davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
JOHN II. MASON
Teaching Sound Investments

CONSTRUCT people who wish to in
i vest in what is sound" is the ad :.
vice of John H. Mason, president OF
the Commercial Trust Co., IF you
would steer them clear Of the rocks OF
financial disaster"
Mr.. Mason. who had charge OF the
Liberty and Victory Bond and War
Savings Stamps sales during the war,
was commenting on the campaign
against fake stocks being waged by
chambers of commerce and civic ana
industrial associations all over tne
country to protect savers and investors,
especially holders of the government
bonds. from the Vaccinations OF un-
scrupulous stock operators.
In the campaign being wnged invest
ors are being made acquainted with the
method of procedure pursued by fake
stock statesmen. and warning is being eX :
tended against placing money IN con-
Germs operated and backed by persons
with whom the investor is not f9miiiar.
"To my way of thinking. the only
effective way to instruct investors Is
not to attempt the impossible and tell
them what is bad, but to devote our
energies to educating them as to what
is good. The teller in the bank does
not detect counterfeit bills by being
trained in knowing bad money, but py
learning to recognize what Is good.
80 used does he become to seeing
good money that he instantly recognizes
that which is spurious by the contrast
Any wise person knows that no one
can promise fantastic profits on invest l.
mcnts and guarantee them to be safe.
II 10 siOnlv not In the wood.
There is an educative process now
going on in this country to show people
how to walk in the straight and narrow
path. financially speaking, but 1t VIII
tske wears to become genuinely effective
Cannot Stop Gambling
There is no better or sounder invest
ment in the country today than Liberty
or Victory Bonds or War Savings
Stamps, but it is always a question
how far you can influence the specu :
lative element in human nature.
You cannot change human nature
It's human nature to fight, and its
also human nature to gamble, to specu ;
late, No law has ever been devised
that would change this element, ano
no teaching, no training, no influence
will ever be found that can eradicate
this human trait. Gambling and specu
laton, in my opinion, will continue tc
90 on as long as the world lasts.
This is particularly true of thu
American people. There are no people
on earth so extravagant or so reckless
Comparatively speaking, they earn theil
money easily and spend 1t in the same
way. The tendency to plunge, to take
chance, to try to get something fol
nothing. is ever present and no amount
Of warning or advice seems to stop it.
consequently, the promoter always
has n chance to flourish in this coun
try. Working on the principle of rob
bing Peter to pay Paul he is always
able to promise enormous profits OF
small Investments, and, with glib.
tongued representatives, he always finds
people ready to fall fT his schemes.
"The millions of dollars which POM
was able TO get people TO invest is thu
most concrete proof Of this at the pres
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
NOW MY IDEA IS THIS!
Daily Talks With Thinking Philadelphians on Subjects
They Kno,u Best

ent time. If there were not great num-
hers of persons who cannot seem to
realize that you cannot get something
for nothing, it would not have been pos
sible for such scheme to have got
over.
But the speculative element seems
to be almost an integral part of the man
himself. If he did not gamble in stocks,
he would gamble on horse races or cards
or something else. You cannot train
or compel people to be wise any mois
than you can make them good by the
same processes.
Cannot Avoid Mistakes
1T is not within the province of the
banker to say what investments are bad.
They are, after all, only human beings
and just as fallible as any one else. They
nave made many mistakes. That is, in
fact, why they are bankers.
For instance, some years ago it
would probably have been the thing to
say that telephone and typewriter stock
was bad investment. But time has
proved otherwise. There is no positive
way of telling just what is behind q
certain stock, or what elements are
going to enter into its development or
its failure. There is no man living
who can do this.
Besides, it is a question just how
much weight our opinion would have.
Many persons come to bankers for ad-
vice and are shown comparatively safe
but conservative investments or methods
OF investing, only to go out and totally
disregard this advice and invest in some
specifically attractive scheme that
promises big returns for their money.
1t is only by being stung that such
people learn.
During the war, when people were
In the right frame of mind the gov
ernment with its Liberty and Victory
Bonds and War Savings Stamp cam
paigns contributed magnificent propa-
ganda in this direction. 1t did have a
beneficial effect and there are thousands
OF people in this country today who are
better off for it.
" As matter of fact. despite the fact
that the bonds are selling below par
at the present time, there is no better
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
lad to inclose stamps for return post

had to inclose stamps for return post
age.
But it now begins to>fook as though
Mexico were really trying to become
ordinarily human. How long it will
last, who can say? She has always
been a land where the governing classes
have represented temperaments exactly
the opposite to the deeply rooted char
acteristics of her great mass Of popula-
ton, and the mere fact that Mexican
government joins church and goes to
Sunday school does not necessarily mean
that the poems will be found at their
prayers.
Still, these are hopeful signs. Even
at the expense of the magazine writer,
we should welcome them and trust to
luck to get our reading thrills from
somewhere else.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20


