The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-02-03
VAR ON
ROLLER TOWEL
ONE MAN, o. o. MORAY, START.
ED VIGOROUS WAR ON THE
ROLLER TOWEL IN KANSAS
WHICH HAS CAUSED SUCH A
STIR.

says: 1 think every one Of us, no
matter how humble our station in life,
renders consciously or unconsciously,
some great service to humanity. To
do something, to perform a service
that will bless and benefit our fellow
men, and that will make the world a
better and clearer place in which to
1--we, is a comforting thought. For "a
word fifty spoken is like apples of gold
in pictures of silver" HEALTH Wal
ton tells as, lis the second blessing
that We mortals are capable of; a
blessing that money cannot buy"
l do not know what epitah shall
be written for me when 1 am gone; l
probably shall not care much about
1t. l hope to be so environed that
the love, beauty and charm of my new
abiding place will drive from my
memory the sordid things of earth.
n yet I should like to be remem-
bered for some service that will stand
out as a real blessing to humanity.
Could 1 dedicate the epitah on the
tombstone that will mark my resting
place, it would read:
He Started the War on the Roller
Towel in Kansas"
II / never do anything else in the
world that would entitle me to the
gratitude and favor Of my fellow
Kansans, I will be content to res upon
this service to humanity. To know
that this great health reform is
spreading far beyond the borders of
this state, is an added satisfaction to
few men who go, conscientiously, into
the reform business.
l do not wish to be vain. glorious or
boastful, neither do I intend that nv
light h be hid under a busheI. I
started the roller towel on the tobag-
gan In Kansas, and I am going to tell
the simple story of it's downfall.
II was on an autumn Sunday Just
a year ago. I was walking down KAN
sas I met John A. Kleinhans.
inspector for the state board of health.
l thought Of the individual drinking
cup order, and I talked with John
about its reception by the people; I
wanted a nucleus for an eastern story.
A nucleus is all I need for one of these
stories.
John" I said, Tets go after the
roller towel and drive it out of KAN
sas."
Il am with you," Kleinhans said,
but o must not say that the state
board of health will take action, for
DR.. Crumbine has not yet considered
the matter. 1t will be all right to
make public sentiment. but it won't
do to say that the state board of
health is behind the movement; not
yet"
/ respected Kleinhans' wishes as far
as I could, but my story had to "go,"
n TO make 1T Ego" l put some whisk-
ers on it; that is, I said the old roller
towel would be the next thing in Kan
sas to encounter DR.. Crumbine's dis
pleasure. 1 guess this was news to
DR.. Crumbine, but he stood for it, all
right.
In my story which I printed in Ave
eastern papers 1 worked in some stuff
about the old printing office towel
that stood in the corner, and how the
kansa editors would regret to part
with this time-honored relic, and then
l lit into it as a g~erm-ladened, disease
breeding catch-all that was a disgrace
to Kansas civilization. I quoted In
spector Kleinhans on it's use on rail-
road trains, in hotels and public pIac-
es, discussing 1t as unsanitary from
every viewpoint.
When the story was printed in The
st. Louis Republic Kleinhans bought
a dozen copies, marked the article,
and sent them to as many Kansas
dailies. The auditor in the interest
of economy" refused to audit this
expense. 1t was reproduced in prob
ably fifty Kansas papers and found it's
way into the columns of as many
dailies outside the state.
Following the widespread publica-
ton a flood of letters poured into DR..
Crumbine's Office from Kansas and
others urging the state board of health
to abolish this disease breeding and
death-dealing old nuisance. Well,
that was just a year ago. You know
what happened on Sept. 1. An order
went forth from DR.. Crumbine aboI-
ishing the roller or common towel in
Kansas.
An army of 5000 commercial trav-
elers, good men and true, who annu-
ally travel through Kansas, remember
and bless DR.. Crumbine every time
they enter a public toilet or wash
room. The great business and travel
ing public, our schools and those who
travel on our railroad trains will, in
after years, remember Sept. /, 1911,
as a day of deliverance from filth and
CRIME, disease and death. 1t is worth
while to be a pioneer in UGH a move
ment.
State food inspector, Brother John
"A. Kleinhans of Kansas, author of
the Kansas hotel laws, suggests that
the law should be amended, requiring
posted in all rooms the rate charge
per day for said room, and the propos-
ed amendment should require, where
two prices are charged guests in din
ing rooms, separate tables should be
provided and each table labeled the
price charged, which prices shall be
the rates to be charged at said hotel.
There has been a great many COM
plants from travellers in Kansas. com
ing from this source" says the in
spector, ..and the matter should BIZ
J looked after at our next session Of tn,
legislature by getting an amendment
to our present law"
Our landlords seem to think that tn,
I "house'' pays the expenses, and whats
: the difference to the salesman, though
: the facts are every salesman pays hi
2 '~expensesf' though he may work OF
commissions or expenses paid
? contracts.
The salary the statesmen get is al
e ways based on what the net prodt
are to his house.
9 Poor. Laundry Work.
A traveller who travels for laundr,
9 machinery and is thoroughly familia
Nth laf1yd1.x, Y1nfhadr daolarnS fba