davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-07-07

The friends of 'Uncle Bob"
McKercher, chief of police, great
ly fear that he is going blind. He
can see such prominent objects as
the oredocks, John Meining's job
as sheriff, the Wolvin building or
the road to Pike Lake. He also is
able to make his way unaided to
that swift Marmon cara car
that would make Barney Oldfield
very jealous.
But when it comes to seeing a
blind pig, chief McKercher has
been passing right by them for
many months, neither seeing nor
hearing them grunt. Some Of
them are old and strong enough
to discover by the smell but to
the chief they are as if they did
not exist. If a lot Of blind pork
ers are farrowed in these bone
dry days, it is believed that COM
missioner Silberstein and sergeant
Englert will have to do any find
ing and sticking that may be
! done.
There are redlight ladies galore
on the boulevards. Some have
complexions vivid enough to see a
block away. Some of these danes
should wear DINNERS, their COM
plexions are so dazzling. But the
genial chief can see them not.
Other redlight ladies avoid the
glare Of day as much as possible
but have elegant and popular gar
dens of delight where they hold
court for entertainment of their
male admirers, young and old,
gay and sedate, rich and poor,
with special emphasis on the rich.
These trysting places are utterly
beyond the vision Of "Uncle
Bob," as they call him when con-
versing over the telephone.
The fierce tiger has his lairs on
various streets in Duluth. Some
time ago, chief McKercher was
able to distinguish certain tiger
dens belonging to Negro clubs on
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-07-07

Workingmen's Dry Leagues will
be on the job in st. Louis county
contest.
"The old argument that to close
the saloons and breweries will
throw thousands of men out of
employment no longer appeals to
the intelligent workingman,'
said Senator Jones today. eft
has been demonstrated beyond
question that the capital now in
vested in the liquor business, if
taken out of that business and in
vested in other legitimate lines,
will give employment to many
more workingmen than are now
employed in the manufacture of
liquor.
"Workingmen have been fooled
by the usual wet arguments in
the past, but they will be fooled
no longer. 1t was the working
mems vote that made Duluth dry
and [ am confident it will be the
Intelligent workingmen that will
put st. Louis county in the dry
column"
Prominent outside speakers will
be brought to st. Louis county
later in the campaign and, it is
said, no stone will be left un-
turned to administer a final
crushing blow to old John Bar
leycorn so far as st. Louis county
is concerned.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-07-07
OLD JOHN BARLEYCORN
NOW LIES MOULDERING
Duluth Wallows Final Farewell
and Superior Bibulously Wei
comes Her Favorite Citizen.

Old John Barleycorn's body lies
mouldering in the grave so far
as Duluth is concerned. Over in
Superior, he has returned after a
year Of rioting and registering
elsewhere. Quite a number of Dli-
luthians had a farewell wallow
with the miserable old wretch and,
over in Superior, the cutters were
cleaned in honor of his return and
to make ample room for members
Of the reception committee who
got paralyzed in giving the re-
turning wandering wet welcome.
Tuesday morning, , only four
drunks showed up in Duluth's
police court. Two of those de-
clared that they accumulated
their jags in Superior and two
stated that they fell off the water
wagon because they had some
booze left over from last Satur-
day night. A week ago Tuesday,
twenty drunks appeared in police
court, just five times as many as
after three days of desert exist
ence.
Mayor Konkel is reported to
have instructed the Superior po-
lice not to arrest anyone unless
fully helpless. Twenty such must
have been the record for that
number, showed up in police court
the same morning that only four
appeared in the Duluth court.
Old Bill Booze is prime
fayorite in Superior. They fell
on his neck and wept bibulous
tears of happiness over his appear
ance. Noise goes a long way in
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-07-07