There will be quicker solution for
the whole general question of motor
trasfic when the courts, the newspapers,
the police and the public realize that
ninety nine out Of every hundred motor
drivers observe more than ordinary eau
tion in the city streets, and that II they
didn't, If they were no more alert than
many people who complain about them,
the total Of dangerous accidents would
double overnight.
A Philadelphia physician with a grim
sense of humor tried an odd experiment
which proved that the hardships of
street traffic are by no means exclu-
sively with the walking public. He
recently sought out professional
chauffeur of the common or garden va
riety, hitched a blood pressure gauge
to the arm of his subject and, sitting on
the front seat of motor, waited to see
what happens to a driver in congested
traffic.
On the trip from Broad and Chestnut
streets to the postoffice and from the
postofice to Broad Street Station, on
a Saturday afternoon, the blood pres
sure of the driver actually scared. 1t
moved up twenty points. Nervous ten
sion and mental stress not uncommon
to the ordinary run of motorists was
registered for the first time in black
and white.
The prim old ladies who proudly in
sist on a right to be jay crossers, the
stubborn citizen who feels. that because
he is a taxpayer all traffic should stop
while he idles across the street in the
middle of block, and pedestrians gem
orally who refuse to observe even ordi-
nary rules of caution were getting in
their work on that experimental trip
as they get 1t in every day in the year.
Drivers of automobiles are forever
avoiding accidents that might result
from the carelessness of others. They
know that Jail or a fine or an ugly
wreck and perhaps serious injury will
be in 1t for them first of all.
When airplanes are the new luxury
that is, when all the world rides in
motorcars-there will be different re
frain in the statistical reports. Then
the public will begin to condemn avia-
tors who drop in the streets without
decent consideration for the rights of
the humble people'who have to get about
with difficulty in motor vehicles.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
ONE DUTY WELL DONE

TT WOULD be opt of place to con-
i gratulate the government on the
speedy trial and prompt sentencing Of
Erwin Bergdoll had not such a nau-
seous muddle been made of the case of
his notorious brother.
The court martial has been unmarried
by disgusting sensationalism. In a
word, plain duty has been simply and
normally performed. The most graft
flying result is not only that arrogance
and disloyalty will be condignly pun
isned, but that the elder Bergdoll will
forthwith be retired from public notice.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
A FoUR.YEAR PROGRAM FOR
PHILADELPHIA

Things on which the people expect
the new administration to concen-
frate it's attention.:
The DeldUure ITver bridge.
A drydook Big enough to dccomnto-
date the largest ships.
Development Of the rdpid transit sys-
teu
A convention hall.
A building for the Free Library.
An Art Museum.
Enlargement Of the Uoter supply.
Homes to accommodate the populd-
tfon
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

The fact that Secretary Daniels
chose the day on which woman suffrage
won its victory to<send his communica-
tion on political activity in the navy to
all employees causes one to conjecture
that perhaps Finland might not have
had it all her own way in the javelin
throw if Josephus had entered for
America,
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
Philadelnhia Epvntnl

Philadelphia Psychologists are much
interested in the alleged discovery by
Washington student Of the fluid with
which mummies were embalmed. but
they apparently have not taken cogni-
zance Of noteworthy local case. There
is evidence that when the present street
car company was organized the under
lying companies we're dipped in mummy
fluid. At"all events they seem to be
pretty we'll preserved.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

A mothers appeal to her boy is
said to have brought about the deciding
vote in favor of the ratification of the
suffrage amendment in Tennessee.
Don't forget to be good boy" she
wrote, "and help Mrs. Gait to put the
rat in ratification" A new nursery
jingle for Tennessee youth is here sug-
gested: This is the letter that turned
the vote that enabled the state to help
Mrs. Gait to put the rat in ratification.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

At last we have
Tell II to Congress traced one of the
hidden causes of the
present white paper shortage. 1t is
in the untold number of paper nap
kins which, handed out in the quick
lunch dens, invariably blow away and
disappear before they can be captured
and firmly held.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
Among the Rol,

Among the Bolshevists there are
military visionaries who see world con-
quest ahead Of them and fanatical Wis
ionaries who foresee uprisings of the
proletariat the world over; and back Of
them both is the silent peasant, who
yet may prove modern civilization S
strongest ally.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
Answers to Yesterdays Quiz

