The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-05-17
CURSES B|LL|KEN
GOD IN RAWLINGS
Davy Mckee, Young Irishman, Is in
New York Cell, Driven Mad by
Strange Little Idol.

SALT LAKE CITY. Utah. May ~
Is Billiken true god?
Yes, Billiken, the smiling little
stone god OF light and cheer and hap
piness and optimism and good fortune
and smiles-is Billiken true god or
a false?
Billiken's first American home was
In Salt Lake City. Here the Optimists
club was formed with him as its pre-
siding genius-a club which has swell
ed In two years from a membership
OF nothing to one OF 100000, including
presidents and cabinet members and
captains Of industry.
God reigns, the union still lives
and the sun shines, even though The
clouds obscure It. Go bury thy sor.
rows; the world has its share Just
smile"
! This was the message which Bill
ken and his club flashed to the world
And the grotesque little smilegod has
conquered America; but after all, Is
he worth whie-is he true?
This seems like strange question.
but its answer racked and tortured
one man till he went mad, and the asy-
lum claimed him
This was an honest, smiling i'm
petuous, enthusiastic young Irishman
named David Mckee In New York
cell where he is locked pending con-
finement In the home for the insane,
Davy Mckee curses the god Billiken,
and wants to write letters OF warning
to Taft and Roosevelt and Carnegie
and others who have Endorsed his
teachings.
"Billiken-Billiken- he
mutters. distraught.
The grotesque features OF the little
god he had worshiped, but now curses.
CLEAN at him from the shadows OF
the wall-grin and Ger and revile him
In horrid and CHASTITY arabesques OF
| light and darkness,----------
Davy Mckee is no weakling, no
dreamer. He is an athletic, clear
minded, strongly-knit young man OF
26. whose early training was hard
work in the open.
He was at an age open to impress
sions when ne met. several years ago.
VIM. j. Robinson, of Salt Lake, later
to become the head OF the Optimist
club movement. Robinson, magnetic.
forceful, visiting the old country. talk
ed to the boy. liked him.
When Mckee came to America
few months age he found Robinson
and the Optimist club. He attached
himself to the organization with Celtic
fervor. 1t was a great thing. great
power for helpfulness and good 10
many people-a new religion. He re-
joiced over every new convert. He
became the most active and valuable
worker on Robinson's New York stan.
He was taken into the office to help
direct things.
That brought the disillusion. Be-
fore, Billiken had been a religion.
Now he saw II was also a business.
Robinson had been forced TO put the
club on a financial basis. Mckee
saw great organization, with toLs
of literature and factory where fig
ures OF his god were turned out by
wholesale. He saw 5000 day coming
into the Optimist clubs cash register.
81 apiece as dues from each new mem
ber
Now Davy Mckee, in addition to be-
Ing enthusiastic, was religious. He
had been active In Y. NJ. c. A. and
church work in Ireland. had taught
Sunday school, All Of these were
things which helped people, made
them better. just as Billiken did.
But Billiken was business propo-
sition. Davy McKee's ideals were
broken. His Idol had feet of clay. He
was not worshiping a god, but was a
olsyk In a business Office. .ss
And Davy McKee's volatile mind
couldn't get reconciled. And now his
poor brain Is filed with the gibberish
of the god he loved jibbering, mock
ing, torturing him.