Walkerton Independent, Volume 34, Number 20, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 30 October 1908 — Page 6

! ^r w. gabion $A 'rz Mz\ *—■ l ^—■W

11 I I ■

AST of Pittsburg they look upon the man who goes to Chicago as brave. A woman visitor is hailed as a heroine upon her return. ’ They regard Chicago as the frontier of the United States, teeming with wild holdups, f ghastly murders, the | mecca for confidence men and desperado gangs. Such is not the case

E_

*^ l ‘'-** 4»j hvl mv vuo'j to-day. Perhaps it was * quarter of a century ago, but the present-day Chicago is perhaps the most carefully guarded city in the ■country. The why and wherefore of this greatly improved condition is 5,000 policemen-athletes. And the reason for the athletic force is the civil service law with its physical requirements, which the man who would become a ‘ cop” must equal or excel to become a full-fledged minion of the

law. He must have a perfect chest, heart, lungs, his muscles must be strong, his bones well knitted, he must be at least five feet eight inches in height, and not more than six feet five inches. Applicants in taking physical tests must tip the scales between 150 and 250 pounds. Obesity, muscular weakness and poor physique are insurmountable barriers to the man with a ■craving for a place among the “finest.” Every muscle in the body undergoes a test, which is made by the use of machines and weights. The Chicago policeman must be able to carry himself well, he must be shifty on his feet, quick to think «nd act. His eyes and ears must be perfect and his family tree must be absolutely devoid of hereditary diseases. In fact the Chicago force to-day is one which demands that a man be a soldier, athlete and minion of the law combined. During certain months each year examinations are conducted and during the fiscal twelvemonth 6,000 men were examined. Os this number about one-half were suc•cessful. First the doctor looks over the applicants, then the physical examiner takes the men in hand and puts them through the most rigid tests required anywhere in the world. After that the written examination is given in which each applicant’s education is brought to the fore. Civil service tests are severe and absolutely .honest. It is up to the applicant himself to pass the tests. You cannot be appointed upon the ■ Chicago police force by possessing acquaintance with a man “with a pull.” So great has been the success of the system installed by President Elton Lower of the civil service commission and his aides—H. D. Fargo and M. L. McKinley—that today every city of any size in the United States has its eyes focused upon the details and methods employed by the Chicagoans. Since President Lower became the leading light in the work of giving Chicago an efficient police force, great strides have been taken by the city toward making its citizens absolutely safe from ■ criminals. Physical Examiner Edward G. Westlake is in a measure responsible for bringing out the best bodily qualifications in the men who are turned ■over to him for inspection. Says Examiner Westlake: “Stage fright during the physical examination is one of the worst setbacks which the tests meet. When a man becomes ’flustered,’ knowing that a good job depends upon his every movement, it is quite natural that the best he knows will not push itself to the surface. Hence it is the duty ■of the examiner to allay the fears of the applicant as much as possible. “Consequently I have found that it helps men to do their best by applying suggestions and occasionally allowing a man to lay off for a few’ moments until he can compose himself. When the period of embarrassment passes, as it invariably does, the best that is in the applicant is bound to come out. The men take the tests purely upon their own merits and perhaps the most severe of the weight-lifting requirements is that of lifting a 30-pound dumb-bell from a lying posture, the weight being held back of the applicant’s head. This is to test stomach muscles. It does not

HOMESTEADS OF SMALL SIZE

Freich Government to Aid Workingmen to Provide for Future. There is no country in the world where the land is so subdivided as in France. Nevertheless, the rural dis- i tricts are being deserted for 'h larger । cities, and now thoughtful politicians, headed by M. Ribot, are trying to plan • for getting the population "back to the land.”

