Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 September 1937 — Page 9
From Indiana — Ernie Pyle
Johnny Palm, Veteran of Winter Mail Runs, Is 'Tough Little Nut, Yet One of Alaska's Noblest Men.
AIRBANKS, Alaska, Sept. 11.—When Johnny Palm dies and goes to the Big Gates, I'll bet my last nugget that St. Peter will look at his heart and pay no attention
to his liver. 5 For in Johnny's liver St. Peter might - find the accumulation of some 40 years of hard whisky drinking—and some people say that’s sinful. \ But if St. Peter passes that by, and just looks : inside Johnny's breast, he’ll probably find one of the nobiest characters in Alaska. Johnny Palm is a tough little nut, as they say. He wouldn’t reach five and a half, I guess, and he weighs 125 pounds. But what that man has been through! He has been an outdoor man in the North for nearly 40 years. He came with the Ninety-eighters, looking for gold. But after a few years he switched ta dogs. And now he has been running the winMr. Pyle ter mails, behind dog teams and horses, for more than 30 years. We figured up about how far he has traveled behind mail teams over the Alaskan snows, and it comes ~close to 100,000 miles. ° It has been a tradition around Fairbanks for 5 decades ‘that “Johnny will get it through,” no matter what the weather. . His run was from Fairbanks to Circle, 162 miles, six days each way, every night ou! in some snowcovered little way-cabin, alone. . When winter blizzards would ‘come up, and the mail would be days overdue, with no means of finding out what had happened, people would say, “Johnny will make it through if anybody in Alaska can. He’s a tough little nut.”
Cuts Down on Drinking
And through all those_30 hard years Johnny has been drinking whisky. At one time he drank two quarts a day. He never went behind the dogs with less than one quart a day. He doesn’t drink so much any more, but he still likes a nip or two at the end __of the day. But he never gets drunk, and he never drinks now when he’s on the road in this modern age of automobiles. Johnny Palm is more than 70. His hair is grayish, put wisps come down over his forehead in a boyish manner. He walks with his feet out, and his knees bent—the walk of an eager youth hurrying somewhere with sore feet. ! That's just Johnny's natural walk. He has never frozen his feet badly in all those years of tramping. Bu: he has frozen his face many times. And his hands once, badly. ; Johnny's time is full now with his summer truckfreight line over the Steese Highway between here and Circle. He has three trucks on the road, and makes the trip himself two or three times a week in his sedan.
Retires From Driving Mail
He ran his last dog-team mail two years ago. He still has charge of the Circle mail run, but has turned the driving over to younger men. Johnny Palm is the errand boy of the Steese Highway. There isn’t anything he won't (and doesn’t) do for people. Prospectors and miners and just people live in cabins along the highway. Johnny and his trucks are their only means of communication with Fairbanks. . You'd be surprised how many hundreds of errands people want run. It's “Johnny, take this note in to Frank, will you?” and “Johnny, bring me a set of hinges on the next trip,” and “Johnny, have these films developed and get me a pair of high boots, will you?” Johnny hasn't any bookkeeping system at all for his truck line. He doesn’t know who owes him, .or how much. If he could collect for all the work he's done, he'd probably be well off. He has a flourishing trade but he never has any money. Johnny Palm’s heart is too big. That's his trouble.
My Diary
By Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt
Activities of Children Keep Things Humming at Hyde Park Residence.
YDE PARK, N. Y. rriday—This has been a perfectly beautiful day. Sara and Kate were up bright and early this morning and, ‘while I was at breakfast, Kate came rolling into the room. One literally could think of no other way in which to describe her walk. The rompers add to the rotund effect. She is still very uncertain and weaves her way across the floor. The morning was filled for the President by one continuous stream of visitors. I went for a ride but started late because of the numerous interruptions and ‘arrangements that had to be made. We had a most delightful picnic lunch of hot dogs, salad and fruit tarts at the cottage. It was so cool that sitting out in the sun was pleasant. The President sat at a table in the middle of an open space before a big stone fireplace and, as everybody gathered—newspapermen, photographers, the Secret Service, the office force from Poughkeepsie— chairs and benches filled up all around his table. Mr. Breckenridge Long, Mr. Owen Johnson, Miss Vandy Cape and many other friends and a few relatives added to our numbers and everyone seemed to have a good time.
