The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-02-20
New Workers. Sore Because Of
Play Made on Names
20" ANO "skIDoo" ARE NOT IN II
LIFE MADE MISERABLE FOR MER.
CHANTS BY JOKERS WHO
LAUGH At "lEMONS."

NEW YORK, reb. 2O-There are a
score of citizens In the general city
directory of Manhattan and the Bronx
and four or five in Brooklyn whose
names have become a great burden
to them since the lemon got a place.
They are Lemons themselves-that
is their family name is Lemon and
according to all reports they are never
allowed to forget it for a moment
in their waking hours.
1T is inexplicable to me- said one
of them in describing his woes. how
such a silly slang phrase can tickle
the rsibles of so many people, young
and DID, ignorant and cultivated.
LAS far as l can see the word has
no significance at all in the sense in
which it is employed 1t means moth
ing One might say give me 'citron'
or L handed him a lime and it would
have just as much sense in it as the
lemon gag.
Nevertheless, the latter will always
draw laugh and it is now looked upon
by cutups and other devilish fellows
as the shortest route to take when en-
deavoring to acquire the reputation of
being a wit. l cannot tell you how
great is the annoyance that has come
to me and my family since these
phrases about lemons became an ap-
parently necessary part of common
conversation, and suppose others who
bear the same name suffer in the same
way ,..,
when you are introduced to a stran-
ger his face invariably lights up with
a smile and he is sure to say, oh. so
you are a Lemon, are your or some
such witty remark.
Only One of Many.
THAT is only one OF the many at
flictions that we Lemons have to bear.
heard of a case the other day which
will show how serious one aspect
of this jOshing us is to us.
down town who holds big position
with one of the largest manufacturing
corporations in the world. He is nat
urally sensitive and since the alleged
jokes about lemons sprang into favor
he has been driven nearly crazy by
the merry jests handed to him about
his name Several times he has de-
clared his intention of going into the
courts to seek relief. saying that a
change of name will be necessary for
his comfort and peace OF mind, but
thus far he has held OH, fearing the
notOriety that would follow the appll-
cation in these days of the supremacy
of the lemon joke
This man has a very large business
correspondence in the department ne
manages and it is an actual fact that
he is constantly having trouble with
letters sent out because of his sig
nature. In several instances letters
have been returned to him indicating
that the recipients consider the sig
nature as a joke and asking the COM
pany not to fool about the matter any
longer
You may be a lemon, but you
can't hand me any and other SIM
liar comments come back with the
letters
It's lemons, lemons, everywhere. In
musical farces and in vaudeville they
are in great demand even Outranklng
'Twenty-three' and it's companion piece
in strenuous acting, 'Skiddoo.
I'm the holidays it was considered
the height of hilarity by considerable
section of the population to
ons to their friends as Christmas gifts
Walk along Nassau street any busl-
ness day and you will find dozen or
more fakirs selling imitation lemons
in q. small crate
Hand him a lemon hand him
lemon; only cents is their cry ana
thousands of idiots who might spend
their money in more profitable way
go down IN their jeans and dig up
the necessary nickels. | watched one
of these fakirs the other day for 20
minutes and it made me sore to see
the number of those crates he sold.
Now. why is it that those who bear
the honored name of Lemon should
suffer such annOyances and indlgnltles
fo +bo x,,oro of the crowd!