? ; A; ...X; * '$ ’Wijwlr O wpsß Hi ' v •* < v - • - ■ ;^SMgjl^ ;: ^” • . j^MMH ' v "• >-■ ^HMI^ * <v dst IBiSi I&gilaE^^ ; w ' ; v ||B^ 4*o ^0 'aw—MBMWB WK i^B HHb ss^Bßjraag^^ Wwi ■ ■ .’ ■ w K^v.. j aji B^HHL- HI 1 r ^ z ' ,4 j ; m JphM^^ & Wm - 4 S JlwwißiSircify * O f?||g§|g|||^|||3j|||Oj|jg^^ O

W) MEDICAL. . A A, iyw-.M—h ^W' Jf W. jm d^lffiMMnra ^*"#£ Ml 1 7 7//^ BSsL ' jf^B^RSßk mH mH^HHHd l I ^wL W/ ■

seem difficult to the observer, but try it just once and you'll feel that passing the physical test is far from easy.” Mr. Westlake is a newspaper man on the staff of the Chicago Evening Post and his 20 years in the newspaper business, part of which was spent in knocking about in police districts as a reporter, taught him much regarding the needs of the department. Before he entered a newspaper office, he served as a railroad fireman. The constitution which that rigorous vocation gave him, along with an enviable muscular development, has stood him in good stead in demonstrating the use of the tests before admiring gatherings of wouldbe “cops." Firemen and stationary engineers are also included in the civil service physical tests and today Chief Horan of the fire department is working hard with the civil service officials to have the standards raised so that an even sturdier force may be secured to battle with Chicago conflagrations. Following is a table, showing what is required in the way of height and weight before the strength and agility tests are given: Minimum Cirference Minimum Maximum of Chest Height. Weight Weight Quiescent. 5 feet 8: inches 150 pounds 190 pounds 35 inches 5 “ 9 “ 155 “ 195 “ 35% ' “ 5 “ 10 “ 160 “ 200 “ 36 “ 5 “ 11 “ 165 “ 205 “ 37 6 “ “ 170 “ 215 “ 37% “ 6 “ 1 “ 175 “ 220 “ 38 6 “ 2 “ 180 “ 230 “ 39 6 “ 3 “ ISS " 235 " 40 6 “ 4 “ 190 “ 240 " 41 6 “ 5 “ 195 “ 250 “ 42 “ Before the applicants face Physical Examiner Westlake, they are scrutinized by physicians and records show that 6V per cent, are rejected. To show some of the men’s overestimation of their qualifications it is recorded that recently 1,500 filed applications in a bunch and of this number only 370 succeeded in emerging unscathed from the medical, physical and mental tests. Mr. Westlake lays out a table of tests, showing the figures which indicate' meritorious performances. The table; Strength Test. Capacity of lungs 290 Strength of back 245 Strength ol legs 500 Strength of upper arm (H. P.) 10-10 Strength of fore arm (R. L.) 68-67 Pectorals 82 Traction pull 57 Dumb bells 50 Abdominal muscles 50 Adductors 145 Rope 100 Ladder 100 Agility ..% lot? Condition (Excellent, Good, Poor) Good Successful applicants must be able to expand their lungs about four inches, exhibit strength of back, legs, upper and lower arm. Then there is a test of the pectoral muscles, a traction pull, the lifting of dumb-bells -weighing 60 and 70 pounds, testing of the abdominal muscles by the lifting of a 30-pound weight behind the head from a prostrate to a sitting posture. Following these tests come rope and ladder climbing, which, with the agility examination complete the physical work. Then the applican’s condition is marked “excellent,” “good,” “poor.” As a result of the requirements of the civil

A bill passed in the chamber last spring is now beginning to come into operation. Its object is to give town and country laborers an opportunity to acquire on easy terms a plot of land and a homestead. This plan, it is ar- ; gued. is a better provision for the evening of life than any old age pension : fund. The plot of land must not cost more : than $240, its extent being limited to

a little over half an acre. The ini tending purchaser must be the i possessor of 240 francs ($48); which jif he has it not, is provided by the ! state, and the moment he deposits the j money he becomes proprietor of the holding. He must insure his life and must undertake that he and his children will cultivate the land. Each district has its own ‘ guarantee” company and intermediary which act for the state. Each company must have a capital of $40,000, of which half Is to be held in reserve. A capital of S2O,-

