Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 13 April 1939 — Page 17

‘Vagabond

From Indiana —Ernie Pyle

Davy Crockett's Grandson Works Every Day as a Printer, Though 82, And Is Proud of Famous Ancestor.

RANBURY, Tex., April 18.—The Crocketts sure are made of sturdy stuff. Down here I ran onto Davy Crockett’s grandson. He is 82 years old, holds a regular job, and goes to work every day. If I should

follow Ashley Crockett’s example, I've still got 45 years to work. The mere thought paralyzes me. Davy Crockett was one of Texas’ most historic figures. More than 100 years ago he fared forth from Tennessee, after serving in Congress, to seek adventure in this wide land of Texas. He became sort of a combination Daniel Boone and Artemus Ward, and climaxed his career by getting killed in the famous Alamo massacre in San Antonio, thereby becoming a Texas immortal. Some 20 years after the Alamo, the Texas Legislature voted a grant of land to Crockett’s widow, and she came out here from Tennessee, bringing her children with her. They settled not far from this little prairie town, and in a cabin six miles north of here Ashley Crockett was born in 1857, His grandfather had been dead for 20 years. His grandmother died when he was 4 So he has no memory at all of the Crocketts who first made the name a Texas by-word. Ashley came into town when he was 15, and became a printer's devil on the local weekly paper. He is still at it now—67 years later. He has been everything from “devil” to owner. He sold out two years ago, after his wife died. But he still keeps his printer's job. He works half a day, and spends the other half in his garden. He lives in the same house he came to 67 years ago. And still belongs to the same church— the oldest member, Ashley Crockett has never been outside Texas, except for a few trips up to nearby Oklahoma. He has been to the Alamo only once in his life. That was in the Nineties. When he told the guide who he was, he was given a special showing around the historic old ruins,

Proud of Ancestry

He likes being a grandson of Davy Crockett. He knows early Texas history down to the very date and minute, and which fork of the road Houston took on a certain march. There are several pictures of Davy Crockett in the house. Mostly pictures out of magazines, or sketches someone has given him, Mr. Crockett keeps scrapbooks of whatever interests him. Pieces by Angelo Patri and Mrs. Walter Ferguson and pieces about old newspapers. Mr. Crockett has never voted anything but the Democratic ticket. He is a prohibitionist, too. His famous grand-pappy, however, liked the bottle. Being Davy Crockett’s grandson has never got him anything, especially. They were going to take the cabin where he was born up to the Dallas Centennial three years ago. But somehow it fell through. It’s still standing near here, used as a storehouse. Mr. Crockett lives with his daughter and son-in-law. They are poor, but mighty nice people. And here's something that Mr. Crockett never mentions himself. His daughter told me. His second wife (this girl's mother) was a grand-niece of Gen. Sam Houston. So here in this little white house, are united the two great Texas families of Houston and Crockett. It’s something to be proud of, and the daughter is proud of it. She hasn't figured out yet why her father never mentions it to strangers. The Crockett line is a mile long by now. Crockett has scads of grandchildren, and Angeles there are two great-grandchildren.

My Day

By Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt

Scolded for Being Sentimental; Congressmen's Wives Aid Cripple.

Vy AHINeTON, Wednesday.—I had a letter yesterday from a woman who takes me solemnly and somewhat bitterly to task because she finds that I am “just as silly as other women.” She remarks sadly that those who really suffer in the world rarely get any sympathy, but I will write a column on the subject of a passing anxiety when my daughter had a baby. That certainly is sufficiently transient to go by unnoticed, says she, and I have proved myself a foolish sentimentalist. Perhaps she is right, and I accept her reproof. The pain which results in joy is not to be thought of in the same breath as the kind of pain which simply means a weakening of the power to live with joy. Poor woman! I imagine she is suffering constantly, and it may not be just physical suffering but mental suffering, which can mean even greater torment. I have just come from a luncheon given by the wives of the members of the 75th Congress. This group makes its members pay for a banquet, with the result that what is left over from the actual cost may be used to help some young person. Last year they gave a wheelchair to a crippled boy. He now has an opportunity to study bookkeeping but his stumbling block is the expense of transportation, so this year they will help him out on that.

