Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-03-18
'DILLIKEN"-HlS
BIRTH And LIFE
GRiNNlNG LITTLE IMAGE is RE-
SUIT OF INGENIOUS GIRLS
WHlM AND MODELLING
HAS BECOME A FAD
Diminutive Japanese Image Made His
Bow Months Ago But Craze
Swamped Makers-Can be
Had in Any style.

OF all the modern mascots, from
rabbits feet to swastikas, the queerest
is "Billiken," grinning, joyful little
Japanese image who has become the
craze of the nation. "Billiken' made
his bow in Ottumwa many months ago.
as little plaster image. He took
at once. simultaneously he took" in
several thousand other cities of the
country--so great was the demand for
the little heathenish freak that he died
at once. because the diminutive plant
then making the little gods was liter
ally swamped Since then new fac
tory has been equipped and "Billiken"
has come forth again and is In Ottum-
wa in jewelers. stores In every con-
ceivable style. Little statutes, silver
fois, scarf pins, cuff links, belt buck
| els, belt pins and q hundred and one
other articles bear the grinning image.
| AS interesting as his smile Is mex
birth, which c. o. Arnold one of the
| local jewelers. related this morning.
| Girl is Originator.
Originally "Billiken" was the whim
of Kansas City school girl, Miss
Florence Pretz, who had an unac-
countable and fantastic desire to draw
Japanese sketches. Little Florence
famous artist and while she was
dreaming of this, she was busy with
her pencil, and now and then modelled
in clay. She had seen a few of the
smile" placards-"Kee smiling"
Wear a SMILE" Smile, you lobster,
smile"--and one day she decided to
imprison the very spirit of the smile In
clay. Her oriental impulse got the bet
ter Of her, so she made "Billiken' and
set him up for a mascot.
Miss Pretz christened "Billiken" and
called him the "god of things as they
ought to be- and her girl friends all
agreed that he was the cunningest
thing they ever saw One OF these
girl friends went to Chicago, taking
duplicate Of "Billiken with her and
she had such astounding luck that she
began to believe the little Japanese
image really had something to do with
it. She showed the little image about
the city and nearly everyone wanted
one.
Becomes Fad.
"Billiken" became a fad. He was not
only irresistably funny but the peo-
pl who We're lucky enough to get the
few originals were ready to declare
that he was really a mascot and
brought good luck. The two girls, fol
Miss Pretz had to have an assistant
: in her studio. had no business ideas
but "Billiken'' advertised himself A
newspaper man saw one and wrote ;
story about him. using a cut of thu
little image. His fame leaped. HI
Was manufactured in quantities ant
began spreading out over the country
He grinned from shop windows
turned up his toes In theatres and no
tel Hobbies; worried stenographers SCI
; him up on their desks to beguile q
smile from the boss in the morning
He found his way into the boudoirs o
society girls and into the murky hall,
bedrooms. He was the "god of thing:
as they ought to be" and continued
smiling his prettiest at every sou
Girl Mystery.
Miss Pretz herself Is a mystery t
all psychologists. She is pure HOLLAND
Dutch on both sides, and the unbrokel
line Of her ancestors runs clear bacl
! to the middle ages. Yet, she is al
oriantalist, and has the Japanese wa,
of looking at things. When a mer
child. it is stated, she would max
sketches and drawings after the pur
Japanese style, in spite Of remon
strances of tutors and teachers. A
anv rate, "Billiken" has made his or
$ ig.nal both famous and rich.
), His fad by some is declared to Dor
der on idolatry and an occasional min
r lister has condemned the "Billiken
y practice by pointing out the passag
$ concerning the danger Of setting u
S craven images-but "Billiken" smile
S on serene it's all fame for him, an
: the people smile with him.