'? '*^^l I OW ! y ipsq Wyfe^, .LIFT

service law the Chicago police, fire and stationary engineers’ j departments now have a standing eligible list, the number of names running up into the hundreds, Hence neither Chief of Police Shlppey n&r Eire 'B^arsbal Horan are , ever worried about securing good, stur- I dy iaen. They are always on hand ready to a moment's notice. Scarcely a moutbi passes but that new themes of worl^ 1 are suggested to the civil service commission, tried out and either accepted or rejected. It was the civil service body which gave the impetus to the move for an ideal police force and wh’tch eventually re- ■ suited in the formation of Chicago’s famous ‘ beauty squad” of coppers under the direction of Maj. Boudet, a soldier who has seen service in the Cuban campaign in the Spanish-Ameri-can war. Maj. Boudet and his “beauty squad” head the list of Chicago pollcemenideals and the force is proud of them. The beauty squad pays more attention to soldierly tactics than other sections

' ■' T 5 ; *o' M Ek. a|||^ ?\' • I^Z^m^Z. MU/CL£ TfJTJ

of the force and is perhaps something of an experim on t in the prop- B osition of in- i trod uci n g J military tac- । tics into the I work of the B policemen.

Maj. Boudet’s charges perform a manual of arms, which, if anything is more complicated than that which the soldier is compelled to learn. One of the prettiest sights imaginable is the series of evolutions which these policemen carry out. There are some tax-paying Chicagoans who scoff at pretty evolutions, but they, Maj. Boudet claims, are not of the far-seeing class. He points out that the drilling of policemen in this manner teaches them to handle themselves with grace and ease and makes them abler in the duties they perform. Only recently the beauty squad, about 100 strong, gave militiamen of the First Illinois infantry, stationed at Chicago, a drill exhibition in the big First Regiment armory. So perfect were the evolutions that even the soldiers were awed. The policemen formed revolving wedges, hollow squares, five-pointed stars, circles and other ingenious formations, the perfection of which had taken them months to accomplish. The squad is formed on the order of a military company. There is Maj. Boudet at the head, a first and second lieutenant and the regulation number of sergeants and corporals. Gaining a place on the Chicago police force today is perhaps as difficult a fi?at as the average man of middle age would care jto attempt, and for that reason the department i$ composed of the best physiques that the city canTfurnish. The same is true of the fire department, the efficiency of which is evidenced by the fa^-t that during the past fiscal year every conflaA'ntion in Chicago w r as put under control before thje fire could spread to adjacent buildings. The medical test, which fir« Lev as well as policemen undergo, follows: "’•'•w ic« IS THE RESPIRING MURM'^-Mlear and distinct over both Lungs? Is the character of the Respirajion Full, Easy and Regular? ' Are there any indications of Disease of the Organs of Respiration or their Appendages? % IS THE CHARACTER of the Heart’s action Uniform, Free and Steady? Are its Sounds and Rhythm Regular and Normal? Are there any indications of Disease of this Organ or of the Blood Vessels? IS THE SIGHT Good? Is the Hearing Good? IS THE APPLICANT subject to Cough, Expectoration, Difficulty of Breathing, or Palpitation? ARE THE FUNCTIONS of the Brain and Nervous System in a Healthy State? Has the Brain or Spinal Cord ever been diseased?.... a IF THE APPLICANT has had any serious Illness or Injury, state expressly what effect, if any, is perceptible in the Heart, Lungs, Kidneys or other Abdominal Organs, or the Skin, Eyes, Ears, Limbs, etc Has applicant been successfully vaccinated? Any TUMORS or Evidences of Surgical Operation?.... ARE KIDNEYS normal? HAS THE APPLICANT any predisposition, either hereditary or acquired, to any constitutional disease, as Phythisis, Scrofula, Rheumatism? HABITS use of Stimulants and Tobacco

000,000 has been set aside for loans at two per cent. The original idea was to provide these homes for workers aged 50 or 60 years. But it has been decided to give younger people a chance —for instance, soldiers having completed their serv--1 ice—who will marry and bring up a family on the land. Example is more powerful than precept; whereof you reprove another be unblamable yourself.-—George Wash ington.

