Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1910-02-18
BApaEg a HOBBY w1rH MIN.

In Cleveland Failure to Wear one
Regarded as Significant.
He was plain man who walked
down the steps from the Hollenden
Hotel His clothes were as quiet as
his manner. and his manner was most
unassuming.
His shoes were square toed and q
dusty black. His collar was low and
his necktie was of the ready-made sort
you hook to the collar button in front
His hat was black. His suit was old
fashioned pepper and salt. He was not
trying to impress any one
But across his coat front a row of
badges, red and yellow, made unpro-
voked assault upon the eyes of by
ISLANDERS, says the Cleveland Plain
Dealer. There were rosettes at the top
and gold lace at the bottom Letters Of
gold proclaimed the fact that the plain
and unassuming citizen was member
of an organization with long name;
that said organization was holding
convention and that the man behind
the badge was on some committee.
The man himself would have told
you quietly enough. His badges shrek
ed 1t, He seemed somewhat embarrass-
ed by the attention he attracted One
wondered why he suffered them so pa,
tiently.
He was willing to talk.
He gave his name and said he had
come from Peninsula, Ohio. 1t devel-
oped that he did not suffer from the
badges at all. He thought them pretty.
He was proud of them.
It's weakness we men folk have
It's like the passion for red neckties,
but more general More than half the
men in Cleveland wear badges.
Some wear them all the time. Some
wear them on special occasion only,
just as one would wear a medal or a
decoration from the emperor of some
place or another.
If you don't wear badge it's pref
ty fair sign you don't belong to any
thing. Most everybody belongs to
some organization and nearly every or
ganization In Cleveland has badges for
its members. Many of us have half a
dozen. We wear one In one lapel but
ton hole and keep the others in bu-
reau drawer at home.
The badges or emblems that we wear
for every day are mostly small. 1t
may be fraternity pin or 1t may be
an emblem that signifies we belong to
the Brotherhood of Pretzel Varnishers.
1t may be on the under side of our
coat lapel or 1t may be on the edge Of
our waistcoat. 1t may take the form
Of necktie pin or decorate the end Of
watch fob. You may not see it the
first glance, but two chances in three
it's somewhere about.
These everyday pins OF labor or
CARNATIONS, fraternal and benevolent
organizations, miscellaneous clubs and
societies are small enough. The ones
for conventions, balls and other spe-
cial occasions may be nearly as big al
folded bath towels.
One can't get too many rosettes or
too much gold lace or too many metal
medallions and cross bars and spread
eagles hung on a badge. The more
there are the more pleased and proud
we men are to wear the badge.
Alfred Henriques runs an once in
the Williamson building from which
all sorts of badges and buttons are
sold He says more buttons are worn
now than during the button craze a
few years ago. craze that preceded
the present picture postal-card mad
ness. The difference is that the but
tons are not worn all the time. but
more for special occasions.
Many Of the badges cost as much az
IS each. They are elaborate with en-
amel. Some of gold are even more ex-
pensive.