Children Eager to Swim
There were about six small children, four of them old enough to go swimming and it was all we could do to keep them out of the pool long enough to allow their luncheon to digest. I was brought up on the theory that you must not go into cold water until at least an hour after eating. I have gone in swims ming without this wait a number of times without any ill effect and I often wonder if it is one of those old-fashioned theories which we could safely neglect.
Now the cottage, which has been the scene of sO
much coming and going in the last few hours, seems to have settled back into afternoon calm. A few minutes ago, Franklin Jr’s voice came over the telephone and announced that he and Ethel had arrived at James’ house in New York. Tomorrow morning they will fly southward to attend a wedding, and then they get ready to settle down in Charlottesville, Va. The enthusiasm of youth is one of the most contagious things I know of. Just hearing him say he had had such a marvelous time made me feel that life was glamorous. These are the days that make one feel one should not spend a minute indoors. The sunlight must not be wasted, for it will soon lose its warmth, Nothing is more entrancing than our Septeniber and October days. I felt great sympathy for one girl who said . to me this afternoon: “I never want to go back to the city. I feel relaxed and peaceful here and the mere thought of the noise and constant activity of the numbers of people around me in any big city ~ wears me out.”
Walter O'Keefe—.
: Nx ORK STATE is going to use women on juryiduty. The reasoning behind this is practical.
If her hisband serves she'll get the $3 anyway, so why not let her work for it? They’ll probably get more women if they advertis it as a special marked down to $2.98. Unquestionably it'll be something new for the gals to discuss a lurid, juicy scandal and get paid for it. Even romance will have a different beginning. The former jurywomen will say, “When I heard Tom cast his vote to send the defendant to the chair I knew he was a man I could love.” ’ Of course, jury duty will be an awful influence on family arguments. Hubby, the culprit, will plead his case and offer testimony. Then the missus will retire into the mnext- room with her mother and they'll send out for food for three days, ¥
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Second Section
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1937
Shanghai Bombed by Friend and Foe
Americans Flee From City Under Protection of Stars and Stripes
The roar of broadsides from Japanese gunhboafs off Shanghai's Bund brought Chinese bombers on the fly in a futile effort to rout the foe. A bomb that missed its target explodes in the Whangpoo River near the Cathay and Palace Hotels where misdirected bombs killed scores. !
craft’s nationality. In addition to the Stars
structure as a precaution against air attack.
Evitered as cond-Class Matter at Bastoffce, In rn Ind.
Our Town
The Dollar Line tender in which thousands of American refugees have been transported: from embattled Shanghai to American rescue liners takes mo chances of attack through failure t» recognize the 4nd Stripes at the stern, a huge American flag floats from the yard-arm of the Dollar and a third is fastene d horizontally (marked with arrow) atop the super-
The dense, black smoke arising from an American-owned storage tank in the International Settlement at Shanghai is evidence of the efficiency of some Chinese or Japanese aviator. If was struck during an air raid as the nations fought for control of the city. The flames from which the smoke rises were just behind the wharves, where both merchant and warships were docked.
RIGHT—Japanese soldiers on the roof of a Shanghai building watched dense black smoke rise from a distant blazing section of the city as this war zone picture was taken. They are ready to turn their machine gun, manned by the four in front, spattering lead into the street at a seconds notice. !
Sa =
It’s a different kind of Chinese Army that Japan fights in North China now. Well equipped, high in morale, properly trained, the units that bear the brunt of battle give a far better account of themselves than in 1932. A unit of the engineering corps crosses a stream in the war zone under protection of their rifles and a heavy machine gun, example of the daring that stopped the invader’s army.
RIGHT—From the shelter of a hastily dug signal corps outpost, Chinese telegraphers and a telephonist flash to headquarters back of the lines news of the tide of battle. They use the mest modern equipment and are indicative of the new trend in Chinese military affairs.
| lead impression made of Jerry’s. plates.
PROCESS REVEALS
INVISIBLE CRACKS
ASHINGTON, Sept. 11.—How incipient, invisible cracks and pores in the paint on autos, in
the glass linings of milk-tank cars, and in other linings and coatings: of lead, tin, zinc and rubber may be simply and cheaply revealed in bright, warning colors is disclosed in a patent (No. 2,079,925) granted here to a German chemist, Hans | Reichter. : Nipping corrosion, such as rusting, before it has a chance to get started, is the biggest feature of the invention. In testing coating “tightness” according to the new method, the coated object is first brushed with a chemical solution. Then it is al-| lowed to stand for several hours until the chemical has soaked into all cracks and pores. The solution is then washed off. But capillary forces prevent the chemical which has soaked into the cracks and pores from being washed away.’ When a second chemical solution is painted on, wherever it comes in contact with the first chemical it forms a bright dye in the pores and cracks show-. ing them up distinctly. Thus, when the chemical diazobenzene is first put on and aniline chlorhydrate ~ afterward cracks and pores are dyed a bright yellow.
National Safetv Council. Keeping the safe and proper distance between your car and the vehicle ahead is a good way to keep out of trouble. Allowing plenty of leeway will give you a better chance to see what the fellow: up ahead is
Lok,
"There's No Escape From Tax
9.17
# COPR. 1937 BY NEA SERVICE, INC. Tgil. REG. VU, 8. PAT. OFF.
going to do. If he stops suddenly without signaling, you won't crash into him if your brakes fail to live up to expectations. Driving directly behind another yehicle is like driving with a screen rigged in front of you. — { ¢ * a 3
Bills," will appear on this page Monday. :
fH ~
«+ in the building whose name is the same as curs.
"Oh, we get lots of things we don't order. There's another couple
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PAGE 9
By Anton Scherrer Warning Against Fake $20 Bills Recalls Venture of Local Men In First Greenback Counterfeiting.
HEN Lieut. Fanning of the police force "7 warned everybody the other day not to. take in any $20 counterfeit bills, almost immediately I made up my mind to tell you about a family that used to live around
here. : The family consisted of eight persons. The father and three sons were printers and engravers, and lived
‘for many years in Rising Sun. In 1859, the father
was indicted for something and sent to the penitentiary. Thereupon the family moved and settled in the northeast part of Marion County. For all I know, it may have been within what is now the corporate limits of Indianapolis. Anyway, it was right around here in a log cabin that Jerry, the cldest of the boys, engraved the first plate for greenbacks ever counterfeited. It was the $20 issue of 1862. Mr. Scherrer To anyone who didn't know . any better, Old Pete seemed to be a member of the family, too. But he wasn’t. Pete hung around the cabin because he was the “banker” and furnished the money to carry‘'on the business. Sa Well, with Jerry and Pete on the job, it wasn't long until the Rising Sun family was rolling in money. But not enough apparently, because just about this time, Jerry got it into his head to “shake” Pete. Pete, however, was on to him, and secretiy had a That done, he dissolved the partnership, and went into business for himself. :
Printed Counterfeit $100,000
Having had his two plates electrotyped, Pete immediately set to work and printed $100,000 of the “queer” money, and had that amount on hand when Maj. Wpods, a U. S. officer, landed in Indianapolis to investigate. Maj. Woods had to start from -scratch, because, as I tried to tell you in the beginning, this was the first case of counterfeiting greenbacks anye where in the United States. As a matter of fact, Maj. Woods never did find Pete’s plant. Pete, however, finally was shadowed to the general delivery window of the postoffice, where he was arrested. In the meantime, Jerry and his brother were arrested, too. In about a week, the three men, under an escort of eight U. S. soldiers, started for Washington to do time in the Old Capitol Prison that
did service during the Civil War.