I — — - { INDIANA STATE NEW?! Happenings of General Interest in All Parts of the Hoosier Commonwealth. S <— —. _ =—-s1

CAPERS OF A CREEK AND SPRING. ! Become Torrents in a Night, Without Rainfall. Bedford.—Pleasant run, a small creek that meanders —when it is not I dry—though part of Lawrence county, | recently capered in a manner that was ; mystifying the people who live near it. j There was no water in the run, ex- ; cept in spots, for many weeks, owing to the drought. Recently, however, j when the people living near by awoke ■ they were amazed to see the dry bed of the run covered with two feet of swirling, racing water. No rain had fallen during the night, in fact, there 1 had been little more than enough rain to lay the dust for two months, and - where the water came from is a mys- ■ tery. Another phenomenon was the । unexplainable capers of a spring at 1 Midway, on the pike between Bedford I and Oolitic. The spring had dwindled until its flow of water was rro larger I than a pencil. Recently it began gushing a flood that soon covered the . road and flowed into Salt creek. These phenomena are puzzling the oldest inhabitants. No one hereabouts ever saw Pleasant run and the spring I act so strangely before. Some people are wondering if an internal upheaval : has forced the water upward from the . bowels of the earth. A student of i mythology suggests that Jupiter Plu--1 vius has surrendered the rain-making i machinery to Pluto and that the dark and gloomy god of the lower regions | is extending his realm by driving out i the water between his abode and the surface of the earth. This, the student says, accounts for the absence of rain, the sudden rise of the run ami the outburst of the spring. Fleming Case Postponed. South Bend. —The William Fleming bunco steering case, in which the ex-Cleveland real estate dealer is charged with being a member of a band of conspirators who swindled W. , J. Springborn of Cleveland out of $lO,000 in this city last winter, through a fake wrestling match, has been continued until the next term of court. Start Contempt Proceedings. Indianapolis. — Depositions were taken here to be used in the contempt proceedings against Samuel Gompers, Frank Morrison and John Mitchell in the supreme court of the District of Columbia, in the Buck Stove & Range Company. The depositions were taken on behalf of the Buck Stove & Range Company. Misplaces Card; Strike On. Princeton. — Seventy Big Four machinists struck because Ben McManus. a new man, who said he was union but had mislaid his card, refused after several days' work to prove his claims. Big Four officials say they will turn the strike into a lockout. Barbed Wire Kills Baby. Greensburg.—Mrs. Mollie Shaner and Mrs. Frank Hinton were seriously injured and the year-old child of the former killed in a runaway near Adams. The rig was upset into a barbed wire fence, along which the , women and child were dragged. Two Miners Crushed. Seelyville. — George Morris, aged 36, an Englishman who has been in this country only a short time, and Thomas Botts, 28, were crushed to death by falling slate while pulling pillars in Miami mine No. 1. Killed in Fall from Roof. Franklin. —James K. Pitcher of Trafalgar, while working on a I kitchen roof fell to the ground and was instantly killed, his neck being broken. He was 74 years old. Plan Eight-Story Building. South Bend.—South Bead lodge, I. O. O. F., has made arrangements to erect an eight-story temple , on the site of its present building as : soon as the leases expire. Widow Eats Poison Candy. Columbus. —Mrs. Anna Parker, a 1 widow of Forrest Hill, Decatur I county, was near death as the result | of eating poison candy which she received through the mail. Elwood Heat Plant Sold. Anderson. —The plant of the Elwood Heat & Light Company was • sold at receiver's sale at the court--1 house forr $50,000, the purchase bein" j made by E. R. Ester. Cannot Rebuild Plant. Goshen.—By a decision in the circuit court the city of Goshen 1 was prevented from rebuilding its commercial lighting system at a cost of $40,000. Forgery Charges Dropped. Newcastle. — Charges of forgery against Meredith Lykens, a young farmer of Blue River township, near Mooreland, have been dismissed. Prosecutor Barnard found there was no foundation for the accusation. Insane from Brooding Over Murder. Laporte. — Wesley Reynolds, 16 years old, was murdered six years ago while defending the treasure in the bank at Westville, and Allen Koontz became insane from brooding over the tragedy. Boy’s Father His Uncle. Columbus. — Eight-year-old John Spurgin's father now is his uncle and his uncle now is his stepfather by the second marriage of his mother, who was divorced last Saturday. Leeds Gives Banquet. Richmend. — Rudolph. G. Leeds president of the Young Men’s Business chi'), gave a banquet for tht feTow ot’ccrs of the association ; 'ay n:~ht. The guests numbered