Odin Halden, county auditor,
local boss of the republican party
and, by some, considered King of
the Courthouse, once tried the
grocery business in Duluth but
failed. Mr.. George N. LaVaque
then was county auditor, up in
the old brick courthouse. He
threw life line to the busted
banana merchant by giving him a
place as deputy auditor. In due
course, Mr.. Halden advanced to
the position Of chief deputy.
Like Caesar, Mr.. LaVaque was
ambitious. He aspired to the Of
flee of state auditor. When pull
ng wires and rolling logs to that
end, he left Mr.. Halden in charge
of the auditors office as his first
lieutenant. Mr.. Halden had to
audit in those days, whether he
wanted to or not, but that
spidery, webspinning instinct was
strong in his brain. He saw a
chance to grab the office held by
his benefactor.
One fine, fateful day just about
% years ago, after six years as
a beneficiary Of Geo. N. LaVaque,
chief deputy auditor Odin Halden
rolled down his cuffs, pulled shut
his desk, donned his street coat
and started for the auditorial
door, exclaiming over his shoul-
der:
81 am going to run for county
auditor"
The clerks were in great con-
sternation over the turn affairs
had taken but kept the auditing
going until Mr.. LaVaque filled
the vacancy. Failing to land the
higher honor in St. Paul, he found
it desirable to run again for the
local job. AS a result, he ran
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-07-07
JUNGLE BOB'S" EYES
STRANGELY AFFECTED

try, made John H. LaVaque a
deputy sheriff. The old soldier,
pioneer, victim of illhealth and
business misfortunes was not per-
mitted to be pushed off the earth.
This may be why Odin Halden
hats John R. Meining and fain
would have him out of the court
house.
Will S. Mccormick was a can
didate for the nomination for
county auditor against Halden.
He had solemnly promised his
friends to file. Three days be-
fore that time, too late to safely
seek another candidate, Mr.. Nc
Cormick absolutely refused to
rum.
There are many stories as to
the inside Of this affair and the
slippery, spidery Halden has his
name connected with all of them.
One version is that he promised to
support prominent Son of Swe-
den for county treasurer if Nc
Cormick was pulled off. When
that gentleman refused to file,
Halden failed to get the nomina-
tion for his manipulation but
showed ample signs that he had
been linked up otherwise all the
time.
Whatever the real, exact, inside
facts may be, a liberal distribu-
tion Of the Double Cross undoubt-
edly was made.
Another version has it that Hal
den sent another Swedish citizen
to McCormick to. pretend to be
his friend and offer to 60 up to
the Mesaba range to work in his
behalf. Accepting some of Nc
Cormick's money, the emissary of
Halden staid at home for few
days and then, coming back to Nc
Cormick, claimed to have seen
many prominent men on the iron
ranges and that most of them
were against the former auditor
of the city of Duluth. This, so
the tale runs, so discouraged
Halden's opponent that he re-
fused to file, as he had promised.
Then, as a finishing touch to
his devilishly sly work, Halden
failed to hand this Swedish ennis
sary nice, fat plum, as had been
promised.
These are merely samples Of
Double Cross presentations. The
records are erammed, pressed
down and overflowing with them.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-07-07

cry were to be combined to de-
feat Laybourn and thus it came
about.
Halden attended all the Lay
bourn conferences and meetings
and showed all the zeal Of a
young convert. But, when such
conferences were over, Mr.. Lay
bourn and a host of loyal, high
minded friends declare that the
old Spider of the Courthouse has
tened to the democratic camp and
turned himself wrong side out.
Mr.. Halden may deny but he
can do so until black in the face
without changing the facts. At
the time, Lee Willcuts was very
angry. William Getty also was
incensed, for he was Laybourn s
friend. The late Will Mckay,
holding a courthouse job by favor
of Halden, privately and secretly
deprecated things Halden did but
was unable to hinder unless he
surrendered a needed job.
The democratic candidate was
elected and, very satisfactorily to
the beer brewers, voted anti
county option and anti-female
suffrage. He "got his" later on
but that's another story.
Six years ago, John H. La
Vague, brother of the late Geo. N.
LaVaque, the man who gave Hal
den a job when he was bankrupt
and in need, only to be repaid by
ingratitude and treachery, was in
need of employment. He had
pioneered in Duluth; played the
part of good citizen; done much
to help build up the city; but, in
declining years, met business mis-
fortunes. He thought that his
record, experience and condition,
warranted him in running for
county commissioner in the Sec
ond district.
The House of Ticher still had
it's spell on that position, thanks
to the sfaNer of the King of The
Courthouse. Instead Of standing
neutral, Konge Odin went out of
his way to oppose the fortunes of
the brother of the man who really
made him-who put him on the
road to his kingdom in this coun-
ty.
Employees from the auditor 3
office were sent out like the dis
ciples, in companies Of two but,
unlike them, with ample purses
and scrip. More than one county
rig had it's axles heated from
running overtime through the Sec
ond district to make John II. La
Vaque's calling and election i'm
possible.
Halden saved the day for Tisch-
er. John r. Meining, sheriff
of st. Louis county, and a man
who was growing to manhood in
Duluth when Odin Halden was
catching Goldfish in the old coun-
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-07-07

