The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-04-19
STRAY
Topics From Little Old New
York Town
Death Of Or. RainGy Removes
Interesting Character
A Fish Story That Is The
Best Produced
Thieves Display Peculiar
Kind OF HumOr
A Very Pathetic Case OF
Child Suicide

New York, April 15-By the death
Of DIR. Thomas Rainey, who succumb-
ed to an attack of pneumonia the 9th
er day at the age of SIS years, New
York has lost an interesting charact-
or. DR.. Rainey was known as "The
Father of the Bridge because he had
spent twenty-five years of his life and
his entire fortune of about 100000, in
an endeavor to promote the building
of bridge across the East River, be-
tween Manhattan and Long Island Ci-
ty. The bridge was to cost $6,000,000,
and was to be built on almost the
same site as that on which the ST.
100000 Greensboro Bridge now
stands. DR.. Rainey, who had had
varied and interesting career and had
amassed a considerable fortune by
building and operating ferries in Bra
zil, did not succeed in interesting cap
ital in his bridge project and finally
gave up his efforts, broken In health
and almost beggared. Many years
later the bridge was actually built,
and, although he really had nothing
to do with the final realization of his
dream, Dr. Rainey always had faith
erly interest in the structure. On the
occasion of the formal opening Of the
Greensboro bridge DR.. Rainey was
presented with a gold medal bearing
the inscription, "The Father Of the
Bridge" A bronze tablet Is to be
placed on the bridge, recording Dr.
Rainey's efforts in behalf of the, con-
struction of the bridge.
The fiendish crime, of which Ruth
Wheeler, young and innocent girl
waa the victim has caused considera-
BILE stir in legislative circles. 1t has
been proposed to enact law which
makes it crime to send young wo-
men to offices to apply for positions
Prominent business men who, al
though shocked by the atrocity of the
crime, did not allow themselves to be
carried to hysterical extremes, are
not in favor of such law. They point
TO the fact that the fault Is not in di-
recting girls to places where there
may be chance for them to find en-
ployment, but in the reckless system
which permits young girls to go to
strange places unattended and unpro-
tected. SO long as young girls are
permitted to go, without restraint or
caution, to all sorts OF strange and
unsafe places and to associate with
strange men, such crimes as the MUIR
der of Ruth Wheeler are likely to oc-
cur notwithstanding the most string
ent laws.
While the Easter parade on Fifth
Avenue was at it's height, the festive
press agent got busy" With the
cunning of true Oriental he had fig
ured out that the presence of an en-
ormous crowd on that great artery of
traffic offered unequalled opportuni-
ties for free advertising. Acting upon
this theory he packed the eleven men
and one woman of the troupe Of Hin
du dancers and jugglers which he
represents into automobiles and took
them to the Plaza, at the entrance to
Central Park. There the Hindus
alighted and forming circle in front
of the Plaza Hotel, went through
some kind of supposed religious cere-
mony, In which big snake played the
star part. The Hindus, 1t is true, are
not In the habit of celebrating Easter,
but "mundus vult decipi" and the i'm
provised ceremony was bound to at.
tract attention to the show at Ger.
tain music hall.
Although 1t Is almost too early for
properly seasoned fish stories, Mont
clair, N. j., started the ball rolling by
sending out as fine a yarn as was ev
er Matched in the brain of the most
accomplished mature fakir." Accord
ing to the story man named Horton
and two friends, all from Montclair
went fishing at Gloss Pond, Verona
While Horton was holding his rod
he turned to speak to one Of his com
panions, when something pulled his
line so strong that 1t almost jerked
the rod cut Of his hand. He started