seriously passes opinions on such holdups, also skids,

New Books Today

Public Library Presents—

L== BLUM, formerly a professional man of lete ters, was forced to trample down the more cone genial half of his personality to become—at the dice tates of a merciless conscience—a, politician, Richard L. Stokes’ biography, LEON BLUM, POET TO PREMIER (Coward-MeCann) is indispensable to the general reader and to the political student. Blum was born of a rich bourgeois Jewish family in Paris in 1872. ‘His fortunate heritage enabled him to walk away with every scholastic prize at school, his mother he inherited an acute sense of justhat rendered inevitable the tramsformation of 1 ‘the youthful esthetic to Blum the Socialist, fter the war Blum definitely abandoned his lite career and began his rapid climb in politics. he was leader of the Socialist Party. When single party in France.

was ready to During the

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