Michigan street. But anything of
the kind conducted by light-col-
ored keepers of the cages, are ut
terly invisible.
Some months ago, Professor
Wright who was conducting a
night school for students of the
national game of poker and a few
special studies, had a little trouble
and, to avoid an engagement with
Judge Smallwood, went on an ex-
tended vacation to Superior.
Chief McKrecher roared like a
bull of Bashan over Prof.
Wright's bad manners and de-
clared that if "Rasty," as his
fond students call him, ever came
back to Duluth, he would be put
where he could play checkers
with his nose.
Now dear old "Rasty" has
been back in Duluth many weeks.
He strolls the boulevards, eats in
the cafes and, presumably, has
resumed his night classes. -,
Up to time Of going to press,
Prof. Wright has not been jailed
and chief McKercher fails to re-
cognize the famous educator when
he passes him on the street.
This looks very, very bad for
"Uncle Bob's recovery of normal
eyesight. His many admirers
greatly fear that, before long,
they will see the famous snowshoe
catcher of hardened criminals
seated in his big Marmon car, in
front of the Wolvin building,
holding tin cup in his hand,
with placard on the car, bearing
these words:
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-07-07
SORDID STORY OF KONGE ODIN'S CLIMB TO
THE COUNTY THRONE.

When Chief Deputy, Throws Down County Auditor
LaVaque-Hands Sheriff Sharvey Brazen DOu-
BILE Cross i'm Same Convention-Kills Off Sena-
tor Laybourn By Poison Mixed With Help of
Brewers and Democrats Makes Personal Fight
OH LaVaque and Chloroforms Mccormick.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-07-07
CERTAIN OBJECTS ARE INVISIBLE WHILE
OTHERS ARE PLAINLY SEEN.

Duluths Chief of Police Can See Ore Docks, Wolvin
Building and Meining's Job but Redlight Joints
and Tiger Dens Have Low Visibility - Prof.
Wright Presumably Has Resumed Night School
Classes Thrilling Story of the Chiefs Brave
Fight Against Enemy Punch Boards.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-07-07
PITY THE SORROWS
OF A
POOR BLIND MAN

1t is the punch boards that
have almost caused chief Nc
CONTINUED on Page 3, Column ~
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-07-07

The Duluth Rip-saw prints and
circulates 5000 copies a week.
Larger editions soon will be i'm
perative. Do not longer miss the
great mental tonic in its pages.
Subscribe at once-Only 81 q year.
Do it today. Delays are dangerous.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-07-07

Get your name ON that Roll of
HOnOr-The Rip-saw subscription
list. Do not starve that brain of
yours-read the Rip-saw. II you
wish to know how the wheels of
county and city government work
read the Rip-saw.
The Denver star., 1917-12-29

strate our high standard of cit
lzenship, Patriotism, and equal
ity with all human races has
come. This is a great day for
the American Negro. In spite
OF the East ST. Louis horror.
in the face of the execution of
thirteen brave Negro men at
Ft. Sam Houston. who gave
their lives with a song on
their lips, that race prejudice
in these United States should
be wiped ont, in spite of all
these things. the blsek people
OF America are gong into this
war side by side of the whites.
to establish DEMOCRACY
!HRUOUT HE WORLD
One of the greatest needs
OF the American Negro is A
voice, AN ORGAN OF
SPE ECH, so loud and strong
that it can be heard in eyerv
civilized cline A people with
out a voice. people who are
dumb, will ezer be compeIled
to suffer in silence at the
hand Of their oppressors
In Coli RADIO our fair Gov
ernor has pranted us officers.
commissioners and recogniz-
ed us as men and citizens.
The Denver star., 1917-12-29