On the Rumors of Wars

It seems to me that the newspapers are full of wars and rumors of wars, but I do not think that the conten‘jon that this country is in need of a society to keep us out of war is very well founded. Neither do I think the country is being pushed into a state of war hysteria. This country knows very well that we do not want to go to war. We have nothing to gain by taking other people's territory. We know, however, that there are things which we can lose. Every time a nation which has known freedom loses it, other free nations lose something too. This country knows that at some time amputations of freedom must cease and the world knows that the weight of our resources must be thrown on the side that will permit us to open a newspaper without wondering what new nation has been ensiaved. We are not in danger of war hysteria, but calinly as we may survey the world, we realize that when this type of hysteria is abroad, one never knows at what point it will engulf even those most anxious to remain quietly on the outskirts.

Day-by-Day Science

By Science Service ROUGHT is a fading memory in the minds of the people, washed dim by a couple of years of good rains. But the prairies remember better. It will be a long time before all traces of the years of the Great Thirst, 1934-1937, will have vanished from the grasslands of the West. Effects of the crisis on the makeup of prairie grass communities are reported in The Botanical Gazette by Prof. J. E. Weaver and Dr. F. W. Albertson of the University of Nebraska, who have kept continuous track of them since the very beginning of the cycle of dry years. Normally, prairies are dominated by perennial grasses, whose deep roots enable them to hold out through the regular annual weeks of drought that come in late summer. But when the drought stretched out into months and years, the old dominants began to die. First to go was bluegrass, which isn’t really a prairie grass anyway but an introduced outsider. But the true prairie dominants, the bluestem grasses, presently began to die also. Along with them went some of the most characteristic nongrass plants (“forbs” in the ecologist’s handy terminology) like wild sunflower and buffalo bean. Into the land thus vacated trooped many species better able to survive drought, representing several diverse and distinct types. There were quick-grow-ing weeds like pepper-grass, horseweed and some kinds of wild aster and goldenrod. There were drought-resistant grasses, some of them fairly valuable like wheat grass, grama and buffalo grass, others of little worth like weedy bromes and six-weeks-fescue. There were plants abie to store reserve supand bulbs, like spiderwort,

Mr. Pyle

Ashley in Los

plies in roo and wild iid :

Times Special HICAGO, April 18. — Details of the traffic safety programs which won top honors for four states and seven cities in the National Traffic Safety Contest were outlined today by the National Safety Council, which conducted the

contest.

One fact, Council officials said, stood out in their analysis of the voluminous reports submitted by participants in the contest—that when modern traffic safety principles are applied consistently, intelligently and relentlessly, traffic accidents always are reduced. The reports show further, that the success of any state or community in cutting traffic tolls is proportionate to the size, scope and intensity of the traffic safety program. All 48 states and 1163 cities were in the contest, which covered the calendar year of 1938. The state of New Jersey and the city of Providence, R. I, won the national grand awards. Three other states and six other cities won first-place awards in their divisions of the contest. States were grouped geographically and cities by population. Indiana was among the 44 states which did rot place. States which won first place in their divisions were: Oklahoma in the Southern Division. Towa in the Midwestern Division. Washington in the Western Division. New Jersey won first place in the Eastern Division, in addition to winning the national grand award. Cities which won first place in their population groups were: Cleveland and Milwaukee—tied for first place among cities of 500,000 or more population. Trenton, N. J, in the 100,000250,000 group. Saginaw, Mich, in the 50,000100,000 group. Waukegan, Ill, in the 2500050,000 group. Mason City, Towa, in the 10,000,25,00C groups. Providence won first place in the 250,000-500,000 population group, in addition to winning the national grand award. Contest rules provide that the national grand prize goes to the State and City which, in the opinion of the judges, came nearest to doing the maximum that could be accomplished practicably for traffic safety. Details of the programs of the four winning states follow:

NEW JERSEY

(Grand Prize Winner and First in the Eastern Group) NLY 885 motor vehicle traffic deaths occurred within the state during 1938, compared to 1278 in 1937. The death rate on a mileage basis dropped 33 per cent from the previous three-year average. Twelve men devoted their entire time to traffic engineering. A total of 2347 traffic signs and 57 signals were erected or removed during the year. There were 2098 miles of pavement markings. The 250 state policemen spent approximately 53 per cent of their time on traffic patrol and enforcement and 47 per cent on crime and other assignments. New troopers received about 15% hours of traffic instruction, while older men averaged approximately 26 hours each in refresher train-

ing. Of 37477 arrests and summonses for traffic iaw violation, excluding those in connection with registration, there were 37,0568 convictions. All drivers license examinations were given by full-time examiners and comprised road tests, written quizzes on the rules of the road and eye tests. There were 15659 drivers who lost their driving privileges through suspension or revocation of their licenses for violations. , Safety education is required by law to be a part of youngsters’ studies at school. Teacher training in safety is available as a credit course at the state teachers’

colleges. IOWA (First Among Midwestern States) OWA reduced its motor vehicle

traffic deaths to 486 in 1938 from 571 the year before. The

Methods Empl

TRAVEL OWN

The proper use of road signs played an important part in reducing traffic deaths and injuries during the 1938 safety drive, according to a National Safety Council survey. Above, County Commissioner William A.

death rate reduction on a mileage basis was 26 per cent from the three-year average. Thirty-seven men working in traffic engineering devoted time equivalent to 19 full-time workers. There were 2500 traffic signs erected or removed, not including replacements, and 400 speed zones were established or revised. Ten grade crossings were eliminated. Of 23886 arrests and sum= monses for motor vehicle violations, including registration ine fractions, there were 23,513 convie= tions. All drivers’ license examinations were conducted by full-time examiners and included road and eye tests, as well as quizzes on the rules of the road. There were 2715 drivers’ licenses revoked and suspended.

Safety is taught in Towa schools.

OKLAHOMA (First Among Southern States) KLAHOMA reduced its motor vehicle traffic deaths to 495 in 1938 from 633 in 1937. On a mileage rate basis the 1933 figures

represented a 18 per cent reduc tion from the previous threeyear period. Seven thousand trafic signs were erected or removed, in addition to 26 traffic signals. Traffic engineering included the establishing or improving of 225 speed zones and 875 nonpassing Zones. The past year was the first 12month period that Oklahoma had a Standard Drivers’ License Law and an enlarged highway patrol (150 men). Ninety per cent of the patrol’s time was devoted to traffic law enforcement. Of 4770 arrests or summonses for trafic violations, excluding registration infractions, there were 3923 con= victions. Full-time license examiners tested 89,387 applicants, all of whom were new drivers. The State Board of Education has ruled that safety must be taught in Oklahoma schools.

WASHINGTON (First Place Western Group)

ASHINGTON motor vehicle traffic deaths totaled 478 in 1938, compared to 535 the year before. On a mileage basis the death rate was cut 268 per cent in 1038 from the previous three year average. The equivalent personnel of five full-time men was assigned to traffic fee. A total of 10,100 traffic signs were erected or removed and six speed zones

established, revised or otherwise improved. Two and a half miles of Lucite markers were installed. The Washington State Patrol devoted 75 per cent of its time to enforcing the traffic laws. Of 5458 arrests and summonses for traffic violations, other than regis tration infractions, there were 3664 convictions. ® #& An analysis of the seven prize« winning city programs follows:

PROVIDENCE, R: L

(Winner of National Grand Award and First in 250,000-500,000 Population Group)

