Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-07-08


For instance, the remarkable feat Of
abolishing drunkenness. crime and vice
all at once, was accomplished here this
week by the New FORK board Of cen
sors in deciding to make Its activities
national in extent To be sure the aboli-
ton applies only to those vicious and
criminal acts which take place on the
screens OF moving picture displays. but
as picture exhibitors are witnessed by
some four miller persons daily this
action is likely TO have important results
Cnminologists agree that to display
scenes Of drunken bestiality. crime and
vice before an audience made up of all
classes and ages OF people is TO arouse
morbid curiosity and to encourage imi-
tation on the part of tho immature or
weak willed. Another objection as point
ed out by the censors Is that these views
are hardly ever true to life. Instead Of
being made with as near approach MS
possible TO actual existing conditions as
is done with other classes of views. these
scenes are exaggerated for the purpose
of producing an effect of horror. They
belong in the same category with the
penny dreadful stories which exercise
an unhealthy fascination for some read
ers through their elaborate descriptions
Of horrible experiences. All the leading
manufacturers OF films for moving pic
ture exhibitions including the firms as
sociated In the Motion Picture Patents
company which control the great major
ity Of the output. have indicated their
desire to cooperate with the censors 10y
stopping the production of scenes of this
sort and retiring those already in use.
Sounding like one Of the tales of SIN
bad the Sailor. the history of sky
blue pearl said to he the only one of its
kind in the world and valued at $40 0N,
Is now exciting much interest here and
at the same time is causing many legal
complications. As a result OF an action
brought by no less person than the
representative OF an East Indian Mahar
ajah against local pawn broker with
whom the stone was pledged the history
Of this unique jewel rcputed to lure men
to death has beer pieccd together. From
this II appear that the blue pearl was
etol.n from MONASTERY near Lahore,
india. In 1879 after having been tho
THE. was priest In the temple who
eloped with the princess OF the Mnhar-
ajah's family They both died mysteri-
ously The pearl Is said to have been
at one tins in the collection of King
Leopold of Belgium. Later on II appear
ed In the possession of French army
officer He was killed IN duel and mis-
wife, 10 WHOM ne lsft tho psafi. died of
poison. Rccently. afto- n period during
which its history has not yet been made
clear. this sinister jewel was pawned in
Boston for 5000 The pawn ticket was
sold to a dealer in pawn tickets in this
city for $50 and subsequently l.; was dis
posed OF by him to an EnGlshman for
$500 with tho last sale all trace of the
pearl has been lost and 1t Is an effort
70 recover il 49,; restore It to it's original
temple in Ida that has brought the
representative of the Maharajah to this
country and revealed tho history Of the
famous pearl.
According to a report lust compiled by
TRANSPORTATION experts here. II Is now
possible to travel around the world In
thirty days. thus throwing the feat OF
Jules Verne's hero still further into the
shade. For many years indeed It has
been comparatively easy to circle the
globe In less than eighty days and each
year has seen some dlminution of the
necessary time. but II Is only within
the past few weeks that It has been pos
sible to mako the trip within the limits
Of a single month. The cutting down
IN time is due to several causes. The
most important Is the completion Of the
double tracking OF the Trnns-siberian