]. The difference in time between Lon
don and New York is five hours
At present both cities are using
daylight saving.
q Uneasy lies the head that wears a
crown" is spoken by King Henry
" In the Shakespeare's King
Henry ", Part H."
3. Neptune is farther from the sun
than any other planet in the solar
system.
l. General George B. Mcclellan was
the Democratic candidate who ran
unsuccessfully against Abraham
Lincoln for the presidency in
1864.
8. Most of the scene of Stevenson s
romance, Treasure Island" is laid
in the West indies,
8. Elihu Root has been instrumental
in drawing up the plahs for a
world court OF arbitration to
operate under the League of Ma
tions.
7. Gilbert Stuart was an American
painter, especially celebrated for
his full length portraits of Wash.
ington, OF which there are Ave.
Stuart was born in Narragansett,
r. l., in 1885; died in Boston in
1928.
8. The tomato was formerly called
loye-apple, was thought to be
poisonous and was grown for
decorative purposes.
0. Augustus was emperor of Rome at
the time Of the birth OF Jesus
Christ.
10. Count Casimir Pulaski served In the
Continental Army in the American
Revolution and in 177S formed a
corps called "Pulaski's Legion. -
He defended Charleston In l77e
I and was mortally wounded near
Savannah the same year.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
Saws Josenbus Daniels. secretar,

Says Josephus Daniels, secretary
of the navy: Employees are account
able for political activity by persons
other than themselves, including hus-
bands and wives" Thus, according to
the gospel of Daniels, husband and wife
are one politically as well as socially.
Dangerous doctrine, Josephus, at time
when Democrats are wooing the femi-
nine vote and women are celebrating
their emancipation.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

Doesn't Secretary Baker realize
that he is making things harder for
Postmaster General Burleson by send
ing those bulky Democratic speeches of
his through the mail free?
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

In the matter of votes for women
we have it on unquestionable authority
that the Hearst newspapers did it.
They admit it themselves.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

Forgetting for the moment that we
are Republicans or Democrats, we re-
joice as Americans at the news from
Antwerp.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
SHORTCUTS

Susan B. Anthony's soul goes
marching on.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
We'd Make a
Gallant Effort

coursing through the Orient. A plot to
seize and hold the entire delegation has
been discovered among influential 10.
reans, who believe that they might
thereby stir up row between Japan
and the United States Government.
We shouldn't like to lose our congress.
men, even temporarily. But one may
venture to suggest that the country
would potter along somehow until they
were returned from captivity.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

What "Southern chivalry" said
was, "Oh. well. take II, darn Il U
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

After days Of mugginess, yesterday
we momentarily sensed the raw gust
Of August"
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

The women at least proved their
possession of political strategy in Ten
nessee. They made the two national
political parties fight for their votes.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

The Poles may vet proceed to prove
the truth of Mark Twain's declaration
that nothing succeeds like success.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

When Grover learns how free from
worry Erwin is he may decide to give
himself up.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

Here and there are those who con-
slider Reno the capital of the land of
the free.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

Decline in sugar prices may be de :
scribed as little drops Of sweetness.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

The wonder is, after
IL Is Always So all, that the author
tiles In Boston didn't
get Ponzi before Ponzi got the money.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

If some relative, of Josephus Dan
iels could get job in the navy 1t might
give the country needed rest.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

What frankie d. seems to be suf-
fering from is immaturity.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

When the hot weather is over the
general public may begin to take some
slight interest in what is happening in
Europe, outside of Antwerp.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
Every once in a
Quite So while the revered

cltlZen VINO insists
that old fashioned weather has passed
for good is given a shock of surprise.
This state, for example, has just passed
through period of the sort of weather
they used to have in Noah's time.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

Shbe Park being like sponge yes.
terday. the scheduled game was wiped
off the slate.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

The, political capital to be drawn
out of Poland's disaster will eventually
demand ruinous amount of interest.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

The Bolshevist program Is a COM
prehensive one, but, very happily, 1t is
subject to change.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

The Candy Box and the Cigar Box
now march side by side to the Ballot
Box.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
What Do You Kno,U?