Mr.. c. NJ. White has Just
returned from a tour of the
Far South and some of the
central Western states. He
is particularly impressed with
the changed attitude of the
Southern whites towards Ne
grces in many of the places
visited. There seems to be a
wholesome disposition on the
part of the better element of
the South TO recognize and
secure for the colored people
a larger amount of consider
alton. 1t seems to be the con
sensus of opinion Of the South
ern press that the Negro can
not much longer be denied the
right of franchise. Although
the exodus from the South to
the North has ceased to a
very large extent, still it seems
to be dawning on the mind of
average Southern man that it
is matter of either giving
the Negro larger considera =
ton and opportunities or iD-
ally losing him altogether.
Mr.. White feels that now
is the time for the Negro to
make his influence felt 10 the
uttermost-the time is now
ripe and we should strike now
Some medium should be re
cognized by us all as the
mouthpiece whereby we are
to make our wants and de
mands known. Considering
the achievements already won
by the National Association
for the Advancement of Col
ored people, it would appear
to be the part of wisdom for
us all to identify ourselves
with that institution and its
messenger, The Crisis to the
end that when II should speak
those in authority may know
that it is the voice OF twelve
million free people.
The Denver star., 1917-12-29
oolorvd Girl Sells Xmas ptss-
snts in New York

Brooklyn. N. Y.-The kind
of democracy for which color
ed Americans are willing to
hight was shown by the Loft
c andy Manufacturing Com
pany the past week, when the
company applied to the en-
ployment department of Hun
ter Coilegea-in East 68th St.
and Park Avenue N. Y. CITY
for one hundred students 20
work as sales girls in their
chain of stores for rhe hoIi-
days. Among the students
who were given cards was Lii
lian c. Dodson, the only COL
ored girl in the group.
The company ,honored her
card without hesitation and
Miss Dodson worked from
Dec. 18TH to 24th. Her re-
cord of sales was among the
highest of any girl in the store
l his is an instance where mer
it and color was recognized
Miss Dodson is the first girl
OF our race so far as we know
TO serve in this capacity. She
rs a graduate of the public
! and high schools here and is
pursuing a course at Hunter
college leading to the degree
of Bachelor of Arts. Miss
Dodson is the daughter of N.
b. Dodson Of the American
Press Association.
The Denver star., 1917-12-29

A campaign is being carried
on here to raise $I7s,ooo for
the Babies Hospital by a
group OF society women At
their last meeting twenty ba
bies were brought in and one
given to each captain tor a
mascot Two colored chill.
dren were taken to live in
the homes of n;!l;onaires for
ten days
The Denver star., 1917-12-29

LeRoy N Bundy, Negro
dentist, charged with melting
Negroes TO violence during
the East St Louis riots, will be
tried in Waterloo, Monroe Co
Illinois, it became known to
night
Bundy applied for a change
of venue on the ground that
predulIce was too great
against him in St Clair county
he state made no objection
he date OF the trial has not
been fixed
The Denver star., 1917-12-29
FRENCH DEMOCRACY CRATES
, on THE SoUTHERNERS
Americans Surprised at
French Treatment of Col
= ored Soldiers

The Independent, local
white weekly. published the
following article in its issue of
November I3, contrasting the
Southerner's idea OF democra-
cy with what obtains in France
The French have one idea
of democracy and Americans
another, the result of which is
confusing and embarrassing
to American white soldiers
who are now in France to help
carry on the war for democra-
cy. Democracy in France,
where democracy had its birth
knows no color line What
this means to American troops
is brought out in a letter re-
ceived by Miss Mary Gurley
of this city this week from a
soldier TREND. now with the
colors in France. The soldier
boy says:
1T certainly gets a South
erner's goat to see how the
races ,nix up on this side. Its
mot an unusual sight to see a
big black Negro walking
down the street with his arms
,1round a pretty white girl
and then to see him reach ov-
er and kiss her regardless of
who may be looking. / MS
j. a regular thing in the con-
ttert halls and cabarets: 1t is
getting to be quite problem
with the Y. Nj. c. A. in Bor-
deaux. They have reading
room an,i restaurant which is
open to all soldiers The
'nigger soldiers are about to
take possession OF the place
and the Y. M. {. A. officials
don't know how to go about
drawing the color line. l he
American girls that are rum
ming the restaurant are retus-
ing to wait on the 'niggers'
and the Associatian is getting
r right up against it, OF course
this will be worse when the A
merican Niger soldiers and
white Southern soldiers get
together over here.
The French people seem
to have a very high regard
for Niger and they inter
right along. The La Tour
raine, which left Bordeaux
last Sunday. carried over IS
officers who are to train the
American troops at the canton
@ents in trench warfare,
One of these officers is carry
ing a niger with along with
him. Understand he has
been Assigned to some camp
\hTexas. His social position
out there will be about deuce
The Denver star., 1917-12-29