ROVIDENCE'S feat of going 111 days without a traffic fa

tality was a big factor in winning

top honors for the eity. There were only 16 motor vehicle traffic deaths during 1938, as compared to 41 in 1937. Oh a population basis the 1938 figures was a 46 per cent reduction from the previous three-year average. The co-ordination of engineer ing and enforcement officials in an educational campaign was among the chief factors in Provi« dence’s winning ranking honors, the judges explained. Officials responsible for engineering and the police work combined their efforts to educate the citizens against mishaps. Four hundred and eighty stud« fes of the view obstruction, speed survey, ete, type were made by traffic engineers. One hundred and ninety-eight signs and six traffic sighals were installed as well as 60 miles of pavement markings and 126 new street lights. All traffic signs and signals conform to the standard prescribed by the National Confer ence on Street and Highway Safety. Of 498 members of the police department, 88 devoted their full time to accident prevention and 120 others devoted approximately 40 per cent of their time. Motor vehicles five years old or older were inspected.

MILWAUKEE (Tied for First Place in Group I) OTOR vehicle traffic deaths totaled 41 during 1938, com« pared to 65 the year before. Mil= waukee has been a steady winner in the contest. It won first place in its group in 1033, 1035 and 1037 and the Grand Award in 1034, It on second place in its group in Engineering improvements ine eluded 790 signs and 27 sighals in« stalled or removed, 188 miles of pavement markings and 280 new

co

THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1939

Winning the Fight for Safety

oyed by Honor Cities Analysed by National Council

=

AT

The Indianapolis Times

Patered as at Postotfice,

Brown is instructing a group of Highway Department employees dur.

ing a recent safety campaign in Marion County.

Modern niethods con«

sistently applied reduce accidents, the survey proved.

street lights. New traffic marker lights were erected on 68 new is lands and 21 reflectors for dead end and similar streets. The 17.336 arrests and sums monses for traffic violations brought 16,113 convictions and 1223 suspended sentences. A two-week voluntary vehicle inspection was conducted. Newspaper articles dealing with traffie safety totaled 3500 and 220 radio programs were broadcast.

CLEVELAND

(Tied for First Place in Group I) HERE were 130 motor vehicle traffic deaths during 1938 as against 247 the year before. The 1038 reduction over the previous three-year period, on a popula« tion rate basis, was 41 per cent. Outstanding among engineers ing activities was the traffic surs vey carried out in connection with the WPA. One hundred and forty traffic signs and seven sige nals were installed or removed, along with 204 miles of pavement markings and 270 new street lights. Of 1463 men on the po= lice force, 430 spent their entire time on accident prevention. There were 31,788 convictions and 202 suspended sentences re= sulting from the 35,725 arrests and summonses for traffic violations. Leading the public educational campaign is the veteran Cleveland Safety Couneil, A total of 2837 safety articles appeared in the city's newspapers, as well as 635 radio programs,

TRENTON

(First Place in Group III) OTOR vehicle traffie deaths were reduced to eight in 1038 from 18 in 1037. Two hundred and fifty-one traffie signs were instailed or removed and 11 signs were changed from 18 to 24-hour service. Five miles of pavement were marked. A new street was constructed to provide an additional thoroughfare to the center of the city. All traffic signs and signals are standard. Thirty-six out of the 233 police« men devote their entire time to accident prevention. Two men were sent away for training. There were 2204 convictions and 45 suspended sentences for traffie violations, compared to 2334 are rests and summonses.

SAGINAW

(First Place in Group IV) NDER the aggressive leader« ship of the city manager, Saginaw achieved a spectacular reduction of motor vehicle traffic deaths, Its record for 1038 was five deaths against 23 in 1037.

Compared to the average of the three previous years, on a-popu= lation basis, the 1038 rate was a reduction of 77 per cent. Three traffic signals were in= stalled or removed as well as 1356 signs, Ninety-five miles of pave= ment were marked and 30 new street lights were put up. All of the traffic signs are standard and 256 per cent of the signals cone form. Twenty-two of the 83 police officers devote full time to accident prevention. Four men were sent to training school during the year. There were 3354 arrests and summonses for traffic violations, resulting in 3000 convictions and 165 suspended sentences.