QUIZ
/. Who wrote the words Of annie
Laurie?
2. What is a ciborium?
g. How many federal constitutional
amendments have been ratified
within the last ten years?
4. Who won the battle Of Brandywine
in the American Revolution?
8. What Is the largest tideless sea in
the world?
6. What famous republic had st. Mark
for It's patron saint?
7. Where is Benjamin Franklin buried !?
s. Name a small animal Of which
snakes are intensely afraid?
0. Distinguish between a hassock and
a cassock
10. What part OF a fathom is a foot?
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

Fireman Statesman Roosevclt's
difficulty appears to be that every time
his whistle blows his engine stops.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20

THE families spread the fertilizer,
l. choose their own crops. plant the
seeds, till the crops and gather the ma
tured produce. After supplying domes-
tic needs they sell any surplus or store
crops that keep over winter. If an in
dividual or family Cultivates a garden
resutfully one season, the association
generally reallots the ground the en-
suing season.
Directly, the labors of this useful en-
terprise assist the benefciaries in max
ing possible garden sass for home use
without any implication Of charity, as
the results are shcerly dependent on
personal effort and efficiency. The "city
farmers" sometimes devote most Of
their ground to one crop, attaining bet
ter results by concentration, and then
trade portions of their crop with their
neighbors. Many of them "huckster"
the surplus. Others practice diversified
agriculture on small scale. to give
variety to the family table. The lots
are kept free from weeds and unsightly
objects, which removes all opposition
from householders near the vacant lot
gardens.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
CROPS ON VACANT LOTS
Success Of War Gardens is Being
Repeated by Many Indus
trlous PhIIadeiphlans
WHERE once the only crop that

NTHERE once the only crop that
Stone and pound large Ponderosa bear
burdens of tomatoes, now red ripe
as they say in Jersey. Broomsticks that
once Uttered the ground are now sup
porting luscious lima beans. Brickbats
have given way to beets. and miscel-
laneous debris to small cared but tooth
some Golden Bantam or fine grained
Shoepeg corn.
the Philadelphia Vacant Lots Cultiva-
the rule. Chard, lettuce, cabbage,
varieties of hardy truck" are in their,
per crop Of "earlies" has been followed
by one as bounteous of main season
varieties, and the late croppers' will
be ready in time for the home canning
and picking season.
HARVEST time in the vacant lot
IL gardens means the measurable re-
duction of the cost of living by the
urban agriculturists in their toy plots;
which, however. are big enough to sup
ply the family table and often to afford
a surplus to sell, thus augmenting the
family income.
Despite the handicap Of wet and cold
ground that prevented planting in ac.
cordance with the old reliable Farmers
Almanac. this has been one of the best
seasons in the history of the vacant lot
movement, which Philadelphia has de-
veloped on larger scale than any other
city. John X. Snyder, superintendent Of
the activities for many years, Is en-
thusiastic over the project, and his
roseate outlook is confirmed by a visit
to the scores Of once vacant lots re-
claimed by amateur intensive farming
from their former fallowness into an
agency Of real helpfulness.
One must dissociate the idea Of char
ity from the vacant lot movement.
Philanthropy, yes; charity, no. Rou-
tine relief work is likely to exert
more or less degrading influence on the
minds of the recipients. Frequently it
causes n physical degeneration as well,
on account of encouraged idleness. Va
cant lot farming, however. requires the
Industrious participation of the bcnef-
ciary. 1t encourages ambition and self
reliance. Instead Of having their eff
cheney lesSned, the workers on the
vacant-lot farms become more efficient
and diligent. For they will reap no
harvest unless thpv COW and till.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
VACANT LOTS, CULTIVATION
Y ASSOCJATInN hos heen oneratinp

Y ASSOCIATION has been operating
for more than score of years. Its
motto is Increased opportunity for
self help" It's purpose is not to give
charity. but to open the way for those
in need of aid to help themselves
through their own efforts. Its work is
the cultivation of gardens by the needy
on unused land, subject to dispossession
when the owners want the land for
building or other purposes. The result
of the work is briefly summarized in the
statement that each dollar expended
fructifes into four. In other words,
vegetables are produced to four times
the value of the subscriptions made By
civic minded and public spirited per-
sons to finance the work.
Sometimes there are in different parts
of the city as many as twenty different
garden farms divided into nearly
1000 lots. each allotted to a family.
Analysis of season shows the benef-
Charles to have been laborers. mill
hands. railway employees, building trades
operatives, persons engaged in miscel-
laneous occupations affected by sea
sonal" conditions. and persons closely
confined to Office work, who thus coun-
teracted potential illness through lack
of outside recreation.
All nationalities are found among the
vacant lot farmers. All ages are rep
resented. from the kiddic in knicker-
bockers to the old man of eighty. The
best garden one year was the result of
the toll of nonagenarian. In every
respect the work of this broad and use
full movement is highly diversified.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-20
INDIRECTLY, the association is in

l. fuential. Its workers set a valuable
object lesson to others in the vicinity to
utilize backyards for intensive garden
ing. Many Of the gardeners secure
practical training enough to set up
"trucking" in the nearby suburbs. 1t
thus fosters the back TO. the land"
movement. 1t serves as a desirable
agency in the general uplift movement,
workers.