PAINTS HOUSES AT AGE OF 82. Old Man Called from Work to Attend Birthday Festivities. Columbus.--John Howarth of this 1 city is believed to be the oldest house I painter in the state. He celebrated his eighty-second birthday anniversary ' recently, and is as active as a man 25 I years younger. His son, Prof. Ira W. Howarth, is a member of the faculty i of Chicago university, and is away on leave of absence for a year to fill an : appointment from the governor of Illi- • nois as secretary of the newly created educational commission there. Prof. Howarth decided to come over from Springfield and surprise his father on his birthday. When he arrived here he i learned that the aged man was painting a house for John Clark at Nash- I ville, Brown county. The painter was called home to attend the festivities ; arranged in honor of his birthday. He i hurried through the day’s program and 1 went back to Brown county to finish ; painting the house. W. R. C. Selects Bedford. Bloomington.—With a big campfire meeting in the Grand Army hall the Woman's Relief Corps convention of the Third district ended here. Officers were elected as follows: President, Mrs. Lottie Butler, , Bedford; senior vice, Mrs. Mary * Freese, Bloomington; junior vice, Mrs. : Mary Bridges, Seymour; treasurer, ; Miss Lydia Lemon, Bedford; secre- | tary, Mrs. Oscar Hartley, Bedford; inspector, Mrs. Maude Howard, Montpelier. The next meeting will be at Bedford. Freed; Died 20 Minutes Later. Ashton.—Word was received here [ Saturday of the election Friday of Miss Rebecca T. Miller of this city as treasurer of the editorial ■ workers of the Women’s Christian : Temperance Union. The election took place at the convention which was held at Denver, Col. Miss Miller was । the only Indiana woman on the list of officers. Frightened Girl Leaps. Evansville.—Frightened when an attempt was made to break in her room at the Wellington hotel, Ethel Logsdon, 17 years old, leaped three stories from the window to the concrete pavement and was fatally injured. Miss Logsdon came here from Chandler, a country town, to work in the hotel as a waitress. Fight Over Railway Switch. South Bend. — Refusal of the Michigan Central railroad to remove a switch on the East side has caused a clash with the city council. The transportation company states that if the switch is to be removed the city will have to bear the expense. This the city refuses to accede to. Woman Sues for Insurance. Connersville. —The case of Mrs. Schroyer vs. the Commefcial Life Insurance Company of Indianapolis was heard in the circuit court. Mrs. Schroyer is suing the insurance company for alleged failure to pay a policy carried by her husband, who was killed. Changes Halloween Date. Kokomo. —Mayor W. H. Arnett, by official proclamation, has designated Hailoween for October 30, instead of October 31, which falls upon Saturday night, the desire being to afford business men and clerks the opportunity of participating in jollification. Librarians of State Meet. Richmond.—The seventeenth annual meeting of the Indiana Library association was held here at the Richmond Public Library with a number of leading librarians of the state in attendance, among them Demarchus C. Brown, state librarian. J. W. Kern, Jr., Critically 111. Indianapolis, Ind. — John W. Kern, Jr., son of the Democratic Vicepresident’ d candidate, who is suffering from nerve paralysis and acute indigestion, was still in a critical condition Friday. Fight Fire in Monroe. Bloomington.—One of the most destructive forest fires in the history of this county raged in Salt Greek township and all the farmers in that section worked desperately to check it. West Middleton Threatened. Kokomo. — West Middleton was ' threatened with total destruction by fire in the burning of the residence of William Stratton. Six Men Injured. Fort Wayne.—Six men were injured. two seriously, when a 12-foot scaffold on which three were working and beneath which the three others were employed gave way at the plant of the S. F. Bowser Company. Indiana’s “Harum” Is Dead. Danville. —John Wesley Hawkins, 84 years old and a pioneer of Hendricks county, was buried here. “Swapping horses" gave him the reputation of being the original "David Harum" of western Indiana. Married at 16; Sues for Divorce. Marion. — James T. Pierce, 52 years old. one of the wealthiest farmers in the county, is the defend- . i ant in a divorce suit. His wife. 21 I years old. wants the custody of their i five-year-old daughter and $9,000 alimony. • Brewery Posters Hidden. j issued by the brewers. intending to show c conditions of Kansas I City after the elimination of the sa- | loon, have beet, covered in this city.