well. And he has crowned
his well doing by appointing
an official advisor who belongs
to the Negro race. There re
mains one more thing for the
Secretary to do. We have
not yet our full Quota of Ne
gro officers. There were SO, :
800 Negroes called in the first
draft. Allowing us NO officers
higher ihasssa captain, this
would cafi for a 1000 colored
officers and if we furnish 2oo.-
Negro troops in the Sc
Icoad draft as seems likely.
We should at least have 5000
900 officers. We havGsae pres
ent 700. WE NEED A Sc
|COND OFFICERS TRAIN
Ing GAMP IN I.NNA,R!Y.
We can furnish the men, will
the government furnish the
instructors? The Crisis urp-
es that you write your Con.
gressmen and Secretary Bak-
er. 10 it now.
To the memory of those I,
that were hanged. You are
dead but you were no cow
ards, you were brave in life
and fearless in death, dying
in the noble defense of and
protesting against the insults
to our noble womanhood. We
honor you, we cherish your
memories and long may your
names be ever green in our
posterity's offspring.
With no unishm ent 70
those who assaulted and ter
rorized these soldiers. with
not only no punishment for
lynchers OF Colored citizens
and but light sentences for
confessed murderers in the
massacre of men and women,
but not even a word from the
President against the burning
alive of our people, the treat
ment of the dead bodies of
these brave Colored soldiers
becomes an outrage upon the
Colored American people.
More than that, as race
we possess sober conscience
an undisputed intelligence,
moral stamina that means
progress patriotism that is
unimpeachable, an lnvincible
spirit with an indomi MT BILE
will charged with an intense
dogged determination poised
by a marked degree Of integ-
rity and a purpose of future
worth to see things thru not
wi.hstanding this veneered
christian racial peace and ius-
tice seething with hate, race
and color discriminatives.
Watchmau what of the mig hit ?
The greatest opportunity
since the Emancipation Pro-
clamation now is Knocking at
the door of the Negro Race.
The opportunity to demon
The broad ax., 1917-03-31
Gun SaIutes In India.

The viceroy of India, as representa-
tive of the king-emperor, is entitled to
q salute Of thirty-one guns. This num-
Der had its origin In q mistake. For
merly he was entitled to twenty-one
guns. When the time came, years ago,
for allotting the salutes to the various
native rulers Of India the three prin-
cipal Of these vassal sovereigns-name-
ly, those Of Hyderabad, Mysore and
Bareda-were each accorded twenty,
one guns. 1t was discovered little
late in tho day that the superior rank
of the viceroy had been overlooked in
the matter, and the necessity was
pointed out of his supremacy over the
vassal rulers being emphasized In the
eyes Of the natives. Ss instead Of re-
ducing the number Of twenty-one guns
that had been accorded to the three
rulers In question the viceroy was CIV
en- ten more guns and L. today the only
person In the world who is entitled to
that altogether exceptional number OF
Spectator.
The broad ax., 1917-03-31
Hs, Buffalo Bill Go. HE Name.

Many years ago, when the Union Pa
cifc railroad was completed, the Ques-
don arose as to how all the laboring
men were to be fed on meat, as meat
was thought necessary to make muscle.
General W. E Webb had the con-
tract to feed the men, and In talking
the matter over one day with some Of
his subordinates one Of them suggest
ed that he call In William Cody, then Q
famous government scout on the
plains to help solve the problem. o.
dy suggested that he be allowed to hire
men and kill buffaloes for the railroad
men
This plan was adopted. and Cody BE-
came later world famous a Bunalo
BIN In those days the buffaloes were
% plentiful that It II On record that
more than one engineer had to stop his
train until O herd had crossed.-A g.
aegeman In New York Sun.