Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-11-01
SHIRTSLEEVE REF0RMER HAS
WORD FOR PUBLIC
DIR, GEORGE GILBERT BANCROFT
GRANTS INTERVIEW
Would Give Woman Chance to Pro-
pose and Tax Men Who Reach
the Age of 35 Without
Marrying
BY SHIRLEY OLYMPUS


whose abstract ideas are more or less
chimerical dreams; you've met the
fiowing-tied reforner who has ideas on
self-culture; you've met the health re-
former who teaches you how to eat,
sleep and breathe; you've met the
long-frocked reformer who has his own
pet theory about religions you've met
the wealth reformer who believes the
other fellow owes him something; In
fact, you've met most every kind OF
reformer there is under heaven. If you
have lived long in Los Angeles, for
most every kind of reformer comes TO
this truly cosmopolitan place. But there
is one kind of reformer you have not
met, unless it be within the last two
or three days, and now you are to be
introduced to him. He is the shirt
sleeve" reformer, DR.. George Gilbert
Bancroft of Boston and all other places
in the United States where there are
appreciative people and an auditorium.
Why call him a shirtsleeve reformer?
Does he intend to regulate health,
wealth and happiness by the shape and
size of shirtsleeves? Or Is it because
he does most of his work in his shirt
sleeves?
No, gentle reader. Wrong in both
surmises are you.
heTorm LOOKS FTaCIlCdi
He is a shirtsleeve reformer because
that is the way l found him and be-
cause he is practical. He has not
been afraid to delVe down into the
social muck of the underworld. learn
something of conditions there and seek
to apply real rem dies.
Imagine a man who values publ city,
knowing it's real worth to him, greet
ing a newspaper reporter in shirt
sleeves! You almost hold up your
hands In horror.
Naturally you think man about to
be interviewed and made famous CD
would brush his hair with the utmost
care, arrange his tie with a touch of
fastidiousness, brush the last speck of
dust from off his coat, assume a seri-
Gus mien, and when said interviewer
knocked timidly at the door, call out Ia
the most impressive voice possible
"Come inl"
If that is the picture in your mind,
Danish 1t forthwith You are thinking
of all the other reformers in the world,
and you have failed to remember that
1t is a shirtsleeve man you are being
introduced to.
Asked to "come Right Up"
I found DIR. George Gilbert Bancroft
at an inn in Hope street, at Eighth.
AS 1 entered the place 1 heard some
body from the top of the stairway
calling out to "come right up Inn
agine my surprise when l learned that
the man standing at the top of the
stairway was none other than DR..
George Gilbert Bancroft, one of the
men of the sociological hour-and he
was in his shirtsleeves.
OF course he had a magazine in his
hand, a look of understanding on his
face, and the piercing CLEAN of deliver
after truth in his eye. But still he
was in his shirtsleeves! AS 1 made
mental note of this fact 1 began
unconsciously to weigh the man, and
1t took me not very long to decide that
at least this man was sane enough to
be without false pride, and sincere
enough not to care one whit for proper
stage effects.
l went seeking humor-almost ridl-
cule-and 1 came away with facts.
There's no comedy in talking two
hours to a man who states a PROPOSE
ticn full of meaning and proves 1t
with citations from twenty years eX-
perience in scientific research. Such
a man compels attention and respect.
BY no stretch of the imagination can
one take serious, welll-grouHded ideas
and turn them into flippant phrases.
Ana SIlli, InlS pTdCllCdi man Will MS
practical theories and his world of ex-
perience is not pedant. He is phil
losopher with the great saving grace,
sense of humor. He makes you turn
from pathos to humor in the twinkling
of an eye. You think with him rather
than after him, so that you feel you
are the real parsonage and he more
or less of feeder of ideas. The lego"
is not so great I'm him that the thou
is lost, and the thou" in him is not
so great that you lose sight of the
map himself.
Asked About Marriage
It was in a spirit of levity that !
and framed my first ques-
ton: "Dr Bancroft will you please
tell me how to propose?"
He did not answer directly then. al
though 1 CLEANED from some of his con-
versation that the right way to ask
@ girl r. marry you is just to ask her, |
earnestly and sincerely after
dine consideratio has been given the |