Visas WiTT History Down to Date. "It is my purpose,” writes the editor of the Hickory Holler Bugle, “to

review each week a chapter from the most im p o r t a n t i books of history, selecting from the library of the past •such subjects as will interest the readers of to-day. By this method I hope to enlist many enthusiastic rooters for ’History Down to Date.’ My first subject will be ‘Antony and Cleopatia.’ This most j important story shall be 20th-cen-turized as follows: “H a v i n g triumphed over Julius Caesar, Cleopatra was entertainingly engaged in making Antony’s lawful wife play second 'fiddle in the orchestra of his love. ; “On this particular evening. Antony called by appointment to enjoy an affinity tete-a-tete. The boudoir was resplendent for ' the occasion. Beaut i f u 1 flowers 1 breathed their amor- ■ ous odors, while * redolent perfumes, heavy with hashish, exhaled their

C\ JJgii s

■ subtle influence. “When Antony took in the voluptu- : ous settings of this fascinating Eden i he realized for the first time in his life I that he was a matrimonial shipwreck forever more. i “ ‘To his eye There was but one beloved face on earth, , And that was shining on him.' “In his heart, oblivious to honor, allegiance and sacred vows, there burned only the mad passion to possess her. And Cleo, the cut-up, did her best to throw him. “The pink tea was but half over i when Antony, bewildered and ill at j ease, dropped his napkin. Bj- grabbing at it, he succeeded in knocking it half way under the table. “Running about the room was a white rat, a prized pet of the famous man-killer. Just as Antony stooped for the napkin, the rat chanced to slip '• quietly underneath the luxurious lingerie of Cleopatra's dainty skirts, nipping her gently on the ankle. “As Antony's head emerged from beneath the table, his face florid from exertion, Cleopatra arose majestically and gasped: “ ‘Sir!’ “Antony, much chagrined, end wondering, could merely stammer his apology. “When the scandal got into the j newspapers, he decided the best way out of it was to marry the girl. Owing I to having a wife of his own, this could not be —and he did the next worst thing, which should be a warning to all young men. “This is a true and heretofore unprinted story of how the wicked Cleopatra became the first affinity extant. More chapters will follow in due time. “ —Editor The Bugle.” 000 Hick'ry Holler News. “Davey” Halligan has been engaged for several days painting a "Washing and Ironing" board for his wife. ☆ ☆ ☆ Uncle Hank Grigsby is afraid that he is developing symptoms of tape worm. Cheer up, Uncle Hank, the undertaker nor the tape worm hasn't | got your measure yet. It seems strange that any of our nice young men should have to punish good horsefiesh every Sunday driving : twenty miles to see their affinities, when there are any number of nice girls right here at home. They ought to be more patriotic. The next thing they will be getting their wives from a mail order house. Uncle Hank Grigsby has changed from Petuna to Lizard Oil. j Postmaster Harley finds the mail is I very heavy since Job White started studying aeronautics by correspondence school. He is thinking of taking on an assistant to help with the mail —and other things. Ah there, Eva lina! The citizens of Hick’ry Holler point ; with pride to the new sprinkling cart, painted red. white and blue, which made its belated appearance upon u. Main street yesterday. It was a gala occasion and everybody viewed it. j Charley Green handled the reins with ' great aplomb. Uncle Hank Grigsby was cured of , jaundice and a bile on his neck by Pillson's Ticklish Drops. Four bottles for $3 at Down s drug store AD\ . More anon. —Myrtle. 000 The man who asks for the breast of : the chicken doesn’t always get it. but ' the man who is content with 'h • neck always gets his. Beware of M:nd Wobbling. To a certain degree we are the masters of our fat<- and the captains of our souls —as the poet says. By 1