WAUKEGAN (First Place in Group V) AUKEGAN'S motor vehicle traffic death reduction from the previous year, like that of

Saginaw, was outstanding. Only one person lost his life in Wauke= gan in traffic in 1038, compared to five in 1937. The percentage res duction from the previous three year period, on a population basis, was 82 per cent. Engineering improvements ineluded installation or removal of 70 traffic signs and seven signals, marking of 20 miles of pavement and installation of 30 new street lights. Half the traffic signs are standard and all signals conform with recommendations of the National Conference on Street and Highway Safety. Five officers devote all their time to accident prevention. Traffic law violations brought 1627 arrests and summonses whieh, in turn, resulted in 1308 convictions and 248 suspended sentences.

MASON CITY

(First Place in Group VI) HE year 1038 was the second consecutive year during which there was not a single motor vee hicle traffic death in Mason City, Thirty-four traffic signs and two signals were installed or removed. Four miles of pavement were marked. Other engineering improvements included 13 new street lights, 25 pedes‘rian signs and 20 parking signs. A new bridge and a new unders pass were constructed to facilitate traffic flow into the downtown area. All signs and signals are standard. One officer of the 22 on the police force is assigned entirely to accident prevention. The box score on traffic violations was 271 arrests, 260 convictions, 14 suspended sentences.

Second-Class Matter Indianavolis, Ind.

Side Glances

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

1—TIs there a Prince of Wales? 2—-What is eryptography? 3—Who ig Robert Morley? 4—With what sport is the name of Charlie Gehringer as sociated?

5—Name the smallest of the Great Lakes. 6—-What is the correct pro= nuneiation of the word abject? T-<What is ethnology? e & 8

Answers

1=<No. The title is reserved for the eldest living son of the British sovereign. 2—Secret writing in codes and ciphers. 3—Actor and playwright. 4— Baseball, 5—lake Ontario. 6-—Ab'-ject; not ab-jeet’, T—S8elence of the study of living races. ® w& @

ASK THE TIMES Inclose a 3-cent stamp for reply when addressing any question of fact or information to The Indianapolis Times Washington Service 1013 13th St, N. W., Washing= ton, D. C. Legal and medical advice cannot be given nor can ch be under

Everyday Movies—By Wortman

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Bo 0. 8, TWA. HAR ripe |

“I'm tellin’ ya, Duk

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Mopey Dick and the Duke I'd never let the Nazis do to me what |,

Second Section

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PAGE 17

Our Town By Anton Scherrer

How Proprietor of First Ladies’ Shoe Store in West Started His Son on The Way to Becoming Noted Painter,

INCE our last meeting I have learned that Indianapolis had the first ladies’ shoe store in the West. It was the one David Chase started in 1861. Mr, Chase, a general-storekeeper, came to Indianapolis by way of Williamsburg, Ind, a little town on the borderline of Brown County, not far from Franklin. It now goes by the name of

Ninevah. Soon as he got here, he started the largest

shoe store in the city. One part of it was separated from the rest and dedicated to the ladies. You couldn't mistake it because it had its floor carpeted. Four years later, Mr, Chase found a place in the store for his son. In the men’s department, of course. By this time, the boy was about 16. One day, the father apBromched Jim and said 3 “Son, you ave spoile enoug wrapping paper around here. Put on your Mr.. Scherrer hat. I'm going to take you up to Hays.”

On the way over, the father explained rather regretfully how disappointed he was not to make a businessman of his son; that he didn’t have much hope that he was doing the right thing now, but he was willing to give the kid a chance. Moreover, he didn’t like the idea of wasting so much wrapping paper when it could be put to better use. He de< veloped this thought at considerable length, because when he got done, father and son had arrived at the door of Mr. Hays' studio which occupied the third floor of the old Talbott Block, the first building south of the Postoffice, the one now used by the American National Bank people.

Mr, Hays, a portrait painter, had come to Indiane apolis in 1858 and formed a partnership with a photographer under the firm name of Hays & Rune nion. For his painted portraits, Mr. Hays got $75, pr 4 more if the client insisted on showing his Ss.

