New-York tribune., 1912-01-02
THE MAYORS HELPMATE
Mrs. Shank, Of Indianapolis, Is
Her Husbands Chief Adviser.

Especial Correspondence OF The Trtbune.l
Indianapolis. Dec. 51.-when Mrs. Lew
Shank, wife Of the energetic Mayor whose
motto Is Bust the food trusts" opened her
Christmas gifts last Monday morning among
them she found silk shawl from q little
italian fruit dealer Of her city. That
shawl was a thank offering to Mrs. Shank
because she had made II possible for his
Old mother to end her days with him In the
home he had made for her In this country.
Last year. after months of saving to get
money for her passage, he wrote to Italy
10 tell his mother to come She came, only
to be detained at Ellis Island and threat
ened with deportation on the ground that
she would not be self-supporting. Mrs.
Shank, hearing Of the case interested her
self and succeeded in convincing the au-
thorities that the woman would not become
public charge and finally got her re-
leased. Hence the little silk shawl in Mrs.
Shank's Christmas stocking.
The Mayors wife had another gift that
day which pleased her immensely--a COW, a
registered. blue blooded. arlstocratic Jersey
COW. Her husband gave her this, and she
at once announced that henceforth she
would personally attend to making the
shank family butter.
"It has been my ambition for long
time" she told The Tribune correspondent,
Ito own a cow and make my own butter.
and now that ambition is realized. My but
ter shall be made just as / want H. ana
can have all the milk and cream | want TO
use In cooking. too. | shall see that my
COW Is we'll fed and looked after and ex-
pect to get paying results
The wife Of the Mayor Of Indianapolis Is
an excellent cook, but that Is not the only
thing she can do. She Is good saleswom-
an. too. The week before Christmas. when
Mr.. Shanks trust smashing bargain
stands were overrun by masses of citizens
eager to buy the poultry and butter and
homemade mince- meat and English walnuts
that he was selling at prices which knocked
the dealers prices galley west" Mrs.
shank took charge Of the mince-meat stand
and waited on the surging crowds. A rev
Yards away the Mayor was cracking jokes
az he weighed out turkeys and chickens and
geese and ducks, and Mrs. Shank was as
unexcited az he In the midst OF the rush,
chatting with buyers she knew and smii-
ing at strangers.
sure she's foine helpmate for his
honor" said one old Irishman as he went
away from the market with fat goose
under one arm and jar OF mince-meat
under the other.
Mrs Shank has been In warm sympathy
from the first with her husbands attempts
to lower the cost OF living for the people.
when soon after his election TO the may
orally. ne determined to make war on the
food trusts by dispensing with the mid
dlemen, getting things direct from the
producer and selling to the consumer at
fair prices or else making II possible for
the producer to deal with the consumer
Mrs. shank supported him In every way
she has always been her husbands adviser
and Il Is said that at his conferences WIN
business men and politicians he invariably
leaves the question IN hand undecided ana
then takes It home and submits it to his
wife's judgment
He ought TO have respect for her business
ability. for she was superintendent OF the
restaurant I'm one Of the big department