On their way to Washington, and while going over the mountains of Pennsylvania, Pete made his escape, He was handcuffed and shackled at the time, notwithstanding which he leaped from the train when it was going at the rate of 35 miles an hour. Battered and bruised, Pete turned up in Indianapolis two weeks later and went into hiding.
Pete had every reason to be back in Indianapolis.
For one thing, he wanted to move his plant and plates. For another, he wanted to distribute his wealth, which I don’t mind saying was the nicest (and only) collection of counterfeit money in the country. : ny >
Deal for Freedom
In the meantime, Jerry and his brother were locked up in’ Washington, of course. But not for long, because the way things worked out, they made a deal, the result of which was that Jerry and his brother got their release in exchange for their plates. The Government was ready to do anything to get hold of Jerry’s plates, not knowing at the time that Pete had duplicates. of them.
Jerry and his brother looked like tramps when they got back, and went to Pete for help,- but Pete wasn’t in a mood to see them. They were bitter enemies after that, and I believe it ended in a murder, but the way my memory goes back on me every once in a while, I wouldn't be sure of even that today. Anyway, the Rising Sun family left Indianapolis after that, and scattered to all parts of the country. Most of them took after the old man and ended up in the penitentiary. Which, of course, leaves me no alternative but to believe that Pete was the one who was murdered,
A Woman's View By Mrs. Walter Ferguson
El Paso, a Garden Spot in Setting Of Mountains, Is Surprise of Trip.
ACATION NOTES—I can’t explain it but I've ale ways liked girls named Betty. Not one of the clan has ever let me down and neither did Betty Luther of the El Paso Herald-Post, who proved as smart and charming as I had imagined she would be, She’s a reformed school teacher, confessing to extra special enjoyment of the newspaper profession in which she has made a cracking good record. During our afternoon drive with Mrs. Richard Warren and Mrs. Olga Wilson we became well acguainted and I managed to see many of the city’s beauty spots. El Paso gave me the greatest surprise of the entire trip. After years of picturing it lying in a vast flat countryside, I find it surrounded -by mountains and looking something like an overgrown and besmudged Santa Fe—my pet among cities. Although it is built in desert country, irrigation projects have turned El Paso’s valley into a garden spot, and the view from its famous scenic drive is one of enchantment.
Its large Mexican population gives it atmosphere and it goes without saying that all visitors here also see its twin, Juarez, across the border. The night life of El Pasoans is carried on in Juarez and with what gusto! The most popular spots were crammed with gay crowds the night we went over with standing room only left at bars and ring-side tables where cabaret entertainment followed the usual procedure. One of the three high school buildings in El Paso is an architectural gem. It graces a hillside overlook= ing its own grassy stadium, proof of what could and ought to be done to make educational surroundings more artistic in all .parts of the nation.
New Books Today
Public Library Presents—
ro descriptive essays on different sections of Scotland, each writer taking that part of his country which he loves best or with which he is most familiar, comprise the book - SCOTTISH COUNTRY (Barrows), edited by George Scott Moncrief. The countryside, the cities, the towns and villages, the Highlands and the Lowlands, the people themselves, their traditions and ways of living are realistically described. Dr. Mackenzie, in his essay on the Lothians, dextrously clarifies the confused history of the most fertile corner of Scotland, and gives at the same time a vivid impression of her scenes of moorland, sea coast, and slag heap. To the. writer on Ayrshire the loveliness of his valley is wrapped in its continuity with the past and he says, “a landscape is history—a very old parchment on which successive generations have written a
"record of their‘doings.”” The Border is described as a countryside preserved, despite accessibility, through .
its lack of mineral resources; a land of history
and tradition. - An excellent photograph of a scene typical of the particular locality illustrates each essay.
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RT Niigata