Studied in Munich

The new pupil was put to work copying pictures. A year later, Mr. Hays advised him tz go to New York, to the National Academy. In New York, the boy gave a good account of himself, Then he went to Munich. After six years in Germany, he returned to New York in 1878. Twenty years later, he was the most applauded painter in America, And that, in brief, is the story of William M. Chase, the Brown County boy who got his start in the Indie anapolis shoe store of his father, In 1908 or thereabouts—it was just about 30 years ago as I remember—William M. Chase, then at the height of his career, visited Indianapolis. For the last time, I believe. On that occasion Capt. Wallace Foster went to see him and showed him a mounted crayon portrait. Mr, Chase recognized it immediately and remembered that Capt. Foster had a men’s furnishings store in the Talbott Block at the time Mr, Hays ran his studio. He remembered, too, that one day he begged Capt. Foster for a sitting that he might make a portrait of him, Capt. Foster gave him two sittings, and the fine ished product turned out so well that Cap gave him $5 for it, provided he would have it mounted. Mr. Chase said it was the first money he ever earncd—outside of the shoe business, of course,

Jane Jordan—

There Are Many Injustices and We Must Learn to Face Them, Wife Told.

EAR JANE JORDAN-I've been very unfortunate all my life, My father was a drunkard and brutal to me. He and mother fought all of the time, separated often and were divorced twice. At school they laughed at me for my big nose and feet and my stupidity, causing me to feel that I was horrible to all mankind, Mother would say, “What do you know about worry? Wait till you have a dozen kids.” She made me feel that I was her biggest worry and could never repay her for the trouble I'd been, I grew into a peculiar person, ashamed to look others in the face. In spite of my peculiarities, nine months ago I was married to a fairly nice husband whom I love, but I'm miserably unhappy. He was rather poor, living alone with his mother. Much as I loved my mother I moved out and left her to be supported by relief, My husband took me from my mother to live with his so that his mother could have the necessities of life while mine must do on anything. My husband always reminds me that our mothers are old and he wants to make their last days their happiest, but it is his mother that is being made happy and I don't believe it is quite fair, DISCOURAGED CHARACTER. ® » = Answer—First let me grant your premise. It is une just to do more for your husband’s mother than your own, but life is full of injustices and we are powerless to correct them all, Nobody escapes the necessity of adjusting himself to some form of injustice. We find injustice in homes where one child is more gifted than the others and whose talents are a danger= ous source of discouragement to the others; yet we cannot throw him out, We find injustice in business where women are frequently paid less than men for comparable services; yet we do not quit our jobs. There is social injustice, national injustice, injuse tice in taxation and so on ad infinitum. I do not mean that it never is right to fight injustice for that would mean no progress, I only mean to stress that we have to put up with some of it whether we like it or not and should fight only when we have a chance to win. What have you to gain by making yourself and your husband miserable because your income won't keep two mothers and it is his mother who gets the breaks instead of yours? All the stewing and fretting in the world won't put one farthing in your mother’s ket. PO oti daughter of an unhappy home has to make up her mind that she cannot atone to her mother for the indignities which she has had to suffer. JANE JORDAN. .

Put your problems in a letter to Jane Jordan who will answer your questions in this column daily. .

New Books Today

TLLIAM LYON PHELPS was born in New Haven, Conn., Jan, 2, 1885. As a child he moved to other cities but as a young man he returned to the city of his birth to be educated in Yale and later to become one of its best known and most beloved educators. He is now Professor-Emeritus, having retired after nearly 40 years of teaching and has written the story of his life. In “Autobiography With Letters,” (Oxford University Press) he reviews his bisy and useful career, He provides intimate glimpses of some of the great figures in literature, the stage, statecraft and in almost every other walk of life in this country and abroad for the last half-century. Humorist and scholar, a sincere religionist, lover of the drama, and of sports, he has monumental work flavored with choice anecdote and penetrating observation, He devotes many pages to James Whitcomb Riley and at one point says of the poet: “The prophet without honour in his own country was never true of Riley. He was more and honoured in his own town than anywhere